Leighton G. Whitehead, Financial Planner with Whitehead Financial Group LLC

01/16/2026

Proud of our team and grateful for our clients and community. Being recognized as Best Investment Firm is an honor and reflects the trust our clients place in us.

08/06/2025

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be used to pay for today’s qualified medical expenses — but they also offer a triple tax advantage that can make them a valuable long-term savings tool. Worth a deeper look if you’re eligible.

Here's everything you need to know about getting the most out of a health savings account.

07/29/2025

A million dollars may or may not be your retirement target — but knowing what it takes to get there is useful for anyone saving for the future. This article breaks it down by age and savings timeline.

Many American workers say they'll need at least $1 million to retire comfortably, per Bankrate's survey. How much to set aside each month to reach that goal.

07/17/2025

Selling your home? You might be eligible to exclude up to $250k ($500k if married) of capital gains from taxes. This often-overlooked tax rule can make a big difference when it comes time to sell — just be sure you check with you tax professional to ensure you meet the requirements

The IRS capital gains home sale tax exclusion can be a valuable tool if you're eligible.

07/09/2025

Social media tax advice can be misleading. The IRS is warning about the dangers of following certain financial advice on social media. Financial misinformation spreads quickly on social platforms — and it can lead to penalties. When in doubt, verify with a trusted professional or go straight to the source.

Following certain social media tax advice can get you into legal trouble.

07/01/2025

Think your 401(k) fees are high? Headlines can often exaggerate. This article from Morningstar helps clarify what most people are really paying in their workplace retirement accounts — and why understanding those fees matters.

Beware the claims of investment personalities.

06/25/2025

Wondering how your retirement savings stack up? It’s not about comparison — it’s about context. This breakdown by age group can serve as a helpful benchmark as you plan your next steps. Just remember: averages don’t reflect individual needs.

Think you may have more than the average retirement savings of your peers? Here's your answer.

05/20/2025

Do you need life insurance? If so, how much do you need?

At one point I was told - "If you love somebody or you owe somebody, you need life insurance, and if you don’t love anybody and you don’t owe anybody, then you probably don’t need life insurance."

On a more serious note, if you have people that you need to provide for, then you should seriously consider how you’d do that if you were gone. While life insurance can’t replace you, it can replace what you did from a financial standpoint.

The attached article does a pretty good job of laying out how you might determine if you need life insurance as well as how much you might need.

Before purchasing life insurance, it's important to decide if you really need it, what type of policy is best, and how much coverage you should get.

05/08/2025

One of the simplest things you can do in the vein of estate planning is name beneficiaries and keep them up to date.

If you have bank accounts, investment accounts, a retirement plan, or life insurance, you can make life way easier on your family by naming beneficiaries or adding a TOD/POD designation. These designations allow the related assets to pass directly to the beneficiary(ies), which means that these assets will avoid probate and likely transfer quicker than if left to your estate and subsequently doled out.

Take note, even if you have a will, accounts with these beneficiary designations will pass outside of your will – meaning that the assets will go to the named beneficiary regardless of what your will says – so make sure your designations are current!

I’ve shared this article before, but it’s short and to the point when speaking to the importance of naming beneficiaries.

When creating any type of financial account, whether it’s a savings account, retirement savings account, or life insurance, one of the more important details to consider is the naming of a beneficiary or beneficiaries.

04/21/2025

“Your most valuable asset isn’t your house, car or retirement account. It’s the ability to make a living.”

Disability insurance can often be overlooked, but it’s an important part of a solid plan. This article from NerdWallet does a good job of outlining what disability insurance is, how it works, and who might need to consider it.

A complete guide to how disability insurance works, who needs it and how to get coverage through work or buy a policy on your own.

04/08/2025

“The power of investing is to turn seemingly insignificant amounts into massive sums of money, given a long enough time.”

“The stock market is kindest to those who stay faithful to it longest.”

The idea of investing early and giving money time to compound is not new to most people, but it’s always good to be reminded. If you haven’t started investing, start with something today – even if it’s a small amount – and begin building toward financial freedom.

Why start investing now? Because the stock market rewards the faithful.

03/18/2025

“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett