RDB Wealth Advisors

RDB Wealth Advisors For full disclosure, please visit our website rdbwealthadvisors.com

RDB Wealth Advisors helps individuals and families build long-term financial security through personalized financial planning, retirement strategies, and investment management.

09/16/2026

THE FED IS IN FOCUS TODAY. BUT HERE’S WHAT INVESTORS REALLY NEED TO WATCH.

The market is waiting for this afternoon’s Fed decision and the bigger story may not be the rate decision itself.

Here’s what’s happening:

• Oil prices are rising as Middle East tensions continue
• The 10-year Treasury yield briefly topped 5% yesterday
• Inflation remains a concern, even though recent CPI data was more encouraging
• Markets are expecting a 0.25% rate hike

But there’s another question investors should be watching:

What does the Fed signal about what comes next?

Will this be a one-and-done move?

Or could additional rate hikes follow?

That guidance could have a bigger impact on markets than today’s decision itself.

For investors, this is a good reminder:

Markets can react quickly. Your financial plan shouldn’t.

Short-term headlines can create uncertainty, but long-term investing is about having a strategy that can withstand changing rates, inflation and market volatility.

What are you watching most closely today — the rate decision or the Fed’s comments about what comes next?

09/16/2026

The 4% rule has done more harm than good as a retirement planning benchmark.

Here is why.

The 4% rule was derived from a 1994 study using a specific portfolio, a specific time period, and specific assumptions about market returns.

It was not designed to be a universal prescription. It has become one anyway.

The problems with applying it blindly:

It assumes a static withdrawal. Real retirees do not spend the same amount every year. They spend more in early retirement (travel, activities) and less later. A dynamic withdrawal strategy almost always outperforms a fixed one.

It does not account for Social Security timing. A retiree with $1,500 in monthly Social Security needs a very different withdrawal rate than one with $3,200. Same portfolio. Completely different math.

It was derived from US market data during one of the strongest market periods in history. It may or may not hold in the next 30 years.

It creates false precision. "I can spend $40,000 per year because 4% of $1,000,000 is $40,000" feels like a plan. It is a calculation pretending to be a plan.

The right question is not "what is my withdrawal rate?" It is: "What is my monthly income need, what are my guaranteed income sources, what does my portfolio need to cover, and what is a sustainable withdrawal rate for my specific situation?"

That is a plan. The 4% rule is a starting point for people who have not built one.

09/15/2026

Stocks are feeling the pressure. Tomorrow, all eyes turn to the Fed.

Rising oil prices and Treasury yields pushed stocks lower yesterday.

The 10-year Treasury yield briefly topped 5%, its highest level since October 2023.

Why does it matter?

Higher yields can make borrowing more expensive and put pressure on stocks. Rising oil prices also create concerns about inflation and economic growth.

Now the big event:

The Fed announces its rate decision tomorrow at 2:00 PM ET.

Markets are heavily expecting a 0.25% rate hike.

But the bigger question isn’t whether the Fed raises rates.

It’s what they say about what’s next.

Will this be a “one and done” move, or are more rate hikes coming?

That guidance could have a bigger impact on markets than the rate decision itself.

What do you think the Fed will signal?

09/15/2026

A few financial decisions with year-end deadlines worth knowing about:

Roth conversions. Must happen by December 31. No grace period. If you have a window to convert traditional IRA or 401K assets at a lower rate than you will pay later, the deadline is the last day of the year.

Tax loss harvesting. Losses must be realized by December 31 to offset gains from earlier in the year. If you have losing positions and a taxable account with gains, this is worth looking at before year-end.

Deferred comp elections. If you have a non-qualified deferred compensation plan, your election for next year's deferral is typically due in October or November. Miss the window and you miss the tax deferral for the full year.

Required Minimum Distributions. If you are of RMD age and have not taken your RMD yet this year, it must happen by December 31. Missing this triggers a penalty on the undistributed amount.

Annual gifting- Gifts not made by December 31 do not count for this year.

HSA contributions. Technically you have until April 15 to contribute for the prior year, but the investment returns start the day the money goes in.

09/14/2026

The Fed could be the catalyst for the market’s next move higher.

This week, all eyes are on the Federal Reserve.

Friday’s CPI report provided some relief after Thursday’s hotter-than-expected PPI report:

• Headline inflation: 3.4% year-over-year
• Core inflation: 2.4% year-over-year
• A 25-basis-point rate hike is widely expected Wednesday

But here’s what investors should really be watching:

What does the Fed say about what comes next?

If the Fed raises rates but signals a pause, markets could take that as positive news.

Meanwhile, oil prices and Treasury yields remain important risks. If both stabilize, that could remove some of the recent pressure on stocks.

