Seek and Find!
At some point, many of us will need to take on responsibility for an aging loved one. And when that time comes, there is an enormous amount of pressure to consider all factors and make the best decisions regarding his or her health and finances. Where will your mother, father, wife, or husband receive the highest-quality care? Where will he or she be treated like a resident, not just a patient? Where is the cleanest skilled nursing facility with the best food? Where will your loved one feel safe?
Each spring, a rite of passage occurs in stadiums, auditoriums, and Zoom calls across the nation: The latest graduates cross the stage to begin a new phase of financial independence. As has always been the case for graduates, the class of 2021 will face an array of financial choices for the first time—simple decisions on saving and spending that may seem small in the moment but have financial repercussions that can extend far into the future.
For one month each year, Chelsea Brennan, 30, and her husband, Jeremiah, 36, run what they call a financial fire drill. Chelsea, who is usually in charge of family finances, turns all bill paying, budgeting, banking, and investing over to her husband, who is usually fully occupied as a stay-at-home dad to their two young sons. At the same time, Chelsea takes over the tasks Jeremiah usually handles in their Storrs, Connecticut, home.
Go out into your yard and dig a big hole. Every month, throw $50 into it, and don’t take any money out until you’re ready to buy a house, send your child to college, or retire. It sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? But that’s what investing without setting clear-cut goals is like. If you’re lucky, you may end up with enough money to meet your needs, but you have no way to know for sure.
In this installment of client conversations, we look at the special concerns divorcing couples have when it comes to insurance coverage.
Q: I am planning to retire next year. What should I be doing to prepare given uncertainties in the markets and economy?
The American healthcare system is, in a word, complicated. It also can be extremely expensive. And that’s before we even reach retirement age.
Your adult child plans to borrow $400,000 to buy a home. You want to help. You could provide that sum in the form of a gift, but that would trigger federal gift-tax complications. Besides, giving away that much might leave you a little uneasy—and take a bite out of your portfolio. Instead, consider providing the money as a loan—an intra-family loan.