The FAFSA: The Most Important Financial Aid Form for College
I love Christmas, but doesn’t it seem to you like Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year? Here it is November and I’m seeing Christmas decorations and ads for gift ideas everywhere. Of course, my girls absolutely love this time of year. The music, the pretty lights, and yes – the shopping. Maeve was home […]
A Roth IRA for Kids . . . You Bet!
Last weekend, we had family movie night at the Cutter household. With teenage girls in the house, it’s not often that we’re all home together on a Saturday night, so I gave up control of the remote to Phoebe and Sophie for the evening. Well . . . for most of the evening, until the […]
Retirement and the Role of Generic Toilet Paper
With Maeve home from college last weekend, the girls’ thoughts turned to the approach of Halloween. With just a few weeks left, costumes for Halloween were top priority. Sure, they may not trick-or-treat any longer but what teenager can resist a good costume party? So once they’d landed on their disguise of choice, it was […]
Long Term Care Planning: Putting it Off is Not a Plan
When Jen and I teach folks about how to prepare for retirement, we consistently focus on financial readiness. Being prepared financially is critical to a sound retirement system, one that can provide security, peace of mind and independence. We often find that one area overlooked in financial preparation, which can threaten this independence, is the […]
Do You Have a Retirement Blind Spot?
I’ve mentioned here before about the new drivers in our house, Sophie and Phoebe. I won’t lie to you that I have to get mentally prepared before hopping into that passenger’s seat with my new drivers; and may even double up on the blood pressure medicine to boot. Seriously, it’s a great feeling to see […]
“New Math” That Makes Saving for Retirement Easier?
A few weeks back, Maeve surprised us with a visit home from college. She’s the happiest I have seen her in years with all of her new friends, parties, and academics. And while her two sisters, Phoebe and Sophie, would never admit they missed Maeve, the three of them were joined at the hip the […]
Seriously . . . How Much Do You Really Need?
Each year, I trek over to Sandwich to see my primary care, Dr. Hannah, for a routine visit. After we have a few laughs and solve all the worlds political issues, he checks my blood pressure, weight, cholesterol, and he makes sure my heart’s still ticking. But then life gets busy and I find myself […]
Inherited IRAs . . . What You Need to Know
An inheritance can be a wonderful thing. An unexpected blessing that can be a sizeable addition to your bank account. Unfortunately, an inheritance almost always comes with the loss of a loved one, so it’s often received with mixed feelings, including feeling confused or even guilty. In addition, the passing of property and assets doesn’t […]
Removing Retirement Roadblocks: Financial Inventory and Debt Reduction
I love the “Shoulder Season” on Cape Cod. We can enjoy warm summer-like weather without the crushing crowds of high summer. It seems like Falmouth and all the other towns on the Cape use this time of year to do essential road projects that would create utter chaos during the summertime. Sometimes I like to […]
How Much Will You Need to Retire?
Well, our oldest daughter, Maeve, is off to college, and I am not going to lie to you . . . I really miss her. She’s my buddy. But, we couldn’t be happier and more excited for her. Jill and I helped her get settled in on move-in day. It was chaotic and frenzied, and […]
