Life Events: Your Money Questions, Answered

What changes when life-event money questions get plain answers first?

Before

• A big transition hits — and jargon arrives with it.
• You do not know which question to ask first.
• Official rules are scattered across agencies and PDFs.

After

• Each topic page answers first, in plain English, with 2026 numbers from official sources.
• You start with the life event you are living now.
• Education comes before any engagement.

Losing a Spouse: Your First Money Questions, Answered

After a spouse dies, most money decisions can wait. A few can't. Protect your cash flow, apply for Social Security survivor benefits, find every account and beneficiary form, and hold off on selling the house or moving big money for a few months.

Inheritance Taxes in Illinois: What You Owe and What You Don't

Most people who inherit in Illinois owe no tax just for inheriting. Illinois has no inheritance tax. Estate taxes are paid by the estate, and only large estates owe them.

Caring for an Aging Parent: Money, Trusts, and Family Decisions

Start with paperwork, not money. Make sure your parent has a power of attorney for property, a health care power of attorney, and a current will or living trust.

Divorce in Illinois: Money Questions, QDROs, and QILDROs

In an Illinois divorce, marital property is divided fairly, which isn't always 50/50. Retirement accounts are often the biggest asset. A QDRO splits private plans like 401(k)s. A QILDRO splits Illinois public pensions, like teachers' and state pensions.

Pre-Retirement at 55: Your 10-Year Plan, Trust Included

At 55, you have about 10 years to shape your retirement. Save as much as you can while you still earn, plan health coverage until Medicare at 65, and know the Rule of 55.

When Should I Claim Social Security? Timing, Spouses, and Survivors

There's no single best age. You can claim between 62 and 70. Waiting raises your check for life. Claiming early gives you money sooner.

Medicare and IRMAA: Enrollment, Costs, and Income Surcharges

Sign up for Medicare around 65 unless you have qualifying coverage from current work. In 2026, most people pay $202.90 a month for Part B.

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): When, How Much, and How to Lower the Tax

RMDs are the minimum you must take each year from most pre-tax retirement accounts once you reach your RMD age: 73 for most people retiring now, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later.

Selling or Leaving a Business: Exit Planning Questions, Answered

A good exit starts three to five years before the sale. Know what the business is worth, clean up the books, decide who could buy it, and plan the taxes and your life after the sale.

Education, not advice. Want to see what "value shown in writing" looks like? Our FAQ walks through how one client saw $281,372 in value, layer by layer.