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March 4, 2026
Vericrest Insights – March 2026
The February economic data delivered exactly what markets needed — not perfection, just confirmation. Inflation continues to cool, and the labor market remains intact. CPI came in softer than expected, with rental components finally reflecting the long-awaited deceleration in housing costs. Real weekly earnings are up roughly 1.9% year over year — the strongest improvement
February 10, 2026
What to Do With Unused 529 Plan Assets: A Decision Framework for High-Net-Worth Families
Ending up with unused 529 plan assets is common among high-net-worth families. College costs often come in lower than projected due to scholarships, accelerated graduation, or conservative funding assumptions. At that point, the question shifts from education planning to broader wealth planning: how should these dollars be redeployed in a way that preserves tax efficiency
February 5, 2026
Diversification Works — Even When It Doesn’t Feel Like It
Diversification has never been broken. What has happened – repeatedly – is that investors confuse long-term investment principles with short-term performance comparisons. When one market, sector, or style dominates for extended periods, diversification can feel unnecessary or even counterproductive. But history and data are clear: diversification works over the long haul, even when it temporarily
February 2, 2026
Vericrest Insights – February 2026
February arrives with a familiar feeling – much like Groundhog Day. Investors are watching the same themes resurface: inflation that refuses to fully retreat, interest rates paused but not yet falling, and markets reacting quickly to headlines while waiting for clarity that never quite arrives. Like the movie, it can feel repetitive, but the lesson
January 21, 2026
8 Questions to Ask When Looking for the Right Financial Advisor
Whether you’re saving for retirement, considering major purchases, planning your estate, or just want a second set of eyes on your investments, hiring a financial advisor who you feel best suits your needs could be key. The value of working with a financial advisor varies by person. While advisors are legally prohibited from promising returns,
January 6, 2026
Why This Chart Matters — And What It Teaches Us About Diversification
There are very few investment visuals that tell the truth as clearly as this one. The annual asset class performance chart shows how different parts of the market perform relative to one another each year. Rows represent calendar years. Columns represent major asset classes—U.S. stocks, international stocks, emerging markets, real estate, bonds, commodities, and cash.
January 5, 2026
Vericrest Insights – January 2026
A new year brings fresh perspective, but it also offers a useful pause to reflect on what we’ve learned, what’s changed, and what still holds true. Our monthly newsletter is intended to provide context, not noise, and to help frame recent market developments within a longer-term view. If nothing else, I hope it serves as
December 1, 2025
Vericrest Insights – December 2025
24 days ‘till Christmas (but who’s counting…) Markets were mixed in November. The S&P 500 finished the month essentially flat at +0.1%, while small-cap stocks (Russell 2000) gained about +0.6%, showing a bit more strength. Gold had a strong month, rising roughly +5.5%. Company-level results remained solid, but broader market sentiment stayed cautious. Nvidia is a good example: despite excellent
November 19, 2025
Understanding the Dynamics of Inheriting an IRA
Inheriting an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be both a financial opportunity and a challenge. Alongside the emotional weight of a loved one’s passing, beneficiaries must navigate complex rules that affect taxes, distribution timelines, and long-term financial planning. With the SECURE Act of 2019, the rules around inherited IRAs have changed significantly. Traditional “stretch IRA”
November 3, 2025
Vericrest Insights – November 2025
This past month may have answered a few questions—but it raised plenty more. The Federal Reserve delivered its second consecutive interest rate cut, lowering the benchmark rate by another quarter point to a range of 3.75%–4%. Chair Jerome Powell joined the 10–2 majority on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), but offered no clear guidance for the next decision in December. Complicating
October 30, 2025
Should I Take My Pension as a Lump Sum or a Series of Payments?
