Life events
Most finance content is written for people with a plan. These pages are for the moments that blow up the plan — the layoff, the inheritance, the divorce, the new baby. Clear first moves, in order, with the deadlines.
Find yours
The first 30 days: health insurance, cash runway, unemployment, 401(k) decision — in the order to do them.
Read the checklist →The 90-day framework: park it, let the grief settle, then route it. With the tax rules most guides skip.
Read the framework →Term life sizing, dependent-care FSA, 529 setup, life insurance for a non-earning spouse.
Read the checklist →QDROs, credit unwinds, tax filing status, health insurance continuity. Moves with deadlines, and ones without.
Read the checklist →Joint vs separate, beneficiary updates, tax-bracket implications, the "money conversation" most couples skip.
Read the checklist →401(k) match setup, HSA eligibility, starter credit, student-loan payment-vs-invest math — in order.
Read the checklist →Down-payment math, closing costs you didn't see coming, the rate-lock decision, the insurance shop.
Read the checklist →The 30-day pause (nothing irreversible), then Social Security, pension, 401(k), and insurance claims — in order.
Read the checklist →Severance math, rule-of-55 401(k) access, COBRA vs marketplace, and whether to actually take it.
Read the checklist →When it calls for a human
Some decisions are too big for a checklist alone — a seven-figure inheritance, a divorce with stock comp, a retirement timing call. If that's you, tell us your situation and we'll match you with a vetted fee-only fiduciary in your state.
Find an advisor →