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Fiduciary1st

Official page for Nathan Garcia, CFP®. Nathan is a Investment Advisor Rep for Strategic Wealth Partners. https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/pocket-plan-ap

For more info visit https://fiduciary1st.com or download the Pocket Plan app from the iOS store.

10/20/2026

A 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment is coming in 2027. SSA puts the average retirement benefit increase at about $75 a month, starting with January payments.

What I'm telling clients to do before January:
• Hold off on counting the full raise until the 2027 Medicare Part B premium is announced. For most retirees it comes straight out of the Social Security check.
• If you set portfolio withdrawals at the start of the year, check them against what you actually spent in 2026, not what you projected.
• Create or log in to your my Social Security account and switch to paperless notices by November 18. You'll see your COLA notice online in late November instead of waiting for December mail.

For federal retirees, the COLA isn't the same across systems. CSRS annuities receive the full 3.6%. FERS annuities receive 2.6%, and most FERS retirees under 62 receive no COLA at all.

10/19/2026

Social Security benefits rise 3.6% in 2027, an average of about $75 more a month starting in January.

Three things to do before January:
• Wait for the 2027 Medicare Part B premium before you count the full raise.
• Compare your withdrawals to what you actually spent in 2026.
• Create your my Social Security account and go paperless by November 18 to see your COLA notice online in late November.

Federal retirees: CSRS annuities get the full 3.6%. FERS annuities get 2.6%, and most FERS retirees under 62 get no COLA.

10/17/2026

Friendly mid-October nudge: year-end money decisions need calendar space, not panic.

Set a review date before October ends. Look at contribution room, Roth analysis questions, and anything tied to Medicare timing. Educational only—no one-size-fits-all answers.

10/15/2026

Using a ROBS structure to fund your business? There's a tax trap most people don't see coming.

If your plan sponsor issues a 1099-R incorrectly, the IRS treats your rollover as a taxable distribution — and you could owe thousands in taxes and penalties on money you never actually withdrew.

Watch this quick breakdown of how it happens and what to do about it.

https://youtu.be/hqzD7gzgP84

10/01/2026

Inflation came in better than expected this morning. The Fed is still going to raise rates.

August PCE, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge:

Headline — 3.4% (forecast was 3.7%)
Core — 3.0% (forecast was 3.3%)

Better than expected. Still a full point above the Fed's 2% target.

And one catch most headlines will skip: this report included the annual revisions, which lowered past inflation readings. Some of the "cooling" is history being restated, not prices actually slowing down.

Here's the part that matters for your money.

The Fed already hiked on September 16 — a quarter point, to 3.75%–4.00%. First increase since 2023. And 16 of the 18 policymakers expect at least one more before the year ends. Their own projections put rates near 4% through the end of 2027.

So stop asking when rates come down. Start asking what your plan looks like if they don't.

Higher-for-longer is good news if you're sitting on cash, CDs, or short-term bonds. It's a problem if you're carrying debt, or if your portfolio was built for the rate cuts everyone was predicting a year ago.

Most people don't know how these conversations impact their financial goals. That's the conversation to have this week — not in 2027.

09/11/2026

August CPI prints this morning at 8:30 AM. Here's what to watch.

Consensus expects 3.4% year-over-year — flat with July. Core CPI is forecast at 0.2% month-over-month.

Yesterday's PPI came in hot at 5.4% YoY, but core producer prices were actually softer than expected. That's the nuance most coverage missed.

Why does today matter more? Because CPI measures what consumers actually pay. PPI measures what businesses pay. The Fed weights CPI more heavily in rate decisions.

And speaking of the Fed — they meet September 15-16. Today's number helps set the table for that decision.

If CPI comes in at or below 3.4%, expect markets to price in a hold or a dovish lean. If it surprises to the upside, the conversation shifts toward "higher for longer."

Either way — your financial plan should already account for both scenarios. If it doesn't, that's the real issue. Not the number itself.

09/10/2026

August PPI data is out.

Producer prices rose 5.4% year-over-year — slightly above the 5.3% consensus. But here's what most headlines will skip:

Core PPI (stripping out food and energy) came in at 0.2% month-over-month — below the 0.3% forecast. That's the number that matters for where prices are actually heading.

Jobless claims held steady at 206K. The labor market isn't cracking.

Tomorrow brings August CPI at 8:30 AM. That's the inflation gauge the Fed watches most closely heading into their September 15-16 meeting.

What should you do with this information? Probably nothing reactive. But if you haven't reviewed your financial plan since spring, this is a good reminder that the rate environment is still shifting — and your plan should account for it.

09/10/2026

Wondering how much you could save if you relocated? Check out how Income, Sales and Property taxes compare between locations by simply putting in the zip code. Check out https://tryclaritytax.com

07/21/2026

Home sales are dropping, but it’s NOT because people don't want to buy. It’s the rate "lock-in effect" and affordability strain in action. 📉🏠

If you’re looking to buy in the next 6–12 months:
• Stop waiting for rates to crash
• Capitalize on cooling competition
• Negotiate better prices & terms while leverage is on your side

Don't hunt for the perfect rate—hunt for the window where you actually have room to negotiate. 💡

Where are you at right now? Active buyer, waiting to sell, or holding onto a 3% mortgage for dear life? 💬👇

07/21/2026

The VIX said calm. The market said otherwise. 📉

Friday Goldman's trading desk watched DRAM swing 13% and finish flat. The SOX — some of the largest companies in the world — moved 7%. Their panic index hit levels usually reserved for genuine market crises.

The S&P barely flinched.

This is why we don't plan around headlines. The index is a story. Your actual portfolio is the reality.

A financial plan cuts through the noise — and gives you something to hold onto when the P&L looks nothing like the news.

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Columbia, MD
21045

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Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

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