Archive

Written by: Emily Boothroyd , JD, CFP®, CPWA®, Wealth Manager What is estate planning? Estate planning is the act of organizing your financial and personal affairs to allow for a seamless distribution process upon your death, and to allow your loved ones to make effective decisions around your healthcare and finances. A common misconception is…

Written by: Blaine Malcolm, CFP®, Wealth Manager, Partner What word best describes the current state of inflation in America, as well as elsewhere around the world? From an investor’s perspective, “challenging” pretty much says it all. As of July this year, the latest ¾-point hike in the Federal funds rate acknowledged a level of inflation…

Written By: Steve Henderson, CPA, PFS, CFP®, CKA®, Regional Director, Partner Your gas station visit drains your wallet while filling your tank. Your groceries seem to cost more every week. For older investors, significant inflation was a financial challenge that had almost faded from memory. For younger investors, it’s a term that had little day-to-day…

Written by: Zac Beckerley, CFP®, Wealth Manager According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 263,000 personal financial advisors in America as of May, 2021. Their clients included individuals and families working to secure their financial futures, as well as high net worth investors with complex planning requirements. What services do…

Written By: Blaine Malcolm, Wealth Manager | Partner Many people hear the term Fed Funds Rate on the news or financial programs but may not know what it is or how it may affect their life. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate used by banks and credit unions to lend excess balances to…

Written By: Zac Beckerley, Wealth Manager | Partner You are probably thinking, how is Merit Financial Advisors, a firm with wealth advisors going to tell me what to look for in a wealth advisor? Wouldn’t they just point me in the direction of their firm? Well, of course, but first we want to tell you,…

Written by Andy Lubben, Regional Director | Partner We all know how important financial planning is. A financial plan acts as a guide as you go through your life’s journey. It helps you stay in control of your entire financial picture so you can achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself and your loved ones.…

Written by: Caleb Tucker, CFA®, Director of Portfolio Strategy Mortgage interest rates hit an all-time high earlier this year, and while the numbers have quieted down a bit since then, all signs point to higher interest rates going forward. In fact, the Federal Reserve has already indicated that it plans to do six more interest…

Written by Caleb Tucker, Director of Portfolio Strategy If you have any amount of money invested or you have been keeping up with the news, you probably get the feeling that markets have become more volatile and less predictable over the last few years. A myriad of factors contributed to this volatility, but the reasons…

Merit President, Kay Lynn Mayhue, CFP®, AEP®, RFC®, sits down with FULL LIFE LLC founder and CEO Maureen Whatley to discuss mental health and the critical role it plays in every decision we make. Kay Lynn and Maureen will explore the connection between mental health and decision-making to see how they can affect financial wellbeing.