Financial Planning
August 2025 Market Update
In this August market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, looks at how markets continue to present opportunities and challenges for investors. The S&P 500 climbed another 3% in July, bringing year-to-date gains above 16%, with much of that strength concentrated in a handful of mega-cap technology stocks, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Nvidia, and Meta,…
Read MoreCustomization at Scale: How Direct Indexing Helps You Deliver Greater Value to Clients
At Merit Financial Advisors, we believe the best strategies are not one-size-fits-all. They are built around people, goals, and unique financial stories. In a recent ThinkAdvisor webinar hosted by Orion Advisor Solutions, industry professionals, including Merit’s Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, explored how direct indexing is helping advisors deliver truly personalized, tax-efficient portfolios at scale.…
Read MoreTailored RIA Partnership Opportunities and Succession Planning for Financial Advisory Firm Owners
Advisor Insights from ENRICH 2025: Legacy, Growth, and Strategic Partnerships for RIAs At Merit Financial Advisors, we believe wealth management is more than numbers; it is about people, purpose, and the journey we share. At our ENRICH Conference in Spring 2025, several of our top advisors shared their thoughts: home, legacy, impact, empowering, inspiring, confidence,…
Read MorePlan for the Best, Prepare for the Rest: Why Prenuptial Agreements Are Back, and Smarter Than Ever
By Baylee Bryant, Wealth Manager, CFP®, CDFA®, Partner, Merit Financial Advisors Few conversations test a couple’s communication like the idea of implementing a prenuptial (“prenup”) agreement. It can feel uncomfortable; maybe too practical, too pessimistic, or too soon. But avoiding the conversation doesn’t make the potential need for a prenup disappear. It only delays the…
Read More4 Important Steps to Preparing Your Young Adult Children for Financial Independence
Written By: Zac Beckerley, Wealth Manager | Partner From budgeting and saving to determining the appropriate investment strategy, there is a lot for young adults to consider in reaching financial independence. As a result, many young adults still require financial support from their parents — placing a strain on their parents as they near retirement.…
Read MoreWebinar Recap: Halftime Report: 2025 Market Trends, Turbulence and Takeaways
In our recent webinar, Merit Financial Advisors’ Brian Andrew, CFA®, Chief Investment Officer, and Joe Cilley, CFP®, VP of Financial Planning, shared critical insights into the evolving economic landscape shaped by new tariff policies and geopolitical uncertainties. Together, they explored how recent global policy changes and the introduction of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ may affect…
Read MoreJune 2025 Market Update
In this June market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, reflects on a strong market rally fueled by individual investor optimism, solid corporate earnings, and continued enthusiasm around AI. Despite rising tariff rates and geopolitical tensions, the Fed’s steady policy stance has supported sentiment. Merit remains cautiously positioned, favoring high-quality equities, watching valuation levels…
Read MoreMay 2025 Market Update
In this May market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, discusses how ongoing tariff tensions and a growing federal deficit are weighing on markets and shaping fiscal conversations. With the Fed holding rates steady amid uncertainty, Merit is adjusting its strategy, favoring large-cap stocks, keeping bond maturities short, and incorporating alternatives to stay flexible…
Read MoreWhat Families with Unique Dynamics Need to Know About Financial Planning
By Kat Grier, CFP®, CPA, Wealth Manager, Merit Financial Advisors If you’re one of the many millions of Americans who consider themselves part of a unique family dynamic, you’re not alone. In the United States, same-sex couple households have grown to 1.3 million and forty percent of American families are now blended. While financial planning…
Read MoreWebinar Recap: A Journey Through Change – Financial Considerations for Federal Employees
In our recent webinar, Merit Financial Advisors’ Kat Grier, CFP®, CPA, and David Elder, CFP®, CEPA, guided federal employees through the financial transitions that can follow a Reduction in Force (RIF). With a focus on the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the session outlined critical decisions to consider when…
Read More