Deborah Cook Financial Planner

12/22/2025

✨ The holidays are full of joy… and, let’s be honest, a little stress too. One way to stay grounded? A checklist that brings you back to what matters. Try this:
🔥 Build a fire
🛷 Go sledding
🍪 Bake cookies
💙 Prioritize your financial goals
⛄ Make a snowman

These small, intentional steps—especially checking in on your financial priorities—may help you create a strategy for the holiday season and beyond. Here’s to a winter that feels cozy, connected, and just a little bit magical.

12/22/2025

🏡 When downsizing in retirement, is it better to buy or rent?

For many retirees, selling a long-time home can free up some capital, but the next step isn’t always obvious.

The decision comes down to several key factors:
▪️ Liquidity: Proceeds from selling a home can be invested, but buying again may lock up some capital.
▪️ Flexibility: Renting is one approach to testing a new city, preparing to relocate again, or wanting to avoid maintenance obligations.
▪️ Costs: Buying can offer some stability on housing payments (especially with no mortgage) but adds property taxes and upkeep, while rent might rise over time.
▪️ Legacy goals: Ownership may still be appealing if passing property to heirs is part of the strategy.

💭 Downsizing is often one of the biggest financial transitions in retirement, and the buy-versus-rent choice can meaningfully impact cash flow, lifestyle, and estate management.

Working with a financial professional can help you evaluate which option best aligns with long-term goals. We’re here to help if you or someone you know is facing this decision.

See more on our website here: https://www.soundfinancialsolutionsnc.com/blog

12/22/2025

Bi-weekly mortgage payment can potentially accelerate your mortgage payoff. Sound interesting?

This calculator estimates the savings from paying a mortgage bi-weekly instead of monthly.

12/20/2025

How familiar are you with the Federal Reserve? Here is a quick history.

Here is a quick history of the Federal Reserve and an overview of what it does.

12/19/2025

🎉 It’s National Ugly Sweater Day!

Whether the office is decked out in festive knits or not, today is all about bringing a little extra cheer (and a laugh) into the season.

In a year filled with serious conversations about markets, strategies, and goals, moments of lighthearted fun are just as important.

Here’s to finishing the year in style, even if the sweater isn’t!

12/18/2025

The holidays are a time for warmth and connection with you and your loved ones. However, sometimes the conversation turns to money. Here are some things to consider.

12/18/2025

❓ Why do most New Year’s resolutions fade before spring?

Nearly half of Americans set resolutions each year, yet most give up within four months.

The good news…
Small changes in how you set goals can dramatically improve your chances of success.

Here are 5 tips to help make goals stick in 2026:
1️⃣ Use SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
2️⃣ Write Them Down: Increases success rates by 42 percent
3️⃣ Share Them with Someone You Trust: Follow-through can jump to 95 percent
4️⃣ Keep It Simple: Focus on 2–3 priorities at a time
5️⃣ Celebrate Progress: Recognizing wins builds motivation

The same principles that make a personal financial strategy work apply to all areas of life: clear goals, steady progress, and accountability.

✨ Taking time this December to set your goals may be one of the best gifts you give yourself.

What’s one goal you want to pursue in 2026?

#2026

12/15/2025

🕎 Happy Hanukkah!

Wishing all who celebrate eight bright and meaningful nights filled with joy, good company, and celebration.

We hope this season of light brings happiness and hope as the year comes to a close.

12/15/2025

You face sequence of returns risk. Know what it is?

You face a risk for which the market does not compensate you, that can not be easily reduced through diversification.

12/13/2025

Test your estate strategy knowledge with this short quiz.

Estate management can help ensure that your assets are transferred according to your wishes while managing tax issues.

12/12/2025

💭 What Would You Do With an Additional $17,000/year?

That’s roughly the annual cost of raising a child in the U.S., adding up to a total of $320,000 by age 18 for a middle-income family.

For some families, the number is often higher when you factor in:
• Private school tuition
• Travel and enrichment activities
• College savings goals (often fully funding four years)

💡 Why It Matters for Wealth Strategies
Even if cash flow isn’t an issue, raising children introduces a series of long-term financial decisions:
• When and how to fund education
• Preparing for potential multigenerational wealth transfer

🧠 A Useful Thought Exercise
If you knew your annual spending would increase by $17K–$50K+ for nearly two decades, how would you adjust your investment strategy, estate strategy, or gifting approach today?

For many families, these aren’t questions of affordability, but rather questions of intentional design: aligning financial resources with the life they want to create for their children and grandchildren.

See more on our website here: https://www.soundfinancialsolutionsnc.com/blog

12/10/2025

Most Americans get retirement preparation wrong.

💊 Healthcare costs can make up around 15 percent of a retiree's annual spending by age 75, which is roughly two times what it typically is during the working years.

📉 Lower-than-expected returns early in retirement can change projections (sequence-of-returns risk).

⏳ The number of Americans living to age 100 and beyond is expected to quadruple over the next 30 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For couples, there’s a 20 percent chance that one partner will live to at least 100!

Ask yourself:
❓ How does my strategy manage market volatility?
❓ Am I factoring in healthcare inflation?
❓ Will my income last as long as I do?

The takeaway: Retirement isn’t about a number in your retirement account. It’s about a strategy that addresses all the risks that could impact your goals.

Let us know if you’d like to review to see if you’re on track.

See more on our website here: https://www.soundfinancialsolutionsnc.com/blog