Your money beliefs: the real story
Separating fear from facts
I read Frankenstein a few weeks ago, right before the Netflix version came out.
I thought I knew the story.
Everyone does, right?
Turns out, I had it backwards. Maybe you do too…
Frankenstein isn’t the monster. Frankenstein is the doctor.
Victor Frankenstein creates life and then runs away in horror.
The creature he made?
That’s the one we call “Frankenstein’s monster.”
And here’s the thing about that creature in Mary Shelley’s book: he’s not the stiff-legged, bolt-necked monster from the movies.
He can talk. He can think.
He spends the whole story trying to figure out who he is.
He’s shaped by a story he never chose — built by someone else and judged for things that aren’t even true.
I wasn’t expecting a 200-year-old novel to make me think about money, but here we are.
The Frankenstein version of your money
Most of us carry around a “Frankenstein version” of our money.
It’s built from fear, old stories, headlines that stuck, and bad memories we can’t shake.
A comment from your parents in 1974.
A market crash you lived through.
Something a friend said about Social Security.
A scary article you read on a plane.
Before long, your “money story” looks less like the truth and more like a monster assembled from bits and pieces you’ve collected since you were a child.
The problem?
You’re making decisions based on the movie version. The dramatic one. The scary one. The oversimplified one.
Not the real story.
So let’s look at a few common Frankenstein beliefs I hear all the time — and what the real story looks like.
Frankenstein belief #1: “Social Security won’t be there.”
Real story: Social Security isn’t going away.
Yes, the rules may change.
Maybe benefits get trimmed for high earners.
Maybe the retirement age goes up.
But your benefit is based on math and your work history.
Not panic. Not politics.
The system has problems, but “gone” isn’t one of them.
Frankenstein belief #2: “If the market drops, I’ll run out of money.”
Real story: Market ups and downs are like weather.
Risk is running out of money. They’re not the same thing.
A good retirement plan doesn’t need the market to behave.
It has guardrails and a steady income plan that can handle storms.
The goal isn’t to avoid ups and downs.
It’s to build a plan that works even when the market doesn’t. A plan you can stick with, no matter what.
Frankenstein belief #3: “Taxes are unpredictable.”
Real story: You can see your tax picture years ahead.
Things like required withdrawals, Roth conversions, and capital gains?
All predictable when you plan.
Most tax worry comes from not looking ahead.
Once you map out what’s coming — when you have to take money out, when Social Security starts, what income you’ll have — it gets clear.
And way less scary.
Sure, tax rates and regulations will change, and that’s why we regularly review and update your plan.
Frankenstein belief #4: “Retirement means I stop earning forever.”
Real story: Many women work part-time, consult, or do passion projects in retirement.
Even a few thousand dollars a year can go a long way.
It can lower pressure on your savings and add purpose or connection.
Retirement isn’t a cliff. It’s a shift.
You get to design what it looks like — including whether “work” still fits.
Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn’t.
Frankenstein belief #5: “I need a perfect plan before I can feel confident.”
Real story: Retirement is ongoing, not a one-time event.
We adjust as life changes.
You don’t need perfect. You need a clear path and someone watching the details with you.
The plan you build at 62 won’t be the same plan you’re living at 72.
And that’s how it should work.
Why it matters
When you swap the movie monster for the real version, things get simpler.
Less fear. More clarity.
Decisions get easier because you’re working with facts, not the dramatic version from headlines or your neighbor’s scary stories.
Most money worry doesn’t come from real problems.
It comes from living inside someone else’s story — or a made-up version that was never true to begin with.
You’re not Frankenstein’s creature.
You don’t have to accept the scary, simple version of retirement that gets passed around at parties or on cable news.
You get to write your own story.
What to do next
Look at the beliefs you’ve carried for years. Ask yourself: “Where did this come from? Is it true, or is it something I just accepted as my own?”
Separate fear from facts. Especially around markets, Social Security, and taxes. If a belief makes your stomach tight, write it down and check it against your numbers.
Map your income sources and timing. Make your “retirement paycheck” feel steady. Social Security, pension, withdrawals, part-time work — see how it all coordinates and supports your life.
Set your spending guardrails. Know your floor, your target, and your ceiling. That’s what lets you stay calm when things get bumpy.
Update your plan at least once a year. I recommend twice a year. Life changes. Your plan should too. This isn’t set-it-and-forget-it.
Stop checking everyone else’s ending. Someone will always have more. Someone will always retire earlier. Someone will always seem more sure. Let them. You’re writing a different story.
Bottom line
You deserve the real version of retirement — the one based on personalized palnning and smart choices.
Not the made-up creature we inherit from old stories and other people’s fears.
The real monster isn’t the market, or taxes, or running out of money.
It’s living a money life you didn’t design — one built from someone else’s panic, someone else’s timeline, someone else’s highlight reel.
You get to rewrite it.
Want help building a plan that feels calm, clear, and actually yours?
Let’s talk.
Links & Things
A client once told me she felt guilty for having regrets about her career path, even though she was successful and financially secure.
‘Shouldn’t I just be grateful?’ she asked.
I came across an article recently that captures this tension perfectly: how the freedom to flourish also means living with the weight of paths not taken.
Worth reading if you’ve ever wondered why contentment and regret are often closely related:
When Success Hurts by Meghaan Lurtz
Thank you for reading!
If you ever have any feedback or suggestions for me, simply hit reply or leave a comment and share what’s on your mind…
Until next Wednesday,
Russ