Retirement
Don’t Wait for January: Your Essential Year-End Retirement Planning Checklist
By: Bob Seibel, Wealth Manager, Merit Financial Advisors As the year winds down, most people focus on holiday shopping and parties. But for anyone nearing retirement — or already living it — this season isn’t just busy. It’s crucial. Year-end decisions can affect taxes, income, investment risk, and overall confidence for years to come. Older…
Read MoreProtecting Your Retirement: Understanding the Cybersecurity Risks to Your Financial Future
Retirement should be a time of peace and enjoyment, a period to reap the rewards of decades of hard work. However, today’s digital age has introduced new challenges that can threaten individuals’ financial security. Cyber threats, particularly those targeting individuals close to or in retirement, are on the rise, with investment scams, phishing schemes aimed…
Read More401(k) Day Spotlight: Are Alternatives Like Crypto and Private Equity Right for You?
David Elder, CFP®, CEPA, Wealth Manager, Merit Financial Advisors In case you haven’t heard, 401(k) plans recently got a facelift. President Trump’s executive order last month could provide employees with the ability to invest in private equity and cryptocurrency through their 401(k). This is a notable departure from the traditional menu of target date funds.…
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 MoreSECURE 2.0 Will Bring New Changes in 2025: What Business Owners Need to Know
By Don Hammond, CFP®, AIF®, MBA, Senior Vice President and Managing Partner, Merit Financial Advisors Are you or your employees in danger of outliving your retirement? It’s a troubling prospect facing many Americans today. Recent analysis from Vanguard confirms an average 401(k) balance of $134,128 in 2024, with the median balance being $35,286. Shockingly, 28%…
Read MoreThis 401(k) Day, here are Three Tips to Bring Your Plan into Alignment with Your Financial Goals
By Joshua Mersberger, Regional Director, Merit Financial Advisors While Americans are saving more for retirement today than they did 30 years ago, are they setting themselves up for success? 401(k) Day, which occurs annually on the Friday after Labor Day, provides a day to focus on retirement planning and preparation and take stock of one’s…
Read MoreShould You Join the Second-Home Club?
The image of owning a second home holds plenty of allure. The idea of having a retirement getaway, a gathering spot for the whole family, or a rental income generator – and maybe all three – has lots of Americans taking the second-home plunge. Indeed, according to the National Association of Home Builder, the total…
Read More6 Daily Cybersecurity Practices to Protect You and Your Financial Well-Being
Cybersecurity opens a world full of threats to your financial accounts if left unprotected. One million passwords are stolen each week, and someone’s identity is stolen every 22 seconds. It might seem daunting, especially with the rise in sophisticated scams targeting soon-to-be retirees and post-retirees. However, integrating simple, daily cybersecurity practices into your routine, with…
Read MoreWealth Management Tips for Seniors
Thanks to medical technology advances, we’re living longer and in better health than ever. Some experts—like Harvard University Professor of Genetics David Sinclair, author of Lifespan: Why We Age—And Why We Don’t Have To—even proffer that “there is no biological limit, no law that says we must die at a certain age.” That tremendously exciting…
Read MoreThinking About Taking Social Security Benefits? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
By Robert Alexandrovic, CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, Managing Partner Since the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, Americans entering their post-working years have relied on its monthly benefits to supplement their cost of living. Today, approximately 66 million people, or 1 in every 5 residents of the United States, collect benefits from Social…
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