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Time and money often feel in short supply, especially as we head into the holiday season. Gifts can be a strain on our budgets. Parties, concerts, and travel plans can fill up our calendars quickly. And when the financial, emotional, and physical bills come due in January, we might feel like we're already starting the New Year in the red.
Kids often know a lot more about what's going on in the world than we realize, even if they don't have a handle on all the details. Any child old enough to log onto YouTube has probably seen a few eye-grabbing video thumbnails or headlines about the economy in the past few weeks, or heard grown-ups grumbling about the markets, rising grocery bills, and Tax Day.
If you're a parent or grandparent reviewing child savings account options, you've probably heard about Trump Accounts. Created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and signed into law in July 2025, they're a new federal investment vehicle for children, with a notable hook: a $1,000 government seed deposit for eligible newborns.5 The question worth asking is whether one belongs in your family's financial picture.
As Life-Centered Financial Planners, we always want your finances to bring a smile to your face.
But for most seniors, it's your spending that's going to "smile" as you age through the Go-Go, the Slow-Go, and the No-Go years of retirement.
That's because spending, like life, doesn't progress in a straight line. At every stage of retirement, your needs are going to change, your goals are going to change, and your perspective on the future is going to change. It's important that you have a spending plan that's capable of supporting you today while also preserving your long-term financial security.
And it's also important that you avoid two potential pitfalls of the spending smile: spending too much too early in retirement or being too afraid to spend and really enjoy your retirement every step of the way.
Here's what to expect from the three stages of retirement and some tips on how to keep "smiling" across your whole Lifeline.
When parents begin teaching their children about money, they often focus on the mechanics. Counting coins and cash. Earning money through chores and part-time work. How to open accounts and what different accounts are for. The magic of compounding interest. Budgeting and saving for purchases.
But understanding how money works will only take your child so far. Kids also need to understand the correlation between the actions they take with money and resulting outcomes. They need to believe that they are in charge of their money, not the government, the markets, or turmoil on the other side of the world.
Here’s why self-efficacy should be a bigger part of your money conversations with your kids.
You have a first meeting with a new financial advisor, congrats! You’re taking an essential step in forging a path to financial confidence and clarity. But this is more than just a casual chat; it’s a critical conversation to determine if this professional is the right fit for you. You’ll need to equip yourself with the right questions, clarify your goals, and more.
