One Minute Retirement Tip with Ashley

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. This past weekend, I was camping in 100-degree heat with my kids, while my husband had the wisdom to stay home in the air conditioning with our youngest. I was busy packing and stuffing four bikes, three camping totes, two propane tanks, and—yes—basically a partridge in a pear tree into our minivan. So instead of the usual short daily episodes, I'm mixing things up this week and bringing you one longer episode. One of the realities of being a financial advisor is death. Clients die, and it usually happens at least a couple of times a year. When it does, and there's a surviving spouse, part of my job is to make the financial transition as seamless and stress-free as possible. Because when you're grieving the death of a spouse, the last thing you want to worry about is money—or worse, the power being shut off because you couldn't log in to pay the electric bill. Over the years, I've helped many widows and widowers through this transition, and I've developed a Widow's Financial Roadmap. The key is to have this roadmap in place before something happens—before you get sick, become incapacitated, or pass away. If you don't, your spouse may be left without the information they need to keep the household running smoothly, and the stress of grief will be compounded by financial confusion. If you're new to the podcast, a quick introduction: I'm the co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory firm managing over $450 million in assets. For 17 years, I've helped my clients retire with confidence. And here on the podcast, I take complex retirement topics and turn them into clear answers in just a few minutes each day—so you can spend less time stressing about money and more time living. If you know someone who would benefit from this week's topic, please share the show. And if you have a burning question about your own retirement, visit truenorthra.com where you can book a free 15-minute call with me. Now, let's talk about the roadmap. I'm going to lay this out in order—what to do first, and what comes next. Hopefully, you've already checked some of these items off, but there may be a few you haven't thought about. Step 1: Create a Financial Inventory I've talked about this on the podcast before, but it's worth repeating. A financial inventory is essentially a table of contents for your finances. It should include: Bank and investment accounts (with balances, account types, and where they're held). Insurance and annuity policies. Will or trust. Social Security information. Tax returns. Marriage certificate. And eventually, your death certificate. Without this inventory, assets can be forgotten or lost. For example, maybe you still have a 401(k) at a former employer that your spouse doesn't know about. Without documentation, that money could remain unclaimed. This inventory should also include a list of your key advisors and their contact information—your financial advisor, CPA, attorney, insurance agents, and even the phone number for the bank where your checking account is held. One mistake I often see, especially later in life, is not consolidating accounts. People keep money scattered across five different institutions, a handful of bank accounts, and maybe an online savings account. That's a recipe for disaster. The more accounts you have, the greater the chance your spouse won't be able to find or access them. Once you've created your financial inventory, maintaining it is easy. Just update it once a year—adjust balances, note any new or consolidated accounts, and make sure contact information is current. It usually takes less than an hour. This is the single most important step for the long-term financial health of your surviving spouse. Step 2: Ensure Cash Flow Needs Are Met The next step is making sure bills continue to get paid. Your spouse needs a list of all recurring bills with: The name of the bill (mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc.). The approximate amount. How it's paid (auto-draft, ACH, check). The due date and frequency. This isn't just a budget—it's a cash flow map for your surviving spouse. When paired with the financial inventory, it allows them to step in immediately and manage the household without the lights getting shut off or the mortgage falling behind. On the flip side, you'll also want to document income sources—Social Security, pension payments, portfolio withdrawals, or other income. That way, your spouse knows not just what bills are due, but also what money is coming in, from where, and when. Step 3: Set Up a Password Manager If you remember nothing else from this episode, remember this: set up a password manager. A password manager securely stores all of your logins, and you only need to remember one master password. Some of the top options include 1Password, NordPass, and Dashlane. This tool is invaluable while you're alive because it improves security and eliminates the need to remember dozens of passwords. But it's especially critical when someone dies. Nearly everything is digital now—bank accounts, investments, utilities, email, social media, even photo storage. Without access, your spouse may spend hours digging through old notebooks or trying to reset passwords—sometimes unsuccessfully. With a password manager, all of that information is organized and accessible. You and your spouse can share logins through the manager, making it easy to cancel subscriptions, manage accounts, or simply retrieve family photos stored in the cloud. It takes a little time to set up, but once it's running, the manager prompts you to save new logins automatically. Over time, it builds a complete record of your digital life—one that your spouse can access when needed most. Step 4: Write a Letter The final step is to write a personal letter to your spouse. This letter isn't legally binding, like a will or trust, but it can provide enormous comfort. Think of it as a cover letter to the roadmap. It should include: A reminder of where the financial documents are located. Words of love and reassurance. Encouragement not to make big financial or lifestyle changes right away. Grief clouds judgment. Many surviving spouses are tempted to sell the house, change investments, or make other major decisions in the first few months. In most cases, those decisions can wait. Your letter can serve as a gentle reminder to pause and breathe before making big changes. Keep copies of this letter with your roadmap—at home in a safe, in a safe deposit box, and with your trusted advisors. That way, it can be easily found when it's needed most. In the First Few Months After a Death So what happens immediately after a spouse passes away? Order multiple copies of the death certificate. You'll need these to handle accounts and claims. Notify key professionals—your financial advisor, attorney, CPA, and insurance companies. Start claims and transitions—life insurance, Social Security survivor benefits, and retitling accounts. Keep bills paid. If your spouse didn't handle finances before, enlist the help of a trusted child, friend, or advisor to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. Meet with a tax advisor. Your filing status will change, and that can have a big impact on your taxes. Longer-term changes—like adjusting investment withdrawals, selling the house, or revising estate plans—can wait until the fog of grief begins to lift, often 6–12 months down the road. At that point, you'll be in a clearer frame of mind to make big decisions. To recap, the Widow's Financial Roadmap includes four steps: Create a financial inventory. Ensure cash flow needs are met. Set up a password manager. Write a letter to your spouse. Do these now, while you're healthy, and you'll make life much easier for your loved ones later. That's all for this week's episode of the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast. Thanks for listening, and I'll be back next week with more!  

