During our first meeting, a recent client of mine shared her story: My husband of 59 years died recently and I’m feeling overwhelmed by day-to-day decisions. I expected to feel the emotions associated with grief, but I never expected to feel helpless. My husband took care of our financial life and I’m really at a...Read More

Overwhelmed.  It is the most common word that I hear within the first sentence of nearly every telephone call that I receive from a prospective client.  It is a loaded word – one filled with feeling, with emotion.  When used in the context of talking with me, the word takes on a negative meaning, as...Read More

As regular readers of this blog know, I spend a lot of time writing about the importance of planning ahead for life’s transitions.  Recently, a client asked me to help develop a strategy for dealing with his adult daughter who simply refused to engage in the transition planning process he was trying so hard to complete....Read More

So often, aging parents intellectually know that their current living situation isn’t right for them anymore but seem unable to take the steps necessary to do something about it. Studies consistently show that most people would like to live independently in their own residence for as long as possible. While this makes sense in the...Read More

John and Jane Smith (names and some of the personal details changed to preserve the privacy of those involved) are a lovely couple in their mid-seventies who became southwest Florida snowbirds in 1996 and permanent residents in 2002. When I met them, the Smiths were both healthy and engaged in an active lifestyle. Their two...Read More

Are you a baby boomer? If you answered “yes” then you are probably staring a life transition in the face. Is that face scary or serene? To some degree, that’s up to you. Life transitions, such as getting married, having a child, changing jobs, dealing with health issues, getting divorced, taking care of aging parents,...Read More