Leisure activities in retirement can cost far more than many expect. That’s why budgeting for fun is just as important as budgeting for essentials. A thoughtful plan helps you enjoy life without running out of money. Think about the experiences you value most. Whether it’s bucket-list travel, new hobbies, family visits, or weekly lunches with friends, your retirement leisure budget should reflect what matters most to you. For example: · A 2-week trip to Europe with your spouse could easily run into five figures. · Joining a private golf club may come with hefty initiative fees. · Dining out a few times a week could add hundreds to your monthly food bill. MMany retirees are surprised by this “sticker shock.” The shift from saving to spending can feel unsettling—but being overly cautious can also lead to regrets if you miss opportunities while you’re still healthy. Key Factors in Building Your Retirement Budget 1. Define What’s Essential for You Start with your non-negotiables: housing, food, insurance, healthcare, utilities, transportation. Then add “important expenses” that bring happiness—like cross-country trips to see grandkids or season tickets to the theater. Don’t forget irregular expenses like cars, pets, or even financial support for children/grandchildren. 2. Plan for Your Retirement Lifestyle Stopping work frees up time—what will fill your days? Research suggests an active lifestyle requires about 15% more in your retirement budget. Remember, leisure spending usually declines with age, while healthcare costs rise. Couples should talk openly about expectations, since visions of retirement can differ widely. 3. Identify Your Income Sources List pensions, Social Security, retirement accounts, dividends, annuities, rental income, or part-time work. Structure your plan so that essential expenses are covered by reliable income, giving you confidence to spend on hobbies and travel. Planning for Trade-Offs If your budget and income don’t align, consider: • Adjusting savings and investments for better after-tax growth • Cutting current expenses to save more • Working longer or part-time in retirement • Consulting a financial professional to test different scenarios A strong Plan A and Plan B means you don’t have to cut all the fun if circumstances change. ________________________________________ 📘 Want to truly understand retirement, taxes, and how to enjoy life after work? Check out Retirement Guidebook: From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It — available on Amazon. 🔗 Links: • Website & free resources: https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books • Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve • YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@financialliteracy-t8c • Reddit community: https://www.reddit.com/r/FinancialSmarts

teaching skills that change lives forever, the Falcone Institute offers comprehensive, heart-centered services designed to help children—and individuals across the neurotypical–neurodiverse spectrum—truly learn how to learn. Founded by Madeline Falcone, LMFT over 35 years ago, the Institute delivers a holistic merging of psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational, speech-language, and neurocognitive support tailored to each child and family falconeinstitute.com+1. Operating as a “resource of last resort,” they specialize in breaking through when other interventions fall short, offering individualized programs to nurture emotional resilience, executive functioning, communication, and academic confidence falconeinstitute.com+1. By merging emotional regulation, cognitive strategy, and family dynamics into a cohesive therapeutic journey, Falcone empowers children to build self-advocacy, autonomy, and lifelong learning—creating meaningful transformation in both school and life falconeinstitute.com+1. ________________________________________ How It Benefits Children (and Their Families) • Personalized, Holistic Care: Programs are custom-built across multiple domains—emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and familial—to fit each child’s unique profile falconeinstitute.com+1. • Bridging Gaps in Support: Families often come to Falcone after exhausting other options; their approach brings fresh insight and renewed hope by ‘seeing’ the child beyond limitations falconeinstitute.com. • Skill-Building for Real Life: Through Mind-Body Integration, Emotional Intelligence, Academic Strategies, and Family Intelligence, children develop tools for academic success and life management falconeinstitute.com+1. • Long-Term Empowerment: The focus on self-advocacy, executive functioning, and emotional regulation equips children to thrive beyond immediate challenges and into adulthood falconeinstitute.com+1. ________________________________________ Hashtags (separated by commas, per your formatting) #HolisticTherapy, #PsychoeducationalSupport, #ChildDevelopment, #EmotionalIntelligence, #LearningHowToLearn, #SelfAdvocacy

Here’s what you need to know: • 👉 Why it matters for seniors: Your taxable income and something called MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) affect more than just your taxes. They also impact how much you pay for Medicare premiums. For a more detailed explain of MAGI and other matters effecting your taxes and Medicare payments retirement check out Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It available PNnAmazon 👉 The New Senior Deduction (2025–2028): • $6,000 extra deduction for each person age 65+ • Up to $12,000 total for married couples (if both spouses are 65+) Sounds great, right? But there’s a catch — income limits apply. • Single: full $6,000 if income ≤ $75,000 • Married: full $12,000 if income ≤ $150,000 • Deduction is reduced 6% for income above those amounts • Single at $175,000+ = no deduction • Married at $250,000+ = no deduction 👉 How many seniors benefit? • Full deduction: ~50–55% (12–14 million households, mostly single) • Partial deduction: ~35–40% (9–10 million households, evenly split) • No deduction: ~8–10% (2–2.5 million households, mostly married) 👉 Examples of the phase-out: • Single at $85,000 → $5,400 deduction • Single at $100,000 → $4,500 deduction • Married at $170,000 → $10,800 deduction • Married at $200,000 → $9,000 deduction 👉 What is MAGI? MAGI = AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) plus certain add-backs, such as: • Tax-exempt interest (municipal bonds) • Some excluded Social Security benefits • Excluded savings bond interest (for education) • Foreign income/housing exclusions • Employer adoption assistance • Income from U.S. territories/Puerto Rico • Tuition & fees deduction • IRA contribution deduction • Passive rental losses (in some cases) 👉 Bottom line: This “Senior Deduction” helps some retirees, but not all. It won’t make Social Security completely tax-free. 📘 Want to truly understand retirement, taxes, and how to enjoy life after work? Check out Retirement Guidebook: From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It — available on Amazon. Also available: • htps://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books or our books on Amazon • Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It • Budgeting for Women by Women FREE on our website • Financial Essentials for Women by Women • Investing for Financial Independence FREE on our website • Raising Financially Independent Children • Financially Independent Teens • Financial Essentials for Couples • Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money FREE on our website

Community property rules can have major implications for couples, especially if you have children from a previous marriage. There are nine U.S. community property states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin (plus Alaska, where couples may opt in). Want to go in more depth into your finances. Check out all our books on amazon ahttps://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve or via our website https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books Financial Essentials for Couples has an in depth discussion on this topic Can you opt out of community property? Yes — in all community property states, couples can enter into a premarital (prenuptial) agreement before marriage that changes or waives the default community property rules. These agreements can state that all assets and income remain separate, or that only certain assets will be community property. If properly executed, the agreement overrides state community property laws. You may want to consult an expert. What does “Community Property” Mean? In a community property state, most property acquired during marriage is owned equally (50/50) by both spouses, regardless of who earned the income or whose name is on the title. Separate property is those Assets owned before marriage, gifts, and inheritances if kept totally separate and NOT co-mingled remain separate property. Retirement Accounts & Pensions 401(k)s, IRAs, pensions earned during marriage are considered community property, even if only in one spouse’s name. Implication: At divorce or death, the other spouse has a legal claim to half. For seniors, this impacts retirement income planning and survivor benefits. Long-Term Care & Medicaid In community property states, one spouse’s assets may be treated as half-owned by the other, which affects Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care. Spousal impoverishment rules may allow one spouse to keep more assets, but planning is essential. Debt & Liability Debts incurred during marriage are generally community debts. A spouse is generally liable for their spouse’s medical bills, credit cards, or other debts, even if only in one spouse’s name. As you can see, it is important for your financial future to be aware of the implications of community property Check out our books on financial independence at htps://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books or our books on Amazon Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It Budgeting for Women by Women FREE on our website Financial Essentials for Women by Women Investing for Financial Independence FREE on our website Raising Financially Independent Children Financially Independent Teens Financial Essentials for Couples Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money FREE on our website Subscribe to our channel

