“I dislike all this money talk. It isn’t refined.” – Meg, to her sisters, in the film Little Women

Investing and Retirement Planning Workshop: March 2026
For Writers, Artists, and Creative Types of All Stripes

Registration for the next workshop has not yet opened. To receive advance notice when registration opens, email me at robertakwok (at) gmail (dot) com.

If you identify with any of the following statements, this workshop might be for you:

  • I don’t know if I’m saving enough for retirement, and it’s stressing me out.

  • I ran a retirement calculator and it told me to save an impossible amount of money. Now what?

  • I invested my money in a target date fund, but I don’t really understand what’s in the fund and whether I’m doing it right.

  • I’m nervous about investing in the stock market.

  • My parent/sibling/friend/coworker told me I should do XYZ, but I don’t know if I should take their advice.

  • I desperately need motivation to get my finances in order.

  • I want to pursue a big passion project/go on a creative sabbatical/pivot to a new career/take time off for caregiving, but I’m worried that the temporary drop in income will throw me off track for retirement savings.

  • My spouse/financial advisor handles all our investment decisions, and I want to understand what they’re doing.

I’m here to tell you that it’s okay! We’re going to address all these issues and more.

Many writers, artists, and other creative types don’t feel confident in their investing skills and retirement planning projections. Why? No one taught us how to do it, it’s considered impolite to talk about it, and the industry is bound up in silly, unnecessarily complicated jargon.

Although I'm a writer, I’ve always liked math and am by nature a type A planner with a deep love of spreadsheets. I regularly cover finance and economics for university management school publications, and I’m the kind of person who enjoys spending my evenings learning about topics like exchange-traded funds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. At some point I realized that although this knowledge was readily available to anyone who wanted to read about it, most people probably didn’t, and I could help my fellow creatives — that’s you.

What: Here’s a high-level overview of what we’ll cover. You can read a more detailed syllabus here.

Investing

  • Investing 101: Stocks, bonds, returns, indexes, and mutual funds

  • The “small” fees that can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars (that’s not a typo)

  • Your biggest decisions: Risk tolerance and asset allocation

  • Choosing the target date fund that’s right for you, not just the default

  • Retirement accounts galore, including SEP IRA vs solo 401(k), the secret spousal IRA, and the Roth-ification of everything

  • Nuts and bolts: Brokerages, fund providers, and DIY portfolios

Retirement planning

  • How to calculate your nest egg target: Your two most important numbers

  • Whether (and how much) to count on Social Security

  • There’s no way I can save that much, now what?

  • Pitfalls of retirement calculators

  • How to find a trustworthy financial advisor

Extras: Participants will receive a packet of resources, including “money snapshot” and retirement planning spreadsheet templates, asset allocation guidance, sample lists of funds, calculators, and a list of further resources/readings on topics such as target date funds, retirement contributions, Social Security, long-term care, annuities, reverse mortgages, taxes, and financial advisors.

Who: For writers, artists, and other creative types, at all ages and career stages, including freelancers and employees at traditional organizations. The group will be limited to 12 people.

Where: Zoom. (Please note that I do ask participants to keep their cameras on if possible. I like to connect with the people I’m teaching, and that’s hard to do when I can’t see them.) The sessions will not be recorded.

Testimonials: Here are a few from past participants. More are listed toward the bottom of the page.

“Roberta's workshop was a fantastic overview of the many important financial topics we freelancers need to stay on top of. This is not someone reading from a script about basic finances; this is insightful and compassionate nerdery about how those of us with variable incomes can assess whether we're on track with our financial goals — and if we're not, how we can get there in a thoughtful and workable manner.” — Alexandra Witze, freelance science journalist

“Roberta Kwok is exactly the kind of reassuring, knowledgeable guide you want leading you through the maze of retirement planning, especially if you are a creative professional. Roberta's vast research and science writing background make her uniquely positioned to translate technical material to a layperson with humor and warmth. She is never condescending or confusing, and her only agenda is to support her clients in financial literacy and mindful retirement planning. Before I worked with Roberta, I was overwhelmed by the idea of planning for retirement in a chaotic world full of grifters and profiteers; now I feel I have the framework necessary to protect myself as I swim through the shark-filled waters.” — Megan Savage, writer and educator

"This was supremely useful. I came away from this feeling more prepared and less freaked out than I thought I would. It's empowering to have that new knowledge, but beyond that, to know where to look for additional next steps now that I know I have a handle on the basics. I’m blown away by how much time and expertise you put into creating these resources — I know I will be coming back to them in the future!" — Jane Hu, freelance science journalist

“Roberta's course gives you everything you need and more to make important decisions about your retirement savings. Her thorough research and deep financial knowledge really come through in the talks, and she has answers to pretty much any money question you can think of, from basic to niche.” — Rachel Tompa, freelance science writer and editor

"This was so amazing! I so appreciate the way you've organized all this incredibly useful info. I loved your dynamic, genuine, and funny delivery, and your approach was very reassuring too. I feel much less nervous about digging deeper into the morass of retirement planning now!" — Deirdre Lockwood, poet, fiction writer, and journalist

Instructor bio: Roberta Kwok is a freelance writer in the Seattle area who regularly covers investing, economics, and finance for publications at the Yale School of Management and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She’s also a science journalist who has contributed to NewYorker.com, NYTimes.com, Nature, Hakai, Audubon, U.S. News & World Report, and many other publications. Roberta earned a B.Sc. in biology from Stanford University, an M.F.A. in creative writing (fiction) from Indiana University Bloomington, and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work has won awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union, and she was a 2020-21 Project Fellow at MIT’s Knight Science Journalism Program. Roberta’s nonfiction book LOST IN CURIOSITY: Field Notes From Scientists’ Adventures into the Unknown, funded partly by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, will be published by Sourcebooks in July 2026. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a software engineer at a Stanford University biology lab.

