Chasing a Magic Number and Other Ways To Fool Ourselves in April

April has a way of encouraging magical thinking. Some are convinced there’s still plenty of time before the April 15th tax deadline. Others imagine a refund check or a raise will solve more than it actually will. And according to a new survey, Americans now believe they’ll need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, up $200,000 from just a year ago. That’s a big increase!

For most people, it’s an abstraction — a figure that feels more like a wish than a plan. Only about 12% of Americans earn $200,000 annually to begin with, let alone $200,000 more than they did last year.

Magical thinking can be comforting as it lets us believe that wanting something is the same as working toward it. Yet real confidence comes from something less dramatic: honest questions, clear information, and thoughtful next steps. That’s where I can help.

The financial landscape is shifting, from inflation expectations to the everyday work of protecting your loved ones and improving your own financial habits. The articles below explore how to help stay grounded in reality. If anything resonates, I’d welcome a conversation.