Wooden sign reading ‘Retirement’ pointing toward a sunny beach, symbolizing retirement planning and future goals.

Identifying Retirement Expenses The initial step towards estimating your retirement needs is to pinpoint your anticipated expenses. You can adopt either the bottom-up or the top-down approach. The bottom-up method requires you to draft a detailed budget, listing every foreseeable expense in retirement such as groceries, utilities, travel, and property

Mills Wealth Advisors Q3 2025 Quarterly Market Review cover slide.

The 3rd quarter of 2025 delivered strong performance across global stock markets, with Emerging Market Stocks leading the gains at 10.64%, followed by U.S. Stocks at 8.18%, International Developed Stocks at 5.33%, Global Real Estate at 4.22%, the U.S. Bond Market at 2.03%, and the Global Bond Market at 0.49%.

Three women reviewing financial charts and data together, representing financial planning and empowerment for women.

Money influences every part of life, from daily decision-making to long-term dreams. For women, financial independence is not only about security but also about freedom and confidence. Building strong financial survival skills ensures that you can handle challenges, seize opportunities, and create a future on your terms. How Women Can

Historic Main Street in Grapevine, Texas with local shops and red brick buildings.

People have their take on retirement, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. With planning, hard work, and a little luck, retirement for Grapevine residents can be a dream come true (at least according to these pundits). Here are some of our favorite quotes about retirement! According to the

Illustration showing 403(b) and 457(b) folders side by side labeled double tax advantage.

When you save for retirement, you may think first of a 401(k). For those who work in public service, education, or nonprofit organizations, two other powerful tools often come into play: the 403(b) and the 457(b). You can use these two plans together. When you do, the savings potential grows

Pregnant woman with money bag and cash, symbolizing maternity leave planning and financial preparation.

Preparing for a new baby brings both joy and big financial questions. Maternity leave often becomes one of the largest financial planning moments a family faces. Unlike vacations or short breaks from work, maternity leave usually lasts several months and affects income, benefits, and household cash flow in ways that

Business owner delegating financial documents to an advisor, symbolizing outsourcing finances to focus on growth.

As an entrepreneur or a high-achieving sales leader, you likely wear many hats. You’re responsible for growing your business, closing deals, managing people, and ensuring that your company continues to move forward. Amid these many responsibilities, it’s easy to push aside your personal financial management. While taking control of your

Illustration of scissors cutting the word fees, symbolizing reducing 401(k) costs and saving more for retirement.

When you save for retirement, every dollar counts. Your 401(k) gives you a powerful way to build wealth, but hidden costs can quietly chip away at your balance. Even small fees add up over time. The good news is that you can take steps to reduce these costs and keep

Illustration of a 1031 exchange showing two houses being swapped between investors’ hands.

For real estate investors, taxes can take a significant bite out of profits when selling an investment property. Fortunately, there is a strategy that offers a way to defer capital gains and depreciation recapture taxes, thus, freeing up more capital to reinvest. This strategy is called a 1031 exchange. By

Rolled U.S. five-dollar bill symbolizing building wealth and putting money to work in Southlake, Texas.

I am TERRIBLE at drawing… But I love to do it when talking about money, especially when talking about how to make your money work better for you. There are so many terms and so much jargon in the finance industry and I feel like drawing pictures helps cut through