Samuel Fitch - Licensed Financial Advisor

10/16/2026

The start of Year 5! Its crazy that time has gone this fast.

Please join us in congratulating Samuel Fitch - Licensed Financial Advisor on his four-year anniversary with Alliance Financial Network!💙

For Sam, the past year has been one of personal challenges, family, and growth. Following the loss of his mother, supporting his family became his greatest priority and something he considers among his most meaningful accomplishments.

Outside of work, Sam remains actively involved with New Creation Assembly of God and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, supporting the Chautauqua Region MS Society - CRMSS community and Walk MS Buffalo. 🧡

He's also continuing his professional development and is now two-thirds of the way through the educational requirements for his RICP® designation!

Sam, we're grateful to have you as part of the Alliance family and appreciate the dedication, compassion, and perspective you bring to our team.
Get to know Sam more here: https://www.myafn.com/team/samuel-fitch

09/16/2026

I recently shared a story with a client, and then again with a colleague, about how my grandfather passed away during the COVID pandemic.

He was in a local nursing home because he could no longer walk or stand upright on his own.

Without getting into all of the details, the last several hours of my grandfather’s life were spent in a wheelchair, in a storage room, by himself, unconscious and struggling to breathe because he had COVID. We were permitted to go into the room with full medical protective gear to see him.

There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone you love spend their final hours in conditions that, in my opinion, were reprehensible.

I shared that story with my client because we were talking about a long-term care rider on his life insurance policy.

As a young man, he wasn’t sure why he needed it or what benefit there was to having it.

My explanation was simple.

Not having a plan can put your assets at risk later in life.

Having the right protection in place can help protect those assets, but it can also give you options. It may allow you to receive care in your own home rather than having your circumstances dictate where that care has to happen.

I shared the same story with my colleague while we were trying to determine the right amount of long-term care protection for another client.

Proper planning early is key.

Long-term care planning is not only about protecting your family from the financial burden of care.

It is also about protecting your choices.

Your independence.

And your dignity through the later years of your life.

That matters.

If you have a similar story or experience with long-term care, whether with a parent, grandparent, spouse, or someone else you love, I’d invite you to share it in the comments.

Sometimes these conversations are difficult, but they are important.

09/04/2026

🍦Do I have permission?

I’ve been counting calories and paying a lot more attention to what I eat.

One thing I’ve learned is that being disciplined doesn’t mean I can never have ice cream again. Actually, it’s almost the opposite. (In fact its down right necessary for sanity during weight loss, j/k)

When I know what I’m eating, understand where I am for the day, and have a plan, I can enjoy an ice cream cone every once in a while without feeling guilty about it.

It fits.

Financial planning can work the same way.

A good retirement plan shouldn’t just be about accumulating the biggest pile of money possible. It should also give you permission to actually enjoy what you’ve built.

Certain financial strategies can help create that permission slip.

Life insurance is one example. When properly structured as part of an overall retirement and legacy plan, it can sometimes allow you to be more comfortable spending down retirement assets, both principal and interest, because you know there is still a death benefit intended for the people or causes you want to leave something to.

Instead of thinking, “I can’t spend this because I have to leave it behind,” the conversation can become, “How much of this money can I actually enjoy during my lifetime while still accomplishing my legacy goals?”

That’s a very different mindset.

Whether it’s an ice cream cone or retirement income, having a plan can give you something valuable:

Permission to enjoy it. 🍦💰

PS. Thanks for reading this far and if you liked this post for its quirky cheesiness, hit the like button and say so in the comments

08/24/2026

The S&P 500 has had a really strong run. 📈

But here’s something I think investors need to pay attention to.

A lot of that growth has been driven by a relatively small group of companies, especially the Magnificent 7.

That doesn’t mean the S&P 500 is a bad investment. Not at all.

The concern is when you start getting too heavily weighted in the same companies without realizing it.

You might own an S&P 500 fund, a large-cap growth fund, maybe a tech fund, and then own a few of those same big-name stocks individually.

It can look diversified on paper.

But when you actually look at what you own, there may be a lot more overlap than you think. 🤔

There’s nothing wrong with owning great companies. There’s nothing wrong with owning the S&P 500 either.

