10 weeks ago I enhanced my life for the better – I finally got an iPhone (after years of reluctance and personal denial – and after plenty of ridicule and peer pressure from those around me).

Not only was my iPhone a new device, it was my first real Apple product (my iPod shuffle doesn’t really count) and so while it was an exciting time for me to finally enter the tech world, I was only able to adapt to this new world as quickly as I did by spending time with experienced friends and Apple geniuses to get the guidance, advice and tips I needed to make sure I was making the most of my new gadget.

While this is a very small (yet memorable) milestone in my life, it’s instances such as these – where we are experiencing something for the first time – that advice and guidance is most important. The saying, “you don’t know what you don’t know” is a very real and often intimidating one, but if you can surround yourself by experts who you like and trust during times of transition in your life, you can proactively learn and implement what you need to make the most of your new experience and to ensure that you are being as strategic as possible.

As it relates to my clients, vicariously through them, my team and I have experienced many firsts. Firsts such as starting a business, selling a business, buying your first home, selling your first home, buying your first vacation property, becoming a parent, becoming a grandparent, living or working abroad, becoming a snowbird, getting married, getting divorced, losing a loved one, receiving an inheritance, settling an estate, retiring from a long career – all of these generally only happen once and when going through it for the first time, you want to make sure that you do it right.

Retiring for the first time is a common milestone with plenty of unknowns and ample opportunities to maximize when it comes to generating tax efficient income, preserving your wealth and planning for the next generation. Whether you are already retired, approaching retirement or close to someone who is, I believe you will find the 2016 Financial Planning Checklist for Seniors that we put together handy.

“Preserving and growing your wealth means taking advantage of tax, investment and estate planning strategies. While some strategies are available throughout your lifetime, others are available only after the age of 65. This checklist looks at financial planning considerations for seniors, and offers an overview of commonly used strategies.” Click here to download the checklist.

With so much going on and information coming at us from every angle, it's sometimes hard to keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening. In an effort to keep you in-the-know and provide you with some conversation nuggets for the weekend, I've compiled the following hit list to fill your conversation pipeline.

Now you are in-the-know with Word on the Street.