Tidewater Wealth Management

10/21/2026

Planning for retirement income and Medicare together

Medicare premiums can rise with income. For many people with TIAA retirement accounts, that income can include withdrawals from a 403(b), required minimum distributions, annuity payments and Roth conversions. Social Security generally uses the tax return from two years earlier to set premiums, so decisions made in the years before 65 can show up later in a Medicare bill. People whose income falls after they retire may be able to ask Social Security to use more recent income after a qualifying life-changing event.

Medicare open enrollment runs through December 7, which makes this a good time to look at coverage and retirement income side by side.

Work through the questions at your own pace. Download the TIAA retirement guide: https://www.tidewaterwealth.com/the-university-professionals-guide-to-tiaa-retirement-decisions

Want the full picture? Read David Wheatley's article, How Your TIAA Retirement Income Can Affect Your Medicare Costs: https://www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/how-your-tiaa-retirement-income-can-affect-your-medicare-costs

10/20/2026

Medicare open enrollment is happening now.

From October 15 to December 7, everyone with Medicare can review their health and drug plans and make changes for 2027. December 7 is generally the last day to change coverage for the next year, and the plan must receive your request by that date. New coverage begins January 1. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have a switch window from January 1 to March 31.

A few things worth doing this season:

- Read your Annual Notice of Change to see how your plan's costs, coverage and networks are changing
- Check that your doctors, pharmacies and prescriptions are still covered
- Compare options on Medicare Plan Finder
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE with questions

If you like your current plan and it still fits your needs, you generally do not need to re-enroll.

Sources:
Medicare.gov, Joining a plan: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan
Medicare.gov, Remember Key Medicare Dates:https://www.medicare.gov/publications/12192-remember-key-medicare-dates.pdf
CMS.gov, Medicare Open Enrollment: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/key-initiatives/medicare-open-enrollment-partner-resources
Medicare Plan Finder: https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare

This content is for general educational purposes only and is not personalized advice. Tidewater is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or CMS.

10/14/2026

Five years ago, Tidewater began with a simple idea. After many years at TIAA, we saw how much more people could get from an advisor who had the time to know them and the freedom to plan around their whole lives. So we built a small firm in New Haven and West Hartford, focused on retirees, pre-retirees, and professionals in higher education and academic medicine.

Today, Tidewater Wealth Management turns five, and we still describe ourselves the same way: independent, but not alone.

Independence gives us the freedom to tailor advice to each client's goals, circumstances, and family, with the financial plan coming first. We do that work alongside established industry partners, including NewEdge Advisors, TIAA, Schwab, and Fidelity, so personal attention and institutional resources work together.

Our focus over these five years has stayed steady: keep the plan current, and keep it connected to what matters most to the people behind it.

Thank you to our clients for your trust, and to our partners and the professionals who work alongside us.

10/12/2026

The questions worth asking before you turn 60

Swipe through our checklist of six questions that help bring a retirement plan into focus, along with a note on why each one matters.

1. When do I want to stop working, and what does the first year look like? A date and a picture make every other decision easier to size.

2. Which income sources will I have, and when does each one start? Pensions, Social Security, retirement accounts, and savings each follow their own timeline.

3. Which accounts will I draw from first? The order of withdrawals can affect taxes for years.

4. How will I cover health care until Medicare begins? Medicare eligibility generally starts at 65, so retiring earlier can leave a gap.

5. Are my beneficiaries and estate documents current? Retirement accounts pass by beneficiary designation, not by will.

6. What will I do with my time? The plan covers the money. This covers the life it supports.

These questions are best answered together, as part of one plan.

10/08/2026

Five dates worth having on your calendar this quarter

October 14: Social Security announces the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, expected alongside the September inflation report.

October 15: Extended deadline for 2025 individual tax returns. An extension to file is not an extension to pay.

October 15 to December 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, the window to review Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage for 2027.

November 3: Midterm elections. All 435 seats in the U.S. House and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with state and local contests. In Connecticut, early voting runs October 19 to November 1.

December 31: Year-end. Required minimum distributions are generally due, and it is the last day for 2026 Roth conversions and charitable gifts.

