Leap Wealth Management, LLC.

05/18/2026

Who else has a pet that runs the household? 🙋

May is National Pet Month, and whether it's a dog 🐕, a cat 🐈, or something with scales or feathers, pets have a way of taking over.

They love us unconditionally. They give us so much joy. They are a big part of the fabric of our families.

They also can cost more than we expected, require more preparation than we anticipated, and somehow we'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

If you have one, or three, or had one in the past, then you know. ❤️

Share a pic of your fur baby(ies)! 🐶

05/15/2026

Think you have to start claiming Social Security at 62?

That's a myth that could cost you.

Fidelity recently broke down this common misconception with the facts behind Social Security:

➡️ Claiming at 62 locks in a permanent 30 percent reduction compared to waiting until full retirement age.

➡️ Waiting from 62 to 70 can increase your monthly benefit by approximately 77 percent.

➡️ If you're divorced after 10+ years of marriage and haven't remarried, you may be entitled to 50 percent of your ex-spouse's benefit, and claiming it doesn't affect theirs at all.

➡️ Benefits are based on your highest 35 earning years, not just what you made before 65. Working past 65 can still improve your calculation.

➡️ Once you claim it, that's your benefit, adjusted only for cost-of-living increases.

The decision of when to claim is one of the most consequential decisions when preparing for retirement.

For a benefit designed to last 20, 30, or more years, the math is worth getting right. 📊

05/14/2026

Your retirement outlook probably covers income, investments, and Social Security.

But does it answer this question: if your health changes at 82, who coordinates your care, how is it paid for, and what burden does it place on the people you love? 👇

That's the conversation most families aren't having early enough.

A few numbers that put it in perspective:

✅ 70 percent of adults who reach 65 will need some form of long-term care.

✅ A semi-private nursing home room now costs a median of $114,975 per year, and that number is climbing fast.

✅ Projected out 20 years, nursing home care could approach $186,000 annually.

✅ Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) offer an alternative: move in while independent, with access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on one campus as needs change.

✅ A portion of CCRC entrance fees and monthly fees may have tax considerations since they can be classified as a medical expense. Most people don't know this.

The biggest mistake we see?

Waiting.

CCRCs require applicants to be healthy enough to live independently. Many have waitlists.

"I'll just stay in my house" feels like the safest option. But it's only safe if you've stress-tested what happens when care needs escalate.

Have you started this conversation with your family or your financial professional? 👇

05/13/2026

Most people think they've done everything right by maxing out their 401(k) for 30 years.

They haven't made a mistake. But they may have an expensive surprise waiting.

Here's how it works: the IRS doesn't let your retirement accounts grow tax-deferred forever. Once you turn 73 (or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later), you're required to start taking money out — whether you need it or not. These are called Required Minimum Distributions, or RMDs.

The problem isn't the withdrawals themselves. It's the math.

If you've done a good job saving, you might have $1.5 million or more sitting in pre-tax accounts by the time you retire. At 73, your RMD on a $1.5M IRA balance is roughly $58,000 — added on top of Social Security, any pension, and other income. That can push you into a higher tax bracket than you were in during your working years.

And Social Security isn't a safe harbor either. Once your income crosses certain thresholds, up to 85% of your benefit becomes taxable. Add Medicare IRMAA surcharges, and retirement income planning gets complicated fast.

The window to address this is the years between retirement and when RMDs begin. It doesn't stay open long.

I put together a guide that walks through how pre-retirees can use this window strategically. If you're 55–72 with significant pre-tax savings, it's worth a read.

Download the Roth Conversion Guide →

Required Minimum Distributions are coming whether you're ready or not. If you have $500,000 or more in a 401(k) or IRA, a Roth conversion strategy can put you in control of what you owe - before the IRS decides for you. Here are some items that are covered in our guide below:

05/12/2026

Stocks hit record highs last week, led by a sharp rebound in semiconductor and mega-cap tech shares. The S&P 500 rose 2.3%, while the Nasdaq gained 4.5% amid AI optimism and strong earnings. Chipmakers surged, while Energy and...

05/10/2026

⛳ Happy National Golf Day to everyone who loves the game.

And to everyone who loves someone who loves the game—your patience is appreciated!

Golf and financial strategies actually have a lot in common.

Both reward patience over impulse.

Both can punish you for trying to do too much.

The people who stay calm and “manage the course” usually come out ahead.

Now if only we could remember that somewhere between the first tee and the 18th green. 🏌️

Enjoy the weekend!

05/09/2026

💐 Happy Mother's Day weekend to all the moms, stepmoms, grandmothers, and mother figures who have and continue to shape us all!

Moms teach us more about money than they probably realize. The way they focus us on what matters and demonstrate the beauty of giving without expectation.

So much of how we think about generosity, responsibility, and what's worth protecting traces back to what we learn from the women in our lives.

Happy Mother's Day!

05/05/2026

Markets closed modestly higher with S&P 500 and Nasdaq at record highs on strong earnings (84% EPS beats). Alphabet surged; Meta and Microsoft fell on AI spending scrutiny. Communication Services and Energy led sectors. Crude topped...

05/04/2026

Behind every small business is someone who believes in themselves. 💼

Business owners carry a weight most people don't see.

You're the CEO, the HR department, and sometimes the night janitor, all in the same day.

The financial picture is more complicated, too.

Choosing a retirement account, balancing what you pay yourself with reinvesting in the business, and making sure the company serves your life, not the other way around.

Think about your local coffee shop, the local family-owned restaurant, and the flower shop—those places exist because someone took a risk and kept showing up.

This week, skip the chain and stop by a small business instead. 🙌

05/01/2026

May is Military Appreciation Month.

To everyone who served and the families who held things together back home: thank you.

Military families deal with financial complexities that most people never encounter.

Deployments, relocations every few years, pension decisions, survivor benefits, and VA loans.

The financial picture looks different because military life looks different.

We're grateful to work with military families and veterans. And we’re grateful to all who served.

04/30/2026

A lot of what drives outcomes is below the surface.

For example, in 2022, when the S&P 500 fell more than 18 percent, two-thirds of mutual funds still made capital gains distributions, according to a 2025 Fidelity report.

That is not a headline most investors expect, and it is a reminder that taxable distributions from mutual funds do not always reflect market performance.

What’s really going on:
A mutual fund can distribute taxable capital gains when the manager sells underlying holdings at a profit, even if you don’t sell any shares of the fund.

It can happen in a down year; gains on individual holdings can occur while the overall fund value declines.

Buying a mutual fund late in the year can still leave you responsible for distributions tied to that full calendar year.

Fidelity cites a Morningstar study showing taxes may reduce portfolio returns by up to 2 percent annually on average when not accounted for.

There are ways to manage surprise distributions, including tax-smart account placement, tax-managed funds, and evaluating ETFs, where appropriate.

Remember, mutual funds and ETFs are sold only by prospectus. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses, and investment objectives carefully before investing. A prospectus containing this and other information about the investment company can be obtained from your financial professional. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

This is not about avoiding mutual funds. It is about the benefits of working with a financial professional who can show you what mutual funds pay capital gains and what funds are designed to manage payouts. Your tax, legal and accounting professionals can show you how a capital gain will affect your tax situation.