Financial Planning

Luck vs. Skill
In the spirit of the recent St. Patrick’s Day holiday, luck has been on my mind as to how it affects our financial journey both through financial planning and investment management. Luck is defined as success or failure brought by chance rather than through one’s actions with a r

Like a ROTH to a Flame
I apologize for the lame title to this post, but it seemed a little more attention grabbing than ‘help your kid open a ROTH IRA.’ If you have a child who is earning income, he is eligible to open a ROTH IRA (in Virginia, the minimum working age is 14), and you should probably hel

The “Cash Trap”
With the Federal Reserve’s campaign to tame inflation pushing short term interest rates higher, cash yields have become more and more enticing. Frankly, we’ve never bought more CDs and Treasury bonds for our clients than over the past year. It’s been a welcome sight to see Treasu

Did You Miss It?
Woops, did you miss the deadline? If you are an organization in Virginia with 25 or more employees and have been in operations for 2 or more years, February 15th was the deadline to register for Virginia’s state sponsored plan, RetirePath or to certify an exemption if already off

Learning New Things @ Exchange
Gaining Industry Insights at the Exchange Conference Yes, finding an excuse to go to a conference in Miami in February is generally a good idea. As is the case with most events like these, we are still spending the lion’s share of our time inside conference rooms, but it’s still

Well…that happened fast…
This past Friday, we celebrated Melanie’s last day playing basketball on our home court. Seniors were celebrated as their high school basketball career came to a close… I’ve coached Melanie’s basketball team since she was in 7th grade, and it’s been a real treat to have a front r

Now or Later?
With a new year comes new resolutions and for savers, new retirement plan contributions. For 2024, the employee contribution limits are as follows: IRA and Roth IRAs : $7,000 for those <50 years old, $8,000 for those 50 and older. SIMPLE IRA: $16,000 for those <50 years old, $19,

Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! As with every New Year, resolutions have been a popular topic of conversation. According to a 2024 Forbes survey, “Improved Finances” is included in 38% of 2024 resolutions. Unfortunately, the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months and only 6% of people report

No Man’s Land
Do the days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 even exist? Is time real? This week is often referred to as Twixmas or “No Man’s Land”. It’s quiet in the office as I write this and we are enjoying getting caught up on some smaller projects that are perfect for a rainy day between holidays

Are You Ready?
I do this to myself every time this year – I have the best intentions of getting all of my Christmas to-do’s done early like Christmas cards, baking, and finalizing Christmas gifts; however, I always seem to be sliding into the finish line with a day or two to spare. But what’s t

Making a List and Checking it Twice
Somehow, it’s already December! We are now in what feels like the mad dash to the holidays and the end of 2023. As we look towards starting 2024 in the best possible shape, there are a lot of year-end items to consider. I love a check list and in the spirit of Santa making a […]

4% Rule
After eight years of writing blogs, all of us at Meridian are always thankful when a reader suggests a topic that they would like to know more about…and I lucked out with a suggestion for this week that is both nerdy and timely…my favorite kinds of things to write about! The ques
