The Meridian blog

Insights, Advice & a Whole Lot More

Welcome to the official blog of Meridian Financial Partners. We'd love to hear your comments as well as your questions. Oh, and our attorneys want you to read these disclosures.
Investing & Markets

The Playoff Beard

I am a fan of the Washington Capitals, and if you follow hockey, you probably know that they are currently playing in the second round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It has become somewhat of a tradition for players (and now fans) to let their beards grow for as

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMay 3, 2016
Meridian News

Take a Tour of the Meridian Financial Partners Office

Take an inside look at our office, meet our team, and feel free to reach out. Blog Disclosure

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertApr 26, 2016
Retirement Planning

Department of Labor AKA…

…Captain Obvious Good news everybody! Our friends at the Department of Labor (DOL) finalized a rule on Wednesday that requires financial advisors to act in the client’s best interest when giving retirement advice. While this seems like an obvious stance, the rule was put into pla

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertApr 19, 2016
Investing & Markets

The Good Old Days

We all remember something about the good old days…whether it was your parents turning you loose in the neighborhood to play until you were called in for dinner…or matinee movie prices before 5 P.M…or (one of my favorites) those days when a bank CD paid 13-15%. But those days of h

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertApr 19, 2016
Family & Life Events

Spring Break, Part 2

Our family just returned from a long road trip through North Carolina—we explored from Asheville to Wilmington with many stops in between. I echo Nathan’s post last week—spring break with kids is not much of a “break!” But, we had a great time exploring our neighbor state… The Bi

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertApr 5, 2016
Investing & Markets

Spring Break & The Markets

Spring Break ain’t what it used to be—at this point in my life at least. While spending time with my family is great, there isn’t much of a “break” with three kids under 7 no matter where you are. In fact, I have used the need to write this blog post as an excuse to […]

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMar 29, 2016
Investing & Markets

First Quarter 2016 Market Notes

Meridian Financial Partners First Quarter Report 2016

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMar 22, 2016
Planning Basics

Serenity Now

I love reading. I like knowing things, so I read all sorts of books, magazines, trade journals, etc. Actually (sadly?), for my birthday and mother’s day, my kids have my husband take them to the grocery store, and they buy random magazines as my gifts. (And I love it.) And, as mo

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMar 15, 2016
Family & Life Events

Making Beer Myself

A friend of mine recently gave me a home beer brewing kit, and while I don’t have any frame of reference, I can tell it’s probably a nice one. 15 years ago, I would have viewed this kit and its potential reward very differently. Meaning, now that I have three children and a busin

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMar 8, 2016
Investing & Markets

Brain Hijack

This year it has been hard not to notice the stock market volatility—one day it is wildly up, the next day it is wildly down. In a recent market recap, JP Morgan notes that, so far in 2016, there have been 23 days with movements in the S&P 500 of over 1% (up or down)—which […]

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertMar 1, 2016
Tax Planning

Where Are My Tax Forms?

It’s a question that we get asked every year right around this time, if not earlier. I once had a client ask about his tax forms for the prior year on January 2nd! While I admire people who want to get tax filing over with as soon as possible, is not realistic to expect your […]

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertFeb 23, 2016
Family & Life Events

“Are Your Legs Tired…”

…is the start of just one of many cheesy pick-up lines to start a conversation and hopefully find a love connection. If such a connection should spark, then the conversation typically gravitates towards family and friends, career and hobbies, etc. Interestingly, recent research p

Nathan GilbertNathan GilbertFeb 17, 2016