SGS Wealth Management

10/28/2026

Extended-care insurance is one of the most complex types of insurance you may consider. Learn more.

Here’s a list of 8 questions to ask that may help you better understand the costs and benefits of extended-care insurance.

10/26/2026

🤖 An AI assistant that handles your emails and pays your bills? That sounds pretty convenient.

But how much access are you comfortable giving it?

Personal AI agents are designed to handle tasks on your behalf, sometimes using sensitive information like banking details and email accounts. And while they may save time, some cybersecurity professionals warn that granting them too much access carries risks.

One concern is something called prompt injection, where malicious instructions hidden in a website or email could trick an AI agent into doing something you never authorized.

🔐 A couple of questions worth asking before giving an AI agent access to sensitive information:
▪️What information does it need? Researching products doesn’t necessarily require access to your accounts.
▪️Can it make purchases? There’s a difference between comparing prices and authorizing transactions.

Convenience and privacy don’t always go hand in hand. Reviewing what an agent has done on your behalf may help spot actions you never intended.

The more access you give personal AI agents, the more capable they can be. But should you trust them?

10/26/2026

Your debt-to-income ratio is one of the key numbers lenders look at. Find out where you stand and what it might mean for major financial decisions.

Calculate your debt-to-income ratio to understand how lenders may view your financial health.

10/26/2026

How many years before you are ready to be “retired”?

It’s one of the most important numbers yet.

TIAA's 2026 longevity literacy research found that workers who expect a shorter retirement save less consistently than those who expect a longer one.

That makes sense, but it also means the people who assume their retirement will be short are the same ones who may be building portfolios with shorter time horizons.

Once someone has already reached 65, the numbers shift.

According to Social Security Administration data:

📌 A 65-year-old man has roughly a 24 percent chance of living past 90

📌 A 65-year-old woman's chances are higher, closer to 35 percent

📌 For a 65-year-old married couple, there is about a 50 percent chance that at least one spouse lives past 90

The practical implication is not "assume you will live to 100."

It’s that a retirement income strategy built around the “average lifespan” often assumes a person will die on schedule. Most people do not.

If retirement is on your horizon, the question to ask is, "What happens to my income strategy if I live to 95?"

10/23/2026

We all want to know, “What’s next for the financial markets?” But no one knows for sure.

We all know the stock market can be unpredictable. We all want to know, "What's next for the financial markets?"

10/22/2026

Trust & Will's 2026 Estate Planning Report found that 56 percent of adults don't have core documents in place, including:

📝 A will: who gets what, and who is in charge of making it happen

🏥 A healthcare directive (or living will): what you want if you cannot speak for yourself

✍️ Two powers of attorney, one for medical decisions and one for financial decisions, each naming a specific person

📄 A letter of instruction: the practical map to where accounts live, who your professionals are, and what your kids or pets need

The friction is that estate work forces a family to sit with mortality, name specific people for specific roles, and make decisions that feel too permanent to rush.

Without something in writing, though, families are left improvising during one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Most say they fully intend to get to it, but too many put it off until it's too late.

Don't put it off. Talk to a financial professional who can help.

10/21/2026

❄️ Heating oil prices are climbing, and some households are facing difficult decisions as winter approaches.
In Maine, the average price reached $5.97 per gallon in early October. One homeowner estimates her family could spend nearly $5,000 heating their home this winter.
Nationwide, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects households that rely on heating oil to spend 21% more than last winter.
Some fuel suppliers say customers are ordering smaller deliveries because filling an entire tank has become too expensive.
For families already managing rising everyday expenses, keeping the house warm may take an even larger share of their household budgets this winter.

Amid surging inflation and a rise in fuel prices, Americans who rely on heating oil to warm up their homes this winter are bracing for increased financial strains.

10/21/2026

Saving early could prove very helpful down the road. Share this piece with your family and consider your choices.

This early financial decision could prove helpful over time.

10/19/2026

Social Security recipients will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2027, translating to approximately $75 more per month on average.

The increase comes as inflation continues to affect everyday expenses. September's Consumer Price Index showed prices rising 3.7% over the past year.

But will the adjustment be enough? A September AARP survey found that roughly three-quarters of adults age 50 and older didn't believe a 3.5% COLA would keep pace with rising prices.

The actual increase will vary by recipient, and expenses such as health care, housing, and groceries may affect how far that additional income goes.

The Social Security Administration projects a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities starting in 2027.

10/19/2026

Take an inside look into Simplified Employee Pension plans.

For some, the idea of establishing a retirement strategy evokes worries about complicated reporting and administration.