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Analyses and Insights from Middlebrook Wealth

Regan McKinnon Regan McKinnon

Five Questions to Ask Before Your Mid-Year Financial Review

Halfway through the year is one of the best moments to look at your financial plan with fresh eyes. Tax season is behind you, year-end pressure hasn't arrived yet, and six months of real data gives you a far stronger foundation than the assumptions most of us start January with. Here are five questions worth asking before your mid-year review.

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Financial & Retirement Planning Mike Miriello Financial & Retirement Planning Mike Miriello

Why Your Retirement Buckets Are Leaking

Most retirement plans focus on saving, but far fewer address how to spend those savings efficiently. The five years before retirement and the fifteen that follow create a critical window where decisions around taxes, withdrawals, and account structure can have an outsized impact. It is not just about how much you have, it is about where it sits and how it is used.

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Making the Most of Open Enrollment

Open enrollment can feel overwhelming. Between acronyms, plan options, and coverage details, it’s easy to default to last year’s selections and hope for the best. But taking a closer look could uncover meaningful ways to save money, boost benefits, and align your coverage with your financial goals.

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Market Performance in October and November

October brought a slowdown for investors, with the S&P 500 dipping 1.1% amid higher bond yields and late-month weakness in the technology sector. The 10-year Treasury yield moved above 4.3% as strong payroll numbers and persistent core inflation reduced expectations for aggressive rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.

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Mike Miriello Mike Miriello

The Truth Behind “Top Advisor” Awards

In a crowded industry, it’s easy to be drawn to signs of success. Badges, rankings, and “Top Advisor” awards will frequently appear in financial marketing and are hard to ignore. While these accomplishments may seem to be strictly based on results, there are factors less visible that can influence them.

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Midyear Macro Check-In

We are halfway through the year, and we’ve got some reasons to feel optimistic. Good news first: consumer confidence just posted its biggest one-month jump in over three years. The Conference Board’s May reading leapt 12.3 points to 98.0—up from 85.7 in April—as households grew more upbeat about job prospects and cooling inflation.¹ That more confident consumer underpins our view that the economy can keep expanding at roughly 2% even as the Fed sticks to its “higher for longer” playbook.

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Exploring Opportunities for Income Investors

As the global economy shifts into a "higher-for-longer" environment for interest rates and inflation, income investors are facing new challenges and opportunities. While traditional options like cash and fixed-income securities have been reliable, today’s landscape demands a broader approach to…

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Navigating Market Shifts with Confidence

Dear Friends & Clients, As we enter the final quarter of 2024, it's been a year of both challenges and opportunities in the financial markets. In this month’s commentary, I’d like to offer some insights into recent market activity and explore what these shifts could mean for your financial plan moving forward.

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Risk Management Mike Miriello Risk Management Mike Miriello

Don’t Play Politics with Investments

As election season approaches, the headlines can feel overwhelming, especially when they focus on how the results could impact your investments. However, it’s important to remember: your investment strategy should never be driven by politics. Markets have experienced ups and downs under...

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