Renaissance Financial - Bill Eckert, Senior Financial Advisor

10/29/2026

Is your estate strategy full of cobwebs? Does your investing approach have too many tricks and not enough treats? Does your retirement timeline read like a ghost story?

These things have a way of going bump in the night.

Knowing where you stand is the first step.

10/27/2026

Mitchell Propster on U.S. Expat Tax Planning: What Americans Abroad Should Know

https://techbullion.com/mitchell-propster-on-u-s-expat-tax-planning-what-americans-abroad-should-know/

10/22/2026

Demi Moore says taking time to acknowledge someone can make her day feel more meaningful.

10/20/2026

For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Wealth Services, LLC nor any of its representatives may give tax or legal advice.

If a drop in income at retirement has put you in a lower tax bracket, find out whether tactical Roth conversions now could reduce your tax liability forever.

10/15/2026

Community gathering places are intended to facilitate exercise and social participation for all residents, irrespective of functional decline status. In turn, they provide a foundation for mutual support within the community and act as a key preventive care strategy to extend healthy life expectancy...

10/13/2026

Dolly Parton’s legacy reaches far beyond music.

Over the years, she gave millions to causes ranging from disaster relief and medical research to education and children’s literacy. Her Imagination Library alone has distributed more than 330 million books to children across five countries.

After devastating Tennessee wildfires in 2016, her My People Fund provided displaced families with $1,000 a month for six months, no strings attached. She also donated $1 million toward COVID-19 vaccine research and supported schools, scholarships, pediatric care, and communities close to home.

What tied so much of that work together was remarkably simple: trust people, see a need, and respond.

Her example is a meaningful reminder that generosity doesn’t have to follow one formula. It starts with deciding what matters to you and finding a way to make an impact.


Source: https://apnews.com/article/dolly-parton-philanthropy-country-music-obituary-6c10fced8ebea114cebbad1851e95d4c

10/08/2026

Phase I research funded by the National Institute on Aging will test the feasibility of Autonomy-AI, a decision support planning tool built to protect autonomy for aging Childfree adults

10/06/2026

A high-profile tax case is shining a light on how the IRS might view certain estate-planning strategies.

10/01/2026

🏠 Higher mortgage rates are pushing some homebuyers to look for lower-cost alternatives.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.79%, while the average rate for a 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage fell to 5.94%.

That gap is drawing more attention to ARMs, which made up 8% of mortgage applications last week, their highest share in five weeks.

🔑 The tradeoff is that an ARM’s rate can change later, which means the lower initial rate may come with more uncertainty down the road.

For buyers comparing mortgage options, it’s worth looking beyond the starting rate and understanding how the loan could change over time.


Source:

Mortgage rates continue to rise, pushing some buyers to riskier, adjustable-rate loans in order to find savings. Rates are at the highest level since June 2025.

09/29/2026

Some hospitals and medical providers are asking patients to pay more before receiving non-emergency care.

The trend comes as deductibles, coinsurance, and other out-of-pocket costs continue to rise.

Traditionally, many patients received bills after treatment. Now, some providers are collecting preservice deposits based on their estimate of what a patient may owe.

A KFF Health News report noted that the average deductible for employer-sponsored family coverage is $3,762 per person. The average deductible for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage rose 37% this year to $3,786.

For patients, upfront payment requests can create confusion, especially when insurance networks, deductibles, and estimated costs are unclear.

Emergency care has different rules. Hospitals that accept Medicare funding cannot demand upfront payment before stabilizing a patient who arrives at an emergency room.

For non-emergency care, it may be worth asking for an itemized estimate, confirming network status, and checking with the insurance company before making a large payment.


Source:

Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe.