The soft evening light peaks through the trees and into John and LeAnne’s kitchen window as they sit down for dinner. It’s a pleasant fall evening and the bay window in their kitchen frames a smaller, quaint seating area. LeAnn places their plates of hot food on their table for two, a small metal and wood structure that she came across at a flea market years ago. The couple have used this table daily as they have been empty nesters for quite some time now.

LeAnn notes that the table is less sturdy this evening. A small wobble she noticed a few weeks ago is now more pronounced. She goads John that somebody should fix that, knowing full well that the off-balance table bothers him more than her. John has an analytical, how-do-things-work type of mind and a penchant for fixing things. She sees that he is judging the problem and surmising how to fix it. He will certainly have some tools in hand to take care of it after dinner, and he tells LeAnne as much.

Looking Ahead

John and LeAnn are a couple in their late 50’s, and they are well-settled into their daily lives and routine. They see their adult children and grandkids often, which brings them a lot of joy. And yet, in spite of these regularities, John and LeAnn are on the precipice of some change. LeAnn is still working as a realtor and John has a been at the same firm for many years now, working as an engineer, but they want to talk to a financial planner about the short-term, the next two to five years – and eventually the long-term going into retirement, and all the changes that will be brought about as a result.

John is especially keen to have some positive change in his life, as he is unhappy with some recent changes at the firm where he works and is beginning to feel malaise about the daily grind. LeAnn likes selling real estate and the flexibility it gives her. She has been doing this work since the kids were old enough to be home alone, but she doesn’t like the pressure. She is also concerned about the slowdown that comes with retirement, but John has reminded her of her numerous non-profit involvements and her devotion to singing at their church, and that she will have more time for both in retirement.

Family

Both John and LeAnn have no doubt that they would love to spend even more time with their grandchildren than they do today. Spending time with them is pure happiness for both and is the main goal at the heart of the “change” that they are anticipating.

They have two grandkids from their daughter Sandra and her husband Mike, and both of their kids are in activities that John and LeAnn enjoy watching and supporting. Their granddaughter, Lilly, is seven and in dance classes – especially exceling at hip-hop with her energetic “attitude”. She loves to bake cookies with her grandma whenever she visits their house. Their grandson, Jonathan, age nine, plays central defender on a soccer team and seems to have an internal motor that can just go, go, go.

The Cox’s also have an even younger grandson, Noah, from their son, Nate, and his wife Jodi. Noah just turned four and is a mini version of Nate - very vocal about wanting to wear his favorite Dodgers hat every single day (no matter how grungy it is), and likes to mimic his grandpa’s mannerisms, especially when grandpa is fixing things.

When Noah was just one year old, his father, Nate, was involved in a serious car accident. This happened as Nate was coming home from work one evening during a bad snowstorm, when the driver of a car crossed over the center line, hitting Nate’s car head-on. Sadly, after a week of lingering on life support with no brain activity, Jodi and the family made the decision to take Nate off the machine.

John and LeAnn, and their entire family, were devastated by Nate’s death. The Cox’s wandered through the next year in a numbness and confusion that began to concern their family, friends and co-workers. One particular day, when they were over at Jodi’s house to check on her and Noah, John noticed the pile of bills on her kitchen counter. The Cox’s concern for Jodi and Noah helped pull them out of their extreme duress. They immediately stepped in, paying off Jodi’s Toyota Camry, for example, to eliminate a monthly expense for her. While Nate had been the primary breadwinner with his job as a plumber, he had carried only minimal life insurance. Jodi had a good, steady job as an elementary school teacher, but it came with a humble salary.

LeAnn helps watch Noah during the week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons after pre-school, and she loves this precious time with him. She aches at the thought that Noah was too little to know his dad but will try to keep Nate’s memory alive through the stories she tells him. She admits that spending time with Noah has helped her to heal after Nate’s death, though she feels that the scar can re-open and “bleed” when memories hit her. She does feel fortunate that she and John are financially able, and also young and healthy enough, to help, support and love Jodi and Noah like they do, and wants to do more.

John helps with Jodi’s house needs, fixing things and helping with any repairs or anything that might be showing wear and tear. He is also committed to taking on a more “dad-like” role to Noah as he needs it. In fact, on nights that Noah has been sick or John just happens to be there helping out with a project around the house, John has stayed to rock Noah, read to him, and help put him to bed.  

Both LeAnn and John try their best not to be overbearing to Jodi and jump at the chance to help more if Jodi even hints at a problem or issue. Jodi remains grateful for the multiple levels of support from her in-laws, especially as her own family lives many states away. Jodi did break down into grateful tears when the Cox’s recently put $15k in a college savings fund for Noah.

The Cox’s other son, James, is the youngest. He is a single guy in his late 20s, and John and LeAnn try to encourage him, as he seems to be flailing and still trying to “find himself”. His recent failed attempt at selling home security systems flopped because he says that the competition in the local community was too tough, but John surmises that James was lazy and didn’t really work the contact angles that the company had provided to him. James has also had previous stints in seasonal construction work and local food distribution, but he continues to be very unmotivated. LeAnn’s last conversation with James involved pitching the idea of James taking a class at the local community college to test his aptitude for things he is good at that could lead him towards a career path that he would like. He listened, but she is not sure he will follow through with it, even with the Cox’s offering to pay the cost of the class. They want him to find something that he is passionate about, other than video games and hanging out with friends. While James really struggled with his brother’s death, he did get some counseling and seems better in the last year, though career motivation and aspiration still wane.

Values, Goals and Dreams

John and LeAnn moved to Bozeman 30 years ago – John was an MSU alum and LeAnn grew up in rural Montana, and they both agree that they want to stay there, close to the grandkids. In addition, they like going to Bobcat games and supporting the local university and its students. John’s hobby is tinkering with a classic car, and he dreams about helping the less fortunate with their car repair and other home repair needs. Both John and LeAnn also would like to spend more time together outdoors and traveling, though neither can really spell out what that means for them going forward.  

Financial Background - "Consistent Savers"

John and LeAnn have an estate plan from 25 years ago but would like to make some changes. Although they did pay off Jodi’s car when their son Nate was killed, they would like to provide more financial support to Jodi and their grandson Noah. They also have some concerns about their son James’ maturity and financial stability. LeAnn and John give money to their church regularly, and they are curious about how they can contribute to other things they care about in their later years. They also still own their first home and rent it out, though they know that the current rent is below market, however; they have kept from raising it due to the fact that they like and are appreciative of the current tenants.

Some pertinent questions they need help in answering:

• How long should John work? He is open to consulting/hobby job at this point.
• How much income do they need in retirement?
• How can they use what they have already saved to take care of their future?
• They are concerned that health insurance is costly.
• Do they have enough to retire now, or five years from now?
• John's dad, Karl, is getting older and there is the question of whether or not he is prepared. Does he have the means to pay for long-term care?