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: A Financial Advisor Ranks The Worst Investments For Retirees In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm ranking the worst investments for retirees. These investments are ones that I have never recommended and it's because after 17 years, I've seen them backfire - and in some cases, ruin someone's finances in retirement.  Today, I'm talking about private investments…  

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm ranking the worst investments for retirees. These investments are ones that I have never recommended and it's because after 17 years, I've seen them backfire - and in some cases, ruin someone's finances in retirement.  Today, I'm talking about structured notes…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm ranking the worst investments for retirees. These investments are ones that I have never recommended and it's because after 17 years, I've seen them backfire - and in some cases, ruin someone's finances in retirement.  Today, I'm talking about high yield bonds, and more generally, high yield anything…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm ranking the worst investments for retirees. These investments are ones that I have never recommended and it's because after 17 years, I've seen them backfire - and in some cases, ruin someone's finances in retirement.  Today, I'm talking about annuities.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm ranking the worst investments for retirees. These investments are ones that I have never recommended and it's because after 17 years, I've seen them backfire - and in some cases, ruin someone's finances in retirement.  Today, I'm starting with a controversial one: investment properties. Most often this is residential - so a rental home, a duplex, vacation rental, etc.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. One of the fun things about being a financial advisor is that I get to peek into the financial lives of many different people, even before they become a client. One of the first things I request from a new potential client is a copy of their investment account statements so I can see what types of accounts they have (brokerage accounts, IRAs, Roths, etc), and how they're invested across those accounts.  And sometimes, an uncomfortable conversation I have with a new potential client involves getting the backstory on why they're invested the way they are. Most of the time, I'm trying to figure out their preferences and risk tolerance, but occasionally, I'm trying to figure out why they own a particular investment that is not appropriate for them. This week on the podcast, I'll be talking about the worst investments for retirees

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: College Now Costs $153,000! Here's How To Pay For ALL Of It Before High School Graduation In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to pay for college before little junior ever sets foot on a college campus.  Yesterday, I talked about my favorite way to save up and invest for college or post high-school education of any kind - including trade schools, vocational schools, and the like - and that's the 529 college savings plan.  For 9 out of 10 people, the 529 plan makes the most sense.  But for those of you who aren't comfortable with the taxes and penalties if you DON'T use the money for education and you want more control and flexibility, then a regular brokerage account (or a trust account if you want even more control), is another good route.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to pay for college before little junior ever sets foot on a college campus.  Today, I'm sharing with you how I'm paying for most, hopefully all of my kids college or post high school education before their high school graduation - 529 plans.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to pay for college before little junior ever sets foot on a college campus.  Today, I'm talking about the steps I am taking and will take in the future to ensure that all 4 of my kids finish school with zero debt.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to pay for college before little junior ever sets foot on a college campus.  Today, I want to run the numbers with you on and why you should do this. 

