MARG Financial

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Lately, we have noticed an interesting shift in our introductory meetings. Clients and prospective clients are increasingly coming into our offices with financial strategies, portfolio ideas, or checklists that are printouts of...

AI Gives Answers. Guidance Requires Judgment.

📌 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.


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What are the financial benefits of higher interest rates? Experts explain The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2023.

Viral finance content has shifted from flashy “get rich” messaging toward moneymaxxing, cash stuffing, loud budgeting, income optimization and aggressive saving.

Some of that advice is genuinely useful!

The problem is what gets lost when a 30-second strategy is applied to everyone.

Hashtags around budgeting have accumulated more than 3 billion views according to CNBC. At the same time, a new analysis reported by Barron’s this month examined 1,700+ finfluencer posts with a combined 692 million views and found only 2.2% of the creators had demonstrable relevant financial qualifications; the study classified 29% of the content as misleading under its methodology.

A financial advisor can help evaluate how an idea fits alongside your income, investments, taxes, benefits, family circumstances, risk tolerance, timeline and goals.

Your algorithm knows what you watch. It doesn't know your financial plan.

A carton of milk . A set of golf clubs. A bottle of perfume.

All three just got pricier to send north into Canada🍁

Canada's new tariffs on $20 billion in American goods took effect this month, ranging from 15 to 50 percent depending on the product.

It's the latest move in a trade dispute that's dragged on for more than a year between two of the world's largest trading partners.

The ripple effects won't directly affect most household budgets. But they're a reminder that global headlines and everyday costs are more connected than they seem.

That connection, and what it might mean for your own situation, is exactly the kind of thing we're keeping an eye on for you.


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Canadian tariffs on U.S. milk, perfume, golf clubs and other goods take effect as trade war grinds on Canada's steep retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion in U.S. goods took effect just after midnight ET on Tuesday, deepening the trade war between the two countries.

If retirement feels like something to worry about later, you're not alone, and that's exactly why this is worth a few minutes now rather than a few decades from now. One part of your compensation is easy to overlook simply because it...

The 401(k) Habit Worth Building Early

Would you take financial advice from someone you follow on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube?

Millions of people already do.

Welcome to the era of the “finfluencer” — social media creators who share content about investing, saving, budgeting, retirement, cryptocurrency and other financial topics.

And they aren't necessarily a bad thing.

"Finfluencers" have helped make conversations about money more accessible, engaging and less intimidating — especially for younger generations. A recent FINRA Foundation study found that 61% of investors ages 18–34 reported making an investment decision based on a recommendation from a social media personality.

⚠️But there’s an important distinction: A large following is not a financial credential.

Before acting on financial content you see online, consider a few questions:

It’s rarely one big expense that throws things off.

It’s the $5 subscription that turns into $9.
The takeout that becomes routine.
The upgrade that feels small in the moment.

Progress isn’t about cutting everything - it's deciding what actually matters to you and spending on purpose.