Michael R. Perkins, Retirement Advisor & Founder

07/17/2026

One of our 2026 goals was to get more involved in the community and to help give back!
This week, Gio, Melissa and Julie, volunteered at the Great Boston Food Bank. They not only had a wonderful time, they also helped pack and move almost 9,000lbs of food to help feed seniors in New England! 💪
We will definitely be going back!

If you're interested in donating to this great cause, they are currently matching dollar for dollar, so your donation can go twice as far:
https://my.gbfb.org/give/797678/ #!/donation/checkout

07/16/2026

Travel fraud gets worse every summer, and we hear more stories from clients every year.

A quick login from the lobby.

A brokerage app checked from the airport lounge.

A bank balance pulled up at a cafe.

Public networks are where accounts can get exposed.

A few habits worth building before the next trip:

🛑 Skip public WiFi for anything financial. Use cellular data or a personal hotspot.

🛑 Turn on real-time transaction alerts for every card.

🛑 Consider using credit, not debit.

🛑 Watch for skimmers (devices attached to gas pumps and ATMs that copy card data).

A few minutes of preparation before the trip can help prevent months of cleanup after.

07/15/2026

Heat waves can affect more than daily comfort and public health. They can also create real economic costs.

Extreme heat can reduce productivity among outdoor workers, increase utility bills, strain power grids, reduce crop yields, and keep some consumers closer to home.

One federal climate assessment found that the average number of heat waves in major U.S. cities each year has doubled since the 1980s.

Researchers have also found that more frequent extreme heat and severe droughts can weigh on gross domestic product, while heat-related economic losses have reached trillions of dollars globally in recent decades.

The impact can be especially significant for heat-exposed industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and mining.

For households and businesses, extreme heat is a reminder that weather risk can affect budgets, supply chains, labor productivity, food prices, and energy costs.

Heat waves threaten costs for the economy, sapping workers' productivity, shutting shoppers inside their homes and driving up utility costs, analysts told ABC News.

07/15/2026

Trump Accounts opened on July 4. A few questions are worth considering:

➡️ Our baby is 18 months old. Do we qualify for the $1,000?

Yes. Every U.S. citizen baby born since January 1, 2025, qualifies for a one-time $1,000 federal contribution.

➡️ Is there an income maximum?

No. Eligibility is based on the child's citizenship and birth date, not family income.

➡️ Our child is 7. Did we miss it?

Not entirely. Any U.S. citizen under 18 can have an account opened. The federal $1,000 payment applies only to children born in 2025 through 2028, but everything else still applies.

➡️ Can grandparents contribute?

Yes. Up to $5,000 per year combined across parents, grandparents, family, and the child themselves.

➡️ What is the catch?

State tax conformity varies; California, for example, does not currently conform.

Whether to contribute, how much, and how to coordinate it with what you already have are all worth talking through. Our team is here for that.

07/13/2026

The price of a first-class Forever stamp rose from 78 cents to 82 cents on July 12.

The increase is part of a series of price hikes from the U.S. Postal Service, which has raised the cost of a first-class stamp several times in recent years.

USPS has cited financial losses, rising operating expenses, and declining mail volume as reasons for the latest increase.

Other postage costs also increased. Domestic postcards rose to 65 cents, while international postcards and letters rose to $1.75.

One important reminder: Forever stamps purchased before the increase still work after the price change. They continue to cover the current cost of one ounce of First-Class Mail postage.

For households and small businesses, postage may seem like a small expense — but recurring cost increases can add up over time, especially for anyone who still relies on mailed bills, invoices, cards, or client communications.

The cost of a first-class Forever stamp has climbed 41% since 2021, and postal officials have signaled they want prices to rise even more.

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.

07/09/2026

🚨 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.”

07/03/2026

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. 🎆