Stirling Capital, Ltd.

09/02/2026

A native of Northwest Ohio, Dustin Alexander completed his studies at Xavier University and entered financial services in 2003. Three years later, he founded Stirling Capital with a clear vision: build a client-first advisory firm rooted in transparency, trust, and long-term relationships. Today he leads the firm's strategy while working directly with clients on retirement planning, advanced financial planning, and asset management.

What drives Dustin has never changed. He believes hardworking individuals and families deserve honest advice from someone who understands what they have sacrificed to build. That belief shapes every client conversation at Stirling Capital. https://www.stirlingcapital.org/team/dustin-alexander/

08/25/2026

As backpacks and school supplies fill the house this month, it is worth remembering that most young people learn how to handle money at home, not in the classroom. Roughly three out of four teens say their parents are their primary source of financial education, yet only a small share feel confident building a basic budget on their own.

Simple habits like a savings jar, a first bank account, or a conversation about wants versus needs can shape financial confidence for decades. Whether your kids are heading back to elementary school or off to college for the first time, this is a good month to start those conversations. At Stirling Capital, we believe financial literacy is one of the best gifts hardworking families can pass down.

08/20/2026

Two refinery workers can retire on the same day, from the same job, with the same years of service, and end up in completely different financial situations ten years later based on one decision: whether they took their pension as a lump sum or a monthly annuity. Neither choice is automatically right. It depends on your health, your other assets, your comfort managing a large sum, and whether a spouse would need income if something happened to you.

Interest rates, survivor benefits and tax rules all factor into this decision in ways that are easy to miss without guidance. Our latest insight from Nathan Boyer breaks down what refinery workers need to know before making the call. https://www.stirlingcapital.org/pension-lump-sum-vs-annuity/

08/19/2026

Your will says who gets what. It says nothing about who pays the property taxes next month, who talks to your doctors, or where your Dad's old IRA actually goes. A will is one document in an estate plan. It isn't the plan.

In our latest insight, Dustin Alexander breaks down what estate planning looks like beyond the will, including trusts, beneficiary conflicts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and digital accounts. https://www.stirlingcapital.org/estate-planning-beyond-a-will/

Estate planning beyond a will: see how trusts, beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives work together to protect your family.

08/18/2026

Small business owners weighing whether to start a 401(k) plan have more reason than ever to say yes. Thanks to SECURE 2.0, eligible small businesses can now claim up to $15,000 in startup tax credits over a plan's first three years, plus an additional credit worth up to $1,000 per employee for employer contributions and $500 a year for adding automatic enrollment.

Offering a retirement plan helps you attract and retain good employees while building real tax advantages for your business at the same time. It is one of the few decisions that benefits your team and your bottom line together. At Stirling Capital, we help small business owners design a plan that fits their goals and their budget.

08/14/2026

On August 14, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, creating a safety net that has now supported American workers and retirees for 91 years. What began as a basic old age insurance program has grown into one of the most relied upon pieces of nearly every retiree's income.

Relied upon, but rarely sufficient on its own. The average Social Security retirement benefit in 2026 runs about $2,071 a month, or roughly $25,000 a year, which covers less than half of what a typical retiree actually spends. Social Security remains a strong foundation, but a real retirement plan needs pensions, savings and investments built around it. At Stirling Capital, we help hardworking individuals understand exactly how Social Security fits into their bigger picture.

08/10/2026

An inheritance, a divorce, or the loss of a spouse can change your financial picture overnight, often at a moment when you have the least bandwidth to think clearly about money. These transitions bring real decisions about taxes, accounts, and long-term goals, and they rarely come with a manual.

You do not have to sort through it alone. We help hardworking individuals and families navigate these unexpected chapters with clear guidance, so decisions get made thoughtfully rather than under pressure. Whatever life has handed you, we are here to help you find solid ground again.

08/05/2026

Our own Nathan Boyer was recently featured in Advisor Perspectives, a leading national publication for financial advisors, writing about why integrated tax and retirement planning matters so much for hardworking savers. As he puts it, "it's not what you make, it's what you keep." His article breaks down how strategies like Roth conversions, thoughtful asset location, and careful withdrawal planning can reduce lifetime taxes and even help retirees avoid costly Medicare surcharges.

Coordinating your investments, your tax strategy, and your estate plan is exactly the kind of integrated approach we bring to every client relationship.

Read Nathan's full article to see how these strategies could apply to your own retirement: https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2026/07/20/integrated-tax-retirement-planning-not-what-make-what-keep

08/03/2026

August is Healthy Aging Month, a reminder that growing older well involves more than physical and mental wellness. Your financial health plays just as important a role in how confidently you move through your 50s, 60s, and beyond.

A regular financial checkup, not just an annual physical, helps you catch small issues before they become larger problems. Reviewing your retirement timeline, your income sources, and how your plan has evolved over the years keeps you aging into the future you actually want. At Stirling Capital, we help hardworking individuals build financial habits that support a long and confident retirement.

07/21/2026

Stirling Capital was founded in 2006 with a clear purpose: help hardworking individuals and families in Northwest Ohio turn financial uncertainty into confidence through honest advice and personalized planning. Twenty years later, that mission has not changed. We still start every relationship the same way, by listening to your story and building a plan around your specific goals, your family, and what financial security truly means to you. If you have been thinking about getting a clearer picture of where you stand, we would welcome the conversation.