Susan's Scoop Your Net Worth May be Lying to You 😱 We see this all of the time. Someone thinks they’ve “made it.” They’ve crossed the magical $1 million net worth threshold, based on their 25x annual expenses Financial Independence (FI) calculations, and decide it’s time to step away from their 9-5 job. It should feel amazing, but instead they end up trapped in a financial nightmare. 💸 Here’s a real-world example we’ve seen unfold with our clients: The Snapshot: Net worth: $1 million Assets:...
13 days ago • 3 min read
Caitlin's Corner Financial Wisdom for HS Seniors There's something magical about watching students walk across the graduation stage: cap slightly askew, diploma in hand, parents cheering from the stands. Whether graduating high school seniors are off to college, a job, or a season of exploration- graduation signifies the beginning of something entirely new: real independence. But here's what no one mentions during those inspirational graduation speeches: the world these teens are stepping...
20 days ago • 4 min read
Susan's Scoop Behind the Mic: The Good and the Bad 🎤 Caitlin and I have been out on the Podcast circuit again, guesting on some popular podcasts that will be out soon. Until those episodes are released, I thought I would revisit some of the other podcast interviews we’ve done – the good, bad, and the ugly. 🎙️Bigger Pockets Money Show: What if High Expenses Extinguish Your FIRE? The post-production edit was a bit of a surprise to Caitlin, who shared with the hosts her journey to, and...
27 days ago • 3 min read
Caitlin's Corner The Joy List There was a time in my life (I won't name any names, early 2000s...👀) when certain characteristics made me feel like I'd hit some sort of success benchmark: Enduring these-> 👠 for nine+ hours/day A closet dominated by Ann Taylor Loft 😳 Swanky🍸🍸 on Tuesday nights Arriving in style 🚘 to Sunday brunch I used to think success meant climbing the career ladder, no matter where it led me. It was all about my work, and not about other really important factors of my life....
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader! We're feeling ready to shake things up this summer, which is why we decided to join some other business owners for the Try This Bundle. It’s a collection of digital goodies designed to help you try something new. Whether you want to learn a skill, explore a hobby, or just try something different, we think this bundle has such a great menu. You’ll find things like: → Mini challenges → Templates and printables → Bite-sized trainings → Personal growth tools → Fun creative resources...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Susan's Scoop Moving Into a New Season Last week while flipping through my Reader’s Digest magazine I came across an article about a group of women who had been attacked by a cougar while mountain biking. I of course immediately thought to myself, “I need to send this to Caitlin to warn her!” And then the hard realization hit me that somewhere along the way, I had turned into my mother. Now, I am in my early forties having somewhat of an existential midlife crisis. Is the ultimate dream...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Caitlin's Corner Is there a "Best" Time to Sell? In late March, 2020, around midnight, I sat in my office chair, on the second floor of my home. The piercing light of my laptop was shining on my face, which had begun to stare off into the corner. I could hear the clacking of my husband’s keyboard from down in the kitchen. Our kids had been asleep for hours, and this was our new nightly routine. Like every day since COVID took hold, we’d spent today see-sawing between finger painting with our...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Susan's Scoop Spicy Tax Moves: The 3 Types of Roth Conversions to Know About 🌶️ It’s been awhile since we’ve done a ‘deep dive’ newsletter, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to unpack one of the best tax-saving tools: the Roth IRA conversion. Caitlin and I get asked about them all the time, and to be fair, the names don’t help. Between "Backdoor" and "Mega Backdoor," it gives tax code meets spicy novel vibes. But don’t let the suggestive names fool you - these strategies are...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Caitlin's Corner Three Ways to Control Your Financial Future I was chatting with a client last week who confessed something that might sound familiar: “When I run the numbers, I should be fine- but I'm so scared those numbers mean nothing based on what's happening with the economy”. With markets swinging wildly, and economic headlines screaming "doom!" one day and "boom!" the next, that disconnect makes perfect sense. And I've felt that knot in my stomach also: if factors beyond my control...
2 months ago • 2 min read