Justin Travis - Trek Wealth Solutions

09/23/2026

Most people don't have access to a financial advisor until much later in life. Me being a multi-generational financial advisor, I often get to be a resource for the younger generation earlier than they might have found one on their own, that's a privilege I don't take lightly and it typically starts before they invest their first dollar with me.

This time of year, with so many families sending kids off to college, there's a conversation I find myself having more often than people expect. There is more to it than tuition or 529 plans. It's about what changed the moment their child turned 18.

You spend weeks getting ready. Shopping. Packing. Making lists. And then you pull into that campus parking lot and start carrying boxes up to a dorm room that is somehow both too small and too far from home.

Somewhere between the parking lot and the highway it hits you like a brick wall: they're not