LIFESTYLE DRIVEN ADVICE
SEPTEMBER 2022

 Hello,

With summer officially winding down, we here at XML are winding things back up with our webinars. Just this past week, Tyler J. De Haan, MPA, MS, CFP®, ChFC®, Director of the Knowledge Hub at Principal Global Investors, joined XML Senior Wealth Advisor, Lauren O’Brien, CFP®, CPA, to talk about all the pertinent things you need to know regarding Social Security. It was an engaging conversation, and the replay is available for you to watch and share with family and friends.

As we continue down the road through fall, the Medicare Open Enrollment Period begins on October 15 and ends on December 7. Not only is there a limited window to update your enrollment elections in Medicare, but there is also very little margin for error: your coverage elections cannot be changed until next year’s Open Enrollment Period, so it’s important to get it right. On Thursday, October 20 at 12:00 PM ET, we are hosting a webinar to discuss Medicare Open Enrollment for 2022. Jordan VanOort, CFA®, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Wealth Advisor at Collins Investment Group, will discuss the ins and outs of Medicare enrollment with Blayney Del Priore, Benefits Consultant at Lifestyle Life Insurance, and Kevin Patrick Peters, CLU®, XML Wealth Advisor and Founder of Lifestyle Life Insurance. Together, they will explain how to select the right coverage for your needs.

Although we tend to use the terms “complex” and “complicated” interchangeably, they actually carry different meanings. In a recent blog post, we discussed the differences between complex and complicated—and why both terms apply to financial planning. 

As always, if you have any questions about the information shared in the newsletter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Webinar Recording: Social Security FAQs

Although Social Security plays a major role in retirement planning, the various complexities and nuances of Social Security are not well understood. On September 20, XML Senior Wealth Advisor, Lauren O’Brien, CFP®, CPA, hosted a webinar with Tyler J. De Haan, MPA, MS, CFP®, ChFC®, Director of the Knowledge Hub at Principal Global Investors. In this webinar, Tyler and Lauren provided answers to some of the most frequently asked Social Security questions. 

Blogs

“Complex” And “Complicated” Are Different—And Financial Planning Is Both

Financial planning is both complex and complicated: complicated because there are a number of ways to achieve a financial objective, and complex because every person has different behaviors when it comes to their finances.

Webinars

2022 Medicare Open Enrollment

On Thursday, October 20 at 12:00 PM ET, Jordan VanOort, CFA®, CFP®, CPWA®, Senior Wealth Advisor at Collins Investment Group, will be hosting a discussion with Blayney Del Priore, Benefits Consultant at Lifestyle Life Insurance, and Kevin Patrick Peters, CLU®, XML Wealth Advisor and Founder of Lifestyle Life Insurance. Together, they will discuss the ins and outs of Medicare enrollment and ensuring that you select the right coverage for your needs when the time comes.

XML Team News

The end of summer was a very busy month for our advisors and in this year's edition of Northern Virginia Magazine's Top Financial Professionals, XML CEO & Co-Founder, Brett Bernstein, XML President, Curtis Congdon, and XML Senior Wealth Advisor, Lauren O’Brien, CFP®, CPA, were recognized for their hard work over the past year. Congratulations!

XML was also busy in the news over the past month and here are some important articles our advisors were featured in.

XML CEO & Co-Founder, Brett Bernstein has been actively involved with the Bullis Entrepreneurship Department and recently, Brett was named as one of three new Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) for the upcoming academic year. 

In light of Financial Planning's annual IBD Elite article, Brett also provided his thoughts on the importance of RIAs maintaining broker-dealer affiliations to offer clients a comprehensive range of services and options to address their unique needs.

Lastly, in a recent Financial Advisor IQ article, Brett addressed whether cryptocurrencies should be included in retirement plans. Like company stocks, Brett believes there should be limitations on cryptocurrency ownership to minimize risk exposure to 401k plans. 

In a recent Northern Virginia Magazine article titled "How to Prepare and Protect Your Finances as the Economy Shifts," XML President, Curtis Congdon, spoke of the need to simplify our spending habits and focus on spending only on what is important at this time.

On the topic of long-term care insurance, XML Wealth Advisor, Kevin Patrick Peters, offered his perspective to Insurance Newsnet by outlining his professional and personal experiences in helping clients understand the misconceptions, risks, and benefits of long-term care insurance.

This communication is for information and educational purposes only. This is not a recommendation for the sale or investment in any product or strategy nor should it be perceived as individual advice. Information presented has been prepared from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed and does not represent all available data necessary for making investment decisions. Economic and market forecasts presented herein reflect a series of assumptions and judgments as of the date of this presentation and are subject to change without notice. Forecasts do not consider the specific investment objectives, restrictions, tax and financial situation or other needs of an individual. Actual data will vary and may not be reflected here. Accordingly, these forecasts should be viewed as merely representative of a broad range of possible outcomes. The opinion expressed by this individual is based on facts and circumstances known at this time, is subject to change and does not reflect the opinions of all financial professionals of XML.