Kim Spencer, CFP(r)

I hope you'll take time to watch my review of Q2 2026! 📊

In what continues to be an interesting and challenging year, I go over the upsides, the downsides, and some gentle words of warning.

You can find it here 👉 https://yourplacetoflourish.com/market-updates/

As always, I'm here to answer any questions! 🌱

Today's Monday Motivation honors the wonderful Dolly Parton, who passed from this world last week. I chose this quote because Dolly lived it every day in her boundless generosity, kindness, and joy.

Always remember, growing wealth is a means to an end, not the end goal itself. 🦋🌱

This week's Ask Kim comes from a reader who has done everything right. She and her husband have saved well for retirement, but now that they're getting close, a new fear has set in: actually spending the money.

It's one of the most common things I hear from people on the doorstep of retirement, and the good news is that the right conversation can make all the difference.

Read my full response here: https://yourplacetoflourish.com/ask-kim-scared-of-running-out 🌱

Today is Women's Equality Day, marking the certification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which guaranteed women the right to vote. As a Tennessean, this day carries particular meaning. Tennessee was the deciding vote that made ratification possible.

But the story didn't end there. It would be decades before women could open a credit card in their own name or purchase a home without a male co-signer. Financial independence for women is still a relatively recent development, and the echoes of that history are still felt today.

It's a big part of why I do what I do. Helping women understand their finances, build confidence around money, and plan for their own futures is work I take seriously every single day.

Happy Women's Equality Day! 🌱

Pictured is the Tennessee Women's Suffrage Memorial in Downtown Knoxville, featuring likenesses of Elizabeth Avery Meriwether of Memphis, Lizzie Crozier French of Knoxville, and Anne Dallas Dudley of Nashville.

One of the most important shifts I've seen in retirement planning over the course of my career is this: people are living longer.

A generation ago, planning for 15 years of retirement was often enough. Today, it's not unusual for someone retiring at 65 to need their money to last 25 or even 30 years.

Withdrawal rate is just one of the many important topics I work through with clients. How much can you take out each year without running out of money too soon? The answer depends on your total savings, your other income sources like Social Security, and how many years that money needs to stretch.

If you'd like to talk through what that looks like for you, I'm here. Visit yourplacetoflourish.com. 🌱

National Financial Awareness Day just passed, and it feels like the right moment to share why I do what I do.

Financial awareness isn't about knowing everything. It's about knowing enough to make confident decisions for your own life.

That's what I help my clients build, not just a financial plan, but a sense of peace about where they are and where they're headed.

If you've been putting off getting a clearer picture of your finances, today is as good a day as any to start. I'd love to help. Visit yourplacetoflourish.com. 🌱

This week's Ask Kim comes from a reader facing a decision a lot of people don't realize is even a choice: take a monthly pension payment for life, or walk away with a lump sum?

There's no universal right answer, but there are some really important things to think through before you decide. And one mistake in particular that you absolutely want to avoid.

Read my full response here: https://yourplacetoflourish.com/ask-kim-monthly-pension-payment-or-lump-sum/ 🌱