Financial Planning
Navigating the Midlife Transition
We so rarely provide commentary on books we are reading here on the blog, but I recently read the book Learning to Love Midlife by Chip Conley, and truthfully, I found the insights in the book so profound that I couldn’t wait to share them with you. I can’t remember how I came to
Liz Witt-LeeFeb 10, 2026
New Year Financial Resolutions
A fresh start. My family knows this about me: every single New Year’s Day, I wake up and immediately start taking Christmas down. All of it…the tree, the decorations, the extra pillows, the sparkle—gone. Packed up. Put away. House cleaned from top to bottom. Period. They roll the
Sarah YakelJan 20, 2026
Tis the (Pricey) Season
Each holiday season, PNC does something entirely practical — by pricing out the ridiculous. The PNC Christmas Price Index tallies up what it would cost today to buy the gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” In 2025, that cost has climbed to $51,476.12 — up 4.5% from last yea
Sarah YakelDec 16, 2025
What Is a Stock Split?
With the recent Netflix stock split announcement, we thought it might be a good idea to address stock splits and the reasons companies decide to split their stock. If you aren’t already aware, Netflix (NFLX) announced a forward split at a rate of 10:1 last week. So, if you are a
Nathan GilbertNov 18, 2025
Mind The Gap
We have friends who have lived in London for the past few years, and we have enjoyed visiting them over the last few years. While there, we took the London Underground frequently, and our kids found the announcements to “mind the gap” entertaining. A very little Ethan and Ben at
Sarah YakelNov 4, 2025
Using College Savings for Retirement
If you have children and are fortunate enough to be able to save for their post-high school education in advance, a 529 savings account is often a great and popular option. However, there is some concern about leftover money that is not used for qualified education expenses, whet
Nathan GilbertAug 20, 2025
How Do Long-Term Financial Goals Differ from Short-Term Financial Goals?
When it comes to personal finance, setting goals is one of the most effective ways to ensure financial stability and growth. However, it’s important to understand that not all financial goals are created equal. Financial goals can be divided into two broad categories: short-term
Dan FortunatoAug 1, 2025
Planning for a Happy Retirement: Thinking Beyond Finances
The past two weeks have been very emotional as an advisor—I’m not sure if it is because I’m in a reflective mood as Meridian nears our 10th anniversary in September. Or perhaps it is because of two solid weeks of meetings with clients about their financial plans, and everyone is
Sarah YakelJul 30, 2025
What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for you
Big Bill, Big Changes On July 4th, as most Americans were attending BBQs and pool parties and gearing up for their local fireworks display (or multiple, as in my colleague’s cases), a sweeping budget reconciliation bill, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” was si
Sarah IrvingJul 15, 2025
Caregiving, Preparing, and Communicating
What my mother’s journey with dementia taught our family about being prepared for caregiving My experience as a caregiver through my mother’s dementia journey had a profound impact on me. Almost a year (to the day) after her passing, I’m not sure how I made it out of the fire. If
Liz Witt-LeeJul 1, 2025
Understanding Step-Up in Cost Basis
I hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer and finding ways to keep kids and grandkids busy! In our household, that is always the tradeoff when school is out – less stressful mornings in exchange for kids constantly saying, ‘I’m bored and/or hungry!’ Speaking of kids and gra
Nathan GilbertJun 24, 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