Alex DelCollo, Financial Advisor

Alex DelCollo, Financial Advisor Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. *Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer.

A lot of people think charitable planning starts with:“How much do you want to donate?”In reality, that comes toward the...
05/29/2026

A lot of people think charitable planning starts with:
“How much do you want to donate?”

In reality, that comes toward the end of the conversation.

These are real conversations with real people, and they have to be meaningful.

Some questions that I do ask my clients as a financial planner:

What impact do you want to have?
What causes matter most to you?
What experiences in your life shaped that?
Do you want to give during your lifetime, after, or both?

Because, my goal is to help my clients live their best financial life and meet their philanthropic goals.

We start with their why and move to the technical how.

Tax-efficient giving, appreciated assets, estate planning, legacy planning, etc. All of that matters.

But, believe it or not, people are far more connected to the impact of their giving than the tax deduction attached to the gift.

Some of the most meaningful financial conversations I have had didn’t have anything to do with numbers.

What cause would you give to if money were no object?

A bus stop covered in grime, stains, trash, and who-knows-what was apparently fine.But chalk art? OH NO. WE CANNOT HAVE ...
05/28/2026

A bus stop covered in grime, stains, trash, and who-knows-what was apparently fine.

But chalk art? OH NO. WE CANNOT HAVE THAT.

A sidewalk artist knew the city hated his chalk drawings so much that if he drew at the filthy bus stop, they would finally clean it.

Because apparently blood, trash, and mystery sludge are acceptable, but art that washes off with water is where we draw the line.

That says a lot about the city’s priorities.

Also, shout out to artists for doing their for trying to beautify the city.

You can see more of his work on Instagram: Lakey_360

Reminds me of the person spray painting 🍆 on potholes so the city would fix them.

Also, this is not a before and after. Just wanted to show off what his art looks like.

I saw Notre Dame and it was one of the biggest let downs of my life.I know. Straight to jail. My husband and I went to P...
05/27/2026

I saw Notre Dame and it was one of the biggest let downs of my life.

I know. Straight to jail.

My husband and I went to Paris last year for a short visit and packed in as much as possible.

The Louvre
The Catacombs
The Arc de Triomphe
The Eiffel Tower
Sainte-Chapelle
And, or course…Notre Dame.

The outside was beautiful. Our tour guide told us of the rich history, including the missing heads of all the saints on the outside after the French Revolution because a mob mistook them for French Kings.

We waited in a line snaked around the square in front of the cathedral to get in.

Once inside, it was so incredibly…boring.

We looked around, looked at each other, and both whispered “this is it?”

I don’t know if it is because we have seen a lot of cathedrals while traveling, or because the hype was impossible to live up to.

I don’t know what the inside really looked like before the fire, and I am sure the restoration team did a fabulous job.

But, it didn’t wow me in the slightest.

Please tell me I am not alone here.

Do you have an experience like this?

Their chicken is not THAT good.I know some people crave Chick-fil-A and think it is the best thing since sliced bread, b...
05/25/2026

Their chicken is not THAT good.

I know some people crave Chick-fil-A and think it is the best thing since sliced bread, but I do not buy it and I do not eat it, even if someone else paid for it.

Why, Alex? It is so good.

Because I pay attention to where companies put their money and what values they support.

People love saying, “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism” right before defending a corporation like it is a toxic family member at Thanksgiving.

And if there is one thing I have learned, it is that a lot of people have strong values and beliefs… right up until those values become mildly inconvenient.

Look, eat wherever you want.

But do not forget that your money counts as a vote.

Personally, I would rather spend mine elsewhere.

Also, before anyone starts yelling at me in the comments
Popeyes has better chicken anyway.

Are there any companies you refuse to support based on principle? Name them in the comments.

I spent weeks washing my clothes by hand and I kinda enjoyed it.I purchased my house right after I graduated from grad s...
05/22/2026

I spent weeks washing my clothes by hand and I kinda enjoyed it.

I purchased my house right after I graduated from grad school when I was 24 years old.

About a year into homeownership my washer broke, and if you know anything about being a homeowner, that certainly wasn’t the only unplanned expense that showed up.

To say the least, I didn’t have the cash to purchase a new washer at the time, and I wasn’t going to buy it on credit…I am a financial planner after all, and I know my budget very well.

So, I bought 3 buckets for about $15, drilled holes into one of them so it could drain, and spent a couple of months washing my clothes by hand.

Honestly, I felt my clothes were cleaner and it was relaxing for me in a weird way.

It also made me think about how normal that still is for a huge portion of the world. Roughly 5 billion people still wash their clothes by hand according to Whirlpool Global and the Whirlpool Foundation.

It is easy to forget how much of what we consider “basic” is actually privilege.

Have you ever washed your clothes by hand?

Women are not changing their last names when they get married. It’s me, I am part of women.This tradition comes from a t...
05/21/2026

Women are not changing their last names when they get married.

It’s me, I am part of women.

