Melissa Guttenberger, Financial Advisor/ Partner Croix Wealth Management

Melissa Guttenberger, Financial Advisor/ Partner Croix Wealth Management I help women and families navigate life changes. I want every client I work with to feel confident, prepared, and in control. “I never handled the finances.

Whether it’s adjusting after the loss of a spouse, preparing for retirement, or helping them reach their financial future. Where do I even start?”

“I know I have money, but am I going to be okay?”

“I want to retire, but how do I know if I have saved enough? I hear questions like these all the time. And if you’re asking them, you’re not alone. Many women I work with have spent years focusing on f

amily, careers, or supporting others— only to find themselves at a crossroads when life unexpectedly changes. Maybe your spouse always handled the finances, and now you need to step in. Maybe divorce has forced you to take a fresh look at your financial future. Or maybe you’re ready to retire but don’t feel confident that you have a plan. For over a decade, I’ve helped women 55+ gain clarity and control over their finances so they can confidently step into this next phase of life. My approach focuses on making sure you understand your wealth, make smart financial decisions, feel confident in your future, and implement goals to enjoy your wealth

Some of the ways I help:

� Turning savings into reliable income, so you don’t worry, “Will my money last?”
� Simplifying Social Security, taxes, and estate planning
� Safeguarding your future and legacy with a clear plan
� Providing trusted guidance for life’s big financial decisions

Whatever your journey, my goal is to help you find encouragement, support, and guidance so you can confidently move forward. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Croix Wealth Management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Croix Wealth Management with Raymond James Financial Services does not accept orders and/or instructions regarding your account by email, voice mail, fax or any alternate method. Transactional details do no supersede normal trade confirmations or statements. Important Disclosure Information: http://raymondjames.com/smicd.htm

If you’re the decision-maker in your family, you’re in good company.In a CFP Board study, 69% of surveyed women report b...
06/03/2026

If you’re the decision-maker in your family, you’re in good company.

In a CFP Board study, 69% of surveyed women report being their home’s financial decision-maker. And 60% of married women manage their family’s investment decisions as well.

Whether you’ve always had this role or responsibilities recently shifted your way, let me be the first to say: You have every right to take charge, and I encourage you to do so with confidence.

You carry deep considerations for your family’s best interests, with a focus on how finances translate to real-world fulfillment.

Because of this, you consider how every piece of your household’s financial picture works together. Of course, this can be difficult when juggling so many competing priorities—saving for retirement, paying for college, planning summer vacations, and managing day-to-day expenses.

But you’ve always kept the plates spinning and balls in the air, because you know what it takes to balance needs today with preparing for tomorrow.

The good news? This isn’t a responsibility you have to handle alone.

Source: https://www.cfp.net/news/2025/02/women-lead-financial-decision-making-in-most-households

For better or for worse, kids can’t read your mind. It’s hard to acknowledge you won’t be in their lives forever. But th...
05/27/2026

For better or for worse, kids can’t read your mind.

It’s hard to acknowledge you won’t be in their lives forever. But the day will come when they must make wealth decisions on their own. Specifically, decisions about the wealth you’ve given them.

Nobody sits around the dinner table with their kids eager to bring up estate planning. But conversations with your family are just as important as the paperwork you do “behind the scenes” with your advisor and attorney.

Give your family the greatest gift you can: an understanding of what you want your legacy to look like. Your ability to discuss your wishes, share your thoughts, and communicate your values shouldn’t be discounted. We can’t predict when our last days will happen, making it all the more important to encourage open communication now.

So many families forget that honest, sometimes tough, conversations are an essential part of the estate planning process and the best gift you can give your kids.

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country....
05/25/2026

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

It’s hard to imagine a day when you’ll need help doing the tasks you take for granted.But 51% of women over the age of 6...
05/20/2026

It’s hard to imagine a day when you’ll need help doing the tasks you take for granted.

But 51% of women over the age of 65 will require some form of long-term care.*

Another surprising reality? It isn’t covered by Medicare.

This is why I try to emphasize the importance of long-term care planning well before clients think they’ll ever need it. Earlier planning means more options, potentially lower costs, and better coverage (should long-term care insurance be the best route for you).

Sometimes clients try to assure me with, “My son says he’ll take care of me when I age.”

To which I can’t help but ask: “Do you really want your son to put his life on hold to take care of you? What if he’s in his prime with his spouse, or still raising a family?”

I also often hear, “I will just self insure, I have the money to do so.”

This may be true, but how likely are you to actually ask for help if, or when, the time comes? Adult children may be reluctant to ask for help as well, taking on more of the burden than you meant for them to ever carry alone.

Long-term care coverage can make a profound difference in your quality of life and independence while also protecting your family from hard decisions. It could be your opportunity to stay in control of your life and well-being, even if your health declines.

Preparing for any scenario, whether it’s unexpected health challenges or a long, healthy life that spans decades – that’s what retirement planning is all about.

Whether you’re caring for an aging parent or starting to plan for your own future, I help clients figure out which coverage and how much makes the most sense for them

*Source: American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, 2024, www.aaltci.org

Her children arise and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28. Thank you Mom for everything ❤️ Happy Mother’s Day to all you s...
05/10/2026

Her children arise and call her blessed.
Proverbs 31:28.

