Meridian Financial Partners

Declaration of Independence
This week, we celebrate an important historical event… Mr. Yakel’s birthday: And also, the birthday of America! 😊 On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Dec

News: Meridian Financial Partners Welcomes Sarah G. Irving as a New Partner
Meridian Welcomes Sarah Irving We are thrilled to announce Sarah G. Irving as a Partner within the firm. With exceptional expertise and dedication to client success, Sarah delivers excellent client service and is now a key part of the leadership team. As a Partner, Sarah Irving w

Irrational Decisions (+ RIP Daniel Kahneman)
Daniel Kahneman’s work perfectly outlines what we as advisors and planners are often dealing with when speaking to clients, giving advice, and making recommendations. One of his main conclusions was that individuals do not always make rational decisions when faced with uncertaint

It’s Been One Week
For Spring Break 2024, we decided to cruise the largest cruise ship in the world, The Icon of the Seas. We had a wonderful time exploring the new ship, seeing all of the shows, and eating ice cream all day (literally…I think Ethan counted 7 cones before lunch one day…gross!). Whi

Spring Clean Your Finances
Back in very early January, I wrote a blog about financial resolutions for the New Year, which notes that most people give up on those resolutions after about 3 months. With the days getting longer, the weather warming, and flowers starting to pop up, why not use the change in se

New and Exciting!
Meridian Expands with a New Washington Office Even though we had an extra day in February, 2024 is already flying by! Meridian is thrilled to have our doors open at our new second office in Washington, Virginia. We are located on the lower level of the Miller Building at 211 Main

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

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

Change is Really, Really Hard
Change is exceptionally difficult, and it seems the older we get, the harder it becomes. Some change is for good reasons, some for less than ideal reasons. As financial planners, we are here to help see our clients through life changes – be that retirement, a home purchase, start

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,

There’s Much to be Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! While it often feels like the world is filled with nothing but bad news we have a lot to be thankful for here at Meridian. Sarah Yakel is thankful for 5% treasury rates and all of the adventures she’s had with her family this year before
