Insights, Advice & a Whole Lot More
Meet the Meridian Team: Hello, Joanne
Hi, I’m Joanne Hilliard. Welcome, I’m glad you’re here. I’m the Client Service Associate at Meridian, celebrating my first anniversary today! Chances are, if you have ever called the Meridian offices or walked into our Warrenton office, we’ve chatted. As part of the Operations te
Liz Witt-LeeJun 10, 2025
Financial Roller Coasters
Over Memorial Day weekend, the Yakel family took a quick trip up to Cedar Point as we have two teenage boys who are roller coaster fanatics. I walked Ben and Ethan to the park for early entry at 8:30AM…and then came back to collect them at park close after 10PM (I had given up tr
Sarah YakelJun 3, 2025
Plan with Purpose, Live with Adventure: Financial Planning for a Full Life
“Have a plan, but have an adventure” – Liz Witt-Lee Money Can’t Buy Happiness, But a Plan Can Unlock Joy Back in March, I wrote a blog looking at the topic of “does money buy happiness.” The conclusion was that while money alone does not buy happiness, it affords individuals the
Kira TopekaMay 27, 2025
Financial Advisors and Estate Planning
Why a Financial Advisor Is Essential Throughout the Estate Planning Life Cycle Every year, at least one of the decorative wreaths on Meridian’s doors gets graced with a bird’s nest, then mini speckled eggs, and finally (and hopefully) the tiniest of baby birds. It’s such a gift t
Sarah IrvingMay 20, 2025
Meet the Meridian Team: Hello, Liz
Hello. I’m Liz. I’m the Director of Strategy here at Meridan. I started here in February. Everyone asks how I came to work at Meridian. They also ask what exactly it is that I do here. Hold on. That part is coming. The truth is… it was kismet. Or Fate. Or Divine Appointment. Or p
Liz Witt-LeeMay 12, 2025
Our Team Approach
Here at Meridian, we often focus on our firm’s structure as a key reason why clients want to work with us: an independent, fee-only fiduciary. We feel that it is the best way to avoid any conflicts of interest and give unbiased guidance. However, one other unique aspect of Meridi
Nathan GilbertMay 6, 2025Protecting Yourself from Scams in a Digital World
With April being National Financial Literacy month, we’ve been writing about things you should know about as a financially literate adult…and how to protect yourself and your money from the innumerable bad actors in the world is super important. So, for today’s blog, we wanted to
Liz Witt-LeeApr 28, 2025
Fiduciary vs. Financial Advisor: the Difference and Why It Matters
Before I ever had any inclination to work in the financial industry, I remember an older co-worker of mine, telling a group of us younger fellows that he was about to give us a piece of advice. The advice was that if we ever were to have somebody manage our money, we needed to ma
Dan FortunatoApr 22, 2025
Smart Saving for Kids: How to Use 529 Plans, Custodial Roth IRAs, and Custodial Accounts
As Sarah mentioned in her blog last week, April is Financial Literacy Month! This annual observance aims to raise public awareness about the importance of financial literacy and encourage smart money management habits. As with so many habits, starting good money management and sa
Kira TopekaApr 15, 2025
Staying Steady Through Uncertainty – A Resource We Found Helpful
Hartford Funds recently put out a great article called The Price of Panic which we found a helpful read. They partner with MIT AgeLab who researches a lot around the psychology of investing and investor behavior. We found it helpful and hope you do too. Download the article. The
Nathan GilbertApr 11, 2025
The Benefits of Financial Literacy and Working with a Financial Advisor
The month of April feels like a breath of fresh air to our family (figuratively and literally). Spring brings longer days, warmer temperatures, beautiful scenery, and the chance to celebrate new life at my dad’s farm. The month of April is also very special as it is Financial Lit
Sarah IrvingApr 8, 2025
IRA Eligibility and Deadlines
As the tax filing deadline of April 15th gets ever closer, many savers are looking for last minute tax deductions to reduce their tax bill for the 2024 tax year. And, there may be some things you can still do prior to the filing deadline that might help. Tax Deductible IRA or SEP
Nathan GilbertApr 1, 2025