Mendel Money Management

Mendel Money Management Personalized Wealth Management, REIMAGINED. Our Mission: Help You on Your PersonalPath to Financial Freedom. https://www.mendelmoney.com/disclaimer/

We offer personalized financial planning for individuals and families who want to live well now, while also preparing for the future. Mendel Money Management has provided transparent, fee-only wealth management and financial planning services for over 30 years. Our firm was founded on two guiding principles: to act with integrity and to act in our client’s best interests. We offer a personalized p

lanning experience based on your unique circumstances and goals. Our guidance occurs at the intersection of your money and your life – where you need it the most. We invite you to discover how we can help you reach your goals.

A financial decision can look right on paper and still be wrong for your life.Selling your home may reduce expenses, but...
08/27/2026

A financial decision can look right on paper and still be wrong for your life.

Selling your home may reduce expenses, but it may also take you away from the place that feels most familiar.

Paying off your mortgage may provide security, but it could leave you with less money available for everyday needs.

Investing life insurance proceeds quickly may feel responsible, but it could lock you into decisions before you fully understand what comes next.

Grief changes your needs, energy, priorities, and ability to tolerate risk.

The right decision isn’t necessarily the one someone else would make. It’s the one that fits your responsibilities and the life you need today.

I wrote more about this in my article:

“The Three Questions to Answer Before Making Financial Decisions After a Loss.”

If you’re facing a major decision, or helping someone who is, I hope it provides a useful place to begin.

Read more: https://mendelmoney.com/the-three-questions-to-answer-before-making-financial-decisions-after-a-loss/

There were moments when even opening the mail felt overwhelming.Accounts. Forms. Passwords. Statements. Benefits. Insura...
08/24/2026

There were moments when even opening the mail felt overwhelming.

Accounts. Forms. Passwords. Statements. Benefits. Insurance.

It can feel like your brain is trying to hold all of it at once.

What helped me was not trying to understand every document immediately.

It was simply putting everything in one place so I could stop carrying it all in my head.

Accepting help after your spouse dies does not mean giving up control.It means recognizing that grief can make even ordi...
08/21/2026

Accepting help after your spouse dies does not mean giving up control.

It means recognizing that grief can make even ordinary responsibilities harder to carry.

After Kim died, my dad helped me keep moving.

He didn’t make decisions for me. He gave me one task at a time, followed up gently, and understood when I had reached my limit.

That kind of support gave me space to grieve while still protecting my future.
A widow or widower may need different people to help with financial, legal, and practical responsibilities. No single person has to do it all.

In my article, “You Cannot Do This Alone: The Financial Side of Grief,” I explain how to build a support team, ask for specific help, and remain the person making the final decisions.

If you’re grieving or support people who are, I hope you’ll read it.

Read more: https://mendelmoney.com/you-cannot-do-this-alone-the-financial-side-of-grief/

hashtagGriefSupport hashtagWidowsAndWidowers hashtagFinancialPlanning hashtagLifeAfterLoss

Much of effective retirement planning happens behind the scenes.Modeling income scenarios.Coordinating with tax professi...
08/19/2026

Much of effective retirement planning happens behind the scenes.

Modeling income scenarios.
Coordinating with tax professionals.
Evaluating Medicare thresholds.
Aligning withdrawals with long-term goals.

Acting as a personal CFO means integrating these decisions rather than viewing them separately.

Comprehensive coordination reduces complexity and supports long-term clarity.

Read more about How to Avoid the Hidden Medicare Tax Trap
https://mendelmoney.com/how-to-avoid-the-hidden-medicare-tax-trap/

After your spouse dies, financial decisions can feel urgent because everything feels unsettled.But feeling pressure to m...
08/17/2026

After your spouse dies, financial decisions can feel urgent because everything feels unsettled.

But feeling pressure to make a decision doesn’t always mean the decision needs to be made now.

Some matters require immediate attention. Bills must be paid, claims must be filed, and benefits may need to be addressed.

Many larger decisions can wait.

Before selling your home, investing life insurance proceeds, paying off your mortgage, or changing your retirement plans, ask:

Does this need to be decided now?

Do I understand the full impact?

Does this support the life I need today?

I explain these questions in my latest article:

“The Three Questions to Answer Before Making Financial Decisions After a Loss.”

They can help you separate actual deadlines from emotional urgency and make decisions at a pace that respects both your responsibilities and your grief.

Read more: https://mendelmoney.com/the-three-questions-to-answer-before-making-financial-decisions-after-a-loss/

Retirement can feel a lot more manageable when you understand where your income is coming from.It is not just one accoun...
08/14/2026

Retirement can feel a lot more manageable when you understand where your income is coming from.

It is not just one account or one monthly number. There are a lot of pieces that need to work together:

• Social Security
• Medicare
• Withdrawals
• Cash reserves
• Taxes
• Everyday spending

I think the goal is to make those pieces clearer, so people can spend less time second-guessing every decision and more time enjoying the life they built.

After my wife, Kim, passed away, I lost more than the person I loved.I lost the person I made life’s biggest decisions w...
08/12/2026

After my wife, Kim, passed away, I lost more than the person I loved.

I lost the person I made life’s biggest decisions with.

Even though I’m a financial advisor, grief made financial responsibilities feel heavier.

What helped wasn’t someone taking over. It was having people I trusted stand beside me.

My dad helped me focus on one task at a time, kept me moving, and understood when I had reached my limit.

No widow or widower should have to carry every financial, legal, and practical responsibility alone.

I wrote more about this in my latest article:

“You Cannot Do This Alone: The Financial Side of Grief.”

I explain how to build a support team, ask for help, and remain in control of the decisions that shape your future.

If you’re grieving or support people who are, this may help make the next step feel more manageable.

Read more: https://mendelmoney.com/you-cannot-do-this-alone-the-financial-side-of-grief/

After losing my wife, I found that grief has a way of making even simple tasks feel heavy.A phone call, a meal, or even ...
08/10/2026

After losing my wife, I found that grief has a way of making even simple tasks feel heavy.

A phone call, a meal, or even a decision can suddenly feel like too much.

What helped was slowing down and focusing only on what truly needed my attention first.

One lesson became very clear to me during that time: I found that stability can matter a great deal when emotions are high.

Stability doesn’t fix everything, but it gives you room to breathe and think more clearly about what comes next.

Selling a business can significantly increase income in a single year.That spike may trigger higher Medicare premiums in...
08/05/2026

Selling a business can significantly increase income in a single year.

That spike may trigger higher Medicare premiums in subsequent years.

Liquidity events should be evaluated holistically.

Tax planning, retirement income modeling, and healthcare considerations are interconnected.

Coordinated planning helps preserve flexibility during major transitions.

Read more about How to Avoid the Hidden Medicare Tax Trap
https://mendelmoney.com/how-to-avoid-the-hidden-medicare-tax-trap/

In the weeks after losing a loved one, it can feel like everyone and everything needs an answer from you.But pressure is...
08/02/2026

In the weeks after losing a loved one, it can feel like everyone and everything needs an answer from you.

But pressure is not what helps most.

What helps is getting steady first.

Start with the basics:
• Can the important bills be paid?
• Do you know where cash is coming from?
• Who can sit beside you and help you think?

That is where financial planning after loss should begin.

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1200 Shermer Road
Northbrook, IL
60062

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