St. Croix Advisors, LLC

10/07/2026

Who have you chosen to make decisions when you can't? Naming someone as your financial power of attorney isn't simply about choosing the person you love most. It's about choosing someone you trust to handle financial responsibilities, make difficult decisions, and act in your best interests.

Have you discussed the role with the person you've chosen? Do they understand what you're asking them to do? Don't surprise someone with a responsibility they never agreed to accept.

Being chosen as one’s Power of Attorney agent is also a big responsibility to take on. Know what you are getting into. It can be scary and overwhelming at times.

10/06/2026

Have you thought about giving your children their inheritance while you're still alive?

You've spent decades building wealth that you hope to pass along to your children and grandchildren. But have you considered whether some of that money could make a greater difference in their lives today?

Helping with a down payment, paying for education, or providing financial assistance during a difficult season may allow you to see the impact of your generosity firsthand.

Before making a substantial gift, consider how it could affect your retirement security, estate plan, and potential gift tax reporting obligations.

You don't necessarily have to wait until you're gone to make a difference in your family's financial future. I’ve seen the positive impacts this has on the next generation. Why wait until you’re dead?

10/05/2026

When was the last time you reviewed the beneficiaries on your life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other financial assets? Marriage, divorce, births, deaths, and changing family relationships can all affect your wishes.

Certain assets pass directly to named , regardless of what your will says. Don't assume the person you want to receive your money is the person you've actually named to receive it.

As we enter the final quarter of the year, take a few minutes to review your beneficiary designations. Make sure they still reflect your wishes and align with your overall estate plan. Check, recheck, don’t guess.

10/04/2026

Your spouse shouldn't have to become a financial detective after you're gone. In many marriages, one spouse handles most of the finances. I’ve seen it happen. You and I think we always have more time, and no one knows when the clock stops for us.

That arrangement may work perfectly well today. But what happens when the person who knows all the passwords, investments, insurance policies, and account information is no longer there?

Make sure both spouses know where everything is and how to access the information they'll need. Financial knowledge shouldn't disappear with one person. Take the time now…it’s so much easier.

10/03/2026

Having a will doesn't mean your estate plan is finished. And many people don’t even have a will. What happens if you're alive but unable to make your own decisions? Who manages your finances? Who makes medical decisions? Who pays your bills? Stuff happens we don’t like to talk about or expect.

A will generally addresses what happens after death. Powers of attorney and healthcare directives help address what happens while you're still living.

Have you planned for both?

10/02/2026

We know tomorrow’s not promised, but we act like it is. If something happened to you tomorrow, would your family know what to do?

Where are your important documents? Who should they call first? What bills need to be paid? Where are your accounts?

You might have all the answers in your head, but that doesn't mean your family has them. Don't make your loved ones play detective during one of the hardest times of their lives.

10/01/2026

The scariest financial plan is the one you never made. October is here, and we're talking about something scarier than ghosts and goblins: the financial conversations we keep putting off.

Death, disability, and long-term care. Who gets what and who makes decisions when we can't.

But we're also entering the final quarter of the year, and there may be important financial decisions you've been putting off. From reviewing your estate plan and beneficiary designations to making year-end tax and charitable giving decisions, some opportunities have deadlines that won't wait for you.

None of us gets to avoid life's uncertainties forever, but we can decide whether to prepare for them.

This month, let's talk about the things we'd rather not think about.

09/30/2026

09/29/2026

Wisdom should, but doesn’t always, come before action. Knowing what to do financially isn’t the same as actually doing it.

09/28/2026

Learn before you need to know. Estate planning, Social Security, Medicare, long-term care, retirement distributions: waiting until a decision is urgent makes learning harder.