Fortress Financial & Wealth Management, LLC

11/04/2026

The day after a national election often brings mixed emotions. For some, the results are a cause for celebration. For others, they may create uncertainty or concern about the future. That diversity of opinion is part of what makes America unique. Our democratic process allows every citizen the opportunity to help shape the direction of our country.

While elections can influence policy, markets, and economic expectations, successful financial planning should never depend on a single political outcome. The more important question is whether your financial strategy is prepared to adapt to changing circumstances.

At Fortress Financial & Wealth Management, our focus is on helping clients navigate uncertainty and remain positioned for long-term success, regardless of which party is in power. Markets, regulations, and economic conditions will continue to evolve, and we believe a well-constructed financial plan should evolve with them.

Our role is not simply to help clients prepare for today, but to position them for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow. By maintaining a disciplined, forward-looking approach, we strive to help our clients pursue their goals with confidence in an ever-changing world.

11/02/2026

Your RMD Could Be More Expensive Than You Think

Many retirees focus on Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) as a withdrawal requirement. What often gets overlooked is how those withdrawals can create a ripple effect throughout your retirement plan.

A Larger RMD May Mean:

🏥 Higher Medicare Premiums
RMD income can increase your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), potentially triggering higher Medicare Part B and Part D premiums through IRMAA surcharges.

💰 More Taxable Social Security Benefits
Additional income from RMDs may cause up to 85% of your Social Security benefits to become taxable.

📈 A Higher Tax Bracket
As RMDs increase over time, they can push more of your income into higher federal and state tax brackets.

The Key Takeaway

RMDs are not just a retirement income decision. They're a tax planning decision, a Medicare planning decision, and a legacy planning decision.

The earlier you develop a distribution strategy, the more opportunities you may have to manage future tax exposure and healthcare costs.

10/30/2026

We don't provide investment advice via our Social media platforms, that is something that is personalized for each of our individual clients and their specific situation, but something to note is that Bitcoin and gold have been among the weakest-performing major asset classes in 2026 to date.

Bitcoin is down approximately 8%, while gold has declined roughly 7.5%.

Take a moment to let that sink in and ask yourself in a year where the market is up double digits year to date, are you missing out? Might be worth a conversation.

Bitcoin tumbled on Thursday after Binance announced a 'potential security issue' and froze $3 billion in crypto assets.

10/26/2026

We have been getting a lot of questions on Trump Accounts. Although financial investment vehicles, these are currently managed by the government. The below email was sent out last week from the Social Security Administration, so we are sharing to help educate on these accounts.

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Giving America’s Children a Stake in the American Dream

Last year, President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Working Families Tax Cuts, which included a historic tax cut for America’s seniors. That law also created Trump Accounts, individual investment accounts for America’s children designed to grow with the U.S. economy and build long-term savings.

Today, nearly 70 million Trump Accounts are open for all American children. Parents and legal guardians simply need to claim their child’s Trump Account through the official Trump Accounts app, available to download for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Once activated, the account can receive funds from family, friends, and employers, as well as gifts from generous donors. Tens of millions of accounts already have money contributed by donors in them, just waiting to be claimed.

At Social Security, we are informing families about how they can activate their child’s Trump Account—many accounts with money already in them. We are also communicating with parents of newborns about the one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury, available to children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028.

Trump Accounts are one of the most significant investments in the next generation of Americans in our nation’s history, by giving every American child a stake in our country’s success and a strong financial foundation for the future.

To learn more about Trump Accounts, visit TrumpAccounts.gov.

10/20/2026

We just completed a wonderful Leadership offsite for the Strategic Wealth Advantage Network. So many by great leaders.

10/16/2026

One of the great risks that is often overlooked with retirement is longevity risk. A retirement plan that works great for 5 or even 10 years may not work great for one that lasts 15, 20, or more years.

“two jarring reality checks hit him over the past year: skyrocketing premiums for his Medicare supplemental plan and yet another increase in his homeowners association fees.”

More than once we have had to help clients develop a plan that would be able to endure past the current environment and the great thing is we can help you too.

Older people of means in their younger days are finding themselves in dire straights, and not because they're spendthrifts.

10/15/2026

"Excellence is the culmination of thousands of small, well-executed details."

Will Guidara
Author of Unreasonable Hospitality & former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (named in 2017 as the # 1 of the World's 50 Best Restaurants)

10/14/2026

2027 Social Security COLA announced at 3.6%.

The increase is aimed at helping about 68 million beneficiaries keep pace with inflation.

10/13/2026

We just returned from the 2nd Annual Elite Advisor Mastermind Conference in Lake Tahoe! I cannot express how great it was to not only hone our skills as elite Financial Advisors but to have the opportunity to build incredible relationships with so many Financial Advisor Firm CEOs, Founders, and leaders. Of the many great speakers, a special shout out to Erin Botsford who runs the Advisor Authority and who has been a long time mentor and coach to our firm. We have always found one of the key differentiators between the elite firms and the rest is the elite firms “invest” in keeping their skills on the cutting edge for their clients.

10/12/2026

Fortress Financial & Wealth Management will be closed today in observance of Columbus Day and the spirit that led to the discovery of the North American continent.