When we spend money, we are doing more than simply buying things. We want to create feelings of happiness, satisfaction and well-being—for ourselves and the people we care about. But are we really spending our money in ways that achieve those results? The answer, unfortunately, is probably not.

The good news: We can shift our spending so our purchases deepen our happiness and help us create more meaningful lives. They key is to focus more on experiences and less on physical stuff.

Inheriting money comes with plenty of benefits. But an inheritance—even a big one—doesn’t automatically mean a worry-free life of ease. A windfall can actually create unique challenges and conflicts that become the root of significant problems for your heirs—and for you, too.

The good news: You can take steps now to address potential issues related to the transfer of your wealth down the road. In this Whistle Stop Report, Preparing Heirs for Their Inheritance,

Stress testing is a process that carefully examines your current wealth planning strategies. The main goal is to assess the likelihood that your strategies will deliver the results you expect them to in various environments and situations. Stress testing can also be effective at identifying potentially big problems—or possibly huge mistakes—so you can make changes proactively.

We believe stress testing should be part of many people’s due process when vetting financial plans, products and services.

Too many of us put our work first and our lives second—and end up with little to no time for ourselves, our health, our families and all the other aspects of life that really matter to us. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this month’s Whistle Stop Report, Reclaim Your Time: Finding the Right Work-Life Balance, you’ll discover actionable steps you can take to prioritize the people you care about most—and build impenetrable walls around yourself that empower you to live a fuller,

They say we get wiser as we get older, but let’s face it: Many new uncertainties and challenges can crop up as people get deeper into their golden years. Changes in physical health and issues with memory can mean you—or your elderly parents—might require new types of never-before-needed assistance.

That’s why in this Whistle Stop Report, How to Help Parents—and Yourself—Live Better at 80, 90 and Beyond,

Are you a fast-acting “do-er?” Taking quick, decisive steps when confronted with a challenge—or a potential opportunity—is often praised by our families, our bosses and even our entire culture. But is it the best way to achieve great outcomes?

Maybe not. It turns out that the most financially successful individuals and families tend to take a very different approach when faced with adversity and opportunity, in both their professional and personal lives. In this month’s Whistle Stop Report,

Supporting favorite causes and nonprofit organizations is a top priority for many of us as we seek to not just do well but also do good. Indeed, we find that charitable giving is consistently one of the key financial concerns shared by many affluent individuals and families.

But are your charitable contributions doing all they can—for your chosen charity as well as for your own bottom line? Too often, we see philanthropic efforts that don’t generate nearly as big an impact as they could.

A well-crafted estate plan can potentially allow you to pass on your assets as you see fit, and minimize the state and federal tax bite that often accompanies the transfer of significant wealth.

If it’s up to date, that is. Far too many estate plans today are several years old—and therefore may not reflect important changes in tax laws and other developments. The result: These plans could be outdated, and no longer positioned to deliver the expected outcomes.

In this Whistle Stop Report Three ‘Spy Secrets’ That Can Protect You, Your Family and Your Business  a former CIA operative reveals some of his best spy strategies that regular people like us can use every day to safeguard two things that are most precious to us: our lives and the lives of our loved ones.

We think you’ll be surprised by some of the tactics he recommends,

Even the wealthiest among us have fears and concerns that can keep them up at night. What’s more, they often share many of the same worries the rest of us have.

But there is one big difference: The extremely affluent tend to take some highly effective action steps to address those worries and, quite often, overcome them.

In this Whistle Stop Report, The Super Rich’s Three Big Fears—and How They Work to Overcome Them,