Maxwell Financial Mgmt.

05/19/2026

If you or someone in your family is still in school—or heading back in the fall—now is the time to make sure your FAFSA form is in.

A few things worth knowing:
⏰ The federal deadline is June 30. State and school deadlines are often earlier.
⏰ Many types of aid are first-come, first-served. Waiting could cost money.
⏰ You can make corrections after submission, but the form needs to be in first.

Don't let a deadline get in the way of money that's already available to you.

05/11/2026

Extended care is one of the biggest wild cards in retirement.

Costs vary by location, care type, and health needs—but they've all been rising faster than many realize.

These five insights can help you understand what drives costs and why they often catch retirees by surprise.



Sources:
CareScout, Cost of Care Report, July–December 2024
AALTCI, Long-Term Care Insurance Statistics & Data 2025
EBRI/Greenwald, 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, April 2025

05/08/2026

Stocks surged in April, delivering their strongest monthly gains in five years as solid economic data, easing geopolitical tensions, and upbeat first-quarter earnings lifted investor sentiment. The Nasdaq climbed 15.29%, the S&P 500 rose 10.42%, and the Dow gained 7.14%, while Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite added 3.65%. With no Fed meeting in May, attention turns to remarks from Fed officials and how evolving economic data may shape expectations moving forward. From \$34.1 billion in U.S. spending to the popularity of Mother’s Day dining and gifts, this month’s By the Numbers highlights how families celebrate the occasion.

Stocks surged in April, notching their best month in five years as investors cheered upbeat economic news, efforts to lower tensions in the Middle East, and first-quarter results.

05/07/2026

Over the next decade, women are set to control up to $30 trillion in financial assets. But wage gaps, caregiving responsibilities, and life changes like divorce can all impact long-term outcomes.

Women investors are doing things differently—trading less, thinking long-term, and staying curious. This isn’t about catching up. It’s about moving forward with confidence.

Let’s talk about what’s next.

Source: Transamericacenter.org, 2021.

04/20/2026

Roth… But Make It Make Sense (Part 6)

Over the last few posts, I’ve broken down different Roth strategies, from Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s to conversions and backdoor contributions.

The last piece is how this all actually comes together.

Because it’s rarely just one strategy.

In practice, it’s a mix over time. Some years it may make sense to do a Roth conversion. Other years it may be contributions, whether through a Roth 401(k) or a backdoor Roth. And sometimes, the right move is to do nothing at all.

What matters most is understanding what you have access to, where you are from a tax perspective, and how that may change.

This is where planning actually comes in. It’s not about getting it perfect in one year, it’s about making thoughtful decisions over time.

If you’ve been trying to make sense of what applies to you, you’re not alone. These are the kinds of conversations I have every day.

And a big part of my focus is helping women feel more confident and involved in these decisions, not just understanding the strategy, but actually owning their financial future.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about Roth strategies, it’s about clarity and confidence in where you’re headed.

04/13/2026

Roth… But Make It Make Sense (Part 5)

Following up on my last post on when Roth conversions can make sense…

It’s just as important to understand when they might not.

Roth conversions can be a great strategy, but not in every situation.

For example, when someone is already in a high tax bracket, converting more income on top of that may not be the most efficient move.

Or when there isn’t a long enough time horizon to benefit from the tax-free growth.

Or if there isn’t a clear plan for how to pay the taxes without pulling from the account itself.

This is where I see people run into trouble, treating it like an automatic “yes” instead of a planning decision.

And this is also where another strategy often comes up in conversation: backdoor Roth contributions.

Different concept, but related.

Instead of converting existing pre-tax dollars, a backdoor Roth is about getting new money into a Roth when income is too high for direct contributions.

So while a Roth conversion might not make sense in a given year, there may still be other ways to build tax-free assets over time.

It all comes back to understanding which strategy fits, and when.

04/07/2026

U.S. stocks slipped in Q1 as AI disruption fears and Middle East tensions rattled investors. The S&P 500 fell 4.63%, the Nasdaq dropped 7.11%, and the Dow lost 3.58% — though six of eleven S&P 500 sectors still finished in the green, led by Energy's standout 37.91% gain. As the weather warms up and spring gets us outside, it turns out Americans are right there with you — over 181 million U.S. residents participated in outdoor recreation in 2024. Check out this month's by-the-numbers for more on the outdoor recreation economy.

Stocks fell in the first quarter amid concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) could disrupt certain industries and geopolitical issues that unsettled investors.

03/30/2026

Roth...But Make it Make Sense (Part 4)

The question I get most often isn’t what a Roth conversion is, it’s whether someone should actually be doing it.

And the answer is: it depends.

But there are a few situations where I tend to spend more time exploring it with clients.

-Lower income years, where you have an opportunity to recognize income at a lower tax rate.

-The window before required minimum distributions begin, when you still have more control over your taxable income.

-When someone expects higher income later, whether that’s from deferred compensation, pensions, or other sources.

-And in some cases, when there is a large pre-tax balance that could create a bigger tax issue down the road.

This is where planning actually comes in.

It’s rarely about converting everything at once. More often, it’s a gradual, year-by-year approach, being intentional about how much income you recognize along the way.

At the end of the day, it’s about deciding when you want to pay taxes, instead of letting it happen later on someone else’s timeline.

Next, I’ll walk through when this strategy might not make sense, which is just as important.

03/24/2026

Roth… But Make It Make Sense (Part 3)

Following up on my last couple posts, let’s talk about Roth conversions, which is where a lot of the current conversation is happening.

A Roth conversion is simply moving money from a pre-tax account, like an IRA, into a Roth account. You pay taxes on that amount today so it can grow and be withdrawn tax-free in retirement if used correctly.

So why would someone do this? In many cases, it comes down to timing and future planning.

Some of the more common situations I see are lower income years where it may make sense to recognize income, trying to reduce future required minimum distributions, creating more flexibility around taxes in retirement, and in some cases, legacy planning by leaving behind tax-free assets to heirs.

That said, this is not an automatic yes strategy. How much to convert, when to do it, and how you pay the tax all matter.

Where I see things go wrong is when someone converts too much in one year and unintentionally pushes themselves into a higher tax bracket.

Done thoughtfully, it can be a really powerful planning tool.

Next, I’ll get into when this strategy tends to make sense and when it doesn’t.

03/23/2026

Was it worth it? How long before your gas savings makes up for the cost of that new hybrid?

Estimate how many months it may take to recover the out-of-pocket costs when buying a more efficient vehicle.

03/19/2026

Roth… But Make It Make Sense (Part 2)

Following up on my post yesterday, let’s start with the two most common types of Roth accounts: Roth IRA vs. Roth 401(k).

At a high level, both offer tax-free growth and tax-free income in retirement (if used correctly). But how you get money into them, and who can use them, is very different.

A Roth IRA is funded with after-tax dollars, has income limits, and offers more flexibility with investments and withdrawals.

A Roth 401(k) is through your employer plan, has no income limits, and allows for higher contribution amounts. You can even direct up to 100% of your employee contributions to Roth (provided your employer allows this).

*Starting in 2026, there’s also an important change: higher-income earners will be required to make catch-up contributions as Roth, meaning those dollars are taxed now instead of later.

Where I see confusion most often is simply understanding what’s available and how each option works.

Next week, I’ll break down Roth conversions, which is where a lot of the current conversation is happening!