If you’re eligible for a defined benefit retirement plan (pension), your employer may offer you a lump-sum payout instead of monthly payments. This reflects a decades-long trend of companies shifting away from pensions toward defined-contribution plans, such as 401(k)s. With interest rates rising, many companies are accelerating these offers. Higher rates reduce the actuarial value of future
October 21, 2025
The Magic of Compound Interest
“I wish I’d started saving earlier…” Ask most baby boomers about their most significant financial regret, and this one often tops the list. When you’re in your twenties, retirement feels like a lifetime away. Between student loans, high living costs, and uncertain job markets, investing may not seem like a priority. But delaying could be
October 14, 2025
Finding Tax Savings: Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA) in Retirement Plans
Employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), provide powerful savings opportunities—but also create complex tax considerations. One often-overlooked strategy that may offer substantial tax savings is Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA). Despite its technical name, NUA is a relatively straightforward method for converting some retirement plan gains from higher ordinary income tax rates into lower capital gains tax
October 1, 2025
Vericrest Insights – October 2025
The fourth quarter begins with the Fed having restarted its rate cut cycle in the face of moderating economic activity, with uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy continuing to complicate the outlook. Recent labor market data have weakened meaningfully, with downward revisions to job growth and a modest rise in unemployment signaling softer conditions. Federal
September 30, 2025
Time in the Market vs. Timing the Market
The old adage, “it’s not about timing the market, but about time in the market,” has proven true again and again. Decades of research show that investors who remain invested in a well-diversified portfolio for the long run typically outperform those who try to predict short-term turning points. As a financial advisor over the past decade, one
September 24, 2025
Early Retirement Plan Withdrawals: The IRS 72(t) SEPP Strategy (Part 2)
So, you’ve built a successful career, saved diligently in your retirement plan, and are ready to retire in your 50s—or even earlier. The challenge: how to access your savings before age 59½ without triggering the IRS’s 10% early withdrawal penalty. In Part 1 of this series, we covered the Rule of 55, which allows penalty-free access to specific workplace
September 9, 2025
Early Retirement Plan Withdrawals: Understanding the Rule of 55 (Part 1)
So, you’ve had a successful career, saved diligently in your workplace retirement plan, and are ready to retire in your 50s—or even earlier. The question becomes: how can you access your retirement savings before age 59½ without triggering a penalty? This two-part series explores strategies that can help you minimize taxes and avoid the IRS’s
September 2, 2025
Vericrest Insights – September 2025
I hope you and your families had a nice Labor Day! (In case you’re interested, here is an article from the Department of Labor on the history of the holiday.) The story this month is the Fed and if their September meeting will end in an interest rate change. The Federal Reserve’s primary inflation rate, the
August 7, 2025
What High-Income Earners Need to Know About the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and 2025 Tax Planning
On July 4, 2025, the President signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) into law, ushering in a wave of tax code updates. While headlines focused on middle-income breaks and W-2 perks, high-income earners — especially those nearing or in retirement — need to look past the noise and focus on what matters for long-term financial
August 1, 2025
Vericrest Insights – August 2025
At its July meeting this week, the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to maintain the federal funds rate at its current range of 4.25%-4.5%, a level held since December 2024. This decision comes despite intense pressure from the Trump administration for rate cuts. While the majority of the FOMC voted for the hold,
July 30, 2025
The High Cost of Doing Nothing: Why Inflation Is the Most Predictable Threat to Your Wealth
Over the last 30 years, the U.S. dollar has lost 53% of its purchasing power. That means what cost $1 in 1995 now costs $2.13 in 2025. It’s a jarring statistic—quietly shared in a recent post by Peter Mallouk, CEO of Creative Planning—but one that every investor and retiree needs to fully understand. This isn’t some
July 15, 2025
What is Action Bias – and what does it mean for investors?
There are many behavioral biases that impact our success as investors, and one of the more impactful ones is Action Bias. In this article, we’ll discuss what action bias is, and how it impacts investment decisions. Before we get started, please feel free to bookmark our other newsletters on investing and behavioral bias: 8 investor biases
July 2, 2025
Vericrest Insights – July 2025
Global markets entered the second quarter on unstable footing, as the U.S. announced new tariffs on April 2, sparking a sharp selloff and a notable spike in the VIX. This initial disruption, however, gave way to a broad recovery in equity markets as trade-related uncertainty receded and geopolitical tensions eased—most notably following a late-June ceasefire
June 2, 2025
Vericrest Insights – June 2025
Data are in… and May didn’t disappoint. The S&P 500 closed May up 6.2%, its best month since November 2023—and the strongest May showing since 1990. Cue the shoulder shrug from the Fed, but markets are clearly saying something. The big surprise last week? A stunning collapse in the trade deficit, pointing to a possible
May 5, 2025
Vericrest Insights – May 2025
Happy Cinco de Mayo! What a tumultuous month in the equity markets, marked by the biggest stock declines since the early days of the Covid pandemic, huge single-day surges and similar swings in other investments, such as U.S. Treasuries. Despite the violence of the daily shifts, the monthly changes in major indexes were muted, with
April 14, 2025
Why a Down Market Might Be the Best Time for a Roth Conversion
When the market pulls back, most people get understandably uncomfortable. Account values drop, the headlines get louder, and the knee-jerk reaction is often to sit tight or go into full defense mode. But if a Roth Conversion is already on your radar, a down market may be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Let’s break
April 3, 2025
Vericrest Insights – April 2025
We are going to start off with some perspective…. “I need to get out now and wait until the market comes back.” “I’ll wait until the market pulls back before I add more.” These are examples of investors who do not have an overall plan. When investors talk like this – and, worse yet, make
March 13, 2025
A Post-Divorce Checklist
Welcome to your new life! Now may be the time for a fresh start. Maybe this means making that major purchase that you may have been held back from making – a shore house, a new convertible, a boat. Or taking that much-needed vacation with friends – you certainly are now “free” to roam about
March 6, 2025
Divorce and Social Security: Your Ex’s Record Might Still Pay Off
Divorce is a financial gut punch—splitting assets, rewriting budgets, maybe even selling the house you swore you’d never leave. But here’s a twist you might not see coming: your ex’s Social Security could still have your back. Yep, even after the ink’s dry, there’s a chance to claim benefits based on their record. Don’t get
March 3, 2025
Vericrest Insights – March 2025
If you read or watch any sort of financial news, you’ve, no doubt, seen/heard prognosticators talk of the current valuation of the stock market – are we at the precipice of a market correction? To assess whether the stock market, specifically the S&P 500, is overvalued, we can look at its forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio
