Consulate Wealth

10/16/2026

Many advisors ask you to sign first, then show you what they can do. We do it the other way around.

Before anyone talks about becoming a client, we complete a Financial Physical®. Here's what you walk away with:

→ A written financial plan built on your real income, spending, and accounts.

→ A tax review of your last three years of returns, looking for errors and missed opportunities. We've found five-figure refunds this way.

→ A look at your insurance coverage and your estate documents, checked against your beneficiary designations and account titling.

→ Projections that show the probability your money lasts, and what changes if you retire a year earlier or spend a little more.

Then you decide. No pressure ir sales pitch, because we'd rather you choose us with evidence in hand.

10/15/2026

If you're over 70 and a half and you give to charity from your checking account, you'll probably pay tax on that money before it reaches them.

Most retirees take the standard deduction, so the gift doesn't show up on the return. Sending it directly from an IRA changes the math, and one mistake can disqualify it.

10/14/2026

Should you sign up for the military Survivor Benefit Plan? That depends… would your spouse depend on your pension to pay the bills?

If so, the SBP deserves a close look. It's inflation-adjusted, requires no medical exam, and the premiums stop after 30 years (provided you're at least 70).

If your spouse has a pension or substantial assets of their own, the answer takes more analysis, and taxes play a big role.

10/12/2026

Last week, we took on the high ropes at Genesee Valley and had a great time bonding as a team!

10/12/2026

Does your retirement plan have a line for the year you stop driving?

The car is often the last piece of independence to go, and giving it up can change your entire week. Groceries, doctor appointments, church, the standing lunch with friends. Everything starts running on someone else's schedule.

What replaces it depends on where you live. Driverless ride services now run in Miami and Orlando, so retirees in parts of Florida have an option that didn't exist five years ago. Around Baltimore, the answer is still a rideshare account that an adult child helps manage, or a hired driver a couple of days a week.

Each option costs money, and the decision is easier to make at 68 than at 85. Have you talked about this with your parents yet? Or with your kids?

10/09/2026

"You'd have to ask your CPA about that."

"That's really a question for your advisor."

Everyone is competent, yet no one is responsible for how the pieces fit together. The result is a plan that looks fine but still leaves money on the table, because the tax decision and the investment decision were made in different rooms.

We built our firm to work the other way. Our advisors and our tax team work from the same plan, and they talk to each other without you having to ask. When something needs an outside attorney, we coordinate it rather than hand you a phone number.

If you're tired of being the messenger between your own professionals, an intro call is a good place to start: (410) 823-7283.

10/08/2026

December 31 closes more than the calendar year. It closes the window on RMDs, Roth conversions, and charitable moves that only count if they happen before then. Here's what to do before the year runs out. Link in the comments.

Review this year-end financial checklist for 2026. Consulate Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary firm in Hunt Valley, MD and nationwide.

10/07/2026

You've saved more than most people ever will, but you still catch yourself wondering: "Am I doing this retirement thing right?"

That question usually means the decisions have evolved from being about saving to being about sequencing, and those are decisions most people have never had to make before.

Which account do you draw from first, and why? When do you claim Social Security, and what does that do to your taxes? Is there a window in your early 60s where a Roth conversion costs less than it ever will again? What will your required minimum distributions look like at 75?

For someone who has managed their own money well for 30 years, a second set of eyes often comes down to one thing: confirmation that the plan holds up, with numbers to back it up.

That's what a Financial Physical® is for. A complete plan, a review of your last three years of tax returns, and honest answers before you decide whether to work with us.

If you've been carrying that question around, we'd be glad to help you put it down: https://financialconsulate.com/contact/