Thank you Mom for everything ❤️

Happy Mother’s Day to all you special ladies reading this. Special moms, grandmas, aunts, cousins, special friends and mentors, you have made a difference somewhere, somehow in someone’s life. Your sacrifices and intentional love have left their imprint and their legacy.

And to all of those special women who have left this earth too soon, your memories we treasure in our hearts forever. We will never stop loving you 💐

My 6th grader (almost a 7th grader) was invited to visit Rotary with me for the first time today. Fun to show her some o...
05/07/2026

My 6th grader (almost a 7th grader) was invited to visit Rotary with me for the first time today.
Fun to show her some of our club’s unique traditions like family style dining with homemade cooking and the “5-way” test that includes the addition of “will it be fun?” I think she has the “fun” part figured out 🤩

Social Security sounds pretty simple on paper.Start collecting at retirement, enjoy guaranteed monthly payments for life...
04/22/2026

Social Security sounds pretty simple on paper.

Start collecting at retirement, enjoy guaranteed monthly payments for life (with, bonus, an annual cost-of-living adjustment).

But did you know that changing your benefit start date by just one month impacts how much you’ll receive for the rest of your life?

Between ages 62 and 70, you can begin receiving benefits. Start collecting before 67 (your “full retirement age”), and you’ll receive a reduced monthly amount. Wait to collect until after age 67, and you’ll get a delayed credit (meaning higher monthly payments).

In an ideal world, delaying as long as possible makes sense. In reality? There are many factors to consider:

- Your expected life span
- Your spouse’s benefits and retirement timeline
- What other reliable sources of retirement income can sustain you in the meantime
- Potential tax implications
The decision to take Social Security shouldn’t be made independently of your other retirement considerations. It plays a bigger role in your retirement long-term than most people realize, and deserves ample consideration.

Yesterday was one of those feel good days not in the office."GROW where you are planted," Dr. Joe Townsend '67. These we...
04/10/2026

Yesterday was one of those feel good days not in the office.

"GROW where you are planted," Dr. Joe Townsend '67.
These were just some of his famous words that have resonated with me since I graduated college.

For more than 30 years, "Dr. Joe" served as Texas A&M associate vice president for student development and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences associate dean for student development. He taught many courses and is remembered by tens of thousands of students, especially those in the late 80's, 90's and early 2000's. He is remembered for being a gentle giant of a man on a mission to motivate and push kids to rise to the occasion. He only saw the best and gave any kid a chance that would prove the naysayers otherwise. And for the kids rising to the top, he would push us to become an even better version of ourselves, reminding us that humility goes a long way, there's always room to grow and that our gifts should be shared with others.

He truly helped shape the trajectory of my future. He believed in me, gave me endless opportunities to step out of my comfort zone to do hard things and inspired in me to live a life of leadership and service to others.

Fast forward to almost 22 years later to this day, The Townsend Leadership Fellows program exists, (developed in honor of Dr. Joe after his passing in 2021) and Dr. Chris, for top junior and senior leaders in the college to study leadership. I am confident these students will go on to be our next community, state and national leaders or just as important, the little league coach that shares his or her love for the game, the Rotary president who rallies their committees to do great things or the booster club volunteer who misses some of their own kid’s game just to help the organization make a few extra dollars to buy uniforms.

"Grow where you are planted." This was my message to these students yesterday as I relived my career and leadership journey since college.
I shared how embracing the community around you (no matter where you are planted) and how latching on to mentors throughout your journey have been my two proud pillars of measuring success.

Of course, I wouldn't have been doing my duty as an advisor or self if I didn't tell them to "save, save, save" in their 20's and 30's, to live below or within their means, and, if I hadn't sent them each home with a half gallon gift certificate for some Blue Bell ice cream. 😉
It was a good day!

Divorce is difficult at any age. But when it happens in your mid-50s or later, it can significantly reshape your financi...
04/08/2026

Divorce is difficult at any age. But when it happens in your mid-50s or later, it can significantly reshape your financial life.

For many women, retirement planning was built over decades as a shared effort. Shared income, shared savings, shared decisions about the future.

Divorce changes that structure overnight.

Assets that were meant to support one household are now divided between two. The plan you built together may no longer apply, and you are left redefining what the next phase of your financial life should look like.

This is the moment to regroup.

Start by understanding where things stand today.

- What assets are now in your name?
- What income sources will support you going forward?
- How will Social Security, pensions, or retirement accounts factor into your timeline?

At this stage of life, planning becomes more focused. There may be fewer working years to rebuild savings, which makes the decisions ahead more important, not impossible.

This next chapter simply requires a new plan, one built around the life you are creating now.

Social Security is simple, right? Well, yes and no.Yes, starting your benefits is easy enough (pick a date, fill out the...
03/25/2026

Social Security is simple, right? Well, yes and no.

Yes, starting your benefits is easy enough (pick a date, fill out the paperwork, cash your checks). But WHEN you start matters more than most people realize. Timing is key.

Too often, couples make their claiming decisions separately, one spouse at a time. But doing so could unintentionally lead to…

● Reduced lifetime benefits
● Higher taxes
● Changes to survivor income later on

It’s difficult to make changes once you’ve started collecting benefits. And after the first year, most of that flexibility disappears entirely. This is why thoughtfully coordinating Social Security with your spouse is so important before filing.

Taking the time to understand your options now can preserve stability and make sure your benefits support both of you as intended down the road.

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