Back-to-school season is a good annual reminder to think about education savings, and 2026's 529 plan changes give families even more reason to start now.

A slow July feels like a good reason to dip into your retirement account. It isn't. Here's how to manage seasonal cash flow without touching your Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA.

Shutdown headlines don't have to derail your retirement plan. Here's the difference between a paycheck problem and a retirement problem, and three steps to take before September 30.

An inheritance transfers money. A legacy transfers values, habits, and opportunity. 

Most families with meaningful assets focus heavily on the first; who gets what, and how the taxes work. Far fewer have done the hard work of preparing the next generation to use what they’ll receive, or of communicating the priorities that shaped the plan. The result is well-documented: a substantial share of inherited wealth is gone within just two generations. 

Building lasting, inter-generational wealth isn’t just a legal and financial challenge. It’s a communication and preparation challenge.

Business valuations are hard to predict. Health changes can force earlier exits than planned. Markets shift. Buyers negotiate hard. And sale proceeds aren’t always structured tax-efficiently when you’re working under a deadline. 

The business owners we work with who sleep best in retirement are those who built meaningful wealth outside the business while running it. Not as a backup plan, but as a deliberate parallel strategy.

Military retirees and veterans with disability ratings received a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment at the start of 2026, up from 2.5% in 2025. Retired pay, VA disability compensation, and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities all received the increase. 

A COLA bump is also a natural trigger to revisit your financial plan and make sure your income is structured as efficiently as possible. Here’s what’s worth looking at.

If you’re a federal employee and you haven’t reviewed your Thrift Savings Plan elections lately, now is the time. Several important changes took effect in 2026 that affect how much you can save, how it’s taxed, and how much flexibility you’ll have once you retire. 

The good news: for those who plan ahead, these changes create real opportunities. Here’s what matters most.

The SpaceX IPO has everyone talking—but what does it actually mean for your retirement accounts? For most TSP and 401(k) investors, the short answer is: not much, at least not right away. Here's what you need to know about how index funds add new companies, why the S&P 500 moves slowly, and what to watch for down the road.

July 1, 2026 brings some of the most significant changes to federal student loans in years. From the launch of a new repayment plan to a critical deadline for Parent PLUS borrowers, here's what you need to know — and what to do before time runs out.

You served. You showed up in ways most people will never fully understand — and then you transitioned into a civilian world that doesn't always know how to recognize what you bring. The financial transition out of service is one of the most consequential planning moments in a woman veteran's life, and it's one of the most overlooked.

From VA healthcare eligibility and education benefits that just got bigger to TSP decisions that can't be undone, the moves you make in the months and years after separation can set the foundation for decades of financial strength — or quietly cost you benefits you've already earned.

This post is a practical roadmap: what to claim, what to compare, and how to build lasting wealth on the other side of service. Because you've spent years taking care of others. This chapter is about building something lasting for yourself.

You built something. A client base, a practice, a business that didn't exist before you decided to make it real. But somewhere between growing revenue and managing overhead, one question tends to get pushed to the back burner: how do you actually pay yourself — and make sure you're building toward your own future at the same time?

For women entrepreneurs, this is one of the most common blind spots in an otherwise well-run business. The business gets fed first. Retirement savings get postponed until things settle down. And a paycheck that reflects your actual value? That often feels like a luxury rather than a strategy.

It isn't a luxury. It's the foundation. In this post, we walk through how to structure your owner compensation, which retirement accounts make the most sense for self-employed women, and how to make sure the business you've built is working just as hard for your future as you are for it.

Choosing a financial advisor is one of the most important financial decisions you'll make — but most people don't know what to look for. This guide breaks down the qualities that matter most, explains why working with a fee-only fiduciary is so important, and gives you a list of essential questions to ask before you sign anything.

Your TSP beneficiary designation overrides your will. It doesn't matter what your estate documents say — whoever is listed on Form TSP-3 receives those funds. And unlike an IRA, the TSP comes with its own set of inheritance rules that can catch even well-prepared families off guard.

For military members and federal employees, the TSP is often one of the largest assets in an estate. Getting the beneficiary designation right — and understanding how your heirs will be treated under TSP rules — is one of the most important (and most overlooked) steps in a complete financial plan.

In this post, we cover the most common TSP beneficiary mistakes, how TSP inheritance rules differ from IRA rules in ways that matter for your family, and what questions are worth taking to your financial planner before it's too late to course-correct.

Energy crises have a long history of rattling markets and unsettling investors — but history also has a way of putting that turbulence in perspective. From the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 to the demand collapse of 2020, every major energy shock has generated real economic pain and genuine uncertainty. And in every case, disciplined investors who stayed the course came out ahead.

In this post, we trace the history of the world's most significant energy crises, explore how rising and falling oil prices ripple through the broader economy, and share what these lessons mean for long-term investors navigating today's volatile energy landscape.

For many families — whether you've served in the military, built a career in federal service, or grown a business from the ground up — leaving something meaningful for the next generation is a deeply personal goal. But you don't have to wait until your estate is settled to make that impact.

Lifetime giving strategies allow you to transfer wealth to loved ones in a tax-efficient way, reduce your taxable estate over time, and witness the difference your generosity makes while you're still here to see it. From the annual gift tax exclusion (currently $19,000 per recipient, or $38,000 for married couples) to little-known exclusions for direct tuition and medical payments, the tools available are powerful — and often underused.

In this post, we break down how lifetime giving works, what makes it particularly valuable for military retirees, federal employees, and small business owners, and how to approach it in a way that protects your own financial security along the way.

Are you building a business — or just buying yourself another job? For military spouse and veteran entrepreneurs, the difference is critical. PCS moves, deployments, and solo parenting can bring a one-person business to a halt overnight. In this guide, we break down what it means to build a truly scalable, PCS-proof business, how to assess where you stand today, and what intentional steps can turn your income into lasting financial equity. Your business should work for your life — not the other way around.

Recent court rulings have cleared the way for automatic student loan discharges under the Borrower Defense program, potentially impacting thousands of borrowers. For those affected by school misconduct, this development could mean loan cancellation, refunds, and credit report corrections. Here’s what these decisions mean and what borrowers should expect next.

Can you extend an inherited IRA beyond the 10-year rule?

Possibly. If the IRA owner dies after age 73 and names a non-designated beneficiary, such as an estate, distributions may follow the decedent’s remaining life expectancy instead of being forced out within 10 years. This lesser-known planning strategy requires careful coordination between tax and estate planning professionals but may help smooth taxable income for beneficiaries.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision limiting presidential tariff authority has renewed national attention on trade policy and its economic impact. While the ruling focused on constitutional boundaries between Congress and the executive branch, the broader conversation extends beyond legal authority. What are tariffs? How do they affect consumers, manufacturers, and global markets? And what lessons can be drawn from past trade agreements like NAFTA? In this article, we provide a clear, even-handed overview of the Court’s decision and examine the practical economic trade-offs associated with tariffs — from consumer prices and supply chains to long-term market implications.

The 2026 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) changes significantly expand retirement-saving opportunities for military members and federal employees. With higher contribution limits, new in-plan Roth conversions, expanded catch-up options, and a higher annual additions cap, the TSP is more powerful than ever. This guide explains what’s changing in 2026 and how to strategically maximize your TSP contributions for long-term, tax-efficient retirement growth.