Avoid retirement remorse and “push start” on a successful business and personal transition.

Studies show how difficult it can be for adult children and their parents to talk about their wishes and plans regarding caretaking, finances, estate planning and legacy issues as they age. While most elderly people don't want to become financially dependent on their children, some four in 10 families...

Turmoil and mistakes could have been avoided with planning, but these are difficult conversations for families. Often, the focus is on money, a topic fraught with emotion. Sibling rivalry and resentments can interfere with setting priorities. Responsibilities need to be divided fairly, but fairness is often a matter of opinion.

Because a will only goes into effect after you die, it doesn’t provide any direction for your family if you become seriously ill or disabled during your lifetime. However, just as an advanced directive can provide guidelines for those who make decisions about your medical care, a trust can provide direction for the person who manages your financial assets if you are unable to.

Investors tend to buy high and sell low. They tend to become greedy when markets are approaching a high, and they become fearful when markets are at, or near, low points. Studies show that the more frequently investors check their portfolio performance, the more they trade, and the worse their performance becomes. In fact, investors in liquid investments (such as stocks) tend to sell quicker than investors in illiquid investments (such as real estate) because the pricing is readily available. How can you avoid falling into this trap? Should you just buy and hold? Set it and forget it?

We sign our kids up for afterschool sports or orchestra or the drama club because they are good activities and teach important skills: persistence, discipline, making trade-offs. They can look back after the semester and see how far their hard work and consistent practice has gotten them. Yet we don’t approach their financial education the same way, if we approach it at all.

How prepared are your kids to tackle lifestage financial decisions, such as buying a first home? Most parents are concerned about setting a good financial example for their kids, but fewer than half actually talk about money at home.