Kirtland Financial Services

10/02/2026

What's one financial decision you've made that helped you feel more prepared for your future?

For many of the people we work with, it's not a single investment or product; it's taking the time to create an overall strategy.

🗓️ October is Financial Planning Month—which is all about how the pieces of your financial picture fit together to help pursue your financial goals.

It's about putting together a comprehensive approach that manages your investments and retirement, provides for your loved ones—all while staying flexible enough to adjust as things change.

💡 If you've been meaning to update your strategy or to create one for the first time, it's never too late to start.

10/01/2026

Some financial decisions get a second chance. A handful don't.

▪️ When you actually retire. In EBRI's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, 46 percent of retirees left the workforce earlier than they expected.

▪️ Stepping into a parent's finances. A 2026 Care.com report found sandwich-generation caregiving duties typically begin around age 34.

▪️ Receiving an inheritance. Ohio State research found nearly one in five people who inherited $100,000 or more had spent or lost the entire amount within two years.

▪️ Selling a business. For a typical owner, roughly 80 percent of their net worth is tied up in the business itself, per the Exit Planning Institute.

▪️ Writing (or updating) a will. Only 24 percent of Americans currently have a will, down from 33 percent in 2022, according to Caring.com.

None of these moments announce themselves on schedule. The families who handle them well are usually the ones who started talking years before circumstances forced their hand.

10/01/2026

📌 Higher rates sting borrowers, but they can be a real win for savers.

As rates rise, banks may increase the yields they offer on savings products to attract deposits. The average U.S. savings account still pays just 0.64% annual percentage yield. Some high-yield accounts are paying more than six times that, up to 4.2%, for the exact same deposit.

🔎 Certificates of deposit, or CDs, can offer even higher rates, but the tradeoff is access: your money is locked in for a set term, and pulling it out early usually costs a penalty.

Higher yields don’t erase the effects of inflation, and they won’t necessarily transform household finances. But if your savings account is still earning close to that 0.64% average, that gap alone might be worth a second look.

The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2023.

09/30/2026

Will your future income keep pace with the life you are preparing for?

In October, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2027 will be announced.

The annual adjustment is designed to help benefits keep up with inflation, but the same principle can be applied more broadly.

Your retirement income may need to be adjusted as your life, expenses, and priorities change.

Healthcare, insurance, travel, home maintenance, and support for family members can all affect the income you may need to generate.

Ask yourself:

▪️ Has your expected retirement spending changed?
▪️ Are certain future expenses rising faster than you thought?
▪️ Does your income strategy account for inflation?
▪️ Are you strategizing for the lifestyle that you budgeted for years ago?

A thoughtful retirement income strategy should evolve as your life and expenses change.

09/23/2026

🎂 Japan just crossed a milestone: for the first time, more than 100,000 people there are age 100 or older.

According to the country's Health and Welfare Ministry, Japan now counts 107,677 centenarians, up nearly 8,000 from the year before. Almost 88 percent are women. The country's oldest resident, Kyoto's Fuyo Kishimoto, recently turned 114.

🎌 Officials point to progress in medical care, along with healthier lifestyles and diet, as part of what's driving the trend. And Japan isn't alone; life expectancies have been rising in many countries over the past several decades.

It's a good reminder of how many more years many of us may be around for, and why that's worth factoring into conversations about the road ahead, from healthcare to how a longer stretch of years gets supported financially.

That's exactly the kind of long-term thinking we like to talk through together.

The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan has surpassed a record 100,000 this year. The latest figures from Japan's government underscore the country’s rapid aging and population decrease.

09/23/2026

📱 More and more people are now using AI for financial questions.

And with tools like ChatGPT adding bank account integrations, personalized financial guidance is starting to feel more accessible than ever.

So yes, AI can help organize information, model scenarios, and answer technical questions faster than most people could on their own.

BUT… financial insight isn’t just a math problem.

AI cannot talk to you about the pros and cons of making a portfolio adjustment when stock prices are falling. It might struggle to fully weigh your family dynamics, health concerns, risk tolerance, competing goals, or what will actually help you feel confident in your decisions.

🧠 That is where human guidance still matters.

Vanguard’s long-running Advisor’s Alpha research highlights behavioral coaching as one of the most valuable aspects of a relationship.

Not stock picking. Not market timing.

Helping people manage emotion when the stakes are high.

🤝 The future is not AI vs. financial professionals.

The future is for those who use better tools while still bringing judgment, context, and a real understanding of the person behind the strategy.

09/21/2026

Did you know your Medicare plan can change for next year even if you don't touch a thing?

📬 Each fall, Medicare Advantage and Part D plans send a letter called the Annual Notice of Change.

It arrives by September 30 and outlines what's different starting January 1: premiums, copays, network doctors, and covered medications.

Most people never open it. A large share of Medicare beneficiaries never compare their options.

Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. Take the time to note what is changing for the coming year.

09/21/2026

🏠 Homebuyers are stepping back as mortgage rates climb higher, fast.

Total mortgage application volume fell 4.1% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications for a home purchase were down 1% for the week and 19% lower than the same week a year ago.

Refinance applications felt it even more, dropping 9% for the week and sitting 65% below year-ago levels.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.97% last week, and by Tuesday it had moved even higher, to 7.22%, according to Mortgage News Daily. That's nearly a full percentage point above where rates sat a year ago.

🔑 Rates aren't the only pressure buyers are weighing. Home prices remain elevated in many areas, and while more homes have come on the market, much of that added supply sits at the higher end.

For many households, higher borrowing costs paired with higher prices are making the buy-or-wait decision a harder one to call.

This is exactly the kind of shift worth walking through together, especially if a purchase or refinance has been somewhere on your radar.

Mortgage rates have surged to the highest level since the start of 2025, causing a major pullback in mortgage demand.

09/17/2026

Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently bought a $42 million mansion on Lake Tahoe.

But the most interesting part of the transaction isn’t the private beach. It's the exact state line where the property sits.

The estate is on the Nevada side, in Crystal Bay. The purchase was part of a strategy to shift his permanent residency and corporate holdings out of California ahead of a proposed 5 percent billionaire wealth tax.

Let's be realistic: there probably aren't many billionaires reading this post.

But we have seen clients:

▪️ Move in advance of a major liquidity event to a lower-tax state

▪️ Shift their permanent residence to help manage their taxes

▪️ Evaluate how state-imposed estate and inheritance rules may impact where they live in their later years

Tax strategy is a year-round discipline, not an annual scramble.

Whether you are preparing for a business exit or mapping out your retirement years, we’re here to help.

Any companies mentioned are for illustrative purposes only. It should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of the securities. Consult your tax, legal, and accounting professional if you are considering a decision in order to manage your tax situation.

09/16/2026

🗞️ Treasury made an unusually large move to calm a shaky corner of the bond market.

On September 10, the Treasury bought back up to $6 billion in 10- and 20-year notes, up from its typical $2 billion operation. Despite the move, yields kept climbing: the 10-year note reached 4.841%, the 20-year hit 5.314%, and the 30-year climbed to 5.307%, levels not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis.

🛢️ The pressure isn't coming from one place. Government debt has grown, tariffs and geopolitical tension have kept inflation concerns alive, and oil prices have climbed back above $100 a barrel.

Higher Treasury yields don't stay contained to the bond market. They tend to show up in mortgage rates 🏠, auto loans, and credit cards, which is why moves like this are worth watching even if bonds aren't something you follow day to day.

The much-anticipated announcement triples the normal buyback operation and follows an announcement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.