Madrona Financial & CPAs

02/10/2026

What if the most valuable part of retirement isn’t what you saved… but who stands beside you?

We spend a lifetime planning for financial freedom—calcifying the nest egg, optimizing the portfolio, stress‑testing for every market scenario.

But after the work and the structure fade, something more subtle begins to shape our days:

the quiet rhythms of love, support, and connection.

In his latest Kiplinger article, Dr. Richard Himmer explores a truth that doesn’t show up on a balance sheet—but may matter even more than money in retirement: the quality of our closest relationships. 

Research now suggests that emotionally supportive marriages have a direct impact on how our bodies and minds function:

• They act as ongoing safety cues for our nervous systems, reducing stress and helping us make healthier choices. 

• They can improve metabolism, self‑regulation, and overall well‑being in ways that resemble biological resilience. 

• They help anchor identity and purpose when the roles that once defined us have disappeared. 

This article isn’t about diminishing the importance of financial planning. It’s about expanding it — recognizing that true retirement well‑being is rooted in both connection and security. 

Because when schedules empty out and freedom becomes real, what matters most isn’t just what you planned for…
It’s who walks beside you, supports you, and shares the journey.

👉 Read the full article:
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/retirement-planning/in-retirement-a-supportive-marriage-may-matter-more-than-money

👉 Follow our reflections on Substack for insights that combine psychology, purpose, and planning.

👉 Explore Dr. Himmer’s book, Your Encore Years: The Psychology of Retirement —where emotional well‑being and retirement design meet. Now available on Amazon.

Research shows that people in emotionally supportive marriages have fewer weight issues, better metabolism and stronger self-control, and good health can be as important as strong finances in retirement.

01/19/2026

Is retirement really what we think it is—or is there a deeper paradox we’re overlooking?

Most of us measure retirement success by how much we save and whether we’ve built a big enough nest egg. But what if that’s only half the story?

In his latest Kiplinger article, Dr. Richard Himmer, PhD sheds light on something many overlook: the paradox between money and wealth — and why balancing both is essential for a fulfilling retirement. 

Financial security is tangible and measurable — easy to talk about. But wealth is different: it’s the lived experience of relationships, health, contribution, and time well spent — qualities that don’t appear on a spreadsheet but shape our everyday lives.

Here’s what this paradox reveals:

• Money and wealth aren’t the same. Money can buy ease and options, but it can’t buy meaning. 
• Someone can be financially secure yet emotionally adrift, lacking the identity and purpose once tied to work. 
• Others may be rich in relationships and contribution but anxious about financial stability — and both imbalances create stress. 

In retirement, the question subtly shifts from “Do I have enough?” to “Who am I now?” — and that pivot is where money and true wealth intersect. 

This article doesn’t tell you to choose one over the other. It invites you to weave them together, so financial security supports emotional abundance — and not the other way around. 

👉 Read the full article on Kiplinger:
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/happy-retirement/the-paradox-between-money-and-wealth-how-to-find-the-balance

👉 Follow us on Substack for more reflections on retirement that go beyond numbers.

👉 And explore Dr. Himmer’s book, Your Encore Years: The Psychology of Retirement, available on Amazon — where money meets meaning.

Money can buy ease, but it can't buy meaning. Wealth reflects a life organized around relationships, health, contribution and time — qualities that compound differently than a mutual fund.

12/17/2025

Could the dream of retirement be quietly killing us?

We’ve been taught to chase freedom—freedom from the alarm clock, the calendar, the pressure.

But what happens when the structure disappears… and nothing rises to take its place?

In our latest Kiplinger article, Dr. Richard Himmer explores a silent crisis unfolding behind closed doors—one that has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with meaning.

Because while we spend decades preparing financially for retirement, we rarely prepare emotionally.
We assume freedom equals happiness.

But research—and real-life experience—tell a more sobering story:
• Retirees without a sense of purpose face higher risks of depression, cognitive decline, and even premature death.
• The loss of structure and identity after leaving work can lead to emotional unraveling many don’t see coming.
• Staying socially and mentally engaged in retirement is directly linked to longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.

This article isn’t anti-retirement.

It’s a call to reimagine what these years were meant to be:
Not a slow fade, but a creative return.
Not a withdrawal from life, but a reinvention of it.

Because real well-being in retirement isn’t measured by how much you’ve saved—
It’s measured by how much of yourself you still bring to the table.

Whether you’re planning your retirement, already in it, or guiding someone else through it—this piece will challenge you to think beyond the numbers.

Not just about how to retire well, but how to live fully.

Click here to read the article:
https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/happy-retirement/could-traditional-retirement-expectations-be-killing-us

👉 Follow us on Substack for more reflections like this
👉 And check out Dr. Himmer’s newly released book, Your Encore Years: The Psychology of Retirement, available now at YourEncoreYears.com and Amazon

A fulfilling retirement begins with a blueprint for living, rather than simply the accumulation of a large nest egg. Financial freedom is meaningful only when it supports a life of purpose, connection and vitality.

12/12/2025

Hi friends — Danielle Meister here, Wealth Advisor at Madrona Financial & CPAs.

Across conversations with women in every season of life, one quiet truth keeps surfacing:

Money isn’t the problem.
It’s the silence around it.

So many women are doing everything right—earning, saving, supporting families, navigating major life changes—yet still carrying financial uncertainty on their own. Not because they’re incapable, but because the conversations they need are rarely offered with context, compassion, or the full picture in mind.

Too often, the financial industry talks around women instead of to them.
It teaches numbers, but not understanding.
It gives instructions, but not perspective.
It assumes confidence will simply appear once the math is explained.

But women don’t need more jargon.
They need to feel seen.

Seen in the weight they carry.
Seen in the roles they juggle.
Seen in the transitions they’re navigating and the decisions they’re making every day.

And over time, those conversations build something powerful:
a deeper trust in yourself, your choices, and your future.

That belief is what led me to create the Growing HER Wealth Radio Show and Podcast.

My two newest episodes continue that conversation:

🎙️ Episode 4 looks at retirement through a wider lens—beyond balances and projections—to explore what it truly takes to feel secure over decades, not just on paper.

🎙️ Episode 5 explores intentional generosity—because giving wisely means understanding the ripple effects, not just leading with good intentions.

You can listen on all podcast platforms or watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/
Learn more at GrowingHerWealth.com

And if you’d like to continue these conversations live, I host monthly webinars where we slow things down and connect the dots together.
Just reach out to [email protected] and we’ll make sure you’re invited.

Because when women are given space, context, and real conversations—
confidence doesn’t need to be taught.
It grows.

-Danielle Meister, CFF/CFDA

Money shapes every part of a woman’s life—her choices, her confidence, and most importantly her future.But too often, the conversations about it happen witho...

12/05/2025

What do hippos, hair ties, and a thundering waterfall have in common?

A story that will leave you breathless, laughing, and rethinking how you travel.

In his latest travel reflection, Dr. Richard Himmer invites you to join him on a journey through Zambia and Zimbabwe—where mist-soaked cliffs, schoolyard soccer games, and unexpected traffic jams each carried a lesson.

You’ll meet Clive, the endlessly calm driver who orchestrated the infamous “Bridge Incident.”
You’ll witness the hair-tie negotiation of the century.
And you’ll see what it means to stare down a 300-foot drop while clinging to slippery rocks in something called “Angel’s Pool” (spoiler: it’s not as gentle as it sounds).

But the heart of the trip wasn’t the adrenaline or the scenery—it was the people.
Children flipping through the air to impress their guests.
Villagers sharing smiles, stories, and ingenuity built from termite mounds.
A guide who speaks six languages because, where he comes from, connection is a necessity, not a luxury.

This isn’t just a travel story—it’s a reminder that the best experiences can’t be scheduled.
They have to be lived.
And they leave you changed.

Because the real souvenir isn’t the photo of the falls.
It’s the sense of purpose you carry home.

So ask yourself: Are you traveling to prove you’ve been somewhere… or to belong somewhere, even if just for a moment?

Read the full story here: https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/happy-retirement/what-travel-to-africa-taught-retirees-about-slowing-down

Follow us on Substack to be notified whenever new articles go live!

And most importantly--be sure to check out Dr. Himmer’s newly released book, Your Encore Years: The Psychology of Retirement—available now on Amazon and YourEncoreYears.com.

10/24/2025

09/22/2025

Some retire to relax. Others to explore.
But the wisest? They retire to awaken.

In our latest episode of "How NOT to Retire", Dr. Richard Himmer invites you on a journey—not just across the Zambezi River or along the edge of Victoria Falls—but into a question too few retirees ever ask:

What am I still becoming?

Through hippos and helicopters, village gardens and bungee bridges, this isn’t a travel story—it’s a story about how retirement becomes dangerous the moment it becomes aimless.

And how purpose isn’t something you pack—it’s something you uncover, again and again.

You’ll hear:
– What a cruise track can teach us about life’s third act
– Why some waterfalls move backward (and what that reveals about progress)
– And how a simple soccer ball can bridge continents, generations, and privilege

Retirement without purpose is just motion without meaning.
But when you travel with intent? Every step echoes.

🎙 Listen to “The Loo with a View” now—and discover why the best trips aren’t measured in miles, but in meaning.

Not all who wander are lost--but some are retired.

08/26/2025

We’ve been told that retirement is the reward at the end of the race.
But what if the real challenge begins after the finish line?

Too many discover that freedom without direction feels empty. The title is gone, the schedule disappears—and what’s left is a question most of us were never taught how to answer:

Who am I now?

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce the release of "Your Encore Years: The Psychology of Retirement", a groundbreaking new book by Richard P. Himmer, PhD, our Managing Director here at Madrona.

This book is our invitation for you to think differently about aging and retirement—not as an ending, but as the beginning of your most meaningful chapter.

Because aging is not something to apologize for. It is a vital, vibrant part of life—still full of possibility.

In its pages, Dr. Himmer shares stories from lived experience and reflections on identity, love, loss, memory, and resilience. He doesn't sugarcoat the challenges, but also reveals the humor, creativity, and deep meaning that can flourish in this stage of life.

If you are approaching retirement—or if you love someone who is—this book will help you see yourself and your loved ones with new clarity.

Our hope is that it will give you space for honest reflection and inspire you to keep growing, no matter what changes come your way.

You can grab the book on Amazon for 50% off, click here to grab your copy!

An invitation to think differently about aging—not as an ending, but as a meaningful, evolving chapter of life. This honest and deeply personal book explores what it truly means to grow older—from the inside out. Written with clear, engaging prose and emotional depth, it offers a rare look at ag...

08/04/2025

It started with a slam of the bedroom door.
“I just want to be free!” the teenager yelled.

Years later, across a kitchen table, his grandfather echoed the same words.

Two people.
Two life stages.
Same illusion.

We’re told that freedom means escape.
From structure. From responsibility. From expectations.

But what if freedom—real freedom—isn’t found in doing whatever we want?

What if that kind of “freedom” leaves us empty?

In our latest episode of How NOT to Retire, Dr. Richard Himmer dismantles the cultural myth that retirement is the final prize of liberty. He offers a radical reframing: Freedom isn’t the absence of obligation—it’s the presence of purpose.

This episode doesn’t give you answers.
It asks better questions.
About who you are.
About what still matters.
And about the life that begins when the career ends.

This isn’t your typical retirement talk.
It’s a reckoning with the idea of meaning itself.

Listen now to The Freedom Illusion
And ask yourself:
Are you chasing a dream of freedom…
Or waking up to the freedom that matters?

How Retirement Can Become a Trap Without Direction

07/22/2025

You’ve helped your clients plan their finances. But have you helped them plan their life?

Too often, retirement planning starts—and ends—with numbers. Income projections, tax strategies, asset allocations. It’s organized. It’s familiar. And it’s dangerously incomplete.

In the latest episode of How NOT to Retire, Richard Himmer, PhD reveals a critical blind spot in our industry: the chasm between financial planning and lifestyle planning.

What happens when the final paycheck clears—and the calendar goes blank?
No meetings. No deadlines. No one to manage.
Just time… and the unsettling question: Now what?

Because retirement isn’t just a financial transition—it’s a psychological reckoning. And when we focus only on spreadsheets, we risk leaving even the most prepared clients feeling aimless, disconnected, and unsure of who they are without their work.

This isn’t a failure of financial strategy.
It’s a failure of imagination.

And it’s quietly costing retirees their vitality, their identity, and in too many cases—their health.

For retirees: If you’ve done everything “right” financially but still feel something’s missing—or if you’re approaching retirement with a sense of unease—this episode will offer a more honest, more human framework for your next chapter.

For financial professionals: This is a challenge to expand the role we play. Financial readiness is only part of the story. If we’re not helping clients design lives of purpose and rhythm beyond the paycheck, we’re not truly planning for retirement—we’re just funding it.

Because real wealth isn’t about how long the money lasts.
It’s about how deeply the life is lived.

Listen now: The Difference Between Financial Planning and Lifestyle Planning
https://open.substack.com/pub/madronafinancial/p/financial-planning-vs-lifestyle-planning?r=1p7shu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Newly Released: Online Retirement Course — How NOT to Retire
Want to dive deeper? Explore Dr. Himmer’s educational course for FREE, How NOT to Retire, designed for preparing for a rich and purpose-driven second act.
Learn more at HowNotToRetire.com and take the first step toward building your most meaningful chapter yet.

What if retirement, as we’ve defined it, does more harm than good?

07/15/2025

What if the very thing that made you successful is the one thing that puts your retirement at risk?

In our latest episode of How NOT to Retire, Dr. Richard Himmer shares a quiet truth that many couples don’t talk about—until it’s too late.

Some people retire with impressive spreadsheets and meticulous instructions. But behind the well-organized files and secure passwords is often a partner who’s been left out of the process. Not intentionally—but completely.

What happens when one spouse carries all the financial knowledge—and then life takes an unexpected turn?

This episode is a powerful reminder that love isn’t just what we provide. It’s what we share.

You’ll hear:
• A true-to-life story of a husband who meant to protect his wife—but accidentally left her unprepared
• Why planning “alone” can feel safe—but often creates more stress than security
• The difference between being independent and being interdependent—and why the latter leads to more peace of mind for both partners
• What it really means to co-author a retirement—not just financially, but emotionally and relationally

Retirement is one of the most important transitions of your life. It deserves more than a solo plan.
It deserves a conversation.

If you’re the one who’s always managed the money—or if you’ve never really been part of the planning—this episode is for you.

Listen now to Balancing Independence with Interdependence—because the richest retirements aren’t built in isolation. They’re built together.

What if the legacy you leave behind isn’t defined by how well you protected your family—but by how well you prepared them?