FINANCIaL
FIELd NOTES
Why Renting Is The Smart Move in Today’s Housing Market
One of the most common conversations I’ve had with clients this year has nothing to do with their finances. It’s about their children’s struggle to enter the housing market.
Many of my clients are in a strong financial position with stable housing and meaningful savings. But they look at the current housing market and worry that their young adult kids, just starting careers or families, are being priced out of homeownership. It’s understandable, given that the cost of homeownership has skyrocketed relative to renting in recent years…
Helping an Adult Child Purchase a Home
I recently met with a couple who wanted to help their adult child navigate today’s challenging housing market. This has come up many times over the past few years as more people are getting priced out of the housing market due to high real estate prices and high interest rates.
Their plan was to give a sizable lump sum for a down payment to keep the mortgage payment more manageable for the child.
Together, we walked through several important questions…
What I'm Teaching My 8-Year-Old About Money
Zeke turned 8 this summer, and I feel like we’re entering a whole new stage. He’s taller, faster, and somehow already negotiating with me like a mini attorney. Also, here’s Wyatt ( 3), not learning a whole lot about money, but too cute not to share!
How Being Present Increases Happiness in Retirement
A few weeks ago, the last major golf championship of the year was played - The Open Championship. During the opening round, Rory McIlroy's tee shot found the rough near spectators. If you don’t watch much golf, this can be extremely frustrating for the players but very exciting for the fans, as they get to watch a shot up close.
As you might expect in this day and age, just about every fan pulled out their phone to capture the moment. Everyone, except for an elderly couple, who were standing side-by-side, fully taking in the moment…
Gifting to Adult Children During Your Lifetime
I recently met with a couple who had done everything right: saved diligently, invested well, and earned pensions that would more than cover their retirement lifestyle. After running the numbers, it was clear they could live comfortably without touching a large portion of their investments. Based on projected growth, their estate could reach several million dollars in the coming decades.
Their daughters would likely inherit a substantial amount of money in their 60s, likely as they neared retirement themselves. Right now, their daughters are in their late 30s, starting families and buying houses.
I encouraged them to consider gifting some to them now while they are in the thick of starting their adult lives.
They asked, “What would that look like?”
Popular Fraud Tactics in 2025
Every year, scams get more sophisticated. It seems like just when people figure out how to avoid one trick, scammers come up with another. And increasingly, we’re seeing scams that are disturbingly convincing.
Here are some of the major scams we’ve been seeing so far in 2025—and what you can do to avoid falling victim…