Brett Mock - Director of Wealth Management

10/23/2026

The beans brewed for your morning coffee may have changed hands many times.

Few contemplate the complex journey that brought their coffee from farm to kitchen table.

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

🦖 A dinosaur hiding in plain sight for nearly 100 years? Apparently, that's possible!
Researchers have identified a new species from a fossil that had been sitting in London's Natural History Museum since 1924.
Meet Invictibellatrix amberina, a distant relative of T. rex that lived about 120 million years ago.
This feathered predator measured roughly 10 to 13 feet long and used its enormous curved claws to hunt prey. Scientists identified it after examining the fossil with CT scans and 3D modeling.
And here's the wild part: The lead researcher says that if humans had existed alongside this dinosaur, we might have been its ideal prey. A T. rex, by comparison, probably wouldn't have bothered with us! 😳
Not bad for a fossil that spent a century in a drawer.

A fossil discovered 100 years ago in the U.K. has been identified as a previously unknown cousin of the T. rex, and it "definitely would have chased us."

10/21/2026

Teens might not have much money, but it's important for them to be responsible with the cash they do have.

10/19/2026

🛍️ What if you and another shopper paid different prices for the exact same groceries?

AI could make that scenario more common.

Retailers are exploring personalized pricing, which may use data such as browsing habits, ZIP codes, and purchasing behavior to determine what individual shoppers are willing to pay.

In one Instacart pricing experiment, researchers found that identical grocery baskets cost some shoppers up to 23% more than others. Instacart disputed aspects of those findings and later ended the experiment.

As AI becomes more involved in retail, it raises an interesting question: Will the price you see depend on who's shopping? 🤖

Retailers want to harness the power of artificial intelligence to set personalized prices for shoppers, a consumer protection expert says.

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

Becoming a parent is exciting, but having kids is expensive and the costs continue to rise. Here’s how you can start by planning for your financial future now

Having kids is expensive. Here are 6 steps you can take to plan for your family’s financial future now

10/19/2026

What happens to your cash flow when you stop earning a paycheck?

The 2026 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey caught something interesting about that shift.

📊 Among workers, 33 percent say they turn to a financial professional for guidance.

📊 Among retirees, that number climbs to nearly 40 percent.

National Retirement Security Week (October 19–25 this year) is a reminder to check whether your strategy is evolving with your lifestyle priorities.

If retirement is within a few years, the practical step is not rebuilding the strategy today.

It's identifying the two or three moving pieces that are no longer theoretical, the day you stop working, and consider working with a financial professional who can help guide you.

10/16/2026

If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles, and online accounts?

If you died, what would happen to your email archives, social profiles and online accounts?