Life Transitions may include, but are not limited to:
Grace and Charles* were inseparable, even before he was diagnosed with dementia. But especially after they received the devastating news, she was always by his side, taking care of his every need. His illness progressed rapidly, which took them by surprise. Charles always took care of the finances – paid the bills, bought the insurance, made sure they were comfortable for retirement. Grace never had a single worry about money, until she had no idea how to access it when Charles couldn’t.
Our compassionate team knew Grace had enough on her plate caring for her husband. We coordinated with their lawyer and CPA, helping establish various Powers of Attorney and organizing all their financial information. We brought her up to speed on what they had financially and the recurring bills they paid. We even helped her find someone to do light bookkeeping work so that she could completely focus on caring for Charles.
And when challenging decisions arose, like whether to move Charles into an assisted living facility or to hire additional help to care for him at home, our Certified Senior Advisor® was able to guide Grace as she weighed all her options.
After Charles passed, the financial aspects of the funeral and estate distribution went smoothly because of all the advance planning our team helped put into place. We did our best to relieve as much stress as possible from Grace and her children, so that they could be free to grieve the loss of their beloved Charles.
*To protect our clients’ privacy, names and some details have been changed.
Beth* couldn’t believe it. After thirty-one years her marriage was ending. Still reeling from the heartbreak, Beth had to face a future of dramatic changes. She would have to find a job – something she hadn’t had since becoming a stay-at-home mother to her two kids. She hoped that job would provide health insurance and a retirement plan – she had no idea if she would have to be working for the rest of her life. And perhaps hardest of all, Beth had to pack up decades of memories and move out of the home she lovingly made and managed over the years.
It seemed her ex-husband was purposefully trying to confuse Beth with all the paperwork and financial jargon he threw at her. Beth’s lawyer was doing his best to make sure she was fairly compensated, but Beth was still overwhelmed. With her future in limbo, she needed help understanding her financial situation and possibilities.
When we first met with her, we could tell Beth felt burned by her situation. Our advisors listened with empathy and offered their support, and Beth quickly grew to trust them. Our team helped make sense of all her financial statements and assessed her cash flow, providing helpful information to her attorney.
With a clearer financial picture, Beth was able to know what she needed in a job and a benefits package, and when she found those things, we helped her evaluate her benefits so that she could maximize their options. On top of it all, we provided Beth with a Retirement Projection – a plan which showed her that she could retire comfortably sooner than she thought.
Our team continues to be a touchstone for Beth when she feels unsure. But with our help, she found the courage to move forward and become confident in her abilities to be on her own. Even though mid-life divorce was never in her plans, Beth was finally free to dream and look forward to a new life.
*To protect our clients’ privacy, names and some details have been changed.