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Last week Dennis talked about an ice cream scoop of his mother’s that he wanted after his parents passed away. Though it wasn’t inherently valuable, it held much sentimental value – and many memories – for him. For me (Shea), it was my grandmother’s Renaissance painting, a reprint with no name. It reminds me of her and my time at the family farm. When it comes to liquidating the “stuff” (heirlooms are apparently a thing of the past), it’s important to know that the “IKEA generation” probably doesn’t want it. But if they do, you might want to make a plan.

As a kid, it was always a race to ride in the front seat of my parents’ car. When it was time to go somewhere, we would hurtle ourselves toward the car yelling, “SHOTGUN!” Regardless of who said it first, it was the kid who made it to the car first who won. As the oldest, I had a clear advantage until my little brother’s athleticism won out. By then, though, I had my driver’s license … the ultimate ticket to freedom!

I (Dennis) have spent the summer nurturing my garden. Just last week my asparagus plant began to show off its leaves. For reasons unknown to me, there is an incredible sense of accomplishment in watching a garden grow. This year, I’ll have enough produce to share with friends and family, which gives me an even deeper level of satisfaction. Your investments aren’t much different. After years of labor and attention, they can produce enough for you to live on. If you’re intentional, it can be something for you to share.

Summertime is the magical season that erases almost all our desire to focus on finances. It’s hard to think of the details when there’s so many wonderful distractions. We are with you in this … every day the sun keeps ours eyes wandering outside the office thinking of an excuse to run an errand or two. And just like the seasons in northern Michigan cause us to focus on different priorities, there are different seasons in life that force us to think about finances differently.

We’ve been doing something in the hopes of helping you. We’ve been talking about how to have “the money talk” with your adult children as beneficiaries. In doing this, however, we made a huge assumption: that your kids were ready for this discussion. If it turns out that your hard work to “button things up” has backfired by their resistance, tune in to this episode. There are both emotional and logistical reasons they aren’t ready.

https://proutfinancialdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Can-you-plan-it-out.mp3Podcast: DownloadYou may have a retirement account, but do you have a financial plan? The difference between the two is

https://proutfinancialdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Who-Will-Take-Care-of-You.mp3Podcast: DownloadTraverse City has made many lists this year, including “Best Place to Retire.” Statistics show that Northern Michigan is

https://proutfinancialdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Six-401k-Rollover-Options.mp3Podcast: DownloadRetirement accounts have multiple investment vehicles that can look a lot like Jay Leno’s garage. You can choose from

https://proutfinancialdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/14-Things-for-Non-Spouse-Inheritors.mp3Podcast: DownloadEd Slott did it again, knocking it out of the park with 14 great tips for non-spouse beneficiaries. The

https://proutfinancialdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/The-Switch.mp3Podcast: DownloadFor more than 30 years you’ve been programmed to “save, save, save” and invest wisely so that you can