And there are still plenty of reasons for optimism:

• Strong corporate earnings growth
• 20%+ S&P 500 earnings growth expected in upcoming quarters
• Q3 GDP forecast around 4.4%
• AI investment and growth remain strong

The Fed decision could be the catalyst.

What do you think — pause after this hike, or more rate increases ahead?

&P500

09/14/2026

Let me ask a question that might be uncomfortable.

You have been at your company for 10 years. You earn well. You have RSUs vesting. You have been maxing your 401K. You participate in the ESPP.

Where is the money?

I am not asking about your account balances. I am asking: do you feel like your financial position reflects 10 years of strong earnings and equity compensation?

Most corporate employees I talk to say no. And they cannot quite explain why.

Here is what I usually find when we look together:

The RSUs. Most people hold them after vesting because the stock has been going up. So the money is still in company stock, the same company that employs them, determines their income, and affects their career. They are more exposed to one company than they realize.

The 401K. Maxed, yes. But the investment allocation has not been touched since enrollment. Default target-date fund. No tax-location strategy. No coordination with the other accounts.

The ESPP. Participating. Holding instead of selling immediately after purchase. Again: more company stock.

The deferred comp. Elected. But the payout schedule was set in year one of the plan and has never been revisited.

The result: 10 years of strong earnings, a complex compensation structure, and no coherent strategy connecting any of it.

This is not a character flaw. It is what happens when financial complexity outgrows the strategy managing it.

If this is your situation Let's Talk.

09/11/2026

Inflation is back in the spotlight. And investors are watching closely.

Stocks moved lower again as two things continued to pressure markets:

• Oil prices jumped 7%, with Brent reaching $108.23
• Treasury yields climbed to multi-year highs

Yesterday’s Producer Price Index (PPI) also came in hotter than expected, raising concerns that inflation may not be falling as quickly as hoped.

Now, all eyes are on today’s Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Why does it matter?

Because inflation, oil prices and interest rates all impact your investments, borrowing costs and overall financial plan.

The bigger question is whether higher producer costs are starting to show up in what consumers pay.

The Fed meets next Wednesday, and expectations for a 0.25% rate increase have climbed significantly in recent weeks.

Bottom line: Markets are dealing with a lot of moving pieces right now.

For investors, this is a good reminder that short-term market moves don't always tell the full story.

The key is understanding what is driving the market — and making sure your financial plan is built to handle it.

What are you watching more closely right now: inflation, interest rates or the stock market?

09/11/2026

"It depends" is the most overused phrase in financial planning — and often the most dishonest.

When you ask a financial advisor "should I claim Social Security at 62 or wait?" and they say "it depends" — without telling you what it depends on, how to find out, or what the math looks like — they have not helped you. They have protected themselves.

Yes, every financial decision depends on individual circumstances. But "it depends" is not an answer. It is the beginning of an answer that most advisors never finish.

I understand why advisors do it, every situation is genuinely different and blanket advice can be harmful. But there is a meaningful difference between "here is how I would think through this for your situation" and "it depends" with nothing after it

09/10/2026

3 things investors are watching right now

Markets moved lower again yesterday as oil prices and bond yields continued to climb.

Here’s what matters:

1. Oil is back above $100
Brent crude reached $101.68 yesterday as Middle East tensions escalate.

Higher oil prices can put upward pressure on inflation.

2. Inflation data is front and center
Today brings the Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures wholesale inflation.

Tomorrow, we get CPI, which measures inflation consumers experience.

These reports could give investors a better idea of where inflation is headed — and what the Fed may do next.

3. The bigger picture remains strong
September can historically be a tougher month for stocks, but short-term volatility doesn't necessarily change the long-term story.

AI investment remains strong, and S&P 500 earnings are still expected to grow significantly:

Q3: 23.0%
Q4: 25.3%
Q1 2027: 20.4%

The takeaway?

Markets may be dealing with some short-term pressure, but the underlying earnings picture remains encouraging.

This is why it's important to look beyond the headlines and keep your investment strategy focused on the bigger picture.

What are you watching more closely right now: inflation, oil prices, or interest rates?

09/09/2026

Stocks pulled back yesterday. But the bigger picture remains strong.

A stronger-than-expected jobs report showed the U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August vs. 55,000 expected.

That’s important because:

• The economy continues to show resilience
• Corporate earnings remain strong
• S&P 500 earnings grew 45.2% in Q2
• Earnings are still expected to grow in Q3 and Q4

The bigger question now: Where is inflation heading?

Two major reports arrive this week:

Thursday → PPI (wholesale inflation)
Friday → CPI (consumer inflation)

These will be the final major inflation reports before the Fed’s September meeting.

Expect some volatility.

But strong economic growth and strong corporate earnings are two factors investors shouldn’t overlook.

Short-term market moves can create noise. Long-term fundamentals tell a different story.

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