Financial Planning
Don’t Wait for January: Your Essential Year-End Retirement Planning Checklist
By: Bob Seibel, Wealth Manager, Merit Financial Advisors As the year winds down, most people focus on holiday shopping and parties. But for anyone nearing retirement — or already living it — this season isn’t just busy. It’s crucial. Year-end decisions can affect taxes, income, investment risk, and overall confidence for years to come. Older…
Read MoreSupporting Families Through Aging, End-of-Life, and After-Loss: Webinar Recap
A Care Coordination Solution for Merit Clients In our recent webinar, Kate Redden, CFP®, ChFC®, CKA®, Vice President of Client Experience and Wealth Manager at Merit, and Lauren Clough, CEO and Co-Founder of bQuest, introduced Merit’s new Care Coordination Program, powered by bQuest. Together, they highlighted the growing need for proactive aging and caregiving support…
Read MoreNovember 2025 Market Update
In this November market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, explains how markets managed modest gains over the past month despite mixed economic signals. Resilient consumer spending and a strong third-quarter earnings season, driven in part by standout results from Amazon and Microsoft, helped support equity performance. At the same time, uncertainty around interest…
Read MoreBreaking Down the One Big Beautiful Bill: Key Tax Changes Every Investor Should Know
By Steven A. Henderson, CPA, PFS, CFP®, CKA®; Regional Director and Partner, and Jana Ramsey-Weaver, CPA, Wealth Manager at Merit Financial Advisors When Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) earlier this year, headlines focused on which tax provisions would last, and which would eventually sunset. Yet beyond the headlines, the real question is…
Read More8 Helpful Financial Planning Tips for a Great End of Year Review
Decisions are best made with a little time for reflection, good information, and advice from experienced professionals. These final weeks of the year are a perfect time to take stock of your financial plan and make adjustments as necessary before the rush of the holidays and tax-filing deadlines next year. Here are some year-end financial…
Read MoreOctober 2025 Market Update
In this October market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, discusses how U.S. equities extended their advance last month, with the S&P 500 up roughly 3% amid renewed investor confidence and resilient corporate earnings. Market breadth continued to improve, as gains broadened beyond mega-cap leaders to include industrials, utilities, and consumer sectors. While volatility…
Read MoreProtecting Your Retirement: Understanding the Cybersecurity Risks to Your Financial Future
Retirement should be a time of peace and enjoyment, a period to reap the rewards of decades of hard work. However, today’s digital age has introduced new challenges that can threaten individuals’ financial security. Cyber threats, particularly those targeting individuals close to or in retirement, are on the rise, with investment scams, phishing schemes aimed…
Read MoreWhy 2025 Is the Year to Review Your Estate Plan: Key Tax Law Changes You Need to Know
By Emily Boothroyd, JD, CFP, CPWA, Wealth Manager and Partner October is National Estate Planning Awareness Month, making it a great time to learn about how to set yourself and your family up for long-term financial wellness. While estate planning is often mistakenly perceived as something for only high-net-worth individuals need, its utility is broader…
Read MoreWhy Valuation Matters: Understanding the True Value of Your Advisory Firm
As a financial advisor, you spend your career helping clients prepare for the future. Yet too often, advisors put their own future on hold, overlooking one of the most critical pieces of long-term success: understanding the value of their business. Whether you are planning for succession, considering a merger or acquisition, exploring equity opportunities, or…
Read MoreSeptember 2025 Market Update
In this September market update, Chief Investment Officer Brian Andrew, CFA®, looks at how markets extended their strength last month, with the S&P 500 and Dow reaching new highs as corporate earnings held firm and small- to mid-sized companies began to outpace mega-cap leaders. Inflation ticked slightly higher to 2.9% amid rising energy costs and…
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