Sturkie Wealth Management Group

09/02/2026

Your biggest financial problem might not be your money.

It might be your mindset about money.

Here are 3 shifts I’ve seen make a real difference:

OLD:
“I’m afraid I’ll spend too much.”

NEW:
“Money is meant to support the life I want.”

Give yourself permission to spend on what you value—travel, experiences, time with family, convenience, freedom.

Being financially responsible doesn’t mean being afraid to spend.

You can build wealth AND enjoy your life.

OLD:
“I don’t need to pay attention to my 401(k). It’s taken care of.”

NEW:
“I need to pay attention to my financial plan.”

Think about it like driving.

You don’t need to stare at the dashboard every mile.

But if you stop paying attention to the road, you increase your chances of a crash.

Your financial life deserves some attention, too.

OLD:
“We never talked about money in my family.”

NEW:
“Talking about money is how I get better at it.”

Money conversations can feel uncomfortable.

But the right conversation with someone you trust can bring clarity, confidence, and better decisions.

And if you work with a financial advisor, understand whether they operate under a fiduciary standard and how they are compensated.

Because ultimately, this isn't about having more money.

It's about using your money to create more of the life you want.

What money mindset are you working on changing?

08/31/2026

Sneak peek from our upcoming client event presentation on October 20th.

We're hearing many common questions at the office and in the media.

Is there an AI bubble?
How much more buildout has to happen?
What about these data centers? We hear they are loud, big consumers of water and energy...

Anna's presentation will cover all of those questions and many more. If you have not yet responded, email [email protected] or give our office a call to make sure you are on the list.

08/25/2026

What do all these people have in common?

They are eligible for social security (62 years of age).

Turning **62** is more than a birthday milestone—it’s the earliest age most people can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits.

But eligible doesn’t necessarily mean “should claim.”

For someone turning 62 in 2026:

• 62 You can start benefits, but your monthly benefit could be up to 30% lower than your full retirement benefit.

• 67 This is the Full Retirement Age (FRA) for people turning 62 in 2026. Waiting until FRA means receiving 100% of your scheduled retirement benefit.

• 70 Waiting beyond FRA can increase your monthly benefit through delayed retirement credits. There’s no additional increase for waiting beyond 70.

And there’s another important consideration: Are you still working?

If you claim Social Security before your FRA and continue working, the Social Security earnings test may temporarily reduce your benefits if your earnings exceed the annual limit. For 2026, that limit is $24,480 for someone under FRA for the entire year.

So the real question at 62 isn't simply:

“Am I eligible for Social Security?”

It’s:

“When should I start taking it?”

That decision can affect your monthly income for the rest of your life—and potentially your spouse's benefits as well.

If you're approaching 62, it can be worth looking at multiple claiming scenarios before you file.

📌 62 vs. 67 vs. 70 can mean a very different retirement income strategy.

*This post is for educational purposes only and is not individualized financial or Social Security advice.*

08/21/2026

Very exciting news... if your 401K plan is at a major custodian like Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard etc., you may be able to get access to professional investment management. No more guessing which fund may be appropriate, we can help you get intentional about your retirement plan.

* career changer who feels they need to catch up and get more aggressive? We can help you pick a path to get there.

* later in your career and wondering how to balance growth and safety - many more options available

Here in South Carolina employers like Michelin, University of South Carolina, Blue Cross / Blue Shield of SC, UPS, BMW and many others now have this option.

Studies have shown that only 16% of 401K participants feel confident in their retirement strategy. Over 75% want professional guidance to help navigate their options.

Now... that is possible. If you want to learn more, just give our office a ring or visit our website to schedule an appointment and we can share the exciting updates.

08/18/2026

Interesting conversations at the office this week.

We met with clients who could not outlive their savings if they lived to 150 who are having a hard time making even a $2000 purchase.

Met with a young professional turning 30 who has never participated in his company’s 401K plan.

Met with a person less than 10 years to retirement who “wants to get aggressive and after it.”

What do these things have in common? Some of those decisions were formed while the client still had baby teeth.

If you read the questions in the picture and answer them honestly, what patterns or recurring themes do you notice? Do you see a connection between your earliest money experiences and how you handle money now?

I do… when I bought my big, burly pickup truck there was a moment of panic stealing the happiness… should I be doing this? Is this a mistake? I also realize I’m not an easy person to buy gifts for. (“I don’t need anything.”)

Luckily, working with a professional, you can replace some of those limiting beliefs and navigate a path forward.

08/14/2026

One of our favorite times of year is coming up. We are actively putting together our annual client event, which will be held on Tuesday October 20th at 5:30 PM.

We will keep the venue the same, The Grove on Augusta, as well as the caterer, The Mill Pond Steakhouse.

More to come on the guest speaker and topic, but wanted to get this save the date out. As in years past, the event is open to all clients and their guests.