The question is simply this:

**How much of your portfolio is tied to the same handful of companies?**

Diversification isn’t about trying to avoid the winners.

It’s about making sure you’re not accidentally putting too many eggs in one basket.

Sometimes too much of a good thing is still too much. 📊

08/21/2026

“I already have life insurance through work.” 👍

That’s a good start.

But I’d still ask a couple of questions.

What happens to that coverage if you leave your job?

What happens if the company changes the benefit?

And most importantly, is the amount actually enough for your family?

Work coverage is a nice benefit, but I wouldn’t want someone’s entire protection plan depending on an employer.

Life changes. Jobs change. Benefits change.

Your family’s protection should be built around their needs, not just whatever happens to be included at work. 🛡️

08/19/2026

Going back to school in your mid-40s is no joke. Even if its online. 📚

I recently finished RICP 353 and I’m now into RICP 354 as I keep working toward my Retirement Income Certified Professional designation.

The hardest part honestly isn’t the material.

It’s finding the time and energy to do it. ⏰

Work doesn’t stop. Family life doesn’t stop. The normal responsibilities of life don’t stop. You just have to carve out the time and get it done.

But I will say this.

Learning at this stage of life feels different.

I can connect what I’m studying to real conversations I’m having with clients and to situations I’ve already seen.

That makes the work worth it. 💡

I’m tired sometimes, but I’m glad I’m doing it. 💪

07/04/2026

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

05/30/2026

🧡🎗️ World MS Day is a reminder that behind every diagnosis is a real person, a real family, and a real story.

MS can affect people in ways that are visible and invisible. Some days it shows up clearly. Other days, it is carried quietly. That is why awareness matters. Not just awareness of the disease itself, but awareness of the people living with it, the families walking beside them, and the researchers, doctors, advocates, and organizations working toward better answers.

Today is a day to recognize the strength of the MS community, support those who are navigating life with MS, and continue pushing for progress, understanding, and hope.

To everyone impacted by MS in any way: you are seen, you are valued, and you are not alone. 🧡🎗️

05/27/2026

I genuinely believe AI is going to dramatically improve the future of MS diagnostics.

Recent research is showing how AI-assisted MRI analysis may improve lesion detection and monitoring in patients living with Multiple Sclerosis. Earlier detection and more accurate tracking could potentially help neurologists make treatment decisions faster and more effectively.

That’s exciting.

Technology is moving incredibly fast, but this is one of those areas where innovation could directly improve quality of life for real people.

The key, in my opinion, is using AI responsibly. Not replacing physicians, but giving great physicians even better tools.

That combination of human expertise and advancing technology could become a game changer for diseases like MS.

If you are working in the medical field and have thoughts on AI in MS treatment, diagnosis or care, drop a comment on your thoughts below.

Source:
arXiv Research Publication on AI MRI Lesion Detection

Ultra-high field 7-tesla (7T) MRI improves visualization of multiple sclerosis (MS) white matter lesions (WML) but differs sufficiently in contrast and artifacts from 1.5-3T imaging - suggesting that widely used automated segmentation tools may not translate directly. We analyzed 7T FLAIR scans and....

05/26/2026

A recent study involving Fenebrutinib showed promising results in slowing disability progression in Primary Progressive MS, something that has historically been incredibly difficult to treat.

What really caught my attention personally is that the medication Aubagio was used as part of the comparison trials. Aubagio was actually the very first MS treatment I was on after my diagnosis, and I remained on it for about two years.

When you live with MS, you learn quickly that treatment is never just “take a pill and move on.” Although thats what I wanted, It becomes part of your daily thought process, your future planning, your family conversations, and your hope.

As somebody who lives with MS every day, I’m thankful for the neurologists, researchers, nurses, and medical professionals who continue pushing this fight forward.

Source:
Roche Pharmaceuticals – Fenebrutinib Phase III Trial Results

Late-breaking Phase III FENtrepid results presented at ACTRIMS show investigational fenebrutinib met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority compared to the current standard of care, OCREVUS, in...