Life & Money

Major life events are where financial planning moves from theory to practice. The decisions made around buying a first home, having children, receiving an inheritance, experiencing a liquidity event, or retiring early have effects that compound for decades. This pillar covers the financial reality of each of these moments — not as abstract planning exercises, but as decisions with specific costs, timelines, and trade-offs that deserve clear-eyed analysis.

The homeownership journey starts with first home, which covers the actual cost of buying — including the closing costs, down payment requirements, and first-year ownership expenses that catch first-time buyers by surprise. For families, having a child traces the cost from birth through the early years, including healthcare, childcare, and the income impact that accompanies new parenthood.

Education spending spans two generations of planning: college costs addresses the financial aid system, 529 accounts, and the actual price of higher education across different institution types. Wealth transfer events — inheritance and liquidity events — arrive with their own tax complexities and planning requirements that determine how much of a windfall actually reaches the recipient.

The difficult events are covered with equal honesty. Divorce impact addresses the financial restructuring that follows the end of a marriage, from asset division to solo income planning. Early retirement provides the sustainability math for leaving the workforce ahead of traditional retirement age. And job relocation covers the full financial picture of a move driven by employment — from evaluating relocation packages to modeling the cost-of-living change in the destination market.