Kira Topeka
Financial Year-End To-Do List
Somehow, New Year’s Eve is only three weeks away! As the year comes to a close, we want to make sure those year-end to-dos are ticked off before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st. Take Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) If you’re required to take your IRS Required
Kira TopekaDec 10, 2024
What Happened to Your High-Yield Savings Account?
It’s never pleasant to get a notification from your bank informing you that the interest rate on your high-yield savings account is decreasing. But, it is becoming more common. According to the FDIC, the national average interest rate on a traditional savings account is 0.45%, wi
Kira TopekaNov 14, 2024
Estate Planning Essentials: Documents You Shouldn’t Overlook
As we reach the halfway point of National Estate Planning Awareness Month, it’s a great time to revisit the key documents that should be included in any comprehensive estate plan. While trusts are essential (as Nathan discusses in detail here), wills, powers of attorney, and heal
Kira TopekaOct 15, 2024
Understanding Your Employee Benefits: A Post-Labor Day Checklist
For many, Labor Day is part of a long weekend packed with parties and barbeques, marking the unofficial end of summer and the last day to wear white until next year’s Memorial Day. The holiday, however, has deeper roots, stemming from the late nineteenth century when labor activi
Kira TopekaSep 4, 2024
Back to School Reading List
We asked around the office for their back to school reading recommendations. But when we asked people to choose their favorites, that turned out to be a hard task for our group of readers. As Sarah Yakel said, “I can’t say these are my favorite books of all time—I read too much t
Kira TopekaAug 19, 2024
Capital Gains Tax
We love hearing from our clients with blog topic ideas, so thank you to the client who reached out about today’s topic: Capital Gains Tax. What is a capital asset? Almost any type of asset you own is a capital asset. This can include a type of holding, like stocks or bonds, or re
Kira TopekaJul 25, 2024
Matrimony and Money Matters
Happy wedding season! Each year, wedding season comes around and brings joy, celebration, and new beginnings. Whether you are walking down the aisle, or attending the union of friends or family, weddings are often more than just white dresses and parties, they are a time that enc
Kira TopekaJun 25, 2024
Financial Tips for Summer Travel
It’s just about summer here in Virginia – the temperature keeps ticking up, schools are letting out, and the desire to travel is in full force! Whether you’re thinking of a beachside escape, a mountain retreat, or exploring a new city, making your vacation both memorable and budg
Kira TopekaMay 21, 2024
The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why of Emergency Funds
Last week, Sarah Irving wrote a fantastic blog highlighting the importance of financial literacy, which included the following statistic: 60% of woman and 53% of men worry about their financial future. One of our most important recommendations when it comes to financial well-bein
Kira TopekaApr 23, 2024
Spring Clean Your Finances
Back in very early January, I wrote a blog about financial resolutions for the New Year, which notes that most people give up on those resolutions after about 3 months. With the days getting longer, the weather warming, and flowers starting to pop up, why not use the change in se
Kira TopekaMar 26, 2024
New and Exciting!
Meridian Expands with a New Washington Office Even though we had an extra day in February, 2024 is already flying by! Meridian is thrilled to have our doors open at our new second office in Washington, Virginia. We are located on the lower level of the Miller Building at 211 Main
Kira TopekaMar 5, 2024
Change is Really, Really Hard
Change is exceptionally difficult, and it seems the older we get, the harder it becomes. Some change is for good reasons, some for less than ideal reasons. As financial planners, we are here to help see our clients through life changes – be that retirement, a home purchase, start
Kira TopekaJan 30, 2024