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about how to pay for college before little junior ever sets foot on a college campus.  Today, I'm starting with what should be an obvious question, but one that hardly anyone asks - at least based on the conversations I have with parents of high schoolers and college age kids: Should your child even be going to college? Is it a worthwhile investment? 

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. According to the latest figures from EducationData.org - The average cost of college* in the United States is $38,270 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses. Multiply that by 4 years and junior's college will cost $153,080.  My nephew is going to be a senior in high school this year, and will start applying to colleges in the fall. His top 3 choices are all expensive, and all but 2 are out of state.  It's that time of year again - back to school, and for many of you planning for both your retirement and trying to get junior through college without mountains of debt or delaying your own retirement with that $153,000 price tag, I have some helpful suggestions this week on the best ways to save, invest, and prioritize college savings along with all of your other financial goals.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche.   This week on the podcast, I'm on vacation, so instead of daily episodes, I'm just doing one longer episode for this week, but don't worry! I'll be back with daily episodes like you're used to next week. I'm on vacation this week with my husband and kids, my sister and her husband, their 2 kids, and my parents. It will be 12 of us in 1 house together for an entire week. I'm excited, but also deathly afraid at the same time!  Vacationing with family is a lot different than vacationing with friends, and as I talk to clients who are in the early retirement years that are often filled with travel, these topics of travel and money come up. But since this a podcast about finances, I want to talk in depth about a few tips I have for traveling with friends and not letting money specifically ruin your trip, or worse, your friendship! 

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Marriage & Money: The One Big Beautiful Bill: What It Means for Your Money In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was recently signed into law and how that might impact you.  Today, I'm talking about how the OBBB really hits home the importance of planning ahead and making sure you're taking full advantage of the provisions while avoiding some of the big mistakes…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was recently signed into law and how that might impact you.  Today, I'm walking about the new tax deduction for seniors 65+

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was recently signed into law and how that might impact you.  Today, I'm talking about some time sensitive changes to keep in mind - especially if you're planning to do home updates, buy an EV, or buy a new car.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was recently signed into law and how that might impact you.  Today, I'm talking about how the OBBB is changing planning considerations for those of you who are interested in charitable giving.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm talking about the key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill that was recently signed into law and how that might impact you.  Today, I'm talking about the biggest impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill that no one is really talking about - the impact on the markets, your 401k, and your investment portfolio.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. This week on the podcast, I'm diving into the One Big Beautiful Bill, which recently passed the House and the Senate, and was signed into law on July 4th. Many provisions go into effect this year, some starting next year, and I'll try to focus on the ones this week that have the biggest impact for the core group of listeners - those of you who are getting close to and living in retirement….

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Marriage & Money: Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, my husband Troy and I are discussing the Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage.  Today, we're diving into an uncomfortable and friction-causing topic in many marriages - the intersection of family issues and money in a marriage

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, my husband Troy and I are discussing the Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage.  Today, we're talking about priority differences between spouses. This is often about money personalities - who's a saver, and who's a spender, because savers and spenders will naturally have different priorities, but it;s also about other priority differences that go beyond saving vs. spending.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, my husband Troy and I are discussing the Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage.  Today, we're talking about power dynamics in marriage when it comes to money, and the problems that can create.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, my husband Troy and I are discussing the Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage.  Today, we're diving into a common marriage and money issues: materialism.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, my husband Troy and I are discussing the Top 5 Money Issues That Can Break a Marriage.  Today, we're diving in with what I think is the most destructive marriage issue when it comes to money - a lack of transparency, and in many cases, financial infidelity.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. This week on the podcast, it's a first! I have my husband on the podcast to talk about the top 5 money issues that can break a marriage. 

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Mid-Year Markets & Economic Update In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, we're recapping the economic and market conditions that are impacting you and your retirement nest egg this year.  Today, I'm bringing it all home to talk about what does the current economic and market environment mean for you.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, we're recapping the economic and market conditions that are impacting you and your retirement nest egg this year.  Today, I'm talking about the mixed signals in markets and the economy.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, we're recapping the economic and market conditions that are impacting you and your retirement nest egg this year.  Today, I'm getting out my very dim crystal ball and looking ahead to the rest of the year. Aside from some completely unexpected and big outside shock, 2025 is the year of tariffs. That's the driver for the economy and the stock market. It's almost as if nothing else matters.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, we're recapping the economic and market conditions that are impacting you and your retirement nest egg this year.  Today, we're looking at the state of the US economy, which in turn always drives stock and bond markets, and your portfolio.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm discussing the mid-year markets and economic update. What happened in the stock and bond markets, and the economy so far this year and how that's impacting you and your plans for retirement.  Today, I'm recapping the 1st have of 2025 as it pertains to the markets.

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. This week on the podcast, I'm doing what I always do at the beginning of a new quarter - commentary on the state of the stock and bond markets, the economy, my outlook, and how investors should consider positioning their investment portfolios in light of the current conditions. 

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: Summer Hiatus & Giveaways In case you missed any episodes this week, here's the recap…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm sharing with you several resources that I use with my own clients when marking important decisions and planning for their retirement.  Today's free resource is my Top 10 retirement checklist  What are the top 10 things you need to check off your to-do list in retirement? As if you need one more to do list, right?! Except this one is really important!  Way more important that cleaning your downstairs bathroom or organizing the monstrous pile in your laundry room - both of which may or may not be on my personal to do list… The top 10 retirement check list will help you focus your energies on accomplishing the most important things in the last 1-3 years before retirement. You could do 100 different things to plan and prepare for retirement. This checklist focuses your energy and time on the most impactful to-dos to help make your transition into retirement as seamless and successful as possible.  Get your copy of my top 10 checklist at: www.truenorthra.com/top10

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm sharing with you several resources that I use with my own clients when marking important decisions and planning for their retirement.  Today's free resource is my retirement budget worksheet. Did you know that spending in retirement tends to drop by 20-40% compared to your pre-retirement spending, so your expenses may increase in some areas and decrease in others.  But which areas will go down, which spending categories will stay the same, and where might you spend more money in retirement?  That's why I created a retirement budget worksheet to help you track your current expenses and estimate how those expenses will change in retirement.  Staying within a spending target in retirement is one of the most important ways to ensure you don't outlive your retirement savings, and running the numbers to see how much you'll spend, then making sure you have the assets and income to support that spending, is critical before you make the leap into retirement.   To get your free retirement budget worksheet, just go to www.truenorthra.com/budget   

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm sharing with you several resources that I use with my own clients when marking important decisions and planning for their retirement.  Today's free resource is my financial inventory list.  In my opinion, this is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones - take an inventory of all of your bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies - all in one place. Think of it as a table of contents for your finances.  An unlike organizing your garage which can be overwhelming and likely to never get done, all it takes to get organized with your finances all in one place is to fill out this inventory list. You'll use the inventory list to list your accounts, the type, the dollar amount, and the financial institution where they are held. That way if you die or become incapacitated tomorrow, your spouse, your children, or your executor will have your complete list of assets right at their fingertips. No digging through 30 year old bankers boxes to go through the process of claiming money through the state. The financial inventory also has a section to put your trusted contacts - your attorney, tax advisor, financial advisor. These trusted contacts become so valuable in the days and weeks following a death or incapacitation, and it's important that your spouse or executor knows exactly who to contact. And even if you're not using it for estate purposes, it's just really helpful to have your financial accounts all listed on one page. Then, all you need to do is make updates when you add, remote, or transfer an account, and review it annually.  Easy peasy. It's one of those great projects thats low time investment for a big reward - clarity, organization, and peace of mind.  To get your free financial inventory worksheet, just go to www.truenorthra.com/inventory

