For Ken Hornstein, CFP®, retirement was less about slowing down and more about pivoting toward purpose. After a long career in law and then wealth management, Ken transitioned into pro bono planning, where he was able to use his professional expertise to give back to the community.

Connecting with opportunities on FFP’s volunteer platform, ProBonoPlannerMatch.Org, Ken works with individuals facing some of life’s most difficult moments: grief, financial instability, and uncertainty. Some of his most meaningful engagements were through FFP grantee Wings for Widows, a nonprofit supporting women and men navigating life after the loss of a spouse.

Often, the clients Ken meets are confronting multiple challenges at once: the emotional weight of the loss of a loved one, a sudden drop in income, and the need to manage finances for the first time. The weight of these combined challenges often leaves clients feeling overwhelmed and unsure of a path forward. Ken found that he was able to help.

In one case, he coached a widow facing overwhelming personal and financial strain to make difficult, necessary decisions, including downsizing her home in one state and moving 1,500 miles to an apartment in her hometown.   In the process, she learned what she had to do to manage her finances to ensure that she would not outlive her money. In another case, Ken empowered a young widow raising two small children in New York City to move her family out of a one-bedroom apartment contaminated with lead paint to a safe, larger two-bedroom apartment that she could afford. At the same time, he taught her how to manage her finances independently.

Ken says he approaches each case with one overriding goal: “to provide each client with the knowledge and the tools needed to manage their finances on their own by the end of the engagement.”   The process starts with identifying the client’s monthly cash flow – what money is coming in and going out on average each month.  From there, the client is in a position to make informed decisions about the use of their money to achieve long-term financial stability.

The work has also broadened Ken’s knowledge and skills as an advisor, introducing him to new areas such as public benefits, debt management, and credit counseling. Like many volunteers, he learned along the way, guided by a willingness to listen, adapt, and act professionally to address the specific needs of clients.

Since retiring from wealth management in 2022, Ken has made pro bono financial planning central to how he spends his time, finding in it a uniquely rewarding sense of purpose. For him, the impact is clear: the people he coaches move from crisis to clarity, gaining the knowledge and confidence to manage their finances independently for the rest of their lives. And while Ken says the thanks he receives is priceless, what matters most is knowing his guidance continues to empower clients long after their work together ends.