Do you ever find yourself asking these important life questions: What if my spouse or I die prematurely? What if one of us becomes disabled during our working years and is unable to work again? What if one of us needs long-term care in retirement?

How many passwords do you have to keep track of? Have you ever counted them? I stopped counting after I hit 200 (but I have two businesses so hopefully it’s not that many for everyone). I know it’s all for our own safety and security…

I wish we had a different word to use here in the United States for our “status” after we lose a spouse other than the word “widow.” It’s the only box you can check on forms you need to fill out afterwards at the bank, doctor’s office, dentist…

Checklists are more powerful than you might think. Research is definitely convincing on the merits of using checklists. They help you focus and accomplish goals, one small task at a time. They train your brain to be more productive…

“Take a deep breath!” That was probably a common phrase that was used when we were younger if we were upset about something. Or we might have been told to “calm down, count to 10” or “walk it off.” Who knew this age-old advice…

What is a favorite memory you have of holiday time as a child? Maybe it was related to an event or activity rather than a gift. Or perhaps you have smells or sounds that come to mind when you think of the holidays. I remember getting…

Talking around the dinner table as a young girl is where I heard the story of my grandma Helen’s first husband. It turned out that 1941, the year of the Pearl Harbor attack, was also a year that will live in infamy in the history of my family…

When one of my nieces was just a little thing, maybe 4 or 5 years old, she saw a spoon rack on her grandmother’s wall (my mother-in-law). It is one of those wooden shelves that holds tiny spoons my in-laws had collected…

If you had to choose one word to describe what money means to you, what would that word be? Survival, security, love, power, independence, or something else? Whatever word you identified is the result of years of experiences…