Hilltop Wealth Advisors

It’s “Tax Planning” season at Hilltop, so over the next couple weeks we’ll be sharing details about a variety of tax planning strategies. First up: we have an exciting new resource for you! Check out our Year-End Tax Planning Checklist – click the link below to request your free copy! You can review this for ideas and talk with your financial and tax advisor to see what could work for you. If you’d like a second opinion on your planning and tax strategies, please reach out to us! https://lnkd.in/ey6jF5gG

Happy Birthday to Alice, our fabulous Client Experience Associate! We hope you have the best day. Here are some fun facts about Alice: 🎂 favorite birthday treat: Three layer yellow cake with chocolate icing ✈️farthest you’ve been from home: Dublin, Ireland 👎something you’re really bad at: Being/keeping quiet 🥰 proudest accomplishment: My relationships

Hilltop is heartbroken at the loss and devastation suffered by our neighbors in Western NC following Hurricane Helene. We are donating $5,000 to nonprofits that are directly involved with the rescue and relief efforts, but you can “like” or comment on this post to increase Hilltop’s donation – we’ll give an additional $5 for every response (up to a max of $1,000 total). If you would like to donate, here are the links to the organizations we're supporting: https://lnkd.in/e7gn2jD8 https://lnkd.in/eMRTBMVe https://lnkd.in/eHb-hD-Y https://lnkd.in/ea4PC3NJ

Happy, happy birthday to Everett! Everett is an intern at Hilltop and a junior at UNC. Here are some fun facts about him: 🎂 favorite birthday treat: Carvel ice cream cake ✈️farthest you’ve been from home: Maui, Hawaii 👎something you’re really bad at: Cornhole 🥰 proudest accomplishment: Breaking a summer swim team record on a relay with both of my brothers.

Have you ever heard the story of the Man with the Golden Arm? No, he’s not a James Bond villain. In fact, he’s one of the greatest heroes you’ve probably never heard of. James Harrison is an Australian who at first glance, doesn’t seem to have anything particularly remarkable about him. However, over the last 60 years, he single-handedly saved the lives of 2.4 million human beings – most of them babies. When he was 14 years old, James underwent major chest surgery and doctors used a large amount of blood to keep him alive. James left the hospital with a newfound appreciation for his blood and the anonymous donor that he owed his life to. He made a vow to pay it forward, and as soon as he turned 18, he began donating blood. Shortly after, doctors made a startling discovery His blood was magic! Not literally, of course, but almost. James possesses an extremely rare form of blood that contains “unusually strong and persistent antibodies” against the D Rh group antigen. From these antibodies, doctors developed a formula called “Anti D” that fights against rhesus disease, a condition where a pregnant woman’s blood attacks the unborn baby’s blood cells. Untreated, it can cause brain damage or even death for the baby. Since Anti-D can only be made from donated plasma, every ounce is priceless. When James learned what his blood could do, he knew exactly what he had to do. That’s why for the last 60 years, James has gone to the local Red Cross to donate plasma. Every. Two. Weeks. His commitment paid off in more ways than one. The Red Cross believes that every batch of Anti-D ever made in Australia has come from James’ blood. As a result, it’s estimated his donations have saved 2.4 million babies, and multiple mothers, too. That includes his own daughter, who received Anti-D when she gave birth to her two children. Sometimes, the greatest heroes are the ones who do their work quietly, behind the scenes and out of the public’s eye. When you get right down to it, that’s what a hero really is, isn’t? A donor. Someone who donates – whether it be their time, their talent, their wealth…or their blood. And since all of us can be donors in some way or another, that means we can all be like the Man with the Golden Arm. It means we can be heroes, too.

Retirement is a time of Beginnings. As your career comes to a close, new possibilities will open up for you! One possibility that retirees are choosing more and more is to go back to school. Here are some reasons why: • You have the free time and financial security that young college students don’t. • You can learn what you want without needing to accommodate the needs of a future career. • You can spend as much time as you want learning new things, without the stress you may have had when you were younger. • You can keep going to school walking up hill both ways in the snow, if you like — but this time, in a luxury sedan! Retirement is a time when you can do nearly anything you want, so if your passion is the pursuit of knowledge, there has never been a better time than in retirement. There are even financial resources available to retirees to take advantage of this period in your life, so please contact us if you ever want to make the joys of a 2nd secondary education part of your future.

Have you ever played “Would you rather?” In college, it’s a rowdy party game – but people planning for retirement should play it, too! That’s because it’s critical to have specific goals to plan and budget for, rather than just shooting for a number with your retirement savings. By determining what you really want, you can better ensure that your financial plan is set up in a way that enables you to get it. Here are some popular goals that many of my clients want in retirement. Ask yourself: Which of these would YOU rather do? Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t, say, buy a vacation home and remodel your main home, so long as you have the means to do so – but if one particular goal means more to you than another, it’s important to factor that into your financial plan. As financial advisors, it’s our job and passion to help people play “would you rather” with retirement … and then find the means to do what they would rather do! As always, please let us know if we can be of assistance.

“We have no control over the election, and thus no control over what happens to our portfolios.” David refutes this idea as we wrap up our series on three common misconceptions about elections and investing. #hilltopwa

“If the ‘other’ candidate wins, the markets will plummet!” Ben addresses this as we continue our series on three common misconceptions about elections and investing. #hilltopwa

“Presidential elections lead to down years in the markets.” It can feel that way sometimes, but Rusty tackles this myth in the first video of our series on three common misconceptions about elections and investing. #hilltopwa