Hi,
Thanks for being part of the Get Ready Movement navigating life’s what’s if’s by changing the way we think (and talk) about money.
🧠 Thought of the Week
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “money person,” money conversations shape nearly every major life transition and relationship including caregiving, retirement, and independence.
For women in particular, there will most likely come a point where you will be in charge of your money. This week’s newsletter focuses less on dollars and more on the conversations, emotions, and values that influence how money actually works in our lives.
This week:
💡 The Power of Money Conversations: Emotions Over Dollars
💡 My Money, Your Money, Our Money
💡 Helping Couples to Do Money Together: An Advisor’s Guide
1️⃣ The Power of Money Conversations: Emotions Over Dollars
Reframing money conversations can reduce conflict and strengthen relationships. Most money talks break down because of emotions, not numbers. Shifting from dollars to the why behind the dollars creates clarity.
💭 Tony’s Take: Money talks that focus on “the why” build stronger relationships and deeper trust with our partners and clients.
🎙️ BatSheva Goldstein and Tony Steuer on The Get Ready Money Podcast (watch or listen).
2️⃣ My Money, Your Money, Our Money
Are you and your spouse on the same page about money or do finances spark more stress than unity? How to build trust and prevent money fights. Why secret bank accounts or debt is a red flag. Timely strategies for financial healing after experiencing financial abuse.
💭 Tony’s Take: A great way to get on the same page as your spouse on money is to have ongoing family financial meetings where you discuss your goals and values without judgement.
🎙 Christine Luken on the Money Is Emotional Podcast (listen)
3️⃣ Helping Couples to Do Money Together: An Advisor’s Guide
This episode tackles the messy, emotional work of helping couples navigate money together. We dive into the hard stuff: invisible labor that goes unvalued, career sacrifices that breed resentment, cultural and religious differences shaping financial decisions, and how mental health factors like ADHD impact financial engagement. This isn't about joint accounts versus separate accounts—it's about the power dynamics, contribution definitions, and deeply held beliefs that actually drive financial behavior.
💭 Tony’s Take: Having open and honest conversations about money allow couples to understand what the other is feeling. As with all things money, it’s about values and mindset and not the dollars.
🎙 Heather Boneparth, Douglas Boneparth and Ashley Quamme on the Planning and Beyond Podcast (Apple Podcasts)
4️⃣ 9 Types of Insurance You (Probably) Don’t Need
Insurance can provide a safety net when bad things happen, you don’t need a policy to cover every possible risk, especially as you get older.
I shared my perspective with Cameron Huddleston at AARP on what types of coverage you probably don’t need in retirement. It’s always a good idea to check with a qualified advisor or agent before terminating a policy.
Here are four that I suggest taking a close look at:
👉 Accidental death and dismemberment insurance: it’s less expensive than standard life insurance, however it only covers deaths and permanent injuries from certain types of accidents.
👉 Burial insurance: Also called final expense insurance, this type of life insurance is designed to cover funeral and burial costs. Most people are better off getting a standard life insurance policy that covers any type of death and a separate disability insurance policy that covers lost income due to injuries, illnesses or chronic conditions that could sideline them from work.
👉 Collision insurance on an older car: helps cover the cost of repairs if your vehicle is damaged in an accident, but it might not be worth keeping if you have an older car that has significantly dropped in value since you purchased it.
👉 Mortgage protection insurance: also called mortgage life insurance. Life insurance is usually a better deal. Beneficiaries can use death benefits from a life insurance policy however they choose, while mortgage protection insurance payouts can only be used to pay off a mortgage balance.
💭 Tony’s Take: Sometimes people have policies they no longer need, no matter what type of coverage it is. Review your insurance needs annually at policy renewal time and when you have a major life event.
➡️ If you’re looking for tips to optimize your insurance, check out Insurance Made Easy: A Comprehensive Roadmap to the Coverage You Need (Amazon)
📖 Read the article here: https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/insurance-you-do-not-need/
5️⃣ When AI Reflects on Humanity: Consciousness, Conscience, and the Future of Leadership
As AI, policy, capital and global governance accelerate, the question is no longer what we can build, but from what level of awareness we are building. ChatGPT points out that: Conversations like this are a reminder of what humans do uniquely well: create meaning together through curiosity, presence, and generosity of thought.
💭 Tony’s Take: ChatGPT reminds us of the value of human relationships and how we are different than AI. Advisors who succeed in AI will be those who lead with curiosity, connection and communication
📖 Emily Bouchard (read).
6️⃣ Divorce is hard enough. Don’t let money make it harder.
In this episode, Jill shares her own story of going through a high-conflict divorce and the shocking moment she discovered she had no credit in her own name after 20 years of marriage. She breaks down the common financial mistakes women make during divorce, and how to avoid them.
💭 Tony’s Take: Women need to take an active role in their family finances before life happens. This includes understanding cash flow, assets and investments.
🎙 Jill Kaufman, Barb Provost and Maggie Nielsen on the Women & Money: The Shit We Don't Talk About! (YouTube)
7️⃣ The Dark Side of Financial Freedom No One Prepares You For
A look at what happens on the other side of enough, when financial freedom collides with the deeper human questions of identity, belonging, and purpose. Why reaching “enough” can trigger confusion instead of clarity. How clients can discover identity when work is no longer their defining role.
💭 Tony’s Take: Finding fulfillment with our lives depends on our individual goals, values and purpose. Financial independence, on its own, will not bring you happiness.
🎙 Rick Foerster and Brendan Frazier on The Human Side of Money Podcast (listen).
8️⃣ 🏆 Plutus Corner: What No One Tells You About Your FI Number (FIRE Number)
Everyone in the financial independence (FI) community loves to talk about their “number.” It’s supposed to be the holy grail — the target that unlocks your freedom. Your FI number is probably misleading you. Instead of obsessing over a rigid FI target, focus on the freedom and flexibility you can create today. Build a life that’s rich in experiences, relationships, and meaning, not just your investment accounts.
💭 Tony’s Take: Our financial lives should be flexible and support the rest of our lives. Focusing too narrowly on a single number can cause us to miss what actually matters.
🎥 Jessica Fick for The Fioneers (YouTube)
9️⃣ Quick Hits
📖 A Couple’s Guide to Money: Grow Closer, Dream Bigger, Thrive Together by Prudence Zhu (Amazon)
📖 Money Explained: Ebenezer’s Good (or Rewriting A Christmas Carol). Michael Gilmore. Read on (LinkedIn)
📖 2025 Year-End Tax Planning: 9 Tax Strategies to Lower Your Bill Before December 31 by Philip H. Weiss, CFA, CPA, RLP® (LinkedIn)
📖 Student Loan Changes Could Shock 2026 Budgets for High-Income Earners by Preston Cherry for Concurrent Financial Planning (read).
📖 Our Son’s Car Fiasco: How to Sell A Car Privately Safely by Andre Jensen for Canoosa Finance (read).
🔟 Week 51 Action Item: Be Mindful of Common Money Myths
🌎 The big picture: There are a lot of widely accepted money beliefs that sound right, though they don’t always lead to better outcomes.
💡 Three myths to question this week:
🤥 Myth: Go with the lowest cost. Price alone doesn’t tell the full story. Always compare apples to apples.
🤥 Myth: I’m young, so I don’t need to save yet. Time is your biggest advantage. This is due to the magic of compound interest.
🤥 Myth: Debt is bad. Debt is a tool when used intentionally, at manageable rates and within your cash flow.
💭 Tony’s Take: Being mindful of common money myths helps you make smarter, more intentional financial choices before life happens.
🛠️ Resources:
Access your resources for this week's action item (#51) from your dashboard (located in Monthly Focus Area 12: Wrap Up Loose Ends):
- The Get Ready Blueprint week 51 worksheet where you’ll review some common money myths and what you should know about them.
- Review any relevant worksheets to help you sort fact from fiction.
📅 Timely Reminders:
- December 31: Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Spending Account (DCSA) claim deadlines. Employers can extend the claim deadline for FSA’s to March 15 of the following year. An employer may allow employees to carry over $500 in unused funds to the following year. Otherwise FSA and DCSA Plans are “use it or lose it” and do not allow you to carry over any balance. Health savings accounts (HSA’s) allow you to carry over your full balance.
- December 31: Complete any charitable donations.
- December 31: Contributions to employer sponsored retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), 457 or federal thrift savings) must be completed.
- December 31: If you had to take a first required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA or 401(k) by April 1, you must take your second RMD by December 31.
🧠 Final Thought
Financial clarity doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from better conversations, deeper listening, and aligning money with what truly matters. When we lead with values, money becomes a tool — not a source of conflict.
✅ Stay ready.
💬 Start a conversation.
💡 Share what sparked something — with a friend, client, or in the comments.
— Tony
Coming Next Week: Rethinking Community, Caregiving & Financial Planning with the Midlife Concierge with Merridith Gonzalez
P.S. 🎙️ Check out The Get Ready Money Podcast → [Apple] | [YouTube]
🤝 In Partnership with the Plutus Awards, presented by the Plutus Foundation — celebrating excellence in financial media and education. Learn more at plutusawards.com
