Sarah Irving
Handling an Inheritance: From Grief to Guidance
As I was writing this week’s blog, I realized that my last one was also about a sensitive topic (divorce), so I promise my next one will be a LOT lighter! Nevertheless, navigating the loss of a loved one and in turn, inheriting assets can be both a financial blessing and an emoti
Sarah IrvingOct 9, 2024
Divvying Up Assets in Divorce
One of the most wonderful parts of my job is getting to celebrate so many positive life-changing moments with our clients like graduations, marriages, babies, new dogs, long-awaited retirements, the list goes on. While it’s wonderful to get the chance to celebrate these alongside
Sarah IrvingSep 17, 2024
Diversification: Free Lunch Anyone?
Harry Markowtiz, the Nobel-winning Pioneer of Modern Portfolio Theory, was quoted as saying that “diversification is the only free lunch in investing.” Properly diversifying may not always feel “free.” We tend to joke that in a diversified portfolio, there will always be somethin
Sarah IrvingAug 13, 2024
Why 8(%) May Not Be Great
We love to hear our clients taking the initiative to learn more about their personal finances and to educate themselves and while we hope Meridian provides more than enough content to do so, we know there are many other sources and opinions out there. This may be a bit of a contr
Sarah IrvingJul 17, 2024
Financial Planning for Fathers: Ensuring a Secure Future for Your Family
Two of the greatest joys in my life have been witnessing my husband navigating fatherhood and enjoying the growing relationship my family and I have with both my father and my father-in-law. Parenthood is an incredible journey filled with joy, responsibility, and a desire to prov
Sarah IrvingJun 12, 2024
Tax Season is Over, Three Tips to Make Next Year’s Easier!
I think it is fair to say that the longer days and nicer weather have mentally moved my family into summer mode whether I am ready for it or not. I’m still just trying to get through May (aka Maycember for all of my fellow parents out there). “Maycember – a term that describes th
Sarah IrvingMay 14, 2024
Financial Literacy Month!
I’m a big fan of holidays. I inherited this trait from my parents, particularly my mom who always went above and beyond to make even the smallest of celebrations feel special. With a bulk of the “big” holidays behind us, I was excited to hear that this April celebrates the 21st a
Sarah IrvingApr 17, 2024
Luck vs. Skill
In the spirit of the recent St. Patrick’s Day holiday, luck has been on my mind as to how it affects our financial journey both through financial planning and investment management. Luck is defined as success or failure brought by chance rather than through one’s actions with a r
Sarah IrvingMar 20, 2024
Did You Miss It?
Woops, did you miss the deadline? If you are an organization in Virginia with 25 or more employees and have been in operations for 2 or more years, February 15th was the deadline to register for Virginia’s state sponsored plan, RetirePath or to certify an exemption if already off
Sarah IrvingFeb 20, 2024
Now or Later?
With a new year comes new resolutions and for savers, new retirement plan contributions. For 2024, the employee contribution limits are as follows: IRA and Roth IRAs : $7,000 for those <50 years old, $8,000 for those 50 and older. SIMPLE IRA: $16,000 for those <50 years old, $19,
Sarah IrvingJan 24, 2024
Are You Ready?
I do this to myself every time this year – I have the best intentions of getting all of my Christmas to-do’s done early like Christmas cards, baking, and finalizing Christmas gifts; however, I always seem to be sliding into the finish line with a day or two to spare. But what’s t
Sarah IrvingDec 19, 2023
CPI – But Prices Are Still High
We love hearing from our readers on suggestions for blog topics and most recently received a request to touch on a topic that we as consumers are all feeling – how can consumers weather an environment where higher prices persist and what is the effect of CPI on the economy and in
Sarah IrvingNov 15, 2023