Financial Planning
Christmas Deconstructed
Yesterday, we did one of my favorite holiday traditions. Much to the consternation of my husband, the morning of New Years Day is when we take down every inch of Christmas decorations and put it all away. Jonathan would happily leave all of the decorations up for another few week
Sarah YakelJan 2, 2018
No Takebacks?
As a parent of three young children, this time of year is certainly an exciting (yet hectic!) one. As you might guess, all of the kids were quite literally bouncing off the walls in anticipation of Christmas morning. Fortunately, Santa came through and delivered most of what was
Nathan GilbertDec 27, 2017Yankee Swap
The 2017 holiday season is in full swing, and as always, by this point in the year, I am getting tired. Our family has been to 6 Christmas concerts in 12 days…baked 20 dozen cookies…made (and decorated) 3 gingerbread houses…wrapped upteen gifts…and attended 8 holiday parties, eac
Sarah YakelDec 19, 2017
Purple and Gold…and Green
My alma mater’s football team is on a pretty impressive winning streak. The James Madison Duke Dogs won their 25th consecutive game in dramatic fashion this past Friday night. Clad in their signature purple and gold jerseys, they defeated Weber State in the quarterfinal round of
Nathan GilbertDec 12, 2017The Annual Rotary Raffle
This past Saturday, my wife and I were fortunate enough to be guests at the annual Warrenton Rotary Raffle gala and dinner. It was my first time attending this type of event, and it was certainly a lot of fun. The purpose of the evening was to raise money for all of the wonderful
Nathan GilbertNov 14, 2017
It’s All About the Dash
Last week, the ladies of Meridian all attended Leadercast Women, brought to Warrenton by LFCC Workforce Solutions. It was a powerful day of speakers and networking with other women in the community, and we all left with a lot to think about. One of the speakers was Dr. Bernice Ki
Nathan GilbertOct 24, 2017
The Burro Beer Server
Tech Talks & Takeaways Fresh off of a retirement planning software conference with many of my Meridian friends, the topic of technology use within Meridian is still very front-of-mind. Honestly, this was my very first “official” business conference since helping to start Meridian
Nathan GilbertOct 3, 2017#Grateful
Today marks the second anniversary of Meridian Financial Partners. The past two years have been such an amazingly fun journey. In the past two years, we have grown to serve over 200 households in our extended community. We manage over $150 million in assets. We have expanded our
Nathan GilbertSep 25, 2017The Birthday Season
All three of our kids have birthdays within one month of each other, so we are all busy figuring out which family member is getting what for which kid***. Not to mention the annual discussion with each child of who they are going to invite, and where will the party be? It can all
Nathan GilbertSep 19, 2017
Cone of Uncertainty
This week, we are enjoying the last of summer in Sandbridge, Virginia: For the last several years, we meet my family at the beach the last week of August, before Labor Day. During this “shoulder” week, rental prices drop substantially and the beach is much less crowded now that m
Nathan GilbertAug 29, 2017
The Problem of 5 + 2
I love a good accent. I love hearing clipped British notes, the slow Southern drawl, or my favorite—the lilting Irish brogue. Hence, the reason why my favorite economist is Dr. David Kelly from J.P. Morgan—he discusses the world economies with sly humor and a lovely Irish lilt. H
Nathan GilbertAug 15, 2017
No Fear
If you were born in the late 70’s or early 80’s, you might remember the No Fear “lifestyle” clothing brand that was very popular in the mid 90’s and early 00’s. Personally, I found the brand and the attitude that its wearers often embodied a bit off-putting. If you still wear any
Nathan GilbertAug 8, 2017