B.K. Myers, et. al.: Thanks, appreciate the opinions. I believe you guys are right, she should talk with a professional planner or someone skilled in financial matters. I wonder though how easy or hard it is for someone unsophisticated in financial matters to find such a person. Everyone should have someone to bounce planned financial moves off of. For me, I've got my tax guy and a couple friends (or course my sympatico wife too). For this couple if they have someone do their taxes , such a person would be a start. (Although, if he/she does their taxes and sees the money income/outgo and hasn't by now harped on this couple to start saving/investing better and or directed them to a financial planner, the tax preparer person isn't going to be of any help now, I'd venture.)
Not sure if her company has a financial advisory person for someone at her level - I've read some companies don't want to get involved in this advisory/counseling thing because they're afraid of liability issues.
I'd say this woman has a lot of "shoulds" ahead of her. She should do something and deal with husband's apparent spending patterns and live-for-the-day attitude, she should have a retirement plan of some sort, she should get out of having a bank-rate savings account as an investment, she should get some help. I wonder if she can change behaviors established over a long marriage and working career. Money - the lack of it or the need for it can sometimes be a strong motivator though. |