Here’s what you need to know: • 👉 Why it matters for seniors: Your taxable income and something called MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) affect more than just your taxes. They also impact how much you pay for Medicare premiums. For a more detailed explain of MAGI and other matters effecting your taxes and Medicare payments retirement check out Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It available on Amazon 👉 The New Senior Deduction (2025–2028): • $6,000 extra deduction for each person age 65+ • Up to $12,000 total for married couples (if both spouses are 65+) Sounds great, right? But there’s a catch — income limits apply. • Single: full $6,000 if income ≤ $75,000 • Married: full $12,000 if income ≤ $150,000 • Deduction is reduced 6% for income above those amounts • Single at $175,000+ = no deduction • Married at $250,000+ = no deduction 👉 How many seniors benefit? • Full deduction: ~50–55% (12–14 million households, mostly single) • Partial deduction: ~35–40% (9–10 million households, evenly split) • No deduction: ~8–10% (2–2.5 million households, mostly married) 👉 Examples of the phase-out: • Single at $85,000 → $5,400 deduction • Single at $100,000 → $4,500 deduction • Married at $170,000 → $10,800 deduction • Married at $200,000 → $9,000 deduction 👉 What is MAGI? MAGI = AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) plus certain add-backs, such as: • Tax-exempt interest (municipal bonds) • Some excluded Social Security benefits • Excluded savings bond interest (for education) • Foreign income/housing exclusions • Employer adoption assistance • Income from U.S. territories/Puerto Rico • Tuition & fees deduction • IRA contribution deduction • Passive rental losses (in some cases) 👉 Bottom line: This “Senior Deduction” helps some retirees, but not all. It won’t make Social Security completely tax-free. 📘 Want to truly understand retirement, taxes, and how to enjoy life after work? Check out Retirement Guidebook: From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It — available on Amazon. Also available: • htps://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books or our books on Amazon • Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It • Budgeting for Women by Women FREE on our website • Financial Essentials for Women by Women • Investing for Financial Independence FREE on our website • Raising Financially Independent Children • Financially Independent Teens • Financial Essentials for Couples • Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money FREE on our website

Turn an outing with your child into an education about money, budgeting, and spending even at a young age! Check out all our books on amazon https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve or via our website https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/@financialliteracy-t8c This video covers planning a trip to the zoo for kids 5 -8 where we will describe how you can make this outing fun and stress-free. If you discuss the options that your child will have during the trip in advance and make a plan, this will greatly reduce stress during the trip. You are also teaching your child the very basics of a budget and how to plan ahead. We discuss how to involve your young children in making decisions before you go. This develops their abilities to make trade-offs and leads to less wasted time and difficult choices during the outing. You will be teaching basic budgeting and how to make choices within a set of parameters in advance. Do you want to take a sandwich from home and go on a ride or do you want to buy food during the outing and not ride on the bus? Check out our books on financial independence at https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books or our books on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve Raising Financially Independent Children Financially Independent Teens

Check out our books including Financially Independent Teens on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve or visit our website for more information at: https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/@financialliteracy-t8c Financial literacy is a crucial life skill—especially for college-bound teens navigating independence for the first time. Most high schools don’t teach personal finance, so it’s up to parents to ensure their teens are money smart and ready for real-world decisions. College is more than academics—it's a training ground for life. Your teen will face daily choices that impact their future success: • Budgeting their monthly expenses • Paying off credit cards in full • Prioritizing bills before optional spending • Maintaining a strong credit score—often required to rent an apartment Help your teen build good financial habits now, while mistakes are still manageable. Many students are financially supported by parents, scholarships, or loans. This is a golden opportunity to teach money management in a relatively safe setting. Teach Your Teen to Be Money Smart! Make sure they know how to: • Comparison shop for best value • Evaluate spending alternatives • Budget, save, AND invest • Build and maintain a good credit score • Begin an emergency fund • Open a Roth IRA with their first paycheck Smart spending and savings habits now lead to confidence, opportunity, and financial independence later. Your teen should learn how to: • Set realistic financial goals • Make trade-offs and stick to a budget • Understand the total cost of college or vocational school • Invest for the long term—even retirement! Financially Independent Teens can help you guide your child toward a successful future. 📘 Learn More: Check out our book "Financially Independent Teens" on Amazon or visit our site at https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books 📺 Subscribe to our channel for more practical financial education for families! 👍 Like, share, and comment—how are you preparing your teen? College-bound students have many choices to make, including how they will use their college experience in preparing themselves to live independently after college. College is an opportunity for your child to hone the skills they need to live independently such as budgeting, paying off the credit card monthly, and of course, the importance of paying bills before optional spending. Since often students are supported by their parents or student financial aid or loans, these are opportunities to become educated in how to manage money in a relatively safe environment. In addition, living in an apartment typically requires showing a good credit score so that is a bonus that your student can earn. • Most schools leave financial education to the parents. • Teach your teen to be money smart! Make sure they: o Know how to comparison shop. o Evaluate alternatives for best value. o Budget, save AND invest. o Get a good credit score while young and then MAINTAIN it! • Begin them on a path toward an emergency fund. • Start their retirement accounts when they get their first job. Does your teen have the money skills to be ready for life after high school? Good spending and savings habits learned early set your teen up for a secure future! Teach your teen to set goals, make trade-offs, budget, and then take actions – including how to invest their money for future gains. Start your teen on the path to excellent credit, so important in buying a car or renting an apartment. Financially Independent Teens can help you! Raising money smart teens has many benefits beyond money and pays dividends in peace of mind. Your teen can learn how to compare the TOTAL cost of college or vocational school. They gain the confidence of knowing how to save and invest. They can even begin building their retirement fund by opening a Roth IRA when they get their first job. This gives them confidence they can manage their future financial independence. Check out all our books including Financially Independent Teens on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve or visit our website for more information at: https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books SUBSCRIBE NOW https://www.youtube.com/@financialliteracy-t8c

