Planning

The personal finance articles in this section cover taxes, retirement planning, the use of financial advisors, and estate planning.

Financial planning and personal finance are undertakings where you adopt habits today so that you are better off in the future. To effectively manage your money, you need to set goals and make the right financial decisions today with regards to your spending, income, and savings so that you are set up for whatever the future holds.

Maintaining a personal financial plan is meant to be a part of your life like eating well and getting exercise. However, managing money is not as well integrated into as many people’s routines as physical fitness – even though the research shows that people with written plans feel more confident and have less stress.

Plans enable you to make better decisions, develop better financial habits, and have improved financial outcomes.

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Planning

Boldin AI: Your Retirement Planning Assistant

Ask Boldin AI about your plan, or tell it what changed to keep your plan current. You approve every update the AI makes before it’s applied.

August 6, 2026
Financial Wellness

How to Build Wealth After 50: The 20 Key Rules

The average 401(k) millionaire hits that mark around 59. See the moves that build wealth fastest after 50.

August 6, 2026
Budgeting & Spending

Consumption Smoothing: What It Means and How It Works

Consumption smoothing is how you keep your standard of living stable across a lifetime of income changes, career shifts, and retirement.

July 14, 2026
Financial Wellness

Financial Literacy Quiz: Can You Beat the National Average?

Only 15% of Americans managed to ace this 8-question personal finance index quiz. Find out which knowledge gaps cost you the most.

June 11, 2026
Financial Wellness

Hiro Finance Is Shutting Down: Here Are the Best Alternatives for Users Looking for a Smarter Financial Planning Tool

Hiro Finance is gone. Compare the best alternatives, including a powerful AI tool built for smarter financial planning.

April 13, 2026
Planning

5 High-Impact Retirement Planning Strategies Most People Never Use

Most people skip retirement planning strategies with the highest payoff. Here are 5 of them, including one that’s essentially free money.

April 8, 2026
Planning

ChatGPT for Retirement Planning: Does It Work?

Using ChatGPT for retirement planning? We asked ChatGPT and Boldin AI the same question: “Can I retire?” This is how they replied.

April 7, 2026
Planning

Retire at 62: What It Takes to Make It Work

At 62, Social Security is up to 30% smaller and Medicare is 3 years away. Here’s how to plan for both and know if your portfolio is ready.

April 4, 2026
Estate Planning

Average Inheritance From Parents Is $46,200. Most Get Less.

See figures by trust, education, and wealth tier, from $6,100 for the least wealthy to $2.7 million for the top 1%, plus what it means for your plan.

April 4, 2026

Subcategories

What Happens When You Inherit Money? First Steps to Know

Inheriting money sets off 3 things fast: taxes, timing rules, and decisions people rush into. Here’s what to expect.

July 22, 2026
Three joyful, elegantly dressed women with silver hair laugh together at an outdoor evening garden party, representing the vibrant social lives and financial freedom often enjoyed by the wealthiest retirees.

Top 10% Wealthiest Retirees Have $3M. How Do You Compare?

The top 10% wealthiest retirees have about $3.0M in net worth. See what the top 1% have, and where you stand.

April 16, 2026
A multi-generational Black family laughing together in a sunny field, highlighting the importance of legacy and financial planning beyond just the value of an average inheritance.

Average Inheritance From Parents Is $46,200. Most Get Less.

See figures by trust, education, and wealth tier, from $6,100 for the least wealthy to $2.7 million for the top 1%, plus what it means for your plan.

April 4, 2026
dirty little financial secrets

The 7 Dirty Little Financial Secrets People Don’t Tell Their Spouses — or Their Advisors

7 common financial secrets that quietly undermine goals — and how bringing them into the open leads to better decisions and more confidence.

February 5, 2026
SEC registered

Boldin Advisors Achieves National Registration from the SEC, Expanding Access to Tech-Enabled Fee-Only Planning

SEC registration for Boldin Advisors means increased access, more choice, and continuation of the highest standards of guidance from CFP® professionals.

June 25, 2025
Get help from Boldin

Retirement Planning is Complex: Get a Set of Expert Eyes – a Coach or Advisor – on Your Future!

Craving reassurance? Explore Boldin's live support options: from professional financial advice to classes and coaching sessions.

April 24, 2025
A smiling bearded middle-aged man looks over a vista as he considers building wealth after 50.

How to Build Wealth After 50: The 20 Key Rules

The average 401(k) millionaire hits that mark around 59. See the moves that build wealth fastest after 50.

August 6, 2026
A middle-aged man with glasses speaks on the phone while working on his laptop on an outdoor patio, evaluating his knowledge before taking an online financial skills test.

Financial Skills Self-Test: Can You Top the National Average?

Test your financial skills with this 10-question CFPB self-test and see how your score compares to the national average of 50.

July 30, 2026
A smiling woman rests on a wicker chair with a mug on a balcony overlooking lush, foggy mountains, capturing a quiet moment of personal freedom and how wealth is defined beyond just money.

How Wealth Is Defined: U.S. Net Worth Benchmarks

Wealth means net worth, cash flow, and lifestyle security. See benchmarks by age, generation, and income to put your numbers in context.

July 16, 2026
A smiling bearded middle-aged man looks over a vista as he considers building wealth after 50.

How to Build Wealth After 50: The 20 Key Rules

The average 401(k) millionaire hits that mark around 59. See the moves that build wealth fastest after 50.

August 6, 2026

Consumption Smoothing: What It Means and How It Works

Consumption smoothing is how you keep your standard of living stable across a lifetime of income changes, career shifts, and retirement.

July 14, 2026
divorce after 50

Divorce After 50: Pros, Cons, & Financial Impact of ‘Gray Divorce’

Gray divorce makes up 36% of U.S. divorces, up from 9% in 1990. See the pros and cons of divorce after 50, and how to protect your retirement.

July 10, 2026

Backdoor Roth, Mega Backdoor Roth & Your IRMAA/ACA Costs

Two CFP® professionals answer real questions on Roth conversion timing, the pro rata rule, and avoiding surprise Medicare or ACA costs.

July 20, 2026
Young man working remotely in the garden, sitting on an outdoors chair and using cell phone and laptop

Creative Tax Planning: 8 Unusual Strategies — and What Works Better

We cover 8 creative tax strategies, plus the retirement planning approach that can save you more money.

April 27, 2026
paying taxes in retirement

How to Pay Taxes in Retirement and Avoid IRS Penalties

Paying taxes in retirement means managing income streams, quarterly deadlines, and the IRS safe harbor, without an employer doing it for you.

April 9, 2026

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