This tradition comes from a time when women didn’t have equal rights and were treated like property rather than partners.

Yes, I said it out loud.

But, as soon as you keep your name, people start asking questions:
Why?
How does your husband feel about that?
How does that work?

Men don’t get asked these questions.

As a matter of fact, my husband gets called Mr. DelCollo all the time.

It doesn’t bother him one bit. It does, however, bother me, because it is once again assuming I took his last name. I have my own identity, just like he does.

In many cultures, keeping your name is completely normal.
I am not interested in telling anyone what they should do with their name. What I am saying is, do what you want. Change it, keep it, combine it, hell do something completely different.

No one should care either way. And no one should need an explanation.

What do you think? Outdated tradition, more about practicality these days, or other?

I hear so many people say, “I want to pay my debt down.” Or “This influencer said I should pay my debt off as fast as po...
05/20/2026

I hear so many people say, “I want to pay my debt down.” Or “This influencer said I should pay my debt off as fast as possible.”

Ok, not a bad instinct.

Except most of the time, people are talking about completely different types of debt like they are the same thing.

High interest credit card debt is not the same conversation as a 3% mortgage.

Should we be paying off high interest debt quickly? Yes.
Ideally, we do not carry a balance on credit that has high interest, but that is a conversation for a different post.

Should we avoid debt all together? Not necessarily.
Most people can’t buy a house without using debt strategically.

Many business owners use debt to expand their business, grow revenue, and increase profitability.

Many nonprofit organizations use debt intentionally instead of dipping into their cash reserves.

Rules of thumb are helpful, but blanket statements usually are not.

Debt is a tool, and every tool has its purpose.

If you are not sure where you fall, that is what your nerdy financial BFF is here for.

I know tax season ended last month, but fun fact, tax season is never really over! Whahahaha (that is my maniacal laught...
05/19/2026

I know tax season ended last month, but fun fact, tax season is never really over!

Whahahaha (that is my maniacal laughter, in case you didn’t get that).

Anyways.

Believe it or not, you have influence over the taxes you pay.

There may be things you can do right now to reduce your taxable income for 2026, or at the very least, start positioning yourself for 2027.

A few common examples:
• Contributing to pre-tax retirement accounts
• Using an HSA or FSA when it makes sense
• Exploring state-level deductions like 529 college savings plans
• Investing in tax-advantaged accounts for long-term planning

And yes, none of this should happen in a vacuum, which is why coordinating with a tax professional is key.

Are you thinking about taxes during the year, or only when tax season shows up?

* Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. While Cetera does not provide or supervise tax, accounting, or legal services, representatives may offer these through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

I hear Congress thinks they do not get paid enough at $174k a year.They ran right into the point and still missed it.Mik...
05/18/2026

I hear Congress thinks they do not get paid enough at $174k a year.

They ran right into the point and still missed it.

Mike Johnson has suggested lawmakers should be allowed to trade their own investment accounts because apparently $174k a year is not enough to live on.

Last time I checked, owning investment accounts is not the issue. Insider trading is.

As a financial planner and asset manager, I live under strict rules around this for a reason.

Also, the median household income in the U.S. is under $100k, according to the 2024 data from the US Census Bureau.

That means every single member of Congress earns more than half of American households. Not some. Half.

And the argument is that they should have more freedom to trade individual stocks while writing policy?

I feel like there is more to say here, but the caucasity of this logic has me speechless.

Weeds are only plants growing in unwanted locations.Do you have weeds in your spending?Many of us spend without thinking...
05/15/2026

Weeds are only plants growing in unwanted locations.

Do you have weeds in your spending?

Many of us spend without thinking about how much small purchases here and there add up.

I don’t judge folks on what they spend their money on. I just have one simple question:
Is this really what you want to be putting your hard earned $ toward.

If the answer is yes, then great.

However, if it is no… then we need to make a change.

This allows us to free up some cash flow to put to work for future goals.

The only way you can figure out if you have weeds in your spending is to review your expenses. I usually recommend looking at the last 3 months to help identify any patterns rather than one off purchases.

Many credit card companies have easy to use spending analysis.

If you want to be really thorough, you can look at the last 12 months.

How often are you analyzing your spending?

I want to be rich and famous.I just think my definition is a little different than most people’s.Rich is the amount of d...
05/14/2026

I want to be rich and famous.

I just think my definition is a little different than most people’s.

Rich is the amount of difference I make in the lives around me.

Famous is being known and loved by my community, my friends, and my family.

That is what I work toward every day.

Being the best financial planner I can be for the individuals, business owners, and nonprofit organizations I serve.

Being a good friend. A good partner. A good human.

And listen, I am definitely not perfect. Not even close.
But I am trying.

Also, if I can make people laugh along the way, even better.
Because honestly, if we are not having fun sometimes, what are we doing?

What does “rich” look like to you?

Address

900 Prides Crossing
Newark, DE
19713

Telephone

+13023660366

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