Mark B. Sutton, Private Wealth Advisor

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween! Whether you are handing out candy, walking the neighborhood with little ghosts and superheroes or enjoying a quiet night at home, I hope your evening is full of more treats than tricks.

What candy disappears first at your house?

10/28/2026

In tennis, the point you give away with an unforced error counts exactly the same as the winner your opponent earns.

Financially, the avoidable mistakes often matter just as much: reacting to headlines, letting a portfolio drift or making a tax decision without checking how it affects the rest of your strategy.

You cannot control every bounce. You can reduce the unforced errors.
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The latest perspectives from Mark B Sutton in Cincinnati, OH. The information you need to progress towards your long-term goals.

10/26/2026

Before making a year-end financial move, I like to ask three questions:

• What problem are we solving?
• What else will this decision affect?
• Would we still make this choice if the market moved tomorrow?

A good strategy is not a collection of clever moves. It is a set of decisions that work together and remain grounded in your goals.
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10/23/2026

A second opinion is not a sign that your current strategy has failed. It is a way to test whether the pieces still fit.

If someone you care about is approaching retirement, managing an inheritance or simply unsure whether their financial decisions are coordinated, I would be glad to listen and offer a fresh perspective.
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10/21/2026

Caregiving has a balance sheet, even when no one calls it that.

Time away from work, travel, home modifications and paid care can quietly reshape a family’s finances. The emotional side deserves compassion. The financial side deserves a plan before a crisis forces decisions.

A thoughtful conversation now can clarify who will help, what resources are available and how the family will share responsibility.

A growing group of middle-income elderly people are too rich for government benefits but can't afford long-term care.

10/19/2026

Required minimum distributions are easy to postpone because the deadline feels far away—until it does not.

The amount you withdraw can affect taxable income, cash reserves and the investments you sell to raise funds. That makes an RMD more than an administrative task. It is a portfolio and tax-planning decision that deserves coordination.

If you have not reviewed your 2026 distribution strategy, now is a good time to start.

Understand the nuances and rules of RMD planning.

10/19/2026

Pre-FC Cincinnati soccer fun.

10/17/2026

Mark’s Monthly Pour: Rioja Reserva

Fall calls for a w**e with enough structure for a slow dinner but enough balance to keep the conversation going. A Rioja Reserva is a great match for roasted mushrooms, pork tenderloin or a simple board of aged cheese.

My rule for w**e is similar to my rule for a good plan: complexity is welcome, confusion is not. What are you pouring this fall?

10/15/2026

Medicare Open Enrollment begins today and runs through Dec. 7. Even if you were satisfied with your coverage this year, it is worth reviewing what may change next year—including premiums, prescription coverage and provider networks.

Health care is also part of retirement income planning. A coverage change can affect more than your doctor visits; it can affect your monthly cash flow.

Open Enrollment Open Enrollment happens from October 15 – December 7 and is the time each year when you can make changes to your coverage. The changes you make during Open Enrollment are effective January 1 of next year (the plan must get your enrollment request by December 7). Your options during...

10/12/2026

Retirement is not one finish line. It is a series of decisions with different clocks.

Your last paycheck, Medicare eligibility, Social Security claiming age and required minimum distributions may all begin at different times. Treating them as one event can create gaps that are hard to see until income changes.

The better question is not only “When can I retire?” It is “How will each phase work together?”
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