Tidewater Wealth Management

06/24/2026

If you work at a school, university, hospital, or nonprofit — your retirement plan is a 403(b). Not a 401(k).

They look alike on paper. But there are meaningful differences: the vendor structure, ERISA rules, a 15-year service catch-up most people have never heard of, and specific rules around coordinating with a pension.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, breaks it all down in a new article for Connecticut educators, physicians, and academic professionals.

👉 Read it free: https://www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/403b-vs-401k-what-educators-and-physicians-should-know

📞 Questions? Call 203-741-8512.

06/18/2026

For university faculty approaching retirement, the TIAA income election is one of the most consequential financial decisions you will make — and it cannot be changed once it is made.

Our latest guide covers how TIAA Traditional, CREF variable annuities, and mutual funds each work, what the 120-day post-separation window means for your rollover options, and what to review before your retirement election is finalized.

Read the full guide: www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/how-tiaa-works-and-what-university-faculty-should-know-before-retiring

06/11/2026

If you hold a TIAA account, your upcoming retirement choices aren't just important—some of them are completely irrevocable. Before you transition out of academia, there are critical rules and deadlines you need to know to protect your hard-earned savings.

Our latest guide breaks down exactly how TIAA works and what you need to consider before making your final election:

⏳ The 120-Day Window: After separating from your university, you have exactly 120 days to take a TIAA Traditional lump sum (subject to a 2.5% surrender charge). Once that window closes, any transfers or withdrawals must be paid out over a 10-year installment rule.
🔒 Irrevocable Choices: The income election you make at retirement cannot be changed. Deciding between a lifetime annuity and a rollover IRA is a permanent decision that impacts your lifetime cash flow and your spouse.
🔄 Traditional vs. CREF Variable: Understand the difference between the guaranteed principal of TIAA Traditional and the market-linked, flexible nature of CREF Variable accounts.

Don't leave your retirement to chance or default settings. Check out our full retirement checklist—including beneficiary designations and surviving spouse income planning—in our complete guide.

👉 Read the full guide here: www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/how-tiaa-works-and-what-university-faculty-should-know-before-retiring

06/10/2026

For university faculty approaching retirement, the TIAA account represents decades of contributions — and a set of distribution choices that are more complex than most people expect.

The decision made at retirement about how to receive TIAA income is irrevocable. It affects not only the account holder’s income in retirement but also what a surviving spouse receives for the rest of their life.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, has spent over 20 years guiding Yale faculty and Connecticut university professionals through this decision. His full guide on how TIAA works and what to consider before the election is made is linked below.

🔗

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT

TIAA mechanics, annuity options, lump sum decisions, and what university faculty need to understand before making irrevocable retirement elections. A guide from Tidewater Wealth Management.

06/08/2026

May 2026 was a strong month for investors — but also one that brought real questions worth paying attention to.

The S&P 500 hit an all-time high above 7,500. The Nasdaq posted its best monthly gain of the year. And for the first time since 2018, the Federal Reserve has a new Chair: Kevin Warsh, a former Fed Governor with a background in financial markets and monetary policy.

At the same time, inflation ticked higher, long-term interest rates climbed before pulling back, and markets are now pricing in a potential rate hike by mid-2027 — a significant shift from where expectations stood just a few months ago.

What does this mean for your portfolio? Our May 2026 Market Recap breaks it all down — in plain language, with context. Now live on our website.

Read it now at the link below. 👇
https://www.tidewaterwealth.com/blog/may-2026-market-recap-record-highs-ipos-inflation-and-a-new-fed-chair

06/04/2026

Charitable giving is often treated as something that happens at year-end. A check written in December, a receipt filed with taxes, and then the process repeats the following year.

For professionals approaching retirement, that approach tends to leave meaningful tax efficiency on the table.

The most effective charitable giving strategies are planned, not reactive. They account for income timing, asset type, retirement account structure, and the interaction between giving decisions and the broader financial plan.

A well-structured giving plan can increase the impact of every dollar donated while reducing taxable income in the years it matters most.

Tidewater Wealth Management integrates charitable planning into the full retirement and estate strategy for our clients — so giving works as efficiently as everything else in the plan.

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT | tidewaterwealth.com

05/28/2026

For educators and physicians approaching retirement, a donor-advised fund can be one of the most effective and straightforward ways to give more to the causes that matter, while keeping more of what would otherwise go to taxes.

The mechanics are simple: contribute now, receive the tax deduction immediately, and direct grants to your chosen charities over time at whatever pace works for you.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, explains how donor-advised funds work, what types of assets can be contributed, and why the years just before retirement tend to be the most valuable window for using this strategy. Link to the article below.

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT | tidewaterwealth.com

A donor-advised fund lets you contribute now, get the tax deduction immediately, and give to charity on your own schedule. Here’s how DAFs work and why they’re ideal for educators and physicians near retirement.

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country.

Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the sacrifices made so that the rest of us can live, work, and be with the people we love.

From everyone at Tidewater Wealth Management, we extend our deepest gratitude to the fallen and to the families who carry that loss every day — not just today, but always.

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT | tidewaterwealth.com

05/22/2026

She did it!

Last weekend, David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, Senior Partner at Tidewater Wealth Management, was joined by his family to celebrate a milestone that made the whole weekend unforgettable.

His daughter Morgan graduated from West Virginia University with her Bachelor's degree in Multidisciplinary Studies — and the entire family was there to celebrate. His mother Sharon, and his children Hanna, Sean, Ryan, and Jack were all in that auditorium, cheering her on.

Moments like this are what it's all about. Family gathered together, watching someone they love step into the next chapter of her life. The pride in that room was impossible to miss.

Congratulations, Morgan, from everyone at Tidewater Wealth Management. The next chapter is entirely yours.

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT

05/22/2026

Having an estate plan and having communicated it are two different things. For most families, only one of those has happened.

The executor who was named but never told. The healthcare proxy who doesn't know what decisions they may be asked to make. The surviving spouse who discovers an income election was made at retirement that affects their financial picture for decades — and was never discussed.

David Wheatley, CLU® ChFC®, explains why estate planning conversations get avoided, what they actually need to cover, and the simplest framing to open one.

Full article link in the comments.

Tidewater Wealth Management | New Haven & West Hartford, CT | tidewaterwealth.com