Planning for The Decades in Edmonds

If we’re doing it right, we get to keep you in Edmonds for many decades, but we’ll take you whenever we can get you—and for as long as we can have you. We know too that life doesn’t follow a perfect timeline: career changes, family milestones, and major decisions don’t always align with birthdays. But, when you’re future planning in Downtown Edmonds, it’s helpful to consider the seasons of life and the legal and financial preparations each might require. 

Whether you’re in your early career years, moving through the sandwich generation years, or enjoying retirement, our Downtown Edmonds community has the resources you need right at your fingertips. 

Herewith, our Downtown Edmonds resources for every life stage. Bookmark it and come back to it as much as you need to. 

The Early Career Years (20s-30s)

This is your foundation-building decade. You’re establishing your career, maybe buying your first home, and making financial decisions that will compound over the next 40+ years. It’s also when those “adult” legal documents stop feeling abstract and start feeling essential. You’re in your “just getting started planning” era. Here’s what we’d recommend:

Begin Financial Planning & Investment: Smart 401K allocation matters now—those extra percentage points you contribute (and how you allocate them) will make a huge difference by retirement. This is also the time to understand the basics: emergency funds, the magic of compound interest, and why starting early beats starting big.

Important Legal Protections: Even if marriage isn’t on your radar yet, this is the perfect time to establish basic legal protections. Living wills ensure your wishes are known if something unexpected happens. And if you are planning to get married? Pre-nuptial agreements protect both partners and encourage big conversations before you say “I do.”

Want to skip to the resources? Keep scrolling and you’ll find all of our legal and financial support recommendations in a big, juicy list. 

The Building Years (30s-40s)

If you’re in your 30s or 40s, you might find yourself bursting out of a starter home while hitting a career stride and raising young kids (or animal babies). You may be ready to upgrade your home or start a business. Pop to the bottom of this guide for some Downtown Edmonds home resources and, if you’re starting a business downtown, join our monthly meetings where you can connect with other business owners just like you. 

This building phase also sees families prioritizing protective planning for unexpected events. When relationships change during these high-stakes years, Downtown Edmonds families may turn to “mama bear contracts” (comprehensive custody and financial agreements that shield children from any upheaval). These arrangements maintain children’s current schools, activities, and community connections within Edmonds. 

The Sandwich Generation Years (40s-50s)

If you’re in your 40s or 50s, life might feel like a beautiful circus act where you’re spinning plates while walking a tightrope. You’re likely crushing it at work while simultaneously helping aging parents navigate healthcare decisions and funding college tuition (or supporting adult children finding their footing). As the meat of the sandwich, you’re the supportive middle layer holding everyone together. And don’t you know it. 

This juggling act requires serious strategic planning and a support network. Downtown Edmonds families in this phase often need elder care support, assisted living options, and in-home care services for parents. Meanwhile, you’re researching college financial aid, and possibly refinancing your home for renovations or accessibility updates. Many families also discover they need family meeting facilitators to help navigate complex conversations about inheritance planning, power of attorney decisions, and how to fairly distribute caregiving responsibilities among siblings while keeping everyone’s sanity intact.

The Pre-Retirement Years (50s-60s)

If you’re in your 50s or 60s, you might be in that sweet spot where the kids are grown and flown, your mortgage feels manageable, and you suddenly have a lot more time and mental space. You can walk through Downtown Edmonds and actually notice the new restaurant that opened instead of rushing past while mumbling about your grocery list. This phase brings delicious questions: Do you want to travel for three months a year? Downsize to a condo with water views? Take up pottery or learn Italian? 

Congrats—you’re fully freedom planning!

Freedom planning means getting specific about your vision and making it financially bulletproof. You’re likely evaluating whether your current home fits your future lifestyle or if it’s time to rightsize to something that requires less maintenance. Many families explore relocating within Edmonds to be closer to amenities or enjoy a better water view. This decade also brings important conversations about long-term care preferences, updating estate plans to reflect your current wishes, and creating systems so your adult children can step in quickly if needed. The planning gets more precise because you finally have the luxury of thinking beyond everyone else’s immediate needs.

The Retirement Years (60s and Beyond)

You’ve earned this phase! Whether you planned to retire in Edmonds or discovered us along the way, you’re now living the life you worked decades to create. Maybe you’re the regular at the farmers’ market who knows all the vendors by name, or you’ve become a staple at Walnut’s big round table (but, to be clear, you don’t have to be retirement age to become a staple there). This stage combines the joy of finally having time for yourself with the wisdom to make intentional choices about how you want to spend it.

Legacy and longevity planning focuses on two priorities: staying independent as long as possible and ensuring your wishes are crystal clear for your family. Many retirees create detailed healthcare directives, outlining preferences for everything from medication management to social activities if cognitive changes occur. This is also when families tackle the big conversations about inheritance, family heirlooms, and how to pass down assets, values, and stories to the next generation. 

(Read our full elder resources feature here.)

Downtown Edmonds Life Stage Resources

Insurance & Protection

• Allstate – Salish Insurance Group: Mitchell and his team serve Edmonds and all of Washington with auto, home, business, and life insurance.
• Highstreet Insurance Partners: After 40+ years as Insurance Services Group, this agency joined the national Highstreet network with the same trusted local agents. They work with 30+ companies, giving you access to the entire marketplace—essential when you need coverage for various family members with different needs.

Legal & Financial Planning

• Beresford Booth PLLC: In business since 1946, the crew at Beresford understands multi-generational planning. Whether you’re helping parents with their estate or setting up a prenuptial agreement, Beresford’s experience spans every family dynamic.
• Certa Farrish Law Group: Accidents can happen at any age, and Certa Farrish will be there if you need advocacy after an injury.
• Edmonds Wills & Trust: Flat-rate pricing makes sense when you’re potentially handling legal documents for multiple family members. From simple wills to complex revocable living trusts, they’ll help you protect everyone.
• Koenig Financial Group: Their Premium Wealth Management approach recognizes that your “Financial Plan” needs to account for multiple priorities: your retirement, your kids’ education, and potentially your parents’ care needs.
• TFS Advisors, LLC: Specializes in protecting wealth across generations and can help you invest based on your values while juggling multiple financial responsibilities.

Real Estate & Renovation

• Absolute Mortgage: Integrate home loans with your overall financial goals. Absolute offers customized solutions and annual reviews to ensure your mortgage still fits your life as it changes.
• Coldwell Banker Bain: Market experts serving Edmonds, Woodway, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Richmond Beach who listen to your needs and deliver results.
• KSD Home: Full-service interior design firm and retail studio designing for remodels and new construction, plus American-made custom furniture, art, lighting, and decor.
• Reece Homes: With more than 20 years of experience in Edmonds and the surrounding areas, this brokerage team specializes in buyer representation, listings, relocation, and investment properties. 95% of the team’s business comes from client referrals!

If you want the full list, check out our entire list of Downtown Edmonds services here.

Downtown Edmonds Supports All Stages

Downtown Edmonds is a place to thrive through every decade. From your first apartment to your forever home, from starting your career to leaving your legacy, our downtown blocks have the resources and expertise to support you through it all.

Message us on Instagram or Facebook if you need more recommendations, and remember—life is great at every stage in Edmonds. 

By Whitney Popa, photos by Matt Hulbert