Hinman Financial Planning, Inc,

05/28/2026

One partner says, “We should do it.”

The other starts doing the math.

That’s often how big financial decisions begin.

Making a major purchase can bring out very different feelings in two people.

One partner sees new possibilities. The other starts thinking about responsibilities, tradeoffs, and what this decision could affect down the road.

Before buying a vacation home, renovating the house, or helping family financially, it’s worth talking through a few important questions first:

- What does this mean for our other goals?
- Are we both equally excited about this?
- Can we comfortably afford it without feeling pressured later?

By this stage of life, many couples have spent years building financial stability. The decisions may be bigger now, and so are the tradeoffs.

A purchase that feels manageable today can still affect your flexibility, travel plans, retirement timing, or future caregiving needs.

Sometimes, talking it through confirms that the purchase feels completely right.

Other times, it surfaces hesitation that had not been fully shared.
Either way, having these conversations ahead of time usually leads to greater confidence and fewer regrets.

05/18/2026

How do you help an aging parent with their finances without making them feel like you're taking over?

It’s one of those conversations many adult children know they need to have, but often put off because it feels uncomfortable.

A helpful way to start is not by asking for account balances or documents, but by asking a simpler question:

“If something happened, would I know what to do?”

That approach tends to feel less intrusive and more practical.

Once the conversation begins, it’s worth discussing:

➤ Do they have a will, durable power of attorney, and healthcare directive?
➤ Do you know where important documents and logins are kept?
➤ Could you access accounts if you needed to?

These aren’t always easy conversations, but having them before there’s an urgent need can make a difficult season much more manageable.

If you're navigating this with a parent right now, I wrote about it on the blog this month, including how to support them while still protecting your own financial future.

Key Takeaways Before the logistics, understand where your parent is financially, emotionally, and what they want. Getting the foundational paperwork in order while things are calm is one of the most useful things you can do. Your retirement matters too — being honest about your own limits early ma...

05/11/2026

Underneath the brunches and bouquets, Mother's Day has a way of reminding us how many hats we're wearing and how much those hats have changed.

One moment you're researching the best preschools, and the next you're on the phone with your mom's doctor trying to make sense of a new prescription.

This is the reality of the sandwich generation.

Supporting aging parents while still raising or launching your own family quickly sneaks up on you. A health scare, a conversation at the dinner table, or a phone call that shifts your priorities overnight.

It's a lot to carry.

But you don't have to figure out both directions at once.

Families who tend to move through this season with the most confidence are the ones who started the conversation early, before everything felt urgent.

Getting ahead of the decisions, even in a small way, tends to make a real difference when things get complicated.

It doesn't change the reality of watching your parents age. But it may change how you experience it. Less scrambling for answers at midnight, more confidence that you're prepared.

And when the plan is in place, you can focus on what actually matters: being present for the people who need you.

05/01/2026

When is “enough” enough?

“Enough” in the financial sense can sound like deprivation or like freedom.

It all depends on your perspective.

To me, “enough” is the point where you have what you need to start living without worry.

Whether it’s taking the trip, stepping back from work, or spending time the way you want to, only you can define what enough means to you.

A lot of us are closer to that point than we realize. We just haven't stopped to check.

Do you know what’s enough for you?

04/23/2026

Your adult children just asked for financial help.

AARP reports that 75% of parents financially support at least one adult child in some way.

There’s a lot of emotion wrapped up in that moment. It’s rarely simple.

Before you say yes or no, take a step back and consider:

►Is this a one-time need or an ongoing request? Helping with a down payment or an unexpected medical bill is one thing. Helping with rent every other month is another. Even if you can technically afford it, you may not feel comfortable with open-ended support, and that's okay.

►Will this impact your retirement? Would helping change your timeline? Depleted savings and emergency funds affect your future stability in ways that are hard to reverse. It's not selfish to prioritize your financial security.

►What boundaries feel right to you? Is this a gift or a loan? If it's a loan, what are your expectations for repayment? What happens if they ask again?

How much you help, if at all, is completely personal.

But clear communication and honest boundaries can protect both of you from regret later.

04/14/2026

What's one thing your partner handles that you'd be completely lost without?

Trust is a beautiful thing, but it’s worth making sure it goes both ways. Most couples divide up financial responsibilities out of convenience. One person handles investments, the other pays the bills. That works fine…until it doesn’t.

