Finer Wealth

09/02/2026

Looking to create a financial legacy for your heirs while managing taxes? Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) may be the solution you're looking for. Explore how GRATs can help you transfer wealth and reduce gift tax liability.

Explaining Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs) and their benefit to estate strategy.

09/02/2026

👉 Roughly 56 percent of IPOs bought at the offer price lost money after 3 years.

That's not the headline you see on day one.

You see the first-day pop. The company goes public, and its stock has averaged a 19 percent gain since 1980. Feels like a moment you should catch.

Here's what actually happens:

1️⃣ Institutional investors get the offering price before trading opens.

2️⃣ You buy at market open, after the move.

Then the real story starts.

🔎 This gap is based on research led by Professor Jay R. Ritter, who authored a 2026 report on IPO performance for the University of Florida. His analysis of 9,300 U.S. IPOs is one of the most comprehensive databases available.

Chasing IPOs can provide a thrill, but there are pros and cons.

A sound portfolio should reflect an investor's goals, risk, and time horizon. The risks of an IPO are not for everyone. 🎯

📋 Past performance does not guarantee future results. The return and principal value of IPOs and other stocks will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.

09/01/2026

Extra payments on student loans can save you more than you might expect. See how accelerating your payoff affects your timeline and total interest paid.

See how extra payments toward your student loans could shorten your payoff timeline.

08/31/2026

Have a kid heading off to college? Here are a few tips.

Dropping off your child is loaded with emotions; here are a few tips for a smoother experience.

08/30/2026

Medicare takes a little time to understand. As you approach age 65, familiarize yourself with its coverage options, costs, and limitations.

How Medicare can address health care needs in your retirement strategy.

08/29/2026

Social Security has been a fact of retirement since 1935; how much do you really know about it?

Here are five facts about Social Security that might surprise you.

08/28/2026

Cyber attacks are a growing online threat, but the good news is that you can insure your business!

90% of small businesses in the U.S. don't protect their data from cyber attacks. Is your business at risk?

08/27/2026

Protecting you or your company from a civil claim may require an insurance coverage you have never heard of.

E&O insurance is specifically designed to protect you, or your company, from the risk of a client’s dissatisfaction.

08/27/2026

Two retirees can earn the same average return and have very different outcomes.

Why?

Because in retirement, timing matters.

An early market downturn in retirement can be more damaging than the same downturn later.

That is the sequence-of-returns risk.

The risk is not simply “the market went down.” It’s “the market went down while income still had to come out.”

A strong retirement strategy should look beyond average returns and address:

🔹 Where income will come from
🔹 How much cash or short-term reserves make sense
🔹 Which accounts to draw from first
🔹 When to rebalance
🔹 How RMDs and Social Security fit into the withdrawal strategy

Sequence-of-returns risk does not make many headlines.

But for anyone entering retirement, it can be one of the most important ideas to understand.

The goal is not to predict the next downturn. It’s about being prepared.

08/26/2026

How long does it take your money to double? The answer might surprise you. Enter a rate of return and see the Rule of 72 in action.

Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it takes your money to double at a given rate.