In the comments on my last post, several readers asked thoughtful questions about family trusts, second marriages, and protecting assets in the event of cognitive decline. A few readers even asked if I would write a post specifically about trusts and estate planning. So here it is. Over the years, I’ve heard various comments and questions come up, such as: “Is a trust really necessary?” “I have a durable power of attorney; isn’t that good […]

I’m always eager to wrap up the month’s budget and move on to budgeting for the next month. The eagerness most often comes because we have a financial goal that we’re working on. Having a goal brings greater purpose to things that might feel mundane or tedious (apparently not everyone thinks managing money is fun!). I love having leftover money in budget categories at the end of the month. Those remaining funds can go straight […]