If you know me, you know that I geek out on technicalities, so advisors can stay focused on their clients. I thrive on rules, regulations, and timelines, translating them into practical, real-world strategies. But today, I’m pressing pause on the technical speak for a little real-talk. Because life over the last several months has gotten very real, and while that makes my work more challenging, it also makes it all the more meaningful.
Like many of you, I’ve added a few professional credentials behind my name, each reflecting specialized study and long hours of preparation. But this year, I’ve added a very different kind of “credential” to the list. One that didn’t come with coursework, textbooks, or a certificate to frame: Sandwich Generation Caregiver & Facilitator (SGCF). Unlike the others, this one has been earned through a fasten-your-seatbelt ride, full of unanticipated twists, turns, and emotional turbulence.
If you’re in this season too, you know the chaos. Taking client calls while shuttling my mom, who’s living with Alzheimer’s and mid-stage vascular dementia, to yet another doctor’s appointment or to the senior center. Timing meetings and podcast recordings around the afternoon pickup. Teenagers-turned-young-adults who still need Mom for college course selection, interview prep, or crisis management. Two dogs desperate for attention and J.T., our 18-year-old cat who has grown up alongside our kids, now reminding us, painfully, that he doesn’t actually have 100 lives. All while managing a household and running a business that doesn’t stop for any of it. Oh, and there is my husband somewhere in there, too!
For years, I’ve worked passionately to help advisors guide families through these very transitions, emphasizing the importance of planning for the financial impact of long-term care on even the best-intentioned retirement income strategy. But now, I’m not just teaching it, I’m living it, not in charts and case studies, but in the messy, unglamorous realities behind the statistics. And from the conversations I’ve had this year, I know I’m far from alone. Recent reports estimate that there are approximately 53 million unpaid caregivers in the United States, with nearly 60% of them being women. It’s not surprising: women are more likely to step back from or leave the workforce to care for others, which reduces both their lifetime Social Security benefits and retirement savings. And the challenge doesn’t stop there. Because we tend to live longer, often on less, women are not only more exposed to these pressures but also more likely to need long-term care services ourselves down the road.
The balancing act is real, and so is the emotional and physical toll it takes on caregivers. The phone calls, the logistics, the 2 a.m. worry sessions. And the guilt we carry, as if it were a badge of dishonor, when something inevitably slips through the cracks.
I know because I nearly stumbled myself. Between client calls, college move-ins, transitioning my mom to new specialists in a new state, and sitting through doctors’ appointments in what felt like sub-zero temp waiting rooms (I’m convinced they froze the last few brain cells I had left), I almost missed her Medicare Part D special enrollment window. The irony wasn’t lost on me: if someone who lives and breathes this work can come that close to dropping the ball, how much harder must it be for the families we serve?
That’s exactly why empowering people through knowledge and personal experience is my passion. Living this season firsthand has only deepened my resolve: to equip advisors so more people, especially women, enter retirement not with fear, but with clarity, dignity, and peace of mind.
Adapting to this season has been essential. With shifting schedules and new demands, I’ve been rethinking how to best serve advisors. My goal is to consistently show up in ways that matter most for the success of your business. That’s why I’m building something new – designed to make it simple to get quick answers on common questions, access client-ready tools, and tap into ongoing guidance whenever you need it. More on that soon.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Are you part of the “sandwich generation,” balancing caregiving, work, family, and the thousand unseen tasks that come with it? Drop a comment or share this with a colleague who might need the reminder that they’re not alone. I know I’ve gotten through some of my toughest days by listening to the stories of others, and those reminders matter. We are in this together.
As we close out 2025 and look ahead, let’s make this our rallying cry: be real, stay human, and keep our focus on the lives behind the numbers. Stay rooted in purpose. Our clients and our practices deserve nothing less.
As Founder and President of HLS Retirement Consulting, she partners with forward-thinking advisors nationwide to design strategy-based solutions that help clients grow, protect, and preserve their retirement security. She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Heather Schreiber’s Social Security Advisor, a nationally distributed monthly newsletter focused on turning complex Social Security rules into strategy-driven, value-creating solutions that help advisors strengthen relationships, retain clients, and drive growth.
Off the clock, Heather is a hiker, humorist, and proud matriarch of a family of six (plus four furry sidekicks). Having recently joined the ranks of America’s 63 million family caregivers, she shares her own caregiving journey through her writing, offering empathy, perspective, and hard-won lessons to others walking a similar path. Her signature blend of technical expertise, human connection, and a touch of sass makes her a trusted voice for advisors guiding clients through life’s most important financial transitions.
Click here to sign up for the Retirement Strategy Report, Heather’s free monthly newsletter for financial professionals.
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