Insights

Clear answers to the financial questions we hear most.

Articles and downloadable guides to help you navigate your retirement planning and retirement.

Featured

When Does Medicare Start? Your Enrollment Timeline

Unless you already receive Social Security benefits, Medicare doesn’t start automatically. Here's how the seven-month Initial Enrollment Period works, what changes if you're still working, and where Ohio residents can get help.

Sean ShinaberryOctober 12, 2026

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Retired couple reviewing charitable giving plans together at home near Lake Erie

Tax Planning

QCDs vs. Donor-Advised Funds vs. Direct Gifts: Comparing Charitable Giving Strategies in Retirement

A qualified charitable distribution, a donor-advised fund, and a direct gift can all support the same cause, but each is treated differently at tax time. Here's how the three compare.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®October 5, 2026

Retired couple reviewing required minimum distribution planning with a financial advisor

Retirement Income

Required Minimum Distributions: When They Start

Required minimum distributions (RMDs) change every year based on your age and account balance. Here's when they start, how they're calculated, and what to do if you miss one.

Sean S. ShinaberryOctober 2, 2026

Smiling multigenerational family smiling

Estate & Legacy

The Role of a Financial Advisor in Estate Planning

A financial advisor typically works alongside your estate planning attorney and CPA, helping translate your goals into a plan.

George T. DamascoSeptember 28, 2026

Couple reviewing financial documents together at home

Retirement Income

What Changes Financially in the First Year of Retirement

A practical look at what shifts financially in the first year of retirement, from income planning to Medicare enrollment.

Sean S. ShinaberrySeptember 21, 2026

Retirement Income

A Financial Checklist to Prepare Before a Parent Needs Care

A practical financial checklist for adult children to prepare before a parent needs care, covering accounts, power of attorney, and documentation.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®September 14, 2026

Retirement Income

MPM Celebrates Myrta Gschaar: A Client's Heartfelt Mission to Build the Never Forget 9/11 Memorial

We are proud to share the inspiring story of Myrta Gschaar, a long-time friend and valued client of MPM. Myrta’s dedication to honoring the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001, is a mission we are honored to support.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®September 11, 2026

Retirement Income

What Long-Term Care Can Cost, and Why Planning Early Is Worth It

A plain-language look at long-term care costs in Ohio and nationally, and why planning ahead may protect your retirement.

George T. DamascoSeptember 7, 2026

Insurance

What Is a Financial Advisor?

A look at what a financial advisor does, how fees typically work, and what a structured retirement planning process looks like in practice.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®August 28, 2026

Retirement Income

How Much Cash Should You Keep in Retirement?

How much cash should you keep in retirement? A plain-language look at the bucket strategy and what a reasonable cash reserve looks like.

George T. DamascoAugust 24, 2026

Retirement Income

What Is Sequence of Returns Risk? A Plain-Language Guide for Retirees

Sequence of returns risk shapes how long retirement savings last. Here is what it means, why timing matters, and how to think about it.

Sean S. ShinaberryAugust 17, 2026

Yellow road sign with red and black arrows indicating upward and downward trends.

Investing

Market Volatility: Six Principles for Staying Invested

Market swings feel unsettling in the moment. Six historically grounded principles to help you keep perspective when volatility hits.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®August 9, 2026

Three generations of a family talking at a dining table.

Retirement Income

Helping Adult Children Without Risking Your Own Retirement

From gift tax exclusions to 529 rollovers, here are practical, tax-aware ways to support adult children while protecting your retirement plan.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®August 3, 2026

Retirement Income

Retirement Income Plan: How to Turn Savings Into Income

Saving for retirement is one challenge. Turning those savings into reliable income is another. Here is how a retirement income plan actually works.

Chelsea Ohm Heintschel, CFP®July 27, 2026

older couple looking at documents and tablet

Estate & Legacy

Estate Planning Documents: 4 Must-Haves Before Retirement

Estate planning isn't a one-time task, it's a living part of your financial plan. Here are the four documents every family needs before retirement, what each one does, and what to check when reviewing yours.

George T. DamascoJuly 22, 2026

older woman taking a selfie with younger graduate woman

Estate & Legacy

How a 529 Plan Works in 2026: Tax Benefits & Rules

A 529 plan grows tax-free for education costs. Here is how it works in 2026, including the new Roth IRA rollover rule and Ohio's state tax deduction.

Sean S. ShinaberryJuly 21, 2026

Estate & Legacy

Annual Gift Tax Exclusion 2026: How to Give to Your Family

In 2026, you can give up to $19,000 per person tax-free. Here is how the annual gift tax exclusion works and how it fits into an estate plan.

Ryan Stoller, CFP®July 15, 2026

Older couple sitting on a dock enjoying their retirement and medicare.

Insurance

Medicare Enrollment Windows Explained

Turning 65 in Toledo? Learn exactly when and how to enroll in Medicare, what each part covers, and how to avoid costly lifetime penalties.

Sean S. ShinaberryJuly 7, 2026

Two happy seniors talking with a financial planner outdoors.

Social Security & Medicare

When Should You File for Social Security?

When to file for Social Security is one of the biggest retirement decisions you will make. Here is what Toledo families need to know before claiming.

George T. DamascoJuly 6, 2026

Retirement Income

The 5-year retirement runway: what to do in the years before you stop working

The five years before retirement matter more than almost any other window. Here is the tax, healthcare, and cash-flow checklist we walk Toledo families through.

George DamascoApril 22, 2026

Social Security & Medicare

Social Security: when to file, and why "break-even" is the wrong question

Most filing decisions get framed as math. The better framing is risk, longevity, survivor benefits, and the spouse left behind.

Chelsea HeintschelMarch 18, 2026

Tax Planning

The Roth conversion decision in plain English

Roth conversions can save a household six figures, or cost you money. Here is when they make sense, and when they don't.

George DamascoFebruary 11, 2026

Estate & Legacy

Inherited IRAs and the 10-year rule

If you inherited an IRA after 2019, the SECURE Act changed everything. Here is what most beneficiaries miss.

Chelsea HeintschelJanuary 28, 2026

Social Security & Medicare

Medicare at 65: the four decisions that will follow you for life

Original Medicare vs. Advantage. Part D. Medigap. IRMAA. The choices in your initial enrollment window are sticky and expensive to undo.

Sean ShinaberryJanuary 9, 2026

Estate & Legacy

How to coordinate your CPA, attorney, and advisor (so nothing falls through the cracks)

The biggest planning failures we see aren't bad advice. They're uncoordinated advice. Here is how a fiduciary advisor brings it together.

Ryan StollerDecember 15, 2025

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