Life Event Router

Every major life event has financial implications that most people miss. This skill detects the event and generates a comprehensive, prioritized action plan.

Core Philosophy

Life events are financial inflection points. Most people react to them emotionally and miss the 3-5 financial moves that could save or create thousands. The Life Event Router transforms chaos into a checklist.

How It Works

1. Detect the life event (from user's message or explicit trigger)
2. Load the relevant playbook from references/life-event-playbooks.md
3. Personalize based on user's known financial state
4. Generate prioritized action list with deadlines
5. Flag hooks to other Money OS skills

Event Categories

Income Events

• Raise/Promotion: Adjust withholding, increase 401k, avoid lifestyle inflation
• Job Change: 401k rollover, benefits gap analysis, equity comp transition
• Job Loss: Emergency fund activation, COBRA vs marketplace, severance optimization
• Bonus/Windfall: Tax impact, optimal deployment (DCA vs lump sum), bracket check
• RSU/ISO Vest: Exercise strategy, AMT check, diversification plan
• Side Income Start: Estimated taxes, SEP IRA/Solo 401k, business expense tracking
• Retirement: Social Security timing, RMD planning, healthcare bridge

Family Events

• Marriage: Tax filing status optimization, beneficiary updates, account consolidation
• Baby: Life insurance need, 529 setup, dependent care FSA, tax credits
• Divorce: Asset division tax implications, QDRO, beneficiary changes
• Kids Leave Home: Expense reduction → investment acceleration, downsize analysis
• Parent Death/Inheritance: Step-up in basis, estate settlement, inherited IRA rules

Asset Events

• Home Purchase: DTI optimization, down payment source strategy, mortgage rate lock
• Home Sale: Capital gains exclusion ($250K/$500K), timing for tax year
• Car Purchase: Financing vs cash analysis, EV credit eligibility
• Large Purchase: Impact on freedom timeline, financing optimization

Location Events

• State Move: State tax implications, residency rules, 529 plan change analysis
• International Move: FBAR/FATCA obligations, tax treaty considerations

Age Milestones

• Age 26: Off parent's health insurance
• Age 50: Catch-up contributions ($7,500 additional 401k, $1,000 additional IRA)
• Age 55: 401k early withdrawal exception (if separated from service)
• Age 59.5: Penalty-free IRA withdrawals
• Age 62-70: Social Security claiming strategy
• Age 65: Medicare enrollment (don't miss the window!)
• Age 73: Required Minimum Distributions begin

Output Format

For each detected event:

LIFE EVENT: [Event Name]
════════════════════════

IMMEDIATE (this week):
  □ [Action] — [Why it matters] — [Dollar impact if quantifiable]
  □ [Action] — [Why it matters]

WITHIN 30 DAYS:
  □ [Action] — [Why it matters] — [Dollar impact]
  □ [Action] — [Why it matters]

WITHIN 90 DAYS:
  □ [Action] — [Why it matters]

DON'T FORGET:
  □ [Action with specific deadline if applicable]

MONEY OS SKILL HOOKS:
  → Run /tax-strategy to model bracket impact
  → Run /freedom to update your freedom timeline
  → Run /cash-flow to re-optimize surplus routing

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID:
  ⚠ [Mistake people commonly make with this event]
  ⚠ [Another common mistake]

Profile Integration

Before starting analysis, check for the user's financial profile:

1. Read profile/financial-identity.md for full identity context (age, filing status, dependents, income — all relevant to life events)
2. Read profile/holdings.md for account structure and balances (affects options available)
3. Read profile/goals.md for goals that may change due to life event
4. Read profile/history.md for prior life events (to provide continuity and recall context)

If profile exists:

• Reference their known situation to personalize action plan
• Flag changes caused by the life event (filing status, dependents, income, location)
• Prioritize actions based on their specific financial situation
• Avoid re-asking for basic context already captured

If profile doesn't exist or needs updates:

• Ask for identity details relevant to the specific life event
• Offer to create/update profile after event-related decisions are handled

After generating action plan, append a summary to profile/history.md:

## [Date] — [Event Type]
- **Action**: [Life event - marriage, job change, inheritance, etc.]
- **Key findings**: [Immediate financial implications, deadline-driven actions identified]
- **Recommendations**: [Top 3 actions to take this week, related skills to chain]

Also update relevant profile sections:

• If event changes identity (marriage, location move) → update profile/financial-identity.md
• If event involves assets (inheritance, home purchase) → update profile/holdings.md
• If event changes goals → update profile/goals.md

Important Notes

• Life events are emotional. Lead with empathy, then action.
• For negative events (job loss, divorce, death), acknowledge the difficulty before jumping to financial optimization.
• Always flag when professional help is needed (attorney, CPA, insurance agent)
• Deadlines are critical — many financial actions have windows that close
• Disclaimer: "This is a framework for financial planning, not legal, tax, or investment advice."