Kirtland Financial Services

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

Back-to-school season is bringing higher costs for many families.

A new analysis found that a typical basket of school items, including notebooks, lunch boxes, and index cards, is up nearly 8% compared with last year.

School lunches are also more expensive, with the cost of a typical packed lunch up 11%.

The analysis estimates families may spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, including about $175 on school items and $3,800 on packed lunches.

Some items have seen especially sharp increases. Lunch boxes are up 27%, one-subject notebooks are up 23%, and index cards are up 22%.

Higher tariffs, imported school supplies, food prices, and energy costs are all contributing to the increase.

For families, back-to-school shopping is a reminder that seasonal expenses can add up quickly, especially when everyday costs are already stretching household budgets.

U.S. households will spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, a new analysis found.

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

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its July meeting, but the decision was not unanimous.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-3 to keep the federal funds rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%.

Three regional Fed presidents voted against the decision, preferring to raise rates by 0.25 percentage points instead.

The split reflects ongoing concern about inflation, which has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years.

Recent price pressures have been tied to several factors, including tariffs and higher energy costs connected to conflict in the Middle East.

The Fed’s statement noted that economic activity continues to expand at a solid pace, while job growth has kept pace with workforce growth, and unemployment has changed little.

For households and businesses, the decision is a reminder that interest rates remain closely tied to inflation, borrowing costs, employment, energy prices, and the broader economic outlook.

Despite increasing support for a rate increase, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-3 to leave the federal funds rate in a range between 3.5% and 3.75%.

07/31/2026

🎒🎒 The backpacks are back.

Every year around this time, the phone calls change. ☎️

➡️ Tuition wires.

➡️ Grandparents asking how to help.

➡️ Parents of high school seniors are thinking about FAFSA for the first time.

➡️ Empty-nesters are asking what to do with the spending that just freed up.

➡️ New questions about insurance coverage when a teen starts driving to an out-of-state campus.

If any of this is sitting on the family list, it could be a good time to meet with a financial professional.

07/30/2026

We were all once someone’s intern.

Today is National Intern Day, and it made me think about the person who took a chance on me early in my career.

Most of us still remember that person.

For families, there is another reason to pay attention to the teenagers or young adults working this summer.

A paycheck can make a teenager eligible for a Roth IRA.

A teenager who contributes $2,300 a year starting at age 15 could have more than $707,000 by age 65, assuming a 6 percent average annual return.

And the contribution does not have to come out of the teen’s pocket.

A parent or grandparent can fund it, as long as the teen has enough earned income to qualify.

A summer job can be more than a first line on a resume.

It can be the start of a long-term financial habit.

If a teenager in your life is earning money this summer, have the Roth IRA conversation sooner rather than later.

📝 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.

📝 Consider talking to your tax, legal, or accounting professional before moving ahead.

07/29/2026

Mortgage rates are rising again, but some buyers may be finding a little more room to navigate the housing market.

The average contract interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a conforming loan balance rose to 6.69%, up from 6.65% the previous week.

That was the highest level since last August.

Even so, purchase mortgage applications rose 6% for the week. One reason may be that more inventory in some markets is giving buyers additional options.

Some sellers also appear more willing to cut prices as the market moves through its typically slower summer season.

Higher borrowing costs still matter. Mortgage rates can affect monthly payments, affordability, and how much buyers feel comfortable spending on a home.

For buyers and sellers, the broader takeaway is that multiple factors shape housing conditions. Rates, inventory, home prices, competition, and timing can all influence the market at once.

Mortgage rates last week rose to the highest level since last August, but homebuyer demand climbed as well, as buyers see more supply.

07/29/2026

Without looking, when did you last update your will?

For most people, the honest answer is "a while ago." Sometimes it's "I don't remember." Occasionally, it's "I'm not sure I ever have."

Estate documents get signed in a year that felt important, and then they go into a drawer.

Four things most people don't realize:

✅ State estate taxes follow the property, not the person. A vacation home in another state can be taxed by that state's rules.

✅ Trusts in recent years may need to be updated to reflect current rules.

✅ Inheritance tax depends on who receives, not what's left. Nieces, nephews, and unmarried partners may owe what a child wouldn't.

✅ The beneficiary form on a retirement account typically overrides the will. The form is filled out once and quietly controls millions.

And many more nuances worth considering.

We’re here if you want an opinion on your estate strategy. If you have a trust, we would encourage you to speak with a professional who is familiar with the relevant rules and regulations before considering any changes.

07/27/2026

True or false: A grandparent-owned 529 plan can hurt a grandchild's financial aid eligibility.

❌ False. That rule changed.

The FAFSA opens October 1, and the decisions that affect what shows up on it can make sense to review right now.

Distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 plan no longer count as student income, which previously reduced aid eligibility by up to 50 percent of the amount withdrawn.

For families who held off on funding or using grandparent accounts because of the old rule, the math has fully flipped.

Generally speaking, tuition bills land in August. Before the checks go out, a few things are worth a look:

🔹 Whether a grandparent-owned 529 now makes more sense than a parent-owned one for new contributions

🔹 Which account to draw from first if both exist

🔹 Annual exclusion gifts and the five-year superfunding option ($95,000 per donor, per beneficiary)

🔹 Beneficiary changes if the original student finished school or shifted plans

🔹 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.

🔹 Consider talking to your tax, legal, or accounting professional before moving ahead.