M.P. Butterworth & Associates - Special Needs Planning Group

10/06/2026

Two retirees with similar savings, spending habits, and long-term returns could still end up in very different places. The order in which returns arrive may explain part of that gap.

Even if they saved the same amount.

09/24/2026

There's no single right order for everyone. Thinking through the layers can help you spot where you stand.

Find the next layer in your Money Stack.

09/17/2026

The most useful money moves are rarely the most exciting ones. Small steps can support the ones that follow.

One step can support the next.

09/10/2026

The same dollar can do different work depending on where it goes. Here's a look at why the order may matter.

Some financial moves do more.

09/03/2026

Save, invest, pay down debt — it's all good guidance. Deciding what comes first is the hard part.

The challenge is deciding what comes first.

08/25/2026

The retirement your parents planned for may not match the one you'll experience — and that's not a bad thing. It just means there's more room to design a chapter that fits your own priorities. Explore the next chapter you get to author.

Explore the next chapter you get to author.

08/20/2026

Is treating your kids "equally" always the right move? 🤔

Every child is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. Parenting isn't about giving every kid the exact same thing—it's about adapting and giving each child what they need to thrive.

How do you balance fairness with individual needs in your family? Drop your thoughts below!

08/18/2026

Pensions used to do a lot of the heavy lifting. After the 401(k) was introduced in 1978, more of that responsibility shifted from employers to individuals — right around the time retirements themselves started stretching longer. A longer retirement changes the questions worth asking. See how the shift happened.

The shift from pensions changed the story.

08/11/2026

More than 1 in 4 Americans ages 65–74 are still working today — a much higher share than 30 years ago. For a lot of people, it's not about the paycheck. It's about purpose, structure, or staying connected. Could you see yourself working in some way during retirement, even if you didn't have to? See how retirement is being redefined.

Retirement is becoming more personal.

08/04/2026

In 1950, the average American lived to about 68 — many people never experienced decades of retirement at all. Today, that same chapter can stretch on for 20, 30 years or more, and it's evolved from a quiet finish line into something far more personal. Take a look at how retirement has changed since the 1950s, and what that shift could mean for how you think about your own.

See how retirement has changed over 75 years.