Hinman Financial Planning, Inc,

11/03/2026

Now, soon, or later?

That’s one of my favorite ways to sort through a long to-do list.

It’s so simple, but it sure takes a lot of pressure off when I know what “now” items need my immediate attention.

Your year-end might be packed already. Maybe your financial to-do list feels way too long, and you don’t know where to start, let alone how to get it all done!

A few decisions belong in the “now” group because they’ve got to be done by December 31, like taking an RMD or finishing a Roth conversion you want to count for the 2026 tax year.

If other stuff doesn’t have a hard deadline, it can probably wait until next year.

What’s currently at the top of your financial to-do list? I want to hear about it in the comments, whether it’s a Roth conversion, charitable giving, taking your RMD, or something totally different.

(And if you’re all set for the year, take this as your invitation to brag a little about everything you’ve accomplished!)

10/19/2026

At what point does information become overwhelming rather than helpful?

Lately, more people come to me with questions sparked by an article or a new AI tool. I notice that trying to keep up with it all often leaves them feeling more anxious, not less.

Some of it is useful, but part of me wants to tell people to step away for a while.

And when it concerns the wealth you’ve spent your whole life building, the noise can get scary fast.

Year-end financial planning doesn’t have to add to the anxiety.

You don’t need to organize things, figure out what should change, or make any big decisions right now. The most useful thing you can do is review a few items:

➤ Beneficiaries for your retirement accounts and life insurance policies, especially if you’ve been through a divorce, loss, or inheritance since the last review

➤ Your benefit elections or Medicare plan details (open enrollment runs through December 7). Connect for Colorado, the Colorado Health Exchange, opens November 15th.

➤ Gather information about any earned or investment income you have earned this year. This will help you get a head start on spring tax prep.

If you know something is outdated or you can’t find it, just let us know. Sorting it all out is what we do together.

If your year-end meeting isn’t on the calendar yet, reach out, and we’ll find a time.

10/12/2026

“Maybe you should sleep on it.”

That’s tough advice to hear, especially when it feels like the decision can’t wait until morning.

Maybe Mom is being discharged from the hospital on Thursday, and you know she shouldn’t go home alone.

Or that condo near the grandkids you’ve been eyeing is finally on the market. If you don’t get your offer in now, it feels like nothing this good will come along again.

Stress can make the fastest option look like the right one. A pause for a set amount of time can help: 48 hours before answering a family request, or 90 days before doing anything permanent with a large sum of money, like an inheritance or settlement.

Use the wait to think through your options and seek advice from a neutral party.

If you give a big decision room to breathe and it still feels right and aligns with your values, that’s your permission to say yes.

10/06/2026

“Does this still fit your life?” is a question I’ve been asking clients a lot lately.

This fall, it’s led us to take a closer look at three areas in particular:

1. Roth Conversions

We’re looking at what income may look like for the year and whether a conversion makes sense.

Has income changed? Is retirement getting closer? Is there a reason this year may be different from the next few?

2. Benefit reviews

Open enrollment is a natural time to review health insurance and other workplace benefits.

What changed since you made these elections last year? And do you still need the same coverage?

3. Estate plans and beneficiaries

This is a new focus for us this year. We’re checking beneficiary designations and encouraging clients to revisit their estate plans.

Do the people you named years ago still reflect who you would choose today?

Three very different conversations, but I find myself coming back to the same question in each one:

Does this still fit your life?

If something here made you think, “I haven’t looked at that in a while,” that’s worth a conversation. Bring it up next time we talk.

09/29/2026

December 31 is getting closer. Are these three financial decisions still on your to-do list?

Here are three I’d put on your October radar:

1. Take your RMD

If you’re required to take an RMD this year, check to make sure it’s taken care of before year-end.

2. Review your charitable giving

If charitable giving is part of your year-end plans, now is a good time to think about how you want to give, especially with the new charitable deduction rules in effect for 2026.

And if you’re eligible for a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), it may be worth considering whether you want to use one for some or all of your RMD.

3. Consider a Roth conversion

By October, you should have a pretty good idea of what your income for 2026 will be. That can help you evaluate how a conversion could affect your overall tax situation for the year.

When someone asks me whether a Roth conversion makes sense, we rarely look at that decision alone. We look at what else is happening financially that year before deciding.

RMDs and Roth conversions can increase your taxable income. A QCD, on the other hand, can satisfy all or part of an RMD without that distribution being included in your taxable income.

These decisions can affect one another, which is exactly why I like looking at them in October instead of waiting until December.

If any of these items are still on your 2026 to-do list, let’s review them together while there’s still time to make a plan before year-end.

09/21/2026

If retirement is getting closer and you’re thinking, I wish I’d saved a little more by now, here’s something worth getting excited about. 🥳

If you turn 60–63 in 2026, you have an extra opportunity to catch up.

Those 50 and older can already make up to $8,000 in catch-up contributions to their 401(k) in 2026.

