The PURPOSE of Inviting Your Money to the Table
The information presented in this written blog is the opinion of the author(s) and does not reflect the views of any other person or entity unless specified. The information provided is believed to be reliable and obtained from reliable sources, but no liability is accepted for inaccuracies. The information provided is for informational purposes and should not be construed as advice. Advisory services offered through BRIGHTWORK WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC, an investment adviser registered with the state of Colorado.
Bottom Line Up Front: This note is an intro to money at the table, a monthly blog authored by the founders of BRIGHTWORK WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC. This entry describes the blog's targeted content, purpose, format, and approach.
Ever notice that (most) folks are pretty quiet about their personal finances? This is peculiar and significant - for at least two reasons. Firstly, today, it's commonplace to widely "SHARE" photos of our dinner plate, the subtle genius of our cats, our political bent, and our every travel experience – why not ideas about handling money? Secondly, the use of money is almost universal, nearly inescapable, and closely linked with other important aspects of our lives (e.g., dinner photos of saltines with celery get you nowhere).
So, if we live in a sharing (over-sharing) society...and the mechanics of money are powerful enablers (or obstacles) for life's joys, pursuits, challenges, and necessities - why do we ignore it so? Why is it rare to have a conversation with a colleague, sister-in-law, or friend about the choices available in the workplace 401-K? Why don't we ask each other openly for advice on how to start a college savings plan for our kid? Why don’t we ask our siblings for ideas on how to raise money-wise children?
Why don't we talk about money at the table? It's not for privacy's sake (see: Facebook), and I sincerely hope it's not because we think money is unimportant (it is not).
Whatever the reason, our writing is focused on those of us who might be saying, "I'm-busy-with-other-stuff-kind-of-overwhelmed-and-content-to-ignore-some-of-those-simmering-money-questions-for-a-bit-longer."
Statement of Purpose: We want people to bring their money into harmony with the collection of things we call, "life." Harmony made possible by action borne of confidence borne of some basic research, a little (or maybe a lot) conversation, and then some self-reflection leading to self-direction. Give your money a seat at the table. He/she is not "good" or "bad" - just a tool that we need to put to good use.
Content: Discussions on money, investing, insuring, budgeting, college savings, debt, car buying, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, retirement planning, long-term health care plans, inter-generational wealth transfers, cars (with special appearances by my 'car people'), personal loans, etc, etc.
Format: Responses to real-world (money) questions from real-world folks, with links to our investigations included. That's it. One question or topic is torn down to the foundation each month...with a shared goal of making that particular issue into more of what it is...a straightforward task that can be dealt with in much the same fashion as mowing the lawn or washing the car (i.e., in a bathing suit, with a beverage, and a sense of progress). We will also include some explicitly marked opinions on the topics, of course.
Philosophy: Peace (the opposite of anxiety) with our "money world" comes from confidence borne of study and conversation. The study gives us the foothold from which to say to a friend, "I think this is the way to go on such-and-such issue, for these reasons." The conversation that follows is where we really figure out what such-and-such issue means for us, both in practical and emotional terms. That's basically how we social humans sort out every other significant issue we face.
Next Month’s Post: “In-Plan Conversions” Available to Participants in the Thrift Savings Plan (and many other 401(k) plans) in 2026. We’ll have a look at what “in-plan conversions” consist of, and how they might (or might not) work for you. Alongside this conversation, we’ll naturally discuss “IRA conversions”.
Have a good topic you’d like to unpack? Send us a note through the website.