Financial Planning
Rooting for the (Mason) Patriots
This past weekend, we went with friends to a George Mason Patriots women’s basketball game—it was a very exciting game, with the Patriots winning with a last minute buzzer beater shot. Melanie and the boys really enjoyed being so close to the action, and after the game, the playe
Sarah YakelFeb 26, 2019A President’s Retreat
A few weeks ago, my brother and two buddies took a short camping trip to the Shenandoah National Park. While it was very cold for the first night in our wood-stove-heated cabin, we were treated to some beautiful views of the Rapidan River and had the hiking trails to ourselves fo
Nathan GilbertFeb 19, 2019
LIVE from Inside ETFs 2019
This week, Nathan and I are in Hollywood, Florida attending my favorite conference ever…Inside ETFs Once a niche conference designed to help advisors use newfangled ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds….as opposed to the mutual funds of yore), this conference has grown to over 2,300 atten
Sarah YakelFeb 12, 2019Best January Ever
…or, at least the best in a long time! If you have school-aged children and live on the east coast, you (like me) have likely been scrambling to figure out child care and the litany of other school-cancellation issues. As a last resort, sometimes the only option is to bring the k
Nathan GilbertFeb 5, 2019February 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, 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