retirement planning Archive

Summer Financial Checkup: Mid-Year Retirement Planning Moves to Make Now

By the time summer arrives, most of us have filed our taxes, exhaled, and moved on to warmer thoughts: vacations, longer days, maybe a little less attention paid to the financial plan than it got back in March. I understand the instinct. But mid-year…
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How Much Cash Should Retirees Keep on Hand? Building a Retirement Liquidity Strategy

Ask ten recently retired people how much cash they keep on hand, and you will get ten different answers, usually based on instinct rather than strategy. Some retirees keep barely anything liquid, worried that cash is “losing to inflation.” Others hold years of expenses…
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Trump Accounts: What Grandparents Should Know About the New Retirement Savings Option for Kids

If you have been hearing about “Trump Accounts” lately and wondering whether they might be a good tool for your grandchildren, you are not alone. Clients have been asking me about these since the legislation passed, and it is a fair question. There is…
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Your 60s Financial Checklist: How to Retire Early, Confidently, and on Your Own Terms

Your 60s are not a countdown to retirement. They are the decade when everything you have built starts to come into focus, and the decisions you make now will shape what the next 20 or 30 years actually look like. In more than 35…
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The Fear of Running Out of Money Is Real – And It’s Changing How Pasadena Retirees Plan

Sixty-four percent of Americans say they are more afraid of running out of money than they are of dying. Let that sink in for a moment. That striking finding comes from the 2025 Retirement Survey published by the Allianz Center for Retirement Studies. And…
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Before Tax Day: 5 Strategic Moves California Retirees Should Make Before April 15th

The countdown to Tax Day is on, and if you’re like many retirees I work with here in Pasadena, you might be thinking it’s too late to do anything meaningful about your 2025 tax bill. Here’s the good news: April 15th isn’t just a…
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Medicare Premium Surprises: How IRMAA Could Cost You Thousands (And How to Plan Around It)

When Robert called our Pasadena office last spring, he was frustrated and confused. He’d just received a letter from Social Security informing him that his Medicare Part B premium would be $594 per month, instead of the standard $185 he expected. That’s an extra…
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Social Security 2026: What the 2.8% COLA and New Earnings Limits Mean for Your Retirement Income

When Maria and Tom walked into our Pasadena office last month, they had the same question we hear from many couples approaching retirement: “Should we claim Social Security now, or wait?” Maria, 64, was considering early retirement from her consulting work, while Tom, 67,…
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Year-End Financial Moves: A December Checklist to Finish the Year Strong

December brings more than holiday gatherings and year-end celebrations. It’s also one of the most critical months for your financial well-being. The decisions you make before the calendar flips to January can significantly impact your tax situation, retirement readiness, and long-term financial goals. While…
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The BBB’s SALT Cap & What it Means for Taxpayers

For those of us in the Golden State, we know there’s a cost to living in paradise: the California state tax rate. Having the highest tax rate in the nation isn’t exactly something to brag about, but it does mean we’re no strangers to…
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