Certus Wealth Management

10/14/2026

Employer open enrollment windows run at different times depending on where you work, generally somewhere between September and December, so it’s a good time to check your HR portal or benefits notice for your specific dates. For those without employer coverage, Healthcare.gov opens November 1.

Outside of a qualifying life event like marriage, a new baby, or losing other coverage, this window is often the only chance all year to adjust your health plan, HSA contribution, or other benefit elections. If you have access to an HSA, take a close look at your contribution level while you have the chance. It's one of the only accounts that gives you a tax break going in, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses.

If you want a second opinion on how your elections fit into the bigger picture, reach out at [email protected].

10/07/2026

October is Financial Planning Month, making it a good time to look at what's changed since the start of the year. A new job, a move, a kid starting school, a milestone birthday, small shifts add up, and your plan should keep pace with them.

Getting ahead of that conversation now means more room to be thoughtful about decisions like Roth conversions, charitable giving, or year-end contributions, rather than making them in the last week of December under deadline pressure.

If it's been a while since we've reviewed your plan, let's put time on the calendar, reach out at [email protected].

09/17/2026

September might feel early to think about year-end taxes, but that's the point. Waiting until December leaves less room to make thoughtful moves. Tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving strategies, and reviewing your withholding are all things that work better with a few months of runway instead of a few weeks.

Let's start that conversation now, before the year gets away from us - [email protected]

09/08/2026

Jackson Hole speeches always get a lot of market attention, and this year's surprised some investors. I've been talking with clients about what a shift in Fed tone means for a long-term plan, and it comes down to less than the headlines suggest.

There's also a change tucked into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reshaping how charitable giving works this year, especially if you itemize. Good to know before year-end planning kicks in.

I break both down in this month's newsletter. Read it here: https://tinyurl.com/mwz2hzdu

With September’s arrival, our kids are back in their routines and our schedules are filling back in at the Van Hofwegen home. It's also a season I like for financial conversations, and two developments are on my radar right now that could touch your own unique plan in different ways.

09/02/2026

Most people set up beneficiary designations years ago on retirement accounts, bank accounts, and insurance policies, and never look at them again. Life changes though. Marriages, divorces, births, moves to a new state, all of it can make old designations outdated. It only takes about 30 minutes to pull up your statements and confirm everything still reflects your wishes. Reach out if you want to walk through it together, [email protected].

08/25/2026

Back-to-school season is here, and it's a good nudge to think about education savings too. If you have kids or grandkids, a 529 plan can be a powerful tool for covering future tuition and expenses. Let's talk about how education savings fits into your broader financial plan. [email protected]

08/18/2026

The Fed met at the end of July and held rates steady for the fifth meeting in a row. But the vote wasn't as unified as it looks. Three regional Fed presidents dissented in favor of raising rates, the first time in nearly a decade that three policymakers have pushed in the same direction at once.

Markets took notice, with stocks slipping and longer-term yields moving higher as investors weighed how much pressure is building inside the Fed. Stocks have since rebounded from this news.

Our latest newsletter breaks down what happened, what Chairman Warsh's approach signals, and what we're watching heading into the Fed's next meeting in September.

Read the full update here: https://tinyurl.com/3aajjrx2

08/04/2026

Summer tends to be when people put financial planning on hold. I get it. But it's also one of the better windows of the year for a conversation about Roth conversions, because you're in the middle of the year and can still estimate your income with some accuracy.

The basic idea is moving traditional IRA dollars to a Roth, paying taxes now, and enjoying tax-free growth and withdrawals later. Whether that tradeoff makes sense depends on your current bracket, your expected future income, and how it fits into your broader picture and goals. There's no universal answer, but strategizing in July rather than December usually helps to provide clarity and get ahead of the year-end rush.

If you've been curious whether a conversion belongs in your plan, now's a good time to find out.

07/07/2026

Mid-year is a natural checkpoint. Not to overhaul everything, but to ask a few real questions.

-Are you on pace with retirement contributions?
-Did something shift this year that changes your tax picture?
-Are there moves that make more sense to start now than in December?

The families I work with who feel most prepared in January are usually the ones who did a quiet review in July. If you want to do a quick pulse check, my inbox is open: [email protected]

06/30/2026

We're officially at the halfway point of 2026. If your financial situation has shifted this year, with a job change, a major expense, a windfall, or a life event, the second half is the time to recalibrate, not December.

Some of the most impactful planning moves I make with clients happen in the summer, when there's still time to act thoughtfully rather than scramble. If you want to run through where things stand for your unique situation, reach out: [email protected]