Hi friends,

What happens when you don’t have children—or close family—to advocate for you as you age? Or who can you call on when you have aging parents but don’t live near them?

That’s the question we’re tackling in this month’s podcast episode. Whether you’re single, child-free, taking care of a parent, or simply navigating complex or distant family dynamics, this episode is for you.

We're joined by Mia Owsley, founder of Mia’s Fiduciary Services, serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Mia describes her team as “professional sons and daughters.” They step in when people don’t have trusted family to help. That might mean paying bills, arranging medical care, coordinating home repairs, or stepping into a legal roles like power of attorney or trustee. They’re licensed, trained, and monitored by the state to ensure people’s wishes are honored.

In our 37-minute conversation, we dive into:

• What to do if you don’t have kids—or can’t rely on them—to manage your care and make decisions for you
• Whether having a will is enough
• How a fiduciary can support aging parents when you live far away
• The role a fiduciary plays in medical and life decisions if you’re unable to make them

Short on time? You’ll find the key takeaways in the show notes.

What’s On Our Minds

We’re always collecting great articles, conversations, and reflections around money and mindset. Here’s what’s been circulating among our team this month:

• ​Pay Down the Mortgage or Invest? (Morningstar)​
  This is a conversation we often have with clients here in the Bay Area, where many of us are carrying large mortgages. The article walks through the trade-offs between paying extra on your home loan versus investing for growth—a decision that can look very different depending on your cash flow, goals, and risk comfort.
• ​The Art of Spending Money (Collaborative Fund)​
  A refreshing take on money as a tool for living well, not just saving or investing. This article explores how to align spending with what truly matters to you—whether that’s freedom, relationships, or experiences—which resonates with anyone rethinking financial priorities in a busy tech-driven life.
• ​The Problem with Rewards Credit Cards (The Atlantic)
  We’ve definitely played the points-and-miles game ourselves—but it’s worth asking whether the time and energy chasing rewards is really paying off. For high-income earners especially, the bigger financial wins often come from smart saving and investing decisions, not squeezing out one more airport lounge pass.
• ​Bad with Money? (We Can Do Hard Things)​​
  This podcast episode discussed why women are conditioned to shrink around money—and how we can reclaim financial agency as a tool for freedom and power.

Video We Want to Share:

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We’re excited to share a short new video that captures Who We Are, What We Do, and Who We’re For at Modern Family Finance!

We’re a fee-only financial planning firm in the Bay Area, focused on tech professionals, women, and LGBTQ+ households. Our work blends smart tax-savvy planning with personal, values-based guidance—because your money should give you more freedom, flexibility, and peace of mind.

We’d love for you to take a look—and if you or someone you know is looking for a trusted financial partner, please send them our way.