Case Study #3
Nicole and Darren
Nicole and Darren are looking for a clear path in balancing savings now while assisting their aging parents.
The Challenge
Profile / Career
Nicole (48), a marketing executive, and Darren (50), an IT manager, are dual-income earners supporting two teenagers and increasingly involved in aging-parent care.
Family / Complexity
Balancing college planning for their kids, early signs of dementia in Darren’s father, and long-term care questions for both sets of parents..
Stress / Delegation
Overwhelmed by competing financial demands and the pressure of being the “money manager” for both their nuclear and extended family.
Clarity Needed
Want a partner who can model tradeoffs, coordinate across generations, and reduce their financial mental load.
Our Approach
Organize & Prioritize
Led in-depth meetings to lay out competing priorities: college savings, retirement funding, elder care support, and estate planning.
Multigenerational Planning
Built scenarios showing the financial impact of paying for long-term care privately, using hybrid insurance, or leveraging Medicaid strategies.
Education & Empowerment
Helped teens open Roth IRAs and taught basic investing concepts; helped parents prepare powers of attorney and medical directives.
Coordination & Support
Collaborated with elder care attorneys, insurance professionals, and tax advisors to build a holistic care and wealth plan.
The Plan
Timeline Milestones
Identify college enrollment dates, expected retirement at 60/62, and estimate elder care transitions.
Flexible Funding Strategy
Allocate bonuses and restricted stock units to priority buckets, including caregiving reserves.
Review Schedule
Biannual reviews with mid-year care-focused check-ins to adapt to family health and market changes.
Estate Readiness
Hold quarterly family-inclusive check-ins to track milestones, refresh projections, and adjust for market shifts or life changes.
The Results
Reduced Stress
Gained peace of mind by clearly seeing which goals were achievable and how to phase others in over time.
Family Readiness
Parents' estate and care wishes documented, reducing future burden on Nicole and Darren.
Optimized Cash Flow
Built a flexible budget that balanced 529 contributions, retirement savings, and a caregiving contingency fund.
Empowered Teens
Teens now budget part-time income, invest monthly, and understand the value of long-term compounding.
Ready to simplify your family’s financial journey? Book a free consultation to start planning today
Case study is hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Clark Wealth Partners provides fiduciary financial planning; results will vary.