Ashley Brown, CFP®, CDFA®’s Post

6 tips on making smart financial decisions while raising kids on your own. https://lnkd.in/ehhVSuDg

🎯 Tom Copeland's Expertise: Your Path to Child Care Business Success! 📊 Learn how to set effective financial goals for your child care business with Tom Copeland's guidance. Empower yourself to achieve your dreams one milestone at a time. #FinancialGoals #BusinessSuccess #TomCopelandTips http://ow.ly/mVnk30sx2Nk you have an unpaid,any new spending each month.&text=Life is full of unknowns,fund for the coming year.

It is especially important for families of special needs children to have a financial plan. Here are some of the essentials: https://lnkd.in/gbYCX6w8 #StoicWealth #SpecialNeedsPlanning

Discover the unique financial landscape of child-free living with Jay Zigmont, PhD, CFP® and founder of Child Free Wealth. Together with Melissa Joy, CFP®, CDFA®, they unpack the nuanced financial strategies tailored for those who choose not to have children. From rethinking the legacy you leave behind to understanding long-term care planning without relying on the next generation, Dr. Zigmont offers profound insights that challenge conventional financial wisdom.    Explore the complexities of long-term care insurance and the critical timing for acquiring coverage, especially for child-free individuals. They delve into the cost implications, the necessity of standalone plans, and the crucial role of early planning in supporting aging parents without jeopardizing your own financial stability. Dr. Zigmont sheds light on Medicaid’s limitations and the importance of setting boundaries to avoid financial strain.    In a world increasingly leaning towards living child-free, they discuss the multifaceted reasons behind this choice, including financial, political, and environmental considerations. Listen and Learn:    🔶How child-free individuals need to plan for end-of-life expenses, such as long-term care insurance, as they may not have children to rely on for support.  🔶Why estate planning is crucial for child-free individuals to ensure their wishes are carried out and to designate someone to make decisions on their behalf.  🔶The reason why child-free individuals have the advantage of being able to optimize their spending and make life decisions without the financial constraints of raising children Listen to full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gCi4RmxC

🍼💰 Learning how to balance your finances with a new baby can be tricky, but we're here to help! Check out our new blog post for four important financial planning tips to set you and your family up for success at the link here: https://bit.ly/4gLjTGO

Families with special needs face unique challenges in their lives, and the financial planning piece is no different How do you ensure that your child will have the resources and support to be cared for? How do you protect their government benefits yet still provide for their care once you are gone? Here are a few areas we address with our clients who are dealing with special needs: 1️⃣ Establish A Special Needs Trust and Estate Plan A special needs trust is critical for families with special needs children This trust is set up to receive your assets and managed by a third party trustee, with the goal that your child will not lose their government benefits like Medicaid and SSI Many use a family member that is trustworthy to manage the trust once they are gone, but you can also hire corporate trustees to administer this if you are not comfortable with anyone Life insurance also comes into play here, and can be used to fund the trust to ensure there are enough funds to support the children 2️⃣ Understand Immediate Needs and Support As families with special needs know, there is a lot of support required day to day to support their children Understand assistance programs and organizations that can help and offer support When not covered, we consider these cash needs into their financial plan to help cover these expenses as they come up 3️⃣ Explore ABLE Accounts ABLE accounts are tax advantaged accounts that allow families with special needs to save for their children's support without affecting their government benefits These can be a great tool when used appropriately - Families with special needs have unique challenges that they face when working on their financial planning If you have questions on your own situation or how we help our clients who are families with special needs children, send me a DM to start a conversation #financialplanning #money #wealth

You never know what surprises life will bring. We all want the best for our children. We try to do what we can to give them the tools they need in life to succeed and contribute to our society. But one topic that needs to involve many conversations that often goes missed is all about money, particularly how your children will be a steward of your wealth once you're gone. What we do is help have and plan for those conversations as well as how you will distribute your assets. Make sure what you have in place is collaborative so that everyone can be on the same page. Let us help you navigate this part of your family dynamic. Learn more about how our process works: https://bit.ly/3oKUZM3 #familywealth #wealthplanning #financialplanning #familyplanning #generationalwealth #collaborativefamilyplanning #familyfinances #legacyplanning

3 things all young families should tackle ASAP... 1. Create an estate plan. This is more than just a will - this includes: -Guardianship, which directs who will care for your children if something happens to you. Is there someone you DON'T want raising your kids? You can make sure of that through guardianship directives. -Medical/Financial powers of attorney, which ensures your spouse or whomever you choose can make important decisions for you if you're incapacitated -Living Will, which makes clear your preferences for care if anything happens to you. Without this, your loved ones can argue about what you "would want if you could say so." It's nice to alleviate the burden of these decisions. 2. Explore term life insurance This helps ensure your loved ones can maintain the life they are accustomed to if you're not around anymore. It also ensure your surviving spouse can hire help with the kids. 3. Build an emergency fund Ideally this is 3-6 months expenses set aside where you can reach it. Young family life is full of volatility. Things happen: home repairs, medical bills, car problems...this is about peace of mind as much as it is financial preparedness.

Losing a spouse is devastating. Added to the emotional impact is the need to take care of financial issues. This article outlines what has to be done immediately and what can wait. However, you should also make sure to talk with your attorney and financial advisors. Getting your financial life in order can be challenging. If you need assistance with your day-to-day finances, contact me for a consultation. I can help you work through those issues until you're ready to handle them on your own. https://buff.ly/4bk40DH #moneymanagement #financialliteracy #budgeting

🌹 Navigating Financial Challenges After Losing a Spouse 🌹 The loss of a spouse can be one of the most difficult periods of someone’s life and comes with making financial decisions that can feel impossible at the time. Every family’s circumstances are unique, and understanding key financial steps can help ease the burden during hard times. ✅Planning ahead will make it easier to complete immediate financial tasks quickly and will give you a bit of a leg up on the chaos ahead. This includes funeral logistics, life insurance claims, joint banking accounts and investments, and social security benefits ✅If you have children, plan for their financial future, including the use of life insurance benefits for education and other essential needs. If you don’t have children, focus on your long-term care needs, especially if caregiving costs for your late spouse were significant. ✅Delay non-urgent financial decisions to avoid making choices while emotionally vulnerable. Give yourself space to grieve and adapt to your new reality, tackling only the necessary tasks. This period can also be an opportunity for personal growth and financial confidence as you navigate these challenges. Losing a spouse is incredibly tough, but with careful planning and expert advice, you can manage your finances effectively and create a promising future. Facing this situation or want to plan for the future? Let’s talk. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, I'm here to provide support and guidance. Call (763) 445-2772, text (612) 712-4801, or visit strategizewithdana.com for a 15-minute consultation. #FinancialPlanning #GriefSupport #WidowSupport #Empowerment #CFP