Michelle Brownstein, CFP®
What is Your Scariest Money Story?
Michelle Brownstein, Vice President of Personal Capital’s Private Client Group, responds to some scary stories about money with financial advice in honor of Halloween. We hear a lot of stories about money – some triumphant, some funny, and some downright...
How to Financially Prepare for a Divorce
Whenever there’s a high-profile divorce in the news (this time it’s former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani), we feel that it’s time to raise the question of how a divorce might impact your finances. I know, it’s not something that’s comfortable to think...
How to Financially Prepare for a Natural Disaster
When preparing for a natural disaster, don’t forget about your finances. Earlier this month, two large earthquakes struck southern California: the first major quakes to rattle this area of the country in years. This has shaken many people out of...
Financial Planning Considerations for Same-Sex Couples
In honor of Pride Month, we’re taking a look at some of the unique financial planning considerations for same-sex couples. Day-to-day finances may see like an area of life that is similar for everyone. The back-of-the napkin formula is simple—live...
Why Use a Financial Advisor?
A common question that we face from people who self-manage their finances is: why use a financial advisor? When it comes to managing their investments, many people do choose to work with a professional. In fact, almost two-thirds (61%) of people with a...
Jeff Bezos & The Financial Implications of Getting Divorced
The Jeff Bezos Divorce & Its Potential Financial Implications Last week, Amazon CEO and the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, announced that he and his wife Mackenzie Bezos are filing for divorce. They were married for 25 years and tied the knot...
Gen X & The (Financial) Middle Child Syndrome
Generational divides have always existed. From our great-grandparents to our grandparents to our parents to our children, each generation is unique in their approach to their financial lives. One of the major differences between each generation is how they...
Is the Average American Woman Prepared for Retirement?
We’ve heard over and over that men are from Mars and women are from Venus – but how different are we really in terms of our finances? Financial services marketing seems to think there’s a big difference by constantly targeting the “female investor.” But what...
Reality Check: Social Security May Not Exist When You Retire
One of the biggest questions Americans face when thinking about retirement is: will Social Security exist when I retire? According to the government, Social Security is on track to be depleted by 2034, at which point they will begin paying a portion of the...
