Michael Reynolds, CFP®

The latte factor is overblown ☕️

Focus on big expenses 💰

And more importantly, increasing your income 💪🏼

Not all meaningful gifts come from stores.

Babysitting for a stressed parent.

Cooking a meal for a friend.

Writing a thoughtful letter.

Planning a day together.

If you’re feeling financially stretched this season, remember: the most valuable thing you can give might be your time and energy.

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a great way to "de-couple" the timing of the giving from its tax deduction.

You can pull the tax lever in high-earning years and then decide later how to give.

And the money inside the DAF can be invested for long-term growth!

Key Financial Numbers for 2026 – What Changed and What It Means for You Staying ahead of the numbers that affect your financial planning can save you money and stress. As we move into 2026, several important contribution limits, tax brackets, and thresholds have been…

Key Financial Numbers for 2026 – What Changed and What It Means for You www.elevationfinancial.com/key-financia...

Happy Thanksgiving!

What is a Roth Conversion (and How Do I Use It)? A Roth conversion can be a powerful tool in your financial planning toolkit. But like most financial strategies, it's not right for everyone, and the timing matters considerably.

What is a Roth Conversion (and How Do I Use It)? www.elevationfinancial.com/what-is-a-ro...

To calculate your Liquid Term, use the following formula:

Liquid Term = (Total Liquid Assets / Total Annual Expenses)

For example, if your total liquid assets are $50,000 and your annual expenses total $100,000, then your Liquid Term would be 0.5 (6 months).

Liquid Term measures how long you can operate just on liquid assets.

This includes bank accounts and non-retirement investment accounts.

Higher Liquid Term gives you flexibility and freedom.

Are you prepared for unexpected expenses?

You don't need to have just one "emergency fund" to be financially stable.

I think it makes more sense to focus on a healthy Liquid Term.

But it can be spread across different types of liquidity.

Bank accounts, brokerage, treasuries, etc.

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How to Use the "Rule of 55" for Early Retirement Most people believe their retirement accounts are completely off-limits until age 59½. But there are several ways to access your retirement funds earlier, including something called the Rule of 55.

How to Use the "Rule of 55" for Early Retirement www.elevationfinancial.com/how-to-use-t...

A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a great way to "de-couple" the timing of the giving from its tax deduction.

You can pull the tax lever in high-earning years and then decide later how to give.

And the money inside the DAF can be invested for long-term growth!

Credit card debt can be a major financial burden.

I've seen it cause significant damage to people's lives.

Focus on paying it off as quickly as possible.

Avoiding probate is not just about cost and convenience.

It's about security.

Do you want anyone in the world to know who is receiving money upon your death?

This can make them a target for scammers and fraudsters.

A budget is a reflection of your priorities.

Emotional investing is dangerous.

Making decisions based on fear or greed can lead to poor outcomes.

Keep emotions in check and stick to your strategy.

It can be tempting to want to run your personal budget like a business.

Rigid. Fixed.

And in some ways, this can be helpful.

But personal spending doesn't work the same way in real life.

You have to be willing to allow flexibility and "flow" with your personal budget.

How Donating Appreciated Stock to Charity Can Save You Thousands in Taxes If you're charitably inclined and have investments in a taxable brokerage account, you might be leaving significant tax savings on the table. Most people automatically reach for their checkbook or…

How Donating Appreciated Stock to Charity Can Save You Thousands in Taxes www.elevationfinancial.com/how-donating...

We want investing to be exciting, sexy, and entertaining.

But the reality is that winning at investing comes from following a disciplined strategy and staying focused over a long period of time.

So don't let recency bias derail your investment plan.

Advisors reflect on AI and crypto outlooks after endowment study shows outperformance Wealth managers weigh in on AI and crypto investing in the wake of a new study on endowment returns.

Hey! I'm excited to be featured in this article from InvestmentNews on integrating AI and crypto exposure into portfolios.

www.investmentnews.com/equities/thu...

Dreaming of your first home?

Did you know you can use up to $10,000 from your IRA penalty-free for a down payment if you're a first-time homebuyer?*

The IRS defines a "first-time homebuyer" as someone who has not owned a home during the past two years.

Many caveats apply*

Should I Use My HELOC as an Emergency Fund? Using a HELOC as an emergency fund isn't always inherently wrong, but it's also not the straightforward optimization it might appear to be on the surface.

Should I Use My HELOC as an Emergency Fund? www.elevationfinancial.com/should-i-use...

ChatGPT will no longer give health or legal advice ChatGPT is getting a reality check. Once known for answering everything from legal loopholes to health scares, the AI chatbot is now staying silent on sensitive topics. OpenAI has introduced new…

Interesting development!

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Getting life insurance while you're young can be a smart move.

Why?

Lower premiums: Young, healthy individuals get the best rates.

Guarantee insurability: Lock in coverage before any health issues arise.

Unlike retirement accounts, taxable brokerage accounts have no contribution limits.

Invest as much as you want, whenever you want.

Perfect for those looking to grow their wealth beyond traditional limits.

One of the biggest issues with debt is the opportunity cost.

Money spent on interest payments is money that could have been invested for growth.

Examples of recency bias in investing:

😱 Emotional responses to recent events
🔎 Short-term performance focus
🏃🏻 Trend-chasing behavior
👎🏽 Neglecting historical data
🤠 Overconfidence in the latest information

All these can lead to poor investment performance.