Dear Helaine: I am 30, married, and my husband and I jointly have $127,000 in investments. We both fund our 401(k)s to take advantage of the corporate match, and I am able to fully fund a Roth IRA as well. We have no debt besides our mortgage and student loans.

Trying to have children has been a challenge. My husband worked a second job to avoid going into debt for fertility treatments. I carried and birthed two babies, knowing they wouldn’t come home from the hospital due to diagnoses “incompatible with life.” Our third child is healthy and the light of our lives.

We got pregnant again, only to discover my life was in danger. Ending the pregnancy via emergency surgery was the only option. My husband and I agree we want more children, but we’re taking our time figuring out if that means more fertility treatments, adoption or surrogacy.

We had $20,000 in savings, but we depleted it by half to do projects on our house as a form of therapy. I’m debating stopping my Roth IRA contributions this year to purchase some items I’ve always wanted. The logical side of my brain says the contributions will be worth more in the long run. My grieving heart reminds me that nobody’s future is guaranteed, so why not enjoy life while I can. What do you advise? -- To Stop or Not to Stop

Dear Stop: You are an extraordinary woman. You’ve gone through three pregnancies, two of which ended in tragedy. At the same time, you and your husband are such nose-to-the-grindstone, diligent people, you managed to not only avoid debt while paying for expensive fertility treatments, you’ve bought a home and managed to set aside more than $100,000 in retirement accounts.

And now you are asking me if you can let go a bit, that the future is not a sure thing and why not enjoy the moment? There is no question about my guidance: I am officially giving you permission to temporarily stop your Roth IRA contributions as you mourn for those lost children and what could have been, as well as for the time it takes you and your husband to decide how to best move forward with your lives. It’s most important that you take care of yourself in the here and now.

If you are feeling a bit of guilt, take some of the money you aren’t putting in a retirement account and put it aside for your child’s future college education in a 529 college savings plan instead.

(To ask Helaine a question, email her at askhelaine@gmail.com.)

(EDITORS: For editorial questions, please contact Sue Roush at sroush@amuniversal.com)

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Hi, Helaine: My husband and I divorced five years ago. Because I had no money -- I had taken a big career hit by staying home for a decade to raise our children -- I accepted his suggestion that we go through mediation instead of getting separate lawyers. I’ve recently discovered that he had a lot more stashed away in secret accounts I didn’t know existed. Do I have any recourse? He is surely relying on my not being able to afford an expensive lawsuit. -- Broke Ex-Wife

Dear Broke Ex-Wife: First, I am so sorry about this. It’s hard to end a marriage. It must be even harder to find out years later that he lied about finances when you trusted him enough to go through mediation instead of the often more adversarial court process to legally dissolve it. It’s a profound betrayal.

But what do you do now? According to Kelly Frawley, a matrimonial litigator with Kasowitz Benson Torres in New York, your first step is to set up a consultation with a divorce lawyer in your state so you can discover what rights you possess. Each state has a different statute of limitations on how you can handle this kind of situation, with different deadlines revolving around when the mediation was held, and when you first should have known of the deception by your ex-husband.

And that’s key. Were the accounts disclosed during the mediation and you and/or your representative missed it? Did you exchange sworn statements of assets and liabilities? If you decided to waive your right to that process because you trusted your husband, there is no deception. If, on the other hand, your now former spouse deliberately hid assets from you, you’ve possibly got a cause for action. Only a lawyer will know for sure.

A bigger point that’s probably too late for you, alas, but can help someone else in the future: Mediation does not mean completely forgoing legal advice. The mediator is there to help guide the parties to a dispute toward a settlement, but a mediator does not represent either side. There’s a lot of due diligence -- especially financial due diligence -- that goes into a divorce. The assistance of a lawyer is invaluable as you navigate that.

A lawyer can also advise you on what to say during the mediation, so you can get the best deal for yourself. In fact, if there are substantial assets at play, forgoing the advice of a lawyer is the definition of penny wise and pound foolish.

That’s not to dis mediation. Mediation is less adversarial than allowing lawyers to do battle. That’s no small consideration. But no one should endanger their long-term financial health in hopes of putting a collapsed marriage behind them. That only makes it more likely the damage of the failed relationship will continue on, ultimately hindering your ability to get on with your life.

(To ask Helaine a question, email her at askhelaine@gmail.com.)

(EDITORS: For editorial questions, please contact Sue Roush at sroush@amuniversal.com)

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Hi, Helaine: My husband and I have saved to afford a home in the San Francisco Bay area. We're now in our mid-30s, and we can cover the down payment with our savings and investments, and cover the monthly mortgage expenses with our income. But we are considering taking additional money out of our 401(k) as a loan to cover additional costs of fixing up the house the way we would like it.

On one hand, we would like to fix up the house before starting a family, and this seems to be the only way to do that right now, since the down payment and other closing costs will basically clean us out. On the other hand, this will add an additional monthly expense to cover, but at least we'll be paying it back with interest to ourselves. Is this a good idea? -- Eager Renovator

Dear Eager Renovator: Why do you believe you need to renovate a home immediately after buying it? Is it because your budget leaves you no choice but to purchase a fixer-upper that needs immediate roof and electrical work? Or is it simply that you've seen your friends insist on a fresh coat of paint, new furniture and the like when they move into a home? If it's the latter, let me assure you that's not a requirement.

I've done renovations on homes both before and after I moved into them. While the latter is more inconvenient, I'm also generally happier with the results. There's likely a reason for that. If you take on a renovation project before you move into a home, you are only guessing at what you need and what will make you happy. If you do it after you live in a home for a time, you will know quite specifically what's essential and what would be nice, but isn't a must. There are even things you will likely decide to forgo entirely.

Another consideration: Are you contemplating what having a child will possibly do to your otherwise excellent finances? Annual child care costs in many parts of the country exceed the expense of a college education at a public in-state university. College costs are also significant. And then there are all the costs in between -- food, tutors (if needed), summer camp, toys. I can go on, but you are no doubt getting the idea. In other words, it's quite possible your ability to save will be impacted, and not for the better.

On the other hand, given your age and the amount of money you must have managed to save, your financial habits are clearly quite good. So my take: If you are taking on a house that needs immediate work, go ahead. But if it's a home that could be lived with for a few years, show patience.

Finally, remember that renovation is forever more expensive than even the most honest and upright contractor claims. Whatever money you've budgeted for this task, know that you will probably spend significantly more.

(To ask Helaine a question, email her at askhelaine@gmail.com.)

(EDITORS: For editorial questions, please contact Sue Roush at sroush@amuniversal.com)

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