Connell Financial Group, LLC

05/13/2026

I opened my phone this morning and clicked on an article in Inc. about Jensen Huang speaking to the graduating class at Carnegie Mellon University.

He said:

“No generation has entered the world with more powerful tools or greater opportunities than you. We are all standing at the same starting line. This is your moment to help shape what comes next. So run, don’t walk.”

I think this is amazing advice, and honestly, I feel the same way.

But I also recognize that this is not the message most people are hearing from the media right now. There is so much negativity surrounding AI right now.

I know that there will absolutely be some negative consequences and disruptions from AI. Every major technological shift has created both opportunity and uncertainty.

But I also believe the positive impact could be transformational.

So why is there such a disconnect between the positive possibilities and the fear?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

02/02/2026

Research shows super-agers don’t share a similar diet or lifestyle, but they share one vital trait. You can copy it.

01/06/2026

What are Wall Street’s best and brightest looking for in 2026? If you toss out the highest and lowest, you can see that the other forecasts settle into a pretty tight range for the year. What the table doesn’t show is that there will be highs and lows during the year. There will be times when stock prices look invincible. And there will be times when you wonder why you invest in stocks at all.

11/19/2025

10 Money Tips for Newlyweds (and not so newlyweds)

Couples may be able to head off many of the problems in a marriage that money can cause.

11/18/2025

Are you ready to take the 1% challenge?

About 25 years ago, I learned one of the most important lessons of my entire career. I had just set up a new 401(k) plan for a business here in Syracuse. A representative from the investment company we used asked if he could help me enroll the employees. We ran eight meetings that first day, and he delivered the same message in every single one:

“Make sure you put in at least 6% to get the full match, but honestly, you should really be saving 15–20% of your pay.”

Great advice… in theory.

Three weeks later, I looked at the stack of paper enrollment forms (yes, back when everything was paper)… and I was stunned. Hardly anyone signed up.

So I went back to talk with the employees. And almost everyone told me the same thing:

“I can’t afford 6%. And I definitely can’t afford 15 or 20%.”

That’s when it hit me:
The biggest barrier isn’t the amount.
The barrier is getting started.

So I created something I still use today:

The 1% Challenge
Start with any amount.
$10 a paycheck.
$25 a paycheck.
1% of your income.

Then every six months, put a reminder on your calendar (cell phone today) and simply ask yourself:

“Can I increase this by 1%?”
Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can’t.

But the key is momentum.

And here’s the best part, last week, a woman sat in my office who took the 1% Challenge ten years ago. She now saves 19% of her income. Not because she made one huge leap, but because she took tiny steps that never felt overwhelming.

Her savings growth has been so strong that I was able to tell her:

“You don’t have to wait 4 more years to retire, you could retire comfortably today.”

But of course, she wants to keep working and keep saving. I love that!

11/17/2025

I forgot how incredible Manhattan is. I helped my daughter move into her new apartment, and the next day I was looking through the photos. When I zoomed in, I realized that way off to the right, there she was, the Statue of Liberty! I never even noticed it while we were there. Very cool!

11/14/2025

Kathleen Avery Connell and I attended the DISRUPTHR Syracuse event last night at INSPYRE Innovation Hub by CenterState. Lindsay Mastrogiovanni did a great job bringing in a big group to hear 8 different presenters share their ideas for creating a better workplace and workforce. The presentations were definitely thought provoking! My take away for the evening: Happy, engaged employees are more successful employees!

11/13/2025

Mark your calendars to join us at Vito's Ristorante for Holidays for Wishes to benefit Make-A-Wish Central New York! Scan the QR code to get your tickets!!

10/30/2025

Social Security benefits are getting a 2.8% COLA increase in 2026 — about $56 more per month on average.

Even if you haven’t claimed yet, future retirees benefit too! The system adjusts for inflation to help protect your purchasing power.

Let’s talk about what that means for your plan.

Source: ssa.gov/cola

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Information for 2025 Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 72.5 million Americans will …

07/30/2025

This past Saturday, Kathleen and I took my sister, Karen Wheeler, to see Into the Woods at the BeVard Studio at the Oncenter to celebrate her birthday. It’s a great little venue, and the show—performed by The Covey Theatre Company—was fantastic! Very funny and really well done.
Earlier this year, we also saw How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (also by Covey), and that performance was excellent too.
So, if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out their upcoming shows - https://coveytheater.com/upcoming-shows

07/23/2025

🚨Social Security Update – No New Law Passed 🚨

I’ve had multiple clients ask me and I know there’s been a lot of chatter online claiming that Social Security has changed the retirement age to 67 starting in 2026. That’s not true.

✅The Full Retirement Age (FRA) is now 67 for those born in 1960 or later.
✅This change was part of a law passed back in 1983—it’s not new, just the final step of a gradual shift.
✅FRA is the age at which you can collect your full benefit without any income limits if you continue working.
✅You can still start collecting benefits as early as age 62, though your benefits may be reduced and subject to earnings limits if you’re still working.
✅And remember: you can retire whenever you want—Social Security just determines when and how you can collect Social Security Benefits.

It's always a good idea to check the facts. If you have questions, I’m here to help.