Financial & Insurance Services of Texas

Throughout the journey to retirement readiness, there are a variety of signposts and roadside attractions to look out for on your adventure. Life insurance, annuities, longevity planning, and disability insurance are often overlooked when preparing for retirement. Contact me and we can help you plan for your biggest adventure yet.

My mom was recently scammed :(

Luckily, it was a small amount. I'm a financial planner and we have had these conversations on what to be aware of.

Elder financial abuse costs seniors $28.3 billion a year. Most of it comes from people they already trusted.

That number comes straight from an AARP study cited by the U.S. Treasury. And the most common perpetrators aren't scammers calling from overseas.

About 60% of elder financial abuse cases involve adult children, relatives, or caregivers. The people closest to them.

Adult children with aging parents: We HAVE to start the hard conversations about finances.

Here's what your aging parents actually need in place right now:

✅A will or trust that reflects their current wishes. A power of attorney so someone can step in legally if they can't manage their own affairs.

✅A healthcare directive that spells out their medical wishes before there's a crisis. And beneficiaries that are actually up to date on every account they own.

Without a POA, you may need a court order just to help them. That process can take months and cost thousands while the clock is running.

Then there's the financial safety check most families skip entirely.

Are their bills being paid on time? Any signs of confusion around money that wasn't there before? Have they been targeted by scams? Is their Medicare and insurance coverage still appropriate for where they are in life?

Cognitive decline often shows up in financial decisions before it shows up anywhere else. Watching for it isn't intrusive. It's protective.

The conversation is uncomfortable. Waiting until there's a crisis is worse. Start it now while everyone can participate calmly and clearly.

Planning is an essential part of your retirement journey. Take a look at this helpful resource that shows what you can expect. The resource explores the three phases of your clients’ journey – growth, protection, and spending. Reach out to me for more information.https://image.engage.highland.com/lib/fe3311727364047c761176/m/1/e36bb629-2966-4e7f-a35e-040e96e684fd.pdf

Are you ready to embark on your retirement journey? Planning for retirement can be as enjoyable as the trip itself. In the days ahead, we will be offering even more retirement planning details to help you prepare for your greatest adventure yet. In the meantime, please share with us where you’d like to travel to in your retirement.

Whether your business stays in the family or is sold – it’s important to have a properly structured and well-funded continuation plan in place. I want to help you feel confident in your succession plan. Message me with your business planning questions.

Successful business owners are thinking outside the box when it comes to employee benefits. Offering long-term care (LTC) coverage can set you apart from your competitors while leveraging additional tax advantages.

Teamwork makes the dream work. But what happens when a key player on your team is absent? Ensuring your business is prepared with Key Person insurance can help your company weather the loss of your key employees.

Find your row first, then look one row up.

That's the difference starting 5 years earlier can make.

At a hypothetical 8% annual return, the difference between starting at 40 vs. 35 on a $500/month contribution is over $200,000 by the time you reach 65. Not because of more money—just more time.

Time in the market is not just valuable, it's the whole game.

Which row did you land on—and did it surprise you?

This is a hypothetical example and is not representative of any specific investment or combination of investments. Illustration assumes Early Investor contributes $10,000 annually to a tax-deferred retirement account for ten years, while Late Investor contributes $10,000 annually for thirty years. Both accounts earn a hypothetical 6 percent annual rate of return. Consider your ability to make contributions over time before committing to a long-term strategy.

The early investor put in $100,000.
The late investor put in $300,000.

They ended up with nearly the same amount.

Let that sink in.

Starting early didn't just save money—it saved $200,000 in contributions. Same destination, a third of the effort. That's not a financial trick. That's time doing what money alone never can.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to start investing, this chart is your sign. Save this post and share it with someone who needs to see it.

That yellow section? That's money you never saved, your money made it for you.

This is compound interest in action. Start with $1,000/year at a hypothetical 5 percent return, and by year 30, you've built nearly $70,000. But the real story is the yellow: Interest earning interest.

Year 1: almost no interest at all.
Year 30: the interest on your interest alone might cover a year of car payments (or more).

You don't need to invest more. You need to stay focused on your strategy. What's one financial habit you wish you'd started earlier? Drop it below. 👇