Richard Ropelewski

Your estate plan may be your last words to those you leave behind. If you’re a parent, you should think carefully about the message you’ll be sending.

Parents who leave their children unequal inheritances risk fueling family feuds. But strictly equal bequests also can cause resentment if the heirs don’t see the distribution as fair.

You're standing alone on the edge of a cliff, staring off into a vast unknown. Is this you, thinking about retirement?

Or as one man told me during my research into the new retirement: "So I wake up in the morning, go to the fitness club and have coffee at Starbucks while I check my email. It's 9 a.m. Now what?"

By Rick Ropelewski

… use a recipe that requires lemons.

We are feeling very much like Bill Murray from the movie “Ground Hog Day”, with the routine becoming a little mind numbing.  However, there have been some unexpected benefits to this social distancing and working from home.

I’ve always said that personal finances are more important than portfolio management, but I still think there’s probably not enough people writing or providing education on the topic.

So I’m going to make a concerted effort to write more about personal finance in the coming year.

Here’s my list of 20 personal finance rules...

Student loans can be a burden, and the current coronavirus pandemic is not making it any easier. With unemployment at record highs, Americans are struggling to pay for necessities such as rent or groceries.

At the beginning of April we let you know what we were doing in this strange new world.  Five weeks later and we have scrapped some activities and come up with some new routines.  Please let us know any fun recommendations you have for making the most of this time.

Rick: