Stepping Stone Wealth

06/09/2026

She had $4 million saved.
She was flying economy on a six-hour flight, and when I asked her why, she told me she didn't feel like she had earned it yet.
She had spent 35 years earning it.
I have this conversation every week. Women who have built real financial security and are still waiting for the right number to appear. They defer the trip, the upgrade, the dinner they've been promising themselves since the year they made partner.
The signal is not coming.
Money doesn't buy happiness. But it buys comfort, and comfort is underrated by the people who worked hardest to afford it. The cost of a first-class seat stopped being a financial decision when you stopped needing to check the balance.
It's a permission problem.
You should fly first class now. Your children will later.

06/05/2026

Wilson's June look.

He does not make a big deal about it.

He just shows up every month in a new bow tie and judges everyone quietly from across the room.

This month he chose Pride colors.

We support him completely.

Happy Pride Month from Wilson and everyone at Stepping Stone Wealth.

06/04/2026

Most accomplished women have a strong understanding of their salary and bonus structure. What is not always as clear are the additional components of their compensation. Things like restricted stock units vesting over time, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, or stock options with specific timelines and tax considerations can be complex. Each component may have different implications, particularly when it comes to timing, taxes, and overall financial planning. Executive compensation is rarely just one number. It often involves multiple moving parts that benefit from being evaluated together and in the context of a broader financial picture. In my experience, many executives have not had the opportunity to review all of these elements in a coordinated way. This can make it more difficult to fully understand how each piece fits into their overall financial strategy. I focus on helping clients work through these components so they can better understand how their compensation aligns with their financial goals. If you are a senior executive and have not recently reviewed each element of your compensation in detail, it may be worth taking a closer look. What part of your compensation do you find most complex? https://bit.ly/4enxrsI

06/02/2026

This photo was taken at my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.
For the last 20 years of their lives, I was their financial advisor.
I watched my father — a teacher who raised two kids on one salary — trust me with everything he and my mother had built over a lifetime. Every decision. Every account. Every conversation about what would happen when one of them was gone.
It was the greatest professional responsibility I have ever had.
My mother has been gone ten years. My father seven.
I think about them every time I sit across from a client who hands me that same trust.
The women I work with are not just clients. They are someone's mother. Someone's daughter. Someone's person.
What I do for them is what I did for my parents — make sure the people they love are taken care of, no matter what comes next.
The two young women in this photo are my daughters Kelsey and Devon.
They watched me do this work for their grandparents.
I hope they understood what it meant.
What is the most important financial responsibility you have ever been given?

05/27/2026

Nobody warns accomplished women about this part.

The financial plan is in place. The numbers work. The date is set.

And then they stop working.

And within six months, many of them are quietly miserable.

Not because the money ran out.

Because the validation did.

For decades, their identity was built on performance. On being needed. On the daily confirmation that they were excellent at something.

Retirement removes that confirmation loop overnight.

The loneliness of it surprises them every time.

I have started having this conversation before clients retire — not after.

Not to talk them out of it. But to name what is coming so they can prepare for it.

The financial transition is the part we plan for.

The identity transition is the part that actually matters.

If you have made this transition — what do you wish someone had told you before you made it?

https://bit.ly/3RBonrg

Stepping Stone Wealth is an Ameriprise private wealth advisory practice in West Hartford CT. Get the personal financial advice you need.

05/26/2026

I tell clients I am the worst trained therapist they will ever meet.

I mean it.

I am an expert in financial planning. What I am not is a licensed counselor, a life coach, or a psychologist.

But here is what I have learned in 29 years: you cannot separate a woman’s financial decisions from the rest of her life.

Her fear of running out of money. Her guilt about spending it on herself. Her belief that someone else should be handling this. Her grief after losing a spouse. Her identity crisis after leaving a 30-year career.

None of that shows up on a questionnaire.

So I listen. I ask questions. I apply common sense and decades of watching people navigate the hardest moments of their lives.

And when I know I am in over my head — when what she really needs is beyond what I can offer — I refer her to someone better equipped.

Because I care most about the outcome. Not about being the one who produces it.

The financial piece is what I do.

The rest of it is what I show up for.

What do you wish your advisor understood about you that has nothing to do with your money?

05/26/2026

Nobody warns accomplished women about this part.

The financial plan is in place. The numbers work. The date is set.

And then they stop working.

And within six months, many of them are quietly miserable.

Not because the money ran out.

Because the validation did.

For decades, their identity was built on performance. On being needed. On the daily confirmation that they were excellent at something.

Retirement removes that confirmation loop overnight.

The loneliness of it surprises them every time.

I have started having this conversation before clients retire — not after.

Not to talk them out of it. But to name what is coming so they can prepare for it.

The financial transition is the part we plan for.

The identity transition is the part that actually matters.

If you have made this transition — what do you wish someone had told you before you made it?

Steppingstonewealth.com

Stepping Stone Wealth is an Ameriprise private wealth advisory practice in West Hartford CT. Get the personal financial advice you need.

05/21/2026

I sat across from a woman last year who had spent 22 years at the same company.

She was brilliant. Loyal. Passed over twice for a role she was more qualified for than the person who got it.

When we ran the numbers on what she would have earned if she had moved after year eight, the gap was over $400,000.

She had no idea.

This is the most expensive mistake I see accomplished women make — and it has nothing to do with their investments.

Women stay. Men move. The market rewards movement.

I've watched women leave hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table not because they made bad financial decisions, but because they trusted that loyalty would be recognized.

It often isn't.

Loyalty is a virtue. Just make sure you're applying it with your eyes open.

Have you ever calculated what staying cost you?

05/21/2026

Staying organized financially isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about having a clear understanding of where you stand today and where you’re headed. Join us for a practical, easy-to-follow session focused on helping you bring structure to your financial life and make more confident decisions moving forward. Join online: https://bit.ly/4fxiANg

05/20/2026

Yesterday we traded our desks for fresh air at 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm!

Alongside a few of our clients, our team spent the day rolling up our sleeves—refreshing spaces, working the grounds, and supporting a place that gives so much back to our community.

It’s days like this that remind us the best relationships are built beyond the office through shared experiences and showing up together.

Thank you to Auerfarm for having us, and to our clients who joined us. We’re grateful to be part of such a strong community.