08/14/2026

🎰 Sports betting is entertainment. It is not an investment strategy.

I came across a statistic this morning that stopped me in my tracks.

According to a recent survey highlighted by AdvisorHub, 26% of Gen Z investors say they consider sports betting a deliberate, ongoing part of their financial plan.

Even more concerning: more than half said they’ve redirected money originally earmarked for investing into sports betting over the past year.

I enjoy sports. I understand why betting makes a game more exciting.

But we need to teach the next generation an important distinction:

Investing and gambling are not the same thing.

When you buy a stock, you own a piece of a business.

When you invest in a diversified portfolio, you participate in the long-term growth of companies and the economy.

When you contribute to a 401(k) or Roth IRA, you're allowing decades of compounding to work in your favor.

When you place a sports bet, you're making a wager on an outcome.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with spending money on entertainment. Go to the concert. Take the vacation. Buy the golf clubs. Put $20 on your favorite team if that's something you enjoy.

Just don't confuse your entertainment budget with your wealth-building strategy.

For younger investors especially, time may be the most valuable asset they have.

A dollar invested in your 20s potentially has 40+ years to compound.

That’s an advantage you can't get back later.

Have fun with your money.

Enjoy your money.

But make sure you're building wealth before you're betting on it.

That distinction could be worth a fortune over a lifetime.

Sports betting is increasingly competing with traditional investing for younger Americans’ attention, with more than a quarter of Gen Z investors saying they see gambling on sports as part of their long-term financial strategy, according to a survey by personal finance platform Betterment.

08/12/2026

Markets navigated mixed signals in July. Inflation eased, tech faced pressure, and energy surged. Meanwhile, Americans are planning record travel spending in 2026: \$1.37 trillion. What's shaping your household budget this summer?

Monthly Market Insights | August 2026 U.S. and Canadian Markets Stocks were mixed in July as investors navigated a cross-current of news on the outlook for AI spending and Q2 corporate reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led, adding 0.32 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index edged down 0....

08/06/2026

post on July 23, 8:25 AM

The meme is a joke.
The lesson is serious.
A few weeks ago, the phones at our firm were buzzing with clients asking whether they should buy SpaceX stock. We told many of our clients that SpaceX looked expensive, that we were worried when the lockup period of restricted stock expires and more supply hits the market and that patience might be the better play. (it's not our first rodeo with hot IPO's)
The last month hasn't been kind to SpaceX stock... it's down over 30%.
Could we have been wrong? Absolutely.
But that's also the point.
Successful investing isn't about perfectly predicting the next hot stock. It's about having a disciplined financial plan that doesn't depend on being right every single time.
The biggest mistakes we see aren't usually bad investments—they're emotional decisions:
🚀 Chasing what's already gone up.
😬 Abandoning a plan because of FOMO.
📈 Confusing a great company with a great investment at any price.
A financial plan isn't designed to win every headline.
It's designed to help you reach your goals through good markets, bad markets, and everything in between.
Because in the long run, discipline has beaten excitement far more often than excitement has beaten discipline.
What's one investment you were glad you *didn't* chase? See less

08/05/2026

"Dad... how do you know when it's time to sell?"

It's one of the hardest questions in investing.

This week my son asked me exactly that.

He's a big believer in Planet Fitness. He works out there almost every day, understands the business, noticed the stock had pulled back, and bought shares in his investment account.

Today he's up about 33%.

So now comes the difficult part...

Do you hold and hope it keeps climbing?

Or sell and risk watching it go another 30% without you?

Instead of guessing, we had a different conversation.

I asked him:

"At what price would you honestly be happy selling?"

Once we found that number, we sold a covered call.

Here's why I love this strategy:

✅ If the stock stays flat, he keeps his shares and collects an option premium.

✅ If the stock declines, that premium helps cushion some of the downside.

✅ If the stock rallies to his target price, he's happy to sell because it reached the price he chose—and he keeps the option premium on top of his investment gain.

In his case, the option premium alone was roughly 8.5% for a 90-day contract.

The goal wasn't to maximize every last dollar.

The goal was to remove emotion from one of investing's toughest decisions.

One of the biggest mistakes I see isn't buying the wrong investments...

It's having no exit strategy when a winner becomes a big winner.

Covered calls aren't appropriate for every investor, and they do cap your upside in exchange for income. But when someone already owns an appreciated stock and is wrestling with, "Should I sell?" they can be a remarkably effective planning tool.

Sometimes the smartest investment decision isn't predicting what happens next...

It's deciding in advance what success looks like.

P.S. Peter Lynch famously said, "Invest in what you know." I love that my son started there. Now he's learning an equally important lesson: knowing how you'll eventually sell can be just as valuable as knowing what to buy.

*** not investment advice or recommendation. Talk to a qualified financial professional before considering investing or using option strategies. ***