Validus Financial Associates PLLC

05/29/2026

Volatility may have defined the first quarter, but dispersion created opportunity. This piece looks at which areas of the market held up during geopolitical shocks, policy shifts, and falling equity indexes. A thoughtful reminder that even in rough markets, leadership rotates and resilience shows up in unexpected places.

Check it out.⬇️

Energy and fertilizer stocks and the dollar had good starts to the year

05/28/2026

"I honestly don’t remember a lot of specific advice. I do a lot of things that I didn’t come up with on my own, and someone must have pointed me in the right direction, but I don’t have memory of anything specific. I have always felt that hard work, no matter what it is, will lead to a better outcome. Probably the closest thing to real advice was when my wife, Donna, said she wanted us to retire. It felt it was very early and wasn’t on my radar. She and I had dated in high school but broke up my senior year. We re‑met 30 years later so missed a lot of life together. We had only been married for 7 years when we retired and she said that we will have time to catch up on a lot of life that we had missed out on together. That was the best piece of advice I ever followed.

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be work hard, save hard, and play hard. Retirement comes up so much faster than you can imagine, so start saving and planning as early as you possibly can. Enjoy the ride, but set yourself up and retire as soon as you are able. Keep looking ahead and enjoy each phase of life, but at the same time, look forward to retirement because it will be here before you know it!"

- Dennis R.

05/27/2026

Retirement readiness isn’t just about savings, it’s about how all the pieces fit together. Thoughtful coordination can make a meaningful difference. Empower yourself to navigate retirement with confidence.

Read our latest blog to learn the basics of investing after retirement and how to not jeopardize your savings. 👉 https://www.vfateam.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-smart-investing-strategies-after-retirement

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 🇺🇸 A day of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance.

05/22/2026

Retirement decisions are emotional, practical, and deeply personal—and housing is no exception. This article challenges a common retirement assumption by examining why most people don’t downsize, even when they say they will.

If you're thinking about your next chapter, click below to read more.⬇️

Aging Americans often say they're getting ready to downsize. The data suggests otherwise.

05/21/2026

"What I love most about retirement is the only answer to ourselves and any stress we have is now self-induced. I love not having a schedule, and when opportunities come up for us to do something, my first response is that I don’t want to be tied down to a schedule. We can now take our time with things and do not have to hurry through them on days off. The first year or so was a novelty and it was fun to say we were “retired”. It’s now a way of life and I can’t imagine it any other way. I never felt I lost my identity, although I do miss the people we interacted with everyday and certainly miss the social aspect of work. Be prepared to spend a lot of one on one time with your spouse!

I don’t have one favorite trip since retiring, but I’ve loved the collection of trips we’ve taken together. We bought a 5th wheel RV a few years before we retired. We made several small weekend trips before we retired, but 2 weeks after we retired we took our first trip across the country with it. We drove to FL and worked our way up the east coast to where we grew up in northern PA. We made a total of 6 trips across the country each summer with the 5th wheel. We would either start in PA and go south to FL or we would start in FL and work our way up to PA. We caught up with so many classmates, friends, family, et al that we hadn’t seen in years. We spent countless hours on beaches, saw so many new places and had experiences we never would have had. Last spring we sold our RV and bought a small house near our hometown in northern PA and have a blast hanging with classmates and family each summer. Our retirement has focused on friends and family.

There were several hobbies I thought I’d dive deeper into during retirement. We bought new golf clubs and used them some, but we don’t golf regularly. I play several instruments and have written many songs. I thought I would hit that head on. I also used to do a lot of wood working and thought that would be part of the plan. Although I’ve done more with them than I had, I don’t do as much of it as I thought I would. We focus predominantly on our domestic travel and now getting our second home up and running. We also added two grandsons, our only grandchildren. They are 2-1/2 and 1 year old so it’s all very new to us."

- Dennis R.

05/18/2026

In retirement, investing isn’t just about growth. It’s about timing, coordination, and making sure your income strategy stays intact. That’s why having a clear plan matters more than ever.

If you're interested in learning more about this particular question, we're sharing more resources in our recent blog post! Check it out now: https://www.vfateam.com/blog/a-quick-guide-to-smart-investing-strategies-after-retirement

05/15/2026

Feeling stuck or unsure about what’s next? You’re not behind, you’re building. 💭

This article shares hard‑won lessons on becoming who you’re meant to be, one choice at a time.👇

Stop "finding" yourself and start creating your future self. Use these 5 pillars to align your purpose and pivot with confidence.

05/14/2026

"I had just turned 16 when I had my first job. My grandmother and I had been to the Gulf gas station in our small hometown for some tire work. The owner thought I would be a good worker because of the way I helped my grandmother and offered me a job on the spot. We did substantially more tire business than we did gasoline business and I worked very hard. I made $3/hour and I felt rich! Minimum wage was $2.75/hour, which my friends were making at the local grocery store. I worked there for almost three years before I left home for the Navy three days after I turned 18.

My first car was a brand new 1980 Chevy Citation coupe. My family didn’t have much money while growing up, so for me to be driving a brand new car when I was 18, and I paid for everything entirely on my own, made me feel like a king. I was so proud of it. I paid $5,050 for it. No power steering, no power brakes and standard transmission. I drove it hard. It got me through the Navy, college, and the first few years here in Phoenix. It was a good car and I never had real problems with it, but honestly, I’ve never missed it."

- Dennis R.