What I’ve seen is rarely about carelessness or misplaced trust. It's just that couples figure they'll get around to it later. And "later" sometimes arrives without warning.

Both partners don't need to be equally involved in every financial decision. But each should know:

- Where the accounts are
- What the household spends
- What insurance you have
- Where your important documents are stored
- Who your financial planner is.

That's it. Those five things can make an enormous difference when life changes suddenly.

Key Takeaways Most couples divide financial responsibilities out of convenience, which works until a major life change makes one partner responsible for everything. Both partners should have enough working knowledge to function independently if circumstances require it. The five things worth knowing...

04/07/2026

Most of us set our beneficiaries when we open an account and never think about them again.

We handle it and move on to other priorities.

But life changes: a marriage, a divorce, a death, the birth of a grandchild. The accounts you opened years ago don't catch up on their own.

If your accounts haven’t been updated in a while, it can be worth a quick review to make sure everything is tidied up and current:

▶ Who's listed on your retirement accounts and life insurance policies?
▶ Does your will still reflect what you actually want?
▶ Have your relationships or wishes changed since you last updated anything?

Beneficiary designations override your will. So even if your estate documents are current, an outdated account designation can send assets to a place you didn't intend.

Most of the time, everything is fine, but it’s good to know for sure.

03/31/2026

When you pack for a trip, you don't just pack for the weather you're hoping for. You pack for the weather you might get. 🌦️

But overstuffing your suitcase can be more of a burden than a backup plan.

Most people know they need some cash on hand for emergencies. But when it comes to retirement, the question gets more nuanced: how much is actually enough?

Too little, and a market downturn can force you to sell investments at the wrong time. Too much, and you're leaving money on the sidelines that could be working harder for you.

That’s the financial equivalent of overpacking.

There's no universal answer, but a common benchmark for retirees is roughly two years of living expenses in cash during retirement to avoid selling in a downturn. Before retirement, we typically recommend keeping 6–12 months of expenses in an emergency fund.

The right number depends on your spending, your income sources, and how your overall plan is structured — which is exactly why it's worth revisiting, especially when markets get bumpy.

How do you think about cash reserves in your own financial plan?

03/24/2026

Nobody hands you a roadmap when a lump sum lands in your account.

Especially not when it came at the end of something hard — a legal battle, a loss, or a chapter you're just relieved to have behind you.

And yet, once the paperwork is signed and the money clears, it can feel like everyone expects you to know exactly what to do next.

Most people don't. You're not alone in that.

The first thing worth knowing: there's usually no rush. Parking the funds somewhere safe — like a high-yield savings account — while you get your bearings is a completely reasonable first step. The decisions will still be there when you're ready.

From there, a few questions worth sitting with:

→ Are there tax implications? (Sometimes yes — worth looping in a CPA early.)

→ What does your overall financial picture look like now?

→ What does this money make possible that wasn't before?

That last one tends to matter most. For some, it's security. For others, it's more time with family, a different choice about work, or that trip they've been putting off.

No single right answer — but approaching it with intention, rather than reacting under pressure, tends to make a real difference.
What feels most uncertain in those first weeks after a lump sum arrives?

03/18/2026

Retirement doesn't always happen at the same time for both partners.

And sometimes, this situation can feel a little complicated.

One person may feel ready to close the work chapter. The other may still enjoy their career and want to keep going.

Let's walk through how this might look in real life.

Imagine a wife who was financially ready, genuinely excited about what came next, and retired confidently while her husband kept working. The bigger question wasn't about the numbers at all.

🤔 Would their routines feel out of sync?
🤔 Would it change how they shared time together?
🤔 Would it create tension neither of them expected?

These are thoughtful (and very common) questions.

Retirement planning often focuses on when you can retire financially.

But sometimes the deeper conversation needs to include how two people move into the next chapter of their lives on different timelines.

When couples approach this with openness and shared understanding, retiring before your spouse can actually create more flexibility, both financially and personally.

Different timelines don't have to mean different goals. They may simply mean navigating the transition together.

Have you ever thought about what retirement might look like if one partner is ready before the other?

I recently wrote more about this on the blog. If this is something you've been wondering about, you can find the full article here:

Key Takeaways Retiring before your spouse can work well when couples communicate openly and plan thoughtfully around lifestyle and finances. Staggered retirement can give you more financial flexibility, especially when one partner's income continues while the other begins retirement. The best retire...