Tom West is a Senior Partner with Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC, providing personalized financial planning and investment services to families in the Washington DC metro area. 

Suzanne Schmitt is a financial wellness expert with nearly two decades of industry experience in consumer insights, product development and positioning, and marketing and market enablement in financial services.

Today on The Family Financial Conversation, Tom and Suzanne dive into how our brains change at 57, 70, and 78—and what that means for financial planning. From declining problem-solving skills to memory loss, they explore how advisors can adapt conversations, simplify decisions, and preserve client autonomy through every stage of aging.

They offer practical ways to build trust across generations, introduce successor decision-makers, and use “Plan A” conversations to anchor long-term planning. Tom also shares how age-weighted revenue can help advisors future-proof their practices.

Resources: Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC.