Michael R. Craggett Jr. RICP - Financial Strategies Group

08/10/2026

Scams are evolving but so can your defenses. From phone calls to social media, scammers are using old tricks in new ways. The good news? Most are preventable. Check out our quick infographic to stay one step ahead!

A helpful glossary of current scams.

08/10/2026

🏠 Most families have the same strategy for long-term care: deal with it when it happens. The problem is, by the time it happens, the choices have already narrowed.

Nearly 70 percent of today's 65-year-olds will need some form of long-term care, according to a 2025 study by Schwab.

The median cost of a private nursing home room is $116,800 per year.

An in-home health aide runs $75,504 annually.

With the average need lasting three years, you're looking at $226,000 to $350,000 at today's prices, and that number only grows over time.

Most people know it's coming. They just don't want to think about it.

And while they wait, premiums rise, health conditions develop that can limit eligibility, and options quietly disappear.

A few things worth knowing now:

🔸 LTC insurance can be most cost-effective when purchased sooner rather than later

🔸 HSA funds can be used to pay LTC premiums

🔸 Hybrid policies offer alternatives if you prefer more flexibility

There is no coverage that works retroactively. The conversation your family keeps putting off is worth having before the decision gets made for you.

08/07/2026

The market is as unpredictable as the weather. We’re here to help you prepare.

This short video helps explain why markets can be as unpredictable as the weather.

08/07/2026

Markets navigated mixed signals in July. Inflation eased, tech faced pressure, and energy surged. Meanwhile, Americans are planning record travel spending in 2026: \$1.37 trillion. What's shaping your household budget this summer?

Stocks were mixed in July as investors navigated a cross-current of news on the outlook for AI spending and Q2 corporate reports.

08/06/2026

🎓 Most of the conversation around college savings is about whether you're saving enough. Fewer people talk about what happens when a 529 plan outlasts the beneficiary’s education needs.

Maybe your child earned a scholarship. Maybe they chose a less expensive school. Maybe the plan changed entirely.

However it happened, you built this account carefully, and now it has more in it than you need.

For years, your options were limited: take a taxable distribution and pay a 10 percent penalty on earnings, or change the beneficiary and hope someone else uses it.

SECURE 2.0 added a third option. Not everyone knows that you can roll unused 529 funds directly into a Roth IRA for the account's beneficiary.

Here's what to know:

🔹 $35,000 lifetime cap per beneficiary

🔹 The account must be at least 15 years old

🔹 Annual rollovers are capped at that year's Roth IRA contribution limit ($7,500 in 2026)

🔹 Only contributions made at least 5 years before the transfer date qualify

🔹 No income limits apply (unlike regular Roth contributions)

This doesn't happen overnight.

If your 529 has more in it than your child will use, it may be worth a conversation before that money sits idle any longer.

📝 A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged education savings plan. Before choosing a plan, it's important to consider not only the state tax treatment but also any associated fees and expenses. Availability of a state tax deduction will depend on your state of residence, as state tax laws and treatment may vary from federal tax laws. If you make nonqualified distributions, earnings will be subject to income tax and a 10 percent federal penalty tax.

📝 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.

#529

08/05/2026

Looking for a quick read? Explore the role Money Market Funds may play in your portfolio thanks to this concise article.

Check out this brief article which explores the role Money Market Funds may play in your portfolio.

08/05/2026

Your family could know every password you have and still be legally locked out of your photos, email, and accounts after you're gone.

☁️ Most estate strategies never address this gap.

A password helps practically. But it doesn't give your family legal permission to access an account.

Many platforms restrict access under their terms of service, and privacy laws can limit what companies disclose, even to a spouse or adult child.

These tools exist because knowing someone's password is not the same as having the right to use it.

Here are some suggestions:

◆ Reference digital assets generally and name a digital executor or fiduciary

◆ Keep a separate, secure inventory with accounts, passwords, recovery keys, and wishes

Many states have adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, or RUFADAA. It creates a legal path for fiduciaries to access digital assets. But the law works best when paired with documented instructions and properly configured platform settings.

Your memories are saved. Make sure your family can access them.

08/04/2026

☂️ One lawsuit has the potential to undo what it took a lifetime to build.

Most people assume their home and auto insurance policies cover everything. For everyday situations, they often do.

The problem is the situation that you never saw coming.

Think about where liability risk actually shows up.

🔹 A serious car accident where you are found at fault and multiple people are injured

🔹 A guest getting hurt on your property

🔹 A defamation claim from something posted online

🔹 A teenage driver in your household

🔹 An incident involving a rental property you own

🔹 A dog bite that leads to a settlement

Standard home and auto policies typically cap liability at $300,000 to $500,000. For someone who has spent decades building wealth, that coverage limit can leave a gap.

An umbrella policy extends that coverage to $1 million or more.

Most people who add an umbrella policy say the same thing afterward: they wish they had done it sooner.

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08/03/2026

Learn about Medicare’s popular program, offering retirees free gym membership and health education.

Medicare’s popular program, offering free gym membership and health education.

07/31/2026

Surprises crop up every day, and they’re a great reason to work with us.

Making the most of surprises is a great reason to work with us.