At age seven, Robert Rosenkrantz made a decision that would shape his entire life: he would take full responsibility for his future. As a child, Rosenkrantz watched his parents struggle financially. His father was unemployed for two years, and his mother worked as a drugstore clerk. Their financial insecurity was painfully obvious to young Robert….
George is a worried baby boomer, wondering if today’s generation is drowning in the noise of today’s financial landscape. How does one find a balance between information and overload? Heather is stunned by the notion that renting could make more financial sense than buying. Where she’s from, the numbers seem to always swing in favor…
Hospice nurse and end-of-life educator Suzanne O’Brien joins us to discuss the financial realities of dying in America — and they might surprise you. Remember Aretha Franklin? Her handwritten will was found in her couch cushions after she passed away. Despite her substantial wealth, this simple document was legally upheld. It’s a powerful reminder that…
In light of recent federal mandates to return to the office, Pedro is having a hard time giving up on his fully remote lifestyle. Is there a creative solution to his dilemma? An anonymous caller is excited to move abroad permanently. How should she structure her investments to support her international lifestyle while maintaining a…
I did not mention it last week, because I wanted first to focus on the new initiative itself, but there is also a new book, the proceeds of which will support the Jonathan Clements Getting Going on Savings Initiative. The book is a hand-picked collection of Jonathan’s own favorite columns from his time at the…
As many of you know, in 2024, financial columnist Jonathan Clements was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At the time, a friend reached out to him to ask about naming a journalism award in his name. Jonathan declined. “The world has enough journalism awards already,” Jonathan said. Instead, Jonathan proposed a different idea. If people wanted…
Imagine that, for a few months now, you’ve had a set of new health symptoms that seem to be related. So you go to see a doctor about it. The doctor tells you that he thinks it’s probably [some particular condition], but he notes that this isn’t the sort of thing that can be diagnosed…
Regardless of what is currently happening in the market, what you think about it and how you feel about it is going to be influenced by your own personal investment history. For example, for people who personally experienced the 2000-2002 dot-com bubble bursting and the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, any current days/weeks/months in which the…
One question I receive regularly is why most financial planners don’t offer an option for an engagement that consists of just a one-hour paid phone call, to answer a handful of questions. There are a few reasons (which I think most people outside the industry are unaware of) for the rarity of such a business…
