Insights, Advice & a Whole Lot More
February Resolutions
Every year, New Year resolutions stories pop up everywhere—we resolve to lose weight, quit smoking, build a budget, join a gym, eat healthy….etc. By February, 80% of resolutions have failed according to a US News article….leading to a cold and gray February filled with guilt and
Sarah YakelJan 29, 2019
The Good Ole Days
Recently, a friend of mine passed along an article from a local news outlet (Fauquier Magazine) from March of 1991 that featured my grandfather on the cover. I had seen the magazine and the article before, but it was a nice reminder of my “G.P.” in his younger days. He was a succ
Nathan GilbertJan 22, 2019Power of Reset
“Reset” has been a big theme of 2019 so far—resetting involves setting back to an initial state—sometimes the baseline of zero, other times simply an adjustment after getting far away from normal. In basketball, we’ve been working on resetting—when the initial fast break doesn’t
Sarah YakelJan 15, 2019
Covered in Mud
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! I was waiting for the markets to have an uptick before posting our first blog of 2019 😊. Here’s hoping the markets stay that way this year (or till I finish writing this at least!). My family’s Christmas and New Year’s events were a lot
Nathan GilbertJan 8, 2019Storytime
At Christmas, we enjoy reading familiar stories and watching favorite movies as part of our annual family tradition. Watching Will Ferrell in ELF for the millionth time marks the official start of Christmas for the Yakel clan. As humans, our brains are wired to crave stories—good
Sarah YakelDec 18, 2018BREAKING: SHOCKING HEADLINE MAKES PEOPLE CLICK ON ARTICLE!
PARENTS FORCE 4-YEAR-OLD TO WEAR GAS MASK Molly and her “gas mask” Actually, little Molly is wearing a nebulizer to ease some stubborn congestion. But, you have to admit the initial headline is a little more intriguing (and misleading). It’s no secret that news outlets (no matter
Nathan GilbertDec 11, 2018Starting Lineup
Yesterday was my first official coaching role for my daughter’s middle school basketball team—we were playing the first game ever in the brand new gym, so it seemed like pretty high stakes (who wants to christen the gym with the first loss??). Assistant Coach Pell and Me Thankful
Nathan GilbertDec 4, 2018A Slippery Slope
A actual slippery slope – November 15th – Mountain Rd. in Haymarket, VA Each time I write these posts, it’s tempting to talk about diversification every time. Especially in the current volatile market environment. While I won’t totally give into that temptation this time, I do th
Nathan GilbertNov 27, 2018Gratitudes
With Thanksgiving upon us, we are struck by how much we have to be thankful for at Meridian. From the wonderful team that supports us to our families’ gracious encouragement, we have many blessings to count. But without our wonderful clients, Meridian would not exist, and so we w
Nathan GilbertNov 20, 2018
You’ve Gotta Know When to Hold ’em
As someone who likes to think of himself as a “prudent investment manager,” I always cringe a little when someone compares investing to gambling. While there is certainly inherent risk in any type of market-related investment, there are tried-and-true strategies that will yield p
Nathan GilbertNov 13, 2018
Voting and Weighing
Today is Election Day—when all Americans are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote. While the conversation over the election process and our political system may continue for a long time, today is the day for the general population to cast their vote and express the
Nathan GilbertNov 6, 2018Volatility is Not Enjoyable
Volatility continues for the markets, and although there is a very slight recovery as I write this (has that changed again already??), there doesn’t seem to be any consistency in sight. The majority of the prognosticators in the press and market commentaries are not predicting a
Nathan GilbertOct 30, 2018