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm sharing with you several resources that I use with my own clients when marking important decisions and planning for their retirement.  Today's free resource is my asset allocation cheat sheet.  This is the most popular free tool I've offered on the podcast, and for good reason. It's a one-page guide to selecting the right mix of stocks and bonds based on your age.  I'm a big believer in asset allocation as the foundation of every client's portfolio. It's always where I start with clients when determining how we should invest. In it's most basic form, asset allocation is the mix of stocks and bonds in your portfolio, and age is the most important determinant of what your asset allocation should be. If you would like to get my age-based asset allocation cheat sheet that helps you determine the right mix of stocks and bonds for your age, go to: www.truenorthra.com/allocation

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm sharing with you several resources that I use with my own clients when marking important decisions and planning for their retirement.  Today's free resource is my net worth worksheet. Unless you obsessively check your bank and investment accounts 5 times a day, it may not be intuitive why you need to know and track your net worth over time.  But knowing your net worth matters. Tracking your net worth over time is critical to reaching your financial goals, understanding your liquidity, and making smarter decisions with your money… For your free personal net worth worksheet, go to: www.truenorthra.com/networth A special bonus - if you complete your net worth worksheet and send it back to me, I'll send you a personalized analysis, complete with fancy pie charts to help you see what's working, as well as potential imbalances and red flags, along with my comments.  This is only for the first 10 people who send back their net worth statement, so be sure to download it at truenorthra.com/networth, then complete it and email it back to me at ashleym@truenorthra.com

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. This week on the podcast, I'm taking a little break to enjoy the sunshine and near-perfect weather this time of year in Oregon. So while I'm taking the week off, I have a few resources to share with you to help you retire with confidence.  I'll share with you my net worth worksheet, asset allocation guide, retirement budget worksheet, financial inventory list, and my top 10 must do pre-retirement checklist. These are my favorite resources, and they're also free, so I'll show you how to access them in each episode this week. 

It's Sunday and I'm wrapping up the week by summarizing this week's theme: The Smart Shopper's Guide to Grocery Savings, an interview I had with my good friend, Karrie. If you're enjoying the podcast, Subscribe & follow so you never miss an episode Leave a review—your feedback helps me improve the podcast and helps new listeners find the show Share the podcast with a friend or family member who's getting close to retirement.

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm interviewing my good friend and mom of 9, Karrie on her tips and tricks for saving money on groceries.  Here is today's interview segment with Karrie…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm interviewing my good friend and mom of 9, Karrie on her tips and tricks for saving money on groceries.  Here is today's interview segment with Karrie…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm interviewing my good friend and mom of 9, Karrie on her tips and tricks for saving money on groceries.  Here is today's interview segment with Karrie…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm interviewing my good friend and mom of 9, Karrie on her tips and tricks for saving money on groceries.  Here is today's interview segment with Karrie…

This week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast, I'm interviewing my good friend and mom of 9, Karrie on her tips and tricks for saving money on groceries.  Here is today's interview segment with Karrie…

Welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host, Ashley Micciche. I'm a financial advisor and co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory practice managing over $425M in assets.  For 17 years, I've helped clients retire with confidence, and my goal on this podcast is to simplify the complexities of retirement planning so you can focus on what truly matters—enjoying your retirement years while maintaining financial security. One of the biggest spending categories for most Americans is food. Even wealthier Americans will still spend a lot of money on food - eating out more, buying higher quality foods, entertaining, and shopping at places like Whole Paycheck (er, whole foods).  Retirees spend about $7500 a year on groceries and eating out on average, and because food costs matter in your budget, I wanted to focus on that in this week's episodes. And I can think of no better person to discuss this topic with than my good friend, Karrie.  I first met Karrie about 5 years ago, shortly after her family moved to my town and started attending the same church we go to. OVer that time, we've become good friends. She also babysits my little ones a couple days a week, and we share a lot of the same views on things and have a similar sense of humor. At the moment, I'm working on arranging a marriage between their youngest and my 4 year-old, Theodore. I've offered their daughter a paid-for wedding, if only she agrees to marry my little man.  As the chief grocery shopper for her family of 11 - her and her husband have 9 kids, ages 20 to 4 - Karrie has learned a lot about saving money on food over the years.