"I would as soon leave my son a curse as the almighty dollar." -- Andrew Carnegie

Let's blame it on parental DNA. Somewhere deep in the marrow of our bones, many of us believe it is an act of love, generosity--or pursuit of forgiveness--to leave our children an inheritance. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that the more money we leave, the greater our act of love! However, is it possible the assumption that our kids will benefit from, and appreciate, our gift is flawed? Could it be that leaving money to our children after we die is a zero-sum game? Said another way, is it possible that for everything we give our children, we take something else away?

In 2018, Zillow released a report estimating that nearly one third of college graduates will move back home with their parents. For some parents, that outcome is a dream come true. For others, it’s a nightmare. Regardless of how you feel emotionally, it’s important to understand the financial impact of indefinitely supporting children after graduation day.

How can this increase in aid towards children be explained? The sudden expansion in support for adult children is usually linked to rising education expenses, increasing housing costs, stagnant wage growth and numerous additional factors.

2019 is shaping up to be a big year for tech company initial public offerings (IPOs). Uber, Pinterest, Airbnb, and Slack are looking to follow in the footsteps of Lyft which was first to the party in April. These unicorns - privately-funded startups with a market value of at least $1 billion - are just a few examples that are making headlines for the large windfalls early investors are expecting to receive as a result.

Naming beneficiaries to retirement accounts is a seemingly simple task, yet it’s quite often misunderstood, especially when it includes a trust. For many individuals, retirement accounts represent the majority of their assets. Therefore, getting this piece of estate planning right is crucial and should not be overlooked.

In the spirit of women’s history month, let’s talk about the future of women. In the past few weeks, two of my colleagues blogged about financial issues affecting women today. The pay gap, advancement gap, investment gap, time out of the workforce, and extra longevity risk are some of the unique headwinds that make it harder for women to attain financial security. As we learn about challenges women face, we are all left with the question of what to do about them. If you don't identify as someone who could be facing these unique challenges, you might be wondering what any of this has to do with you or, perhaps you’re eager to learn how you can help the women in your life get ahead and take control of their future.

We all have women in our lives we care deeply about: mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins, work colleagues, and friends. Educating yourself on ways to challenge the economic biases that systematically disadvantage women is a crucial first step towards effecting positive change and creating a more equitable society. When that happens, we all win.

Since we’re all supposed to save a percentage of what we earn for our retirement, what happens if half of the population isn’t earning enough? The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) ran a study where it concluded that women are far more likely than men to face financial hardship in retirement. Even in 2019? Yes, even in the age of raging feminism, grl pwr tattoos, the #MeToo movement, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg memes, we see time and time again how women are disadvantaged in long-term savings opportunities. Now the real question is, what can we do about it?

Women face unique financial challenges. Some of these challenges fall under large economic issues like disproportional earnings and investment potential, penalties for time out of the labor force, and longevity risk. Let's break it down.

She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails.

-- Elizabeth Edwards

Even in the most thoughtfully run and financially independent of lives, there will be heart-wrenching twists and turns. Some of these life transitions are expected and planned accordingly, while others are abrupt and uncertain. It’s no secret that a significant number of marriages end in divorce, raising many emotional and financial uncertainties.  However, understanding the benefits entitled to you will help build a secure framework for the next chapter of your life.

No, I don’t mean that talk- but there is another conversation that can be equally as difficult for some parents. It is hard to know when the most effective time is to talk about finances with your children. Teaching sound financial behavior starts as early as a first allowance and continues through college to when they get their first “real” job and thereafter.

Gender income and leadership inequality continue to receive a lot of attention. The good news is that changes that work to level these imbalances seem to be happening. Companies are beginning to recognize that adding women to leadership roles and management teams makes the organizations better. More women are being invited to the table, are "leaning in" and becoming a more powerful demographic. However, the pay gap is not the only financial challenge that women face. Not only do we earn less, we also live longer and tend to take more career breaks. Therefore, in terms of managing our money, we can’t be content to do as well as men, we must do better. Smart investing is crucial to financial security and independence. It also provides freedom to pursue opportunities and can prepare us for life events. Unfortunately, when it comes to investing, women are coming up short. 

In retirement the loss of a regular paycheck means you may need to turn to your investments for income. As a diligent saver, you likely have accumulated assets in various types of accounts like a 401(k), Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, taxable brokerage, bank savings, HSA and an annuity, just to name a few. At retirement, you may face what can seem like an overwhelming task – determining how to withdraw tax-efficiently from your different accounts to extend the portfolio’s longevity. The impact of taxes is just as important to consider now as it was when you were saving for retirement. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom regarding which order to draw down your accounts in retirement is fundamentally flawed. When followed blindly, it could potentially deduct years from the life of your portfolio.