Merrick Financial Group

07/13/2026

🗓️ "Let's talk about it in December."

By December, choices can be limited. Mid-year is often the sweet spot for preparation.

✅ The bracket picture is clearer than it was in January.

Roth IRA conversion timing is flexible within the calendar year, but the bracket math can influence the outcome.

Six months of runway means scenarios can be modeled, not rushed.

If the market dips before year-end, the same tax math may change. Those windows rarely give notice. Keep your tax, legal, or accounting professional in the loop if you see an opportunity.

December conversions can be reactive.

Mid-year conversions can be designed.

If you’re wondering about timing, we welcome a discussion.

📋 To qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, Roth IRA distributions must meet a 5-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals can also be taken under certain other circumstances, such as the owner's death. The original Roth IRA owner is not required to take minimum annual withdrawals.

07/11/2026

🚔 Tier 2 Members — Are You Ready to Retire with Confidence?

Join Merrick Financial Group on Tuesday, July 14th @ 1700 hrs via Zoom for our Retirement Planning Seminar designed specifically for Tier 2 Members of the Service.

We'll discuss:

✔ Retirement planning

✔ Pension strategies

✔ Deferred Compensation

✔ Building retirement income

✔ Preparing for life after the NYPD

📅 Tuesday, July 14

🕔 1700 hrs

💻 Via Zoom

Register today:

https://www.merrickfinancialgroup.com/events/retirement-planning-seminar-tier-2-7-14-26

👥 Invite your family, friends, and colleagues.

07/09/2026

🚨 YOUR NEXT PARTY INVITE COULD BE A TRAP

Our team came across this one and wanted to pass it along.

Hackers are hijacking actual friends' accounts to send fake invites via Evite, Paperless Post, or Punchbowl.

THE DOMINO EFFECT:

▪️ You hit RSVP in a friend's email.

▪️ A fake login page steals your password.

▪️ The same invite blasts to your entire contact list from your account.

▪️ Hackers now have access to your banking, brokerage, and password reset services.
Here’s how to spot a fraudulent party invite!!!

🔍 Check the Sender: Real Paperless Post invites come from an official paperlesspost.com address, Evite from evite.com, and Punchbowl from punchbowl.com, not a personal email address.

Protecting your wealth starts with protecting the email tied to it. Hope this helps!

07/09/2026

Markets posted solid second-quarter gains as investors responded to upbeat economic reports, continued diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, and strong first-quarter corporate numbers. The S&P 500 rose 14.87%, the Nasdaq gained 21.41%, and the Dow picked up 12.90%, while Canada’s S&P/TSX Composite added 6.37%. Looking ahead, markets may continue to react to Middle East updates, oil prices, inflation trends, and the pace of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. From U.S. home price growth to Canadian housing forecasts, this quarter’s by-the-numbers highlights the data behind one of North America’s most closely watched markets.

Stocks saw solid gains in the second quarter, riding a wave of enthusiasm over upbeat economic reports, ongoing diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, and strong first-quarter corporate numbers.

07/07/2026

If something happened tomorrow, would your family know where to start? 🔐

In most households, one person handles the money. The bills, the logins, the insurance, the auto-pays.

The other believes it's being handled, which is fine until it isn't.

Here’s a suggestion:

👉 Build one shared document with every account and explain how to access it. Update it periodically.

👉 Consider having both names on the accounts you say are jointly owned.

👉 Check out a password manager you both can access.

👉 Keep a one-page summary in a safe place with what to do, who to call, and where to look.

The couples who do this often say the same thing afterward: “We should have done it sooner.”

07/04/2026

This Independence Day, we proudly celebrate 250 years of America's enduring spirit—a legacy built on courage, sacrifice, and freedom.

As we honor the generations who have protected our nation's ideals, we extend a heartfelt thank you to the brave men and women of the NYPD and all those who serve our communities every day.

From all of us at Merrick Financial Group, we wish you and your family a safe, joyful, and memorable Fourth of July.

❤️🤍💙 Celebrating 250 Years of American Independence • 1776–2026

07/03/2026

This 4th of July is a milestone year! 🗽

It’s our nation's 250th birthday.

Hope most of you are enjoying a long weekend celebrating this historic anniversary.

From our family to yours, wishing you a happy Independence Day weekend. 🎆

07/02/2026

"We should just buy a place here." 🏖️

Almost every client conversation about a second home starts with that sentence, said on the third or fourth morning of a really good trip.

It's rarely about the house.

It's about wanting more of the version of life you experience on vacation.

That's a valid thought, but the house is not always the cleanest path to it.

A few things worth pressure-testing before you buy:

🔹 The sticker price is only the start. Insurance, maintenance, HOA fees, furnishings, and other expenses can add up faster than people expect.

🔹 The rental tax rules are not intuitive. The 14-day rule, passive activity limits, and depreciation may change the math. Be sure to check with your tax, legal, or accounting professional about how the rental tax rules would apply in your situation.

🔹 Paying all cash vs. financing isn't always straightforward. Don’t overlook the opportunity cost if you’re considering paying all cash.

🔹 Will the kids want it? Agree on it?

None of this is a reason not to buy. Plenty of clients have and love it.

It's a reason to do the numbers and have the family conversations before the offer, not after.

07/01/2026

It's July 1. Six months of 2026 are gone. ⏳

If you're like most of the people we work with, the year hasn’t gone exactly the way you sketched it out in January.

➔ Maybe the market did something you didn't expect, and your priorities look different from what they did six months ago.

➔ Maybe a parent's health changed, or an adult child needed help, or a grandchild arrived, and now the estate strategy you finalized two years ago doesn't quite match the family.

➔ Maybe the business had a better year than projected, or you’re managing through some other issues.

➔ Maybe you sold something, bought something, retired, semi-retired, or finally admitted you're not going to retire when you said you would.

Any one of those is a reason to revisit your approach before December, not after.

The clients who feel most in control of their financial lives are the ones who don't wait until year-end to find out what the year actually was.