Many retirement plans are built on a quiet assumption: that spending stays roughly the same from year one to year thirty.
It sounds reasonable. But research suggests it's not how retirement actually works — and planning around that assumption might create more anxiety than it prevents.
The Retirement
...
Many people think about taxes once a year — when April rolls around and it's time to file.
By then, the year is already in the rearview mirror. The decisions that could have made a difference? Many of the deadlines for them already passed.
That's the gap between tax preparation and tax planning. And...
Many people think about taxes once a year — when April rolls around and it's time to file.
By then, the year is already in the rearview mirror. The decisions that could have made a difference? Many of the deadlines for them already passed.
That's the gap between tax preparation and tax planning. And...
You know how life tends to throw in a few plot twists?
They don't ask if you're ready. They just show up—with potential financial consequences tagging along.
A layoff. A diagnosis. A parent who needs help. These moments don't come with instruction manuals. But they do come with price tags, deadlines...
Some years pass quietly. 2025 wasn't one of them.
Between market swings, geopolitical shocks, and a news cycle that never seemed to pause, this year tested patience across the board. And yet, as we close out December, the real story isn't about what the markets did. It's about how we responded.