When you think of retirement, do you feel nervous or excited? Check out our website for more information and links to buy the “Retirement Guidebook”: https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books or visit our amazon page for descriptions of our books: https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve SUBSCRIBE NOW Retirement Guidebook: From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It is a great resource to help you prepare, no matter your age or stage. Whether you're: • Just starting your journey at 40, • Nearing retirement at 60, or • Realizing you’ve got more years to enjoy at 75 . Do you understand how your choices about Social Security and Medicare will shape your future? Do you know the tax and healthcare impacts of choosing a Roth versus a Traditional retirement account? This guide simplifies complex topics like investing, Social Security, Medicare, and taxes into practical, relatable information and suggestions with real-life examples. 🎯 Don’t leave your future to chance. Start learning today for a more confident tomorrow. 🛍️ Explore our full collection of books on retirement and financial independence: Retirement Guidebook- From Planning Your Retirement to Enjoying It Budgeting for Women by Women FREE on our website Financial Essentials for Women by Women Investing for Financial Independence FREE on our website Raising Financially Independent Children Financially Independent Teens Financial Essentials for Couples Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money FREE on our website Check out our website for more information and links to buy the “Retirement Guidebook” https://parentsfin.wixsite.com/website/books Check out our amazon page for descriptions of our books https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve SUBSCRIBE NOW

If you’ve received their latest email, you know how serious this threat is. That’s why we created Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money — a practical, plain-English guide to help you avoid getting scammed, hacked, or financially compromised. You’ll learn how to lock down your accounts, protect your identity, and stay ahead of fraudsters. 📘 Get it FREE on our website: Download the free eBook 📗 Prefer print or Kindle? Grab it on Amazon AS A PRINT OR Kindle https://tinyurl.com/r8xy3ve Scams, Fraud, and Protecting Your Money shows you exactly how to stay one step ahead: • Know your rights: Many states don’t require you to share your Social Security Number or birth date with health-care providers. Check your state’s rules before you hand over sensitive data. • Lock down every account: o Strong, unique passwords o Multi-factor authentication o Real-time transaction alerts o Ongoing credit monitoring • Learn from real stories: Protect yourself from scams From Amazon.com Date Mon 7/7/2025 12:51 AM We've recently noticed an increase in customers reporting fake emails about Amazon Prime membership subscriptions. We want to help you stay protected by sharing important information about these scams. What's happening: Scammers are sending fake emails claiming your Amazon Prime subscription will automatically renew at an unexpected price. The scammers might include personal information in the emails, obtained from other sources, in an attempt to appear legitimate. These emails may also include a "cancel subscription" button leading to a fake Amazon login page. Do not click on any links in these messages - scammers use fake websites to steal your Amazon login credentials and banking information. What you should do: Scams can typically be ignored with no action. However, here are some suggested actions that may be applicable: If you want to verify your Prime membership, open your Amazon mobile app or go directly to Amazon.com. Select "Prime" from the main menu to view your membership status, renewal dates, and plan details. If you clicked on any suspicious links, monitor your credit/debit card statements for unfamiliar charges and contact your bank immediately about any unauthorized transactions. Report suspicious communications to amazon.com/reportascam. Best practices to protect against scams: Always access Amazon directly through our mobile app or by typing amazon.com in your browser. To find out if a message is really from Amazon, visit the Message Center under “Your Account.” Legitimate messages from Amazon will appear there. Enable two-step verification for your Amazon account through the Login & Security settings or visit amazon.com/2SV. Learn more about how to safeguard your data and protect your system from fraudulent activities like phishing and spoofing. ©2025 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Amazon and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Amazon.com, Inc. 410 Terry Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109. Nothing in this email or in the referenced resources is intended to be legal advice. Visit amazon.com/scams to learn how to identify and report scams, access resources for scam prevention, and understand Amazon's efforts to protect customers