Insights, Advice & a Whole Lot More

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,

Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) – Worth It?
Happy New Year to you and your families! That is, if it is still appropriate to wish people a Happy New Year this far into January. I always enjoy the debate around how far into the year you can still say that. I tend to land on through the end of January. I think Seinfeld […]

2023: In Review
The Rise of the Magnificent 7: 2023’s Market Leaders At Meridian, we are putting the finishing touches on our year-end letter that is included with our annual client statements. While 2023 was a crazy year of news, the stock market had one main story…“The Magnificent 7”. The S&P

Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! As with every New Year, resolutions have been a popular topic of conversation. According to a 2024 Forbes survey, “Improved Finances” is included in 38% of 2024 resolutions. Unfortunately, the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months and only 6% of people report

No Man’s Land
Do the days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 even exist? Is time real? This week is often referred to as Twixmas or “No Man’s Land”. It’s quiet in the office as I write this and we are enjoying getting caught up on some smaller projects that are perfect for a rainy day between holidays

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

“Shaken, Not Stirred” – James Bond(s)
Bonds have been grabbing a lot of headlines, lately. Up until recently, all of those headlines were generally bad and involved declining (shaken AND stirred?) prices. It has been a frustrating last year and a half for conservative bond investors not used to seeing their account v

Making a List and Checking it Twice
Somehow, it’s already December! We are now in what feels like the mad dash to the holidays and the end of 2023. As we look towards starting 2024 in the best possible shape, there are a lot of year-end items to consider. I love a check list and in the spirit of Santa making a […]

4% Rule
After eight years of writing blogs, all of us at Meridian are always thankful when a reader suggests a topic that they would like to know more about…and I lucked out with a suggestion for this week that is both nerdy and timely…my favorite kinds of things to write about! The ques

There’s Much to be Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! While it often feels like the world is filled with nothing but bad news we have a lot to be thankful for here at Meridian. Sarah Yakel is thankful for 5% treasury rates and all of the adventures she’s had with her family this year before

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

What Have You Done for Me Lately?
I point the finger at our own industry for training investors to think in the short term. Within our firm our custodian, Charles Schwab, sends out monthly statements. From a compliance perspective, this is a good thing, because it reassures clients that their money is where it’s
