Johnson Bixby

10/23/2026

Here’s a fact that surprises many people:

Some of your assets may pass according to beneficiary designations, regardless of what your will says.

Retirement accounts, certain investment accounts and life insurance policies often transfer directly to the named beneficiaries.

That’s why we often encourage clients to think beyond the estate documents themselves.

A strong estate plan requires coordination between:
• Wills and trusts
• Retirement accounts
• Investment accounts
• Beneficiary designations
• Insurance policies
• Tax and legacy strategies

When these pieces aren’t aligned, unintended outcomes can occur.

One of the most valuable exercises during National Estate Planning Awareness Week is simply reviewing whether all these moving parts still reflect your wishes.

Life changes. Families change. Goals change. Your plan should evolve as well.

Estate planning isn’t just about creating documents. It's about making sure every piece of your financial life is telling the same story.

10/22/2026

A question we hear:

“If I have a financial planner, do I also need an estate planning attorney?”

Yes, because they serve different, complementary roles.

An estate planning attorney helps create the legal framework:
• Wills • Trusts • Powers of attorney • Healthcare directives

A financial planner helps ensure the assets, investments, retirement accounts, cash flow, taxes and long-term goals align with that framework.

Think of it this way:
📝The attorney drafts the blueprint.
🏘️The financial planner helps ensure the house is built according to the plan.

And the best outcomes often happen when both professionals work together.

During National Estate Planning Awareness Week (October 19-25), it's worth asking:
✅ Are my estate documents current?
✅ Are my beneficiary designations current?
✅ Do my investment and retirement accounts support my estate wishes?
✅ Have my advisors coordinated on my behalf?

Protecting your family’s future is both a legal issue and a financial issue.

Read more on our blog: Financial Planner vs. Estate Planning Attorney: Do You Need Both?
https://ow.ly/iUYa50ZYh1L

10/21/2026

What estate planning conversations should families have sooner rather than later?

• Who would make financial decisions for you if you couldn’t?
• Who knows your wishes for healthcare?
• Have you talked with your children about your plans?
• What responsibilities will your executor or trustee be taking on?

These aren’t easy topics, which is why many families tend to delay them.

Estate planning is about more than deciding where assets go. It’s about helping the people you care about understand your intentions and carry them out with confidence.

A well-designed financial plan can help organize the practical side of these conversations by aligning your accounts, beneficiaries, insurance and long-term goals with your estate planning documents.

Sometimes the most valuable gift you leave behind is clarity.

Read more on our blog: The Estate Planning Questions Families Don’t Always Talk About
https://ow.ly/FUBx50ZYgV4

10/20/2026

Join us for our next Free Financial Planning Day on Wednesday, October 28!

Get personalized, complimentary 1:1 guidance from one of our Certified Financial Planners® on budgeting, managing debt, income planning, social security questions and more.

Reserve your 30-minute session—available via Zoom or in person at our downtown Vancouver office.

Schedule Here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=f_t2St9j1kqrmEj3JvDhkZI2dp9nuwJDmAAtLfKlI5RUNjZKOE5ITVMzSE9ROE9WUU5XT083RktHOS4u&route=shorturl

10/16/2026

Want to start investing, but not sure where to begin? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

Join us for Confident Investing: A Workshop for Women & Families, a free event where financial professionals from Johnson Bixby will make investing easier to understand, answer your questions and share practical first steps toward investing with confidence.

Bring your teen (age 13+), young adult, spouse or another loved one. Learning together can open the door to meaningful conversations and financial confidence that carries across generations.

Monday, November 2 at 5:00 p.m.
Ripple Space in Downtown Vancouver
Free to attend

Come ready to ask questions and leave feeling more confident about what comes next.

🛟Save your seats today: https://ow.ly/64Ya50ZXpCB

10/15/2026

: On February 2, 1867, the Vancouver Register reported that Postmaster Hiram Jerome Cochran (1832–1895) had received the books and forms needed to begin money order service at Vancouver’s post office.

The system had recently been established by an act of Congress, and it was now reaching Vancouver. Soon, the local post office would help residents send money through the mail, doing more than simply moving letters from one place to another.

Today, sending money can take just a few taps on a phone. In 1867 Vancouver, it started with a trip to see the postmaster, the filling out of some paperwork, and a little time. We’re continuing our week peeking at some of the Financial Firsts of Clark County with another look at how people here moved money before digital banking, and long before anyone could Venmo you for lunch.

As our featured Business Member this week, all Johnson Bixby employees and clients receive FREE admission to CCHM through Saturday, October 17. Just mention “Johnson Bixby” or “social media deal” at the front desk when you check in!

Photo Description: A February 2, 1867, clipping from the Vancouver Register announces that Postmaster Hiram Jerome Cochran had received the books and forms needed to begin postal money order operations in Vancouver.
Source: Washington Digital Newspapers.

10/15/2026

The three biggest fears keeping women from investing?

According to one research study* …

😱The fear of losing money
🎃The fear of making a mistake, and
🧟‍♀️The fear of not knowing enough (aka, the confidence gap driven by not having ‘perfect knowledge’)

Those fears can make it easy to wait for the ‘right’ time—or to avoid investing altogether. But building confidence doesn’t require knowing everything.

It starts with understanding the basics, asking questions and taking a manageable next step.

Join us for Confident Investing: A Workshop for Women & Families, a free, interactive conversation designed to make investing feel simpler and more doable. Financial professionals from Johnson Bixby will break down the investing landscape, answer your questions and share practical ways to begin building long-term wealth.

Bring your teen (age 13+), young adult, spouse or another loved one. Learning together can open the door to meaningful conversations and financial confidence that carries across generations.

🗓️Monday, November 2 at 5:00 p.m.
📍Ripple Space in Downtown Vancouver
🆓Free to attend
🎟️Save your seats today: https://ow.ly/E2Un50ZXpn3


*Source: Wealthify, 2026.

10/14/2026

🎉 Celebrating Melissa Lamarche’s 2-Year Anniversary! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating Melissa Lamarche, Chief Operations Officer, on two years with Johnson Bixby.

In just two years, Melissa has made an incredible impact through her leadership, strategic mindset and seemingly superhuman ability to learn something once and then become the office expert by lunch.

It’s as if she has extra hours in the day. Her leadership helps keep us on course, her quick learning keeps us evolving and her dedication to collaboration and continuous improvement helps position our firm for long-term success.

Thank you, Melissa. We appreciate your dedication, expertise, and yes, your unwavering commitment to making sure there’s a process for everything.

Cheers to many more milestones ahead!

10/13/2026

Thank you, Brad Richardson and the Clark County Historical Museum team!

Clients and team members of Johnson Bixby, take advantage of this great opportunity to stop in at the museum downtown through Saturday!

: A first for Washington banking, Mary C. Schofield (1876–1954) is generally recognized as the first woman to serve as a bank director in Washington state.

When her husband, businessman and politician Edward R. Schofield (1864–1920), died, Mary took over his businesses. She also ran Schofield Real Estate Co., which owned several buildings in downtown Vancouver, including the Central and Metropolitan buildings.

Her story is part of this week’s Financial Firsts of Clark County, where we’re looking at the people and businesses behind the money that helped build our community.
As our featured Business Member, all Johnson Bixby employees and clients will receive FREE admission to CCHM today through this Saturday, October 17. How? Just mention "Johnson Bixby" at the front desk when you check in!

Photo Description: From the museum's collection, this undated image shows the former Schofield Building at 6th & Main Streets in Vancouver. Nearly 150 years old, it was Vancouver’s oldest commercial building until unsafe conditions led to its demolition in early 2025. CCHM Digital Collection.