But under the SECURE 2.0 Act, that amount bumps up to $11,250 if you turn 60-63 in 2026.

Add that $11,250 to the $24,500 base amount allowed for a 401(k), and you can contribute a total of $35,750 for 2026.

That’s a lot of extra room to save, especially when retirement is starting to feel a whole lot closer.

There’s another change to be aware of this year:

If you earned more than $150,000 in F**A wages from the employer sponsoring your plan in 2025, your 2026 catch-up contributions generally must be made as Roth contributions.

The IRS uses a one-year look-back for this rule, so it’s your 2025 wages from that employer, not what you earn in 2026, that determine whether the Roth requirement applies this year.

That means it’s worth checking both your current contribution rate and your employer’s plan options as you decide how much you want to contribute this year.

If you have the extra room to save, this four-year window could make a meaningful difference in your retirement savings.

09/16/2026

Do you have an old 401(k) still sitting with a former employer?

You’ve probably wondered what to do with it.

You could roll it into an IRA, but that means trusting an advisor to manage a significant piece of your retirement savings. Handing over that kind of money is a big ask, and it’s natural to feel uneasy about it.

When I recommend a rollover that I’ll be compensated to manage, Department of Labor protections require me to document specifically why that recommendation is in your best interest.

That said, there’s no right or wrong choice.

Staying put in your employer plan can mean lower-cost, plan-only funds you won’t find elsewhere.

But an account left in an employer plan can also be harder for an outside advisor to oversee and incorporate into your ongoing planning.

And if you’re sitting on a position with a big unrealized gain in a taxable account, you don’t necessarily have to sell. If the math says wait, you can wait.

This is your call. I simply believe you deserve the full picture before you decide.

I break down the trade-offs, the Department of Labor protection, and what to consider before making a move in my latest blog:

If you’re thinking about rolling an old 401(k) into an IRA, I want you to know something before you decide anything. There’s a rule that protects you in this exact moment — and it exists because handing your retirement savings to someone else to manage is a big deal.

09/08/2026

I don’t believe retirees should follow the same withdrawal order year after year.

While you’re working, the goal is largely accumulation: save, invest, and give your money time to grow.

Retirement changes the equation.

Now, your portfolio also needs to provide the money you’re spending. And where that money comes from can matter.

If the market is down significantly, for example, we may decide to use available cash rather than selling investments that have already fallen in value.

This can matter even more early in retirement, when withdrawals during a market downturn leave less money invested to participate in a recovery. That’s sequence-of-returns risk.

It’s also one reason your asset allocation may look different in retirement.

Having cash and more conservative investments available can give you places to draw from without automatically selling stocks during a downturn.

But that doesn’t mean I start retirement with a rigid list that says:

Cash first
Then taxable
Then IRA
Then Roth

The market may recover. Tax considerations may make an IRA withdrawal more attractive. Or your taxable account may be the better source.

I’d rather make sure you have multiple places to get the money you need, then decide which one makes the most sense based on the market, your taxes, and your overall financial picture at the time.

If you’re approaching retirement, have you figured out where your monthly spending money will come from once the paycheck stops?

08/31/2026

If your will/trust and your 401(k) list different beneficiaries, which one wins out?

Many people don’t realize this, but IRAs, 401(k)s, and life insurance don’t pass through your will or trust.

They pass directly to whoever is named on the beneficiary form.

Even if that form is outdated or wrong, it trumps the estate planning documents.

And if the beneficiaries are missing entirely or left blank, the account usually falls back to a default set by the custodian.

(Usually to the estate, which can mean probate.)

Incorrect beneficiary designations can be a major source of stress during one of life's most vulnerable, emotional moments.

The good news is that it’s very easy to fix. This month, check which beneficiaries are listed on:

➜ Retirement accounts (401(k)s, IRAs)
➜ Life insurance policies
➜ Any account with a TOD/POD designation (transfer-on-death/payable-on-death)
➜ Contingent beneficiaries

If something needs updating, or if you’re not sure where to look, I’m happy to help you find everything you need.

08/25/2026

Sometimes the smarter move is saving less in retirement accounts and more outside of them.

Let's say you're 54, with roughly $3 million saved across your retirement accounts.

By any measure, that's an incredible amount of savings.

But most of that $3 million comes with strings attached.

You're still more than five years from 59 ½, and if you only have a couple hundred thousand dollars in cash, the rest is mostly out of reach until you get closer to that age, with only limited exceptions.

Now let's say you're also starting to think seriously about leaving your job early. Maybe in a year or two, not five.

That $3 million won't help you get there.

A personal, taxable investment account works differently. There's no age requirement, waiting period, or rules about when you can use it.

You put money in, and it's yours to use whenever you need it: to retire early, help a child, cover something unexpected, or simply have options when life doesn't go according to plan.

That flexibility is worth something, even if it means paying capital gains tax along the way.

Thinking about when you'll need your money is a major part of your financial plan, not just how much you're saving.