I received the question, “What does an elder care consultant do?” last week, and thought it would be a great question to answer. I frequently recommend an| Kindness Financial Planning
Elliott Appel is a fee-only fiduciary financial advisor in Madison, WI, helping widows, caregivers, & retirees organize their financial lives.| Kindness Financial Planning
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed on July 4, 2025, which changes tax planning and many other opportunities for retirees. This bill changes| Kindness Financial Planning
Here are 11 things I've learned as a financial planner. You get an intimate look into the lives of people who can start out as total strangers and transform into being one of the most trusted persons in their life.| Kindness Financial Planning
The final article in the “Confessions of a Financial Planner” series. I’m going to share why I haven’t hired a financial planner, and why I'd like to hire one.| Kindness Financial Planning
This time, I'm talking about how I primarily handle most of the finances in our marriage, and why I don’t love that arrangement.| Kindness Financial Planning
Last Updated on April 14, 2025 This is the fourth article in the “Confessions of a Financial Planner” series about how I bought a house for three years. You can read the others here: If you’ve heard the rule of thumb, you usually want to only buy a house if you intend to live there […]| Kindness Financial Planning
I’m celebrating Kindness Financial Planning, LLC’s birthday on December 9! The business turns three this year. The best word I can come up to describe this year is surreal. Like I’ve reflected in year 1 and year 2, building a business is still hard. I still ask myself, “Am I doing the right thing to […]| Kindness Financial Planning
Last Updated on December 18, 2024 If no legislation is passed, tax rates are changing in 2026. That means you have the end of this year and next year with these current tax rates. Knowing that tax rates are lower and wider now, how will that affect you? Should you proactively be doing tax planning […]| Kindness Financial Planning
How can you use a crisis to help your parents document their wishes?| Kindness Financial Planning
I waited two years to update my estate plan after getting married. This is a confession I'm embarrassed to admit. I'll share why I took so long.| Kindness Financial Planning
I’m back with my second “Confessions of a Financial Planner” series to talk about how I felt guilty about an inheritance I received from my dad.| Kindness Financial Planning
Have you ever wondered how and why a financial planner makes their own decisions around money? These are my confessions of a financial planner.| Kindness Financial Planning
Roth conversions can be an excellent strategy to optimize your tax situation and pay less in taxes over your lifetime.| Kindness Financial Planning
For people who donate to charity, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) are powerful giving tools.| Kindness Financial Planning
Gifting money to family members is a very kind act. Done properly, you can manage your gift tax exclusion amount and still have many options to give.| Kindness Financial Planning
Donor-advised funds are a smart way to organize, simplify, and reduce your taxes. You can contribute highly appreciated investments, receive a tax deduction, and support charities over time.| Kindness Financial Planning
Capital gains vs. ordinary income - understanding how each is taxed is critical to implement tax planning strategies to reduce taxes over your lifetime.| Kindness Financial Planning
Many people I meet prefer the idea of aging in place. Unfortunately, aging in place is expensive and not possible for everyone.| Kindness Financial Planning
Once you are retired, you don’t necessarily need to live in the same place. You can consider different factors to choose the best retirement location for you| Kindness Financial Planning
When my uncle died while I was in high school, I remember family and friends dividing tasks. Write your own obituary to take one task off the list.| Kindness Financial Planning
I was asked by Elliott to write my perspective on the end of life lessons during the seven years my ex-husband battled with Stage 4 lung cancer, diabetes, broken bones, broken brain, and a multitude of other health issues.| Kindness Financial Planning
These are the 9 lessons I learned about death and money during his 7 year battle with Stage IV Lung Cancer, increased cognitive impairment, relapse after 20| Kindness Financial Planning
Deciding how to create a paycheck in retirement is one of the key decisions people often bring up to me in a first meeting.| Kindness Financial Planning
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are not only a powerful planning tool to pay for qualified medical expenses, you can also use your HSA in retirement.| Kindness Financial Planning
Kindness Financial Planning, LLC turns 2 on December 9. I want to take a moment to reflect on the past year and thank you for following along on my journey.| Kindness Financial Planning
Don’t be the person who finds out in 2023 that they paid the IRS too much for 2022! Now is the time to review the 2022 tax planning checklist.| Kindness Financial Planning