Election outcomes can influence the legislative agenda, including policy areas such as taxes, retirement accounts, Social Security, and Medicare. The timing and extent of any change are uncertain, and short-term market movement is possible. At Tidewater, we focus on what can be planned for, and we revisit each client's strategy as the facts develop.

If you would like to talk through how these dates apply to you, our Advisors offer complimentary plan reviews. Message us to schedule.

Tidewater does not endorse any candidate or party. Please confirm election dates and voting options with the the Secretary of the State. This is general information, not personalized advice. Please consult your tax professional about your own situation.

10/08/2026

Where YURAP fits into your retirement plan

For many people at Yale, the Yale University Retirement Account Plan (YURAP) is the foundation of a retirement plan. It is an important starting point, and it works best as one part of a larger picture.

It earns that role because of how it is funded. According to Yale, the university makes a core contribution of 5% of base pay up to the Social Security wage base and 7.5% above it, in addition to a match on employee contributions. Both are immediately vested, and plan assets are held with TIAA. Over a career, those contributions build steadily in the background.

What YURAP does not decide is when someone can afford to retire, what they will spend, or where each year's income should come from. That is the role of the plan built around it. Many people also have accounts from earlier employers, IRAs, a 457(b) for those who are eligible, and Social Security still ahead. YURAP accepts rollovers from several account types, so there are choices about whether to bring pieces together. Each source has its own timing and tax treatment, and the order of withdrawals can shape income and taxes for years.

Together, these sources become a retirement income plan, and that plan exists to support the life a person wants, whether that includes travel, a gradual transition out of work, or more time with family.

Tidewater Wealth Management works with higher education professionals and physicians and offers a complimentary review to anyone who would like to see where YURAP sits in their own picture. Message us to schedule a call.

Please check with Yale regarding your eligibility and the current plan terms, as they can change. Tidewater Wealth Management is not affiliated with or endorsed by Yale. This is general information, not personalized advice.

09/25/2026

The standard catch-up contribution for those 50 and older allows an additional $7,500 per year above the standard 401(k) limit in 2026.

For university employees with 15 or more years of service at the same institution, a TIAA and 403(b)-specific provision may allow even higher contributions.

If you feel behind on retirement savings and you work in higher education, there may be more room to close that gap than you realize.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, explains what's available and who qualifies. Link below.

https://www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/catching-up-on-tiaa-contributions-later-in-your-career

09/25/2026

A donor-advised fund is one of the most effective charitable giving tools available to professionals approaching retirement — and one of the least discussed.
The mechanic is simple: you contribute now, receive the full tax deduction in the year of the contribution, and direct grants to qualifying charities on your own schedule. The contribution decision and the giving decision are separate.

For faculty in their final high-income years, contributing appreciated securities to a DAF in that window can reduce taxable income at the highest marginal rate they will ever face — while eliminating capital gains tax entirely on those securities.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, explains the full strategy in the link below.

A donor-advised fund lets you contribute now, get the tax deduction immediately, and give to charity on your own schedule. Here’s how DAFs work and why they’re ideal for educators and physicians near retirement.

09/25/2026

Three major assets moved sharply in different directions this year. The dollar steadied after a long decline. Gold fell sharply from $5,400 to around $4,100. Bitcoin dropped over 50% from its highs, even as stock markets rallied.

Each of these movements has a different explanation, and most of them have more to do with inflation expectations, rate dynamics, and investor sentiment than with any fundamental change in the assets themselves.

Understanding what drove the volatility is more useful than reacting to it. The full breakdown link below.

Gold fell from \$5,400 to \$4,100. Bitcoin dropped 50%. The dollar steadied. Here is what is driving the volatility and what it means for your portfolio.

09/24/2026

A research scientist who has held appointments at three institutions has likely accumulated retirement accounts at each of them.
Each 403(b) has its own custodian, its own investment options, and its own beneficiary designation form. None of them coordinate automatically with the others.

The consolidation question — whether to roll prior accounts into the current plan or into an IRA — requires a specific analysis of fees, investment options, and creditor protections. The right answer depends on the individual situation.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, works with university researchers through exactly this question. Link to the guide below.

Moving to a new institution? Learn what happens to your TIAA Traditional account and what changes at your new employer.