Doing Well
August 15, 2026 β’ Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
If you left your job for a few years to raise kids, would you know what that actually cost you?
Turns out the number is a lot bigger than most people guess, up to $295k in lost salary and retirement savings, and it's showing up in prenups now.
π Have you and your partner ever actually talked numbers about what happens if one of you steps back from a career?
P.S. If you want to talk through your own finances, you can book a free 1-hour coaching session here βοΈ
Three of these are real jobs people get paid for. One is completely made up. Can you spot the fake? |
(Actual answer at the end of the newsletter π)
More couples are putting something specific into their prenups these days: a clause for what happens financially if one partner leaves their job to raise kids. Family lawyers say about 1 in 4 prenups now include this "leaving the workforce" trigger clause, and it makes sense once you see the number behind it. Stepping away from a career to raise children can cost up to $295,000 in lost salary and retirement savings, and that hit falls on women about 80% of the time.
Here's the part that's actually reassuring. Alimony and child support aren't automatic anywhere in the US, so without something in writing, a spouse who left the workforce for years can end up negotiating from a much weaker position if the marriage ends. A trigger clause just puts a plan in place before anyone needs it, which honestly sounds a lot less awkward than figuring it out mid-divorce.
If a prenup is on the table for you and your partner, here's where these conversations usually start:
πΒ Get specific about what "leaving the workforce" actually means. Does it cover cutting back to part-time? Relocating for a partner's job? Caring for a parent? Spell it out so there's no ambiguity later.
πΒ Decide how support gets structured. Some couples use a formula tied to years out of the workforce, others agree on a flat dollar amount per year of marriage. Neither is more "correct," it just depends what feels fair to both of you.
πΒ Loop in a family law attorney, even for an "easy" conversation. They've seen the scenarios you haven't thought of yet, like what happens if you go back to work part-time after a few years.
πΒ Talk about it before you're deep in wedding planning. These conversations go smoother when they're not competing with seating charts and vendor deadlines.
πΒ Remember this isn't a bet against your marriage. It's closer to disability insurance, you hope you never need it, but you're glad it's there if you do.
Money conversations before marriage are easier with a third party in the room. Book a coaching session and let's talk it through.
π¨ Take action
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90% of people now rank groceries as their top affordability concern, and over a quarter are putting food on credit cards without paying the balance off in full.
Sourceπ Pay attention
Tariffs are still reshaping what you pay at checkout
Even after the Supreme Court ruled Trump overstepped his authority on his original tariffs, replacement tariffs of 10 to 12.5% are now hitting goods from the top 60 US trade partners, and roughly 55% of those costs are landing on consumers, according to a Goldman Sachs estimate.
Sourceπ Keep an eye
$11 billion in student debt just got wiped out
More than 170,000 borrowers who say their schools misled them are getting their loans forgiven, after a federal court rejected the Education Department's attempt to delay the payout.
Sourceπ Looking Up
"Moneymaxxing" is having a moment online
The newest money trend isn't a hack, it's a habit shift: trimming subscriptions, stacking points, automating savings. Financial planners say this one might actually stick.
SourceThe Panic Meter reflects our editorial read on urgency β not financial advice.
The annual income range you'd need to comfortably afford a $500k home
Roughly $10,500 pretax per month covers the mortgage on a 35/45 DTI basis, more if your rate or debt load is on the higher end.
Average amount parents spend every year still supporting their adult kids
Most say they give because they want to, not because their kids are asking, but 1 in 3 adults under 35 are living back at home right now.
People 50 and older who say they've experienced conflict in their family related to inheritance
Money and family don't mix as smoothly as we'd like to think, and caregiving is often where those tensions start, long before anyone's talking about wills. The sibling who steps up to care for a parent day to day can end up resented by the ones who didn't, especially once an estate is on the table.
Need to talk numbers? We can help you sort out your money.
d) Corporate Nap Auditor
These jobs are actually real:
π Golf Ball DiverΒ gets paid to retrieve golf balls from water hazards on courses and resell them
π Drying Paint WatcherΒ works for paint companies observing how paint dries under different conditions, checking for cracks, bubbles, or uneven texture before a product hits shelves. One scientist at Dulux has done this full time for years
π Professional Mourner (also called a moirologist) gets hired to attend funerals and grieve for someone they've never met, a practice with roots in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome that's still common today in places like Taiwan and Ghana
