by Judy Carlson | Jul 9, 2026 | Financial Advisor, Investments, Retirement, Social Security, Wealth Management
Why That Question May Be Asked Backwards Every week, I see some version of the same headline. “I’m 65 with $1.1 million saved and a $2,800 Social Security check. What’s my retirement budget?” Or “Is a million dollars for retirement enough?” This week it was Kiplinger....
by Judy Carlson | Jun 18, 2026 | Investments, Life Insurance, Retirement, Social Security, Wealth Management
Legacy Dollars in Action It was December 2024. My son and his girlfriend had been living in apartments for five years. They had to move again by March. Notice was due by the end of January. Denver is expensive. Housing prices are high. They were talking about moving...
by Judy Carlson | Apr 30, 2026 | Investments, Retirement, Wealth Management
Are you worried about a market crash? I hear it constantly. In workshops, in first meetings, in conversations with people who have saved diligently for decades and still lie awake at night wondering if it will be enough. When I ask people what concerns them most about...
by Judy Carlson | Mar 1, 2026 | Annuities, Financial Advisor, Investments, Retirement, Wealth Management
Most retirement plans are built on projections. Projected returns.Projected averages.And Projected probabilities. On paper, they can look sophisticated. But if your retirement income only works when the market cooperates, you may not have a financial plan. You may...
by Judy Carlson | Mar 1, 2026 | Investments, Long-Term Care, Retirement, Wealth Management
What if you could never outlive your paycheck? Not because someone ran a projection. Not because a Monte Carlo simulation showed an 82% probability of success. But because your income was intentionally designed to arrive, month by month, year by year, for the rest of...
by Judy Carlson | Mar 1, 2026 | Investments, Retirement, Wealth Management
Morningstar recently announced that the “safe” retirement withdrawal rate for 2026 is 3.9% That number is based on updated capital market assumptions and a portfolio allocation of roughly 30–50% equities, with the remainder in bonds and cash If someone retires in...