What we won’t cover: I can’t give legal advice, tax advice, or personalized financial advice about your individual situation; I can only teach general principles. Many other personal finance issues will be outside the scope of the workshop — for example, paying off debt, buying a home, credit scores, taxes, insurance, saving for college, supporting aging parents, and estate planning. While we may touch briefly on some of these topics as part of our discussion, the focus will be on investing and retirement planning. Also, the workshop will cover saving for retirement, but we generally won’t cover what to do during retirement, which can involve some very complex decisions.

Disclaimer: This workshop is for educational purposes only. It does not create an advisory, fiduciary, or professional services relationship, and it’s not a replacement for getting personalized advice from a certified financial planner, certified public accountant, or lawyer.

Questions? Email me at robertakwok (at) gmail (dot) com.

More Testimonials

“Roberta did an incredible job making an overwhelming amount of anxiety-producing information accessible and provided very practical tools to help me make a better, actionable plan.” — Freelance journalist

"Roberta's webinar is invaluable for anyone who, like me, has been embarrassingly naïve about planning for retirement. She broke down complex concepts with clarity and practicality. I now feel far more empowered to take control of my finances and my future." — Lynne Peeples, author and journalist

“Roberta's workshop was incredibly helpful, especially as someone is a complete novice to all things finances! She did a great job outlining the nuts and bolts in a way that doesn't feel patronizing. I now feel much more equipped to navigate the confusing mess of investing and planning for retirement.” — Freelance journalist

"There are always a million tasks that seem more pressing (and exciting) than retirement planning. But Roberta helped me break down the top ways I could be doing it better right now. I used the whole experience to light a fire under me." — Ashley Braun, freelance science and environmental journalist

“On nearly every topic, there was an aspect or nuance which deepened my understanding. I learned a lot and made some immediate financial moves of benefit.” — David, author and artist

“This workshop is a great primer on how to think about money and retirement. Roberta makes things easy to follow and not too intimidating.” — Christie, freelance writer

FAQs

Do you have any formal certifications?

No, I’m not a certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA), or registered investment advisor (RIA). I’m just a massive personal finance nerd who likes helping other people understand money.

Do you earn commissions?

I don’t sell investing or insurance products, and I don’t earn any commissions. I’m not affiliated with any banks, brokerages, or other financial institutions. I also don’t actively manage investments.

How are your services different from a certified financial planner (CFP)’s services?

I see myself as an educator who acts as a bridge to a CFP. I particularly want to help early- to mid-career workers get on the right saving and investing trajectory; at this critical stage, compounding returns can still make a tremendous difference to their future financial security.

If you're looking for help with the following areas, I would recommend hiring a CFP and/or CPA:

  • A thorough, holistic assessment of your entire financial situation, including areas such as paying off debt, buying a home, credit scores, taxes, life/disability/umbrella insurance, saving for college, supporting aging parents, and estate planning

  • Help with tax planning issues such as tax loss harvesting, Roth conversions, and managing taxable vs tax-deferred vs tax-free accounts

  • Advice on more complex retirement decisions, such as when to claim Social Security, whether to purchase an annuity (and what type), how to plan for long-term care, how to navigate Medicare, whether to consider a reverse mortgage, and flexible withdrawal strategies to mitigate sequence of returns risk while optimizing your standard of living

What is your teaching based on? Where do you get your information?

I read books by a wide variety of experts from different fields, synthesize their knowledge, and land on reasonable, middle-ground strategies. These include books by:

Couldn't I learn all this stuff on my own then?

Yes, you absolutely can! I’d suggest reading books by the authors listed above, most of which should be available from public libraries. I also like the podcasts MoneyWatch and Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger (CFP).

What’s your personal investment strategy?

I prefer a portfolio of low-cost index funds that is simple to understand and maintain. I don’t buy stock in individual companies, I don’t try to time the market, and I hold investments for the long term. During market downturns, I continue buying stocks in line with my planned asset allocation, ignore the news, and wait for the recovery.

I make a moderate effort to be smart about tax efficiency (that is, placing assets that are likely to be taxed more heavily in tax-advantaged rather than taxable accounts). However, I don’t tie myself in knots to minimize taxes because I find that this leads to situations where, for instance, I’m spending precious free time on a weekend poring over bond fund yields instead of living my real life. It’s at moments like these that I go back to my mantra for investment: simple to understand, simple to maintain.

Writing

Here are examples of articles I’ve written for the Yale School of Management and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Investing

Economics

Labor

Image credit: ArisSu