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When markets swing sharply, the instinct to do something feels almost overwhelming. People check their balances more often. They sometimes move money to cash. These reactions are completely understandable, and they're also among the most reliable ways to turn a temporary market decline into a permanent loss.
Staying calm during market volatility isn't about ignoring what's happening. It's about remembering why your portfolio was structured the way it was in the first place.
Tapping into the rich network of professionals we associate with has many benefits. Having worked with a wide variety of families with a wide variety of needs, our networks often include everything from accountants and attorneys to high-end tailors and travel agents.
The importance of this can’t be overstated. Leveraging our network can help with:
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.
