Sarah Yakel
Emergency Fund 101
Life happens Unfortunately, things can (and will) happen that seem to derail your plans or force you to hit the “reset button” when you least expect. While we certainly wouldn’t wish some of life’s unpredictable events on anyone, we know that at times, some (or maybe all) of us w
Sarah YakelJun 15, 2021
Memorial Day Minute Read
We hope everyone had a relaxing, enjoyable, and safe Memorial Day weekend surrounded by friends and family. Meridian had the pleasure of enjoying the 96th annual Virginia Gold Cup and was proud to present the award for Race Three, the Allowance Hurtle to the jockey and trainer of
Sarah YakelJun 1, 2021
Cryptocurrency and Speculation: A Case of FOMO?
At Meridian, we’ve been trying to not wade into the cryptocurrency debate—as any skepticism can illicit firestorms of angry mail from crypto fans. But, with cryptocurrencies back in the headlines throughout 2020 and into 2021, it has attracted a lot of attention from investors. R
Sarah YakelMay 18, 2021
The Best Things In Life Are Free, Plus Tax
This tax season has been really complicated due to all of the pandemic-related policy changes. But some people are being surprised by tax bills for a very simple reason: They aren’t having enough money withheld from their paychecks throughout the year. If you’re a W-2 employee, y
Sarah YakelMay 11, 2021
Fresh Start
With this week’s last gasp of winter temperatures, we are hopeful that Spring is finally here. Trees are flowering, daffodils are up, and at the Yakel house, we are just waiting for final frost danger before putting all of these healthy guys to bed: And, we met new puppies!! The
Sarah YakelApr 20, 2021
Home Sweet Home
Buying your first home is considered one of the biggest milestones — in life as well as finances. It’s a big commitment, and there’s a good chance this will be the largest purchase you’ve made to date. If you are a first-time home buyer, here are five guidelines to assist you in
Sarah YakelApr 13, 2021
The Unexpected
March Madness is here, it is the season of surprises (we’re looking at you, Oral Roberts University…thanks for busting everyone’s brackets…). The members of Yakel family spent the weekend alternately crowing in victory or complaining in defeat, as our family bracket competition g
Sarah YakelMar 22, 2021
What is a Roth IRA?
If the only thing you know about a Roth is that it rhymes with sloth …well, then this post is for you. So. Are you ready to find out what this Roth IRA thing is? It is a type of retirement account! Roth IRAs (IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account) are specific retirement a
Sarah YakelMar 16, 2021
Information Overload
Reddit’s Impact on Investing Investing has been front and center this past month with the ongoing Reddit/GameStop/Robinhood saga all over the news: In a Yahoo Finance poll, 28% of investors polled admitted to buying one of the stocks in the news—AMC was the most purchased stock,
Sarah YakelFeb 23, 2021
Yours, Mine, and Ours: Financial Planning Together
It’s February. It’s the month of love, Valentine’s Day. With love comes marriage, and marriage is a beautiful thing. But, what a lot of people forget to talk about is there is a business side to marriage, in the midst of the honeymoon phase. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the di
Sarah YakelFeb 16, 2021
Lessons From A 10 Year Old Stockbroker
This is Ben. He is my 10-year-old and littlest child, and he is the best helper. Over Christmas break, Ben was helping me assemble a million new client packets, and he noticed the risk tolerance questionnaire that we include for every prospect to complete. Ben was excited to find
Sarah YakelJan 26, 2021
How To Tell Good Debt Versus Bad Debt
It might sound strange, but not all debt is “bad.” Certain types of debt can actually provide opportunities to improve your financial future. To make smart decisions about if, when, and how much to borrow, you need to understand the difference between “good” and “bad” debt and ho
Sarah YakelJan 19, 2021