What is financial planning, really? What do I do, as a financial planner? What does the relationship between me and my clients look like?
Continue readingWhat is Financial Planning? A Few Analogies to Help You Understand
How I Created My Own Charitable Giving Plan: The Final Installation (Probably)
Two major iterations (and several years) later, my charitable plan is finally where I want it to be. That said, even my original plan was good enough as it was! After all, the charities were still getting our money, and that’s the whole point. So, please, if there’s one lesson you take away from my “journey,” let it be: Just Start Somewhere.
Continue readingWhat Are Estimated Taxes? How Do They Work? What Should You Do About Them?
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a client about his 2023 taxes. About the fact that he hadn’t paid estimated taxes in 2023. And that a probably big, but who-really-knew-how-big tax bill was looming before April 15. And that his CPA would give him some recommendations for paying estimated taxes in 2024. And that he should pay those estimated taxes so we’re not in this position again next year.
Continue readingDid Your Child Earn Money Last Year? You Can Open a Roth IRA for Them.
This is the story of how I filed my 14-year-old daughter’s taxes, and then opened, funded, and invested a Roth IRA for her, for tax year 2023. Piecing this process together for the first time was a bit frustrating (even for a financial planner!) so I hope you can follow along with a bit more ease.
Continue readingI Work with Early to Mid Career Clients. Why Did I Get a Retirement Professional Designation?
If you look at our website—and please do! I quite like it—you’ll see that we ask “Are you a woman in your early to mid career in tech?” That’s the demographic we target.
Continue readingMaybe You Can’t Retire Yet, But Can You Stop Worrying About Earning as Much?
Some of our clients go through an IPO and come out the other end financially independent. Thirty-five years old, with $10M in the bank? Check. (Technically, not the bank, but a broadly diversified, low-cost portfolio. At least, that’s the hope!)
Continue readingYou Have Millions of Dollars. Perhaps You *Can* Invest in Fancy Investments, But You Needn’t.
We work with plenty of clients who, at an enviably young age, already have a portfolio worth millions of dollars. (Thank you, IPOs.)
Continue readingMagical (“Magical”) Personal Finance Tactics
Are you tempted to believe that there are magical solutions to your financial problems?
What Should You Do with Your Giant Pile of Company Stock?
Have you decided you want to do something about all this company stock, but you’re stymied by not knowing how? It’s a giant elephant, and you have no idea how to take the first bite.
Continue readingWhat Are You Excited About?
In my business, the whole team (the whole three of us) gather in December for an annual offsite, a full day dedicated to looking back on the year that’s about to end and forward to the year that is about to begin. A full day also dedicated to lattés, laminated bakery goods, and a delicious lunch with a view of Bellingham Bay. ‘Tis VERY IMPORTANT that such matters be attended to.
Continue readingHaving Children with Your Unmarried Partner: How to Protect Yourself and Your Children
Several of our women clients are in committed, unmarried relationships, and have had or plan to have kids with their partners. Having kids with a partner you’re not married to is simply different than being married to the partner (co-parent), and I want to make sure you fully protect yourself and your child.
Continue readingLive Off a Combination of Investment Income and Job Income, and Put Less Pressure on Both.
You’re in your 30s or 40s (and heyyyy all of you inching over the line into your 50s). You have what sounds like a lot of money. But when you think about the fact that you might live for another 50 or 60 years? It starts to sound like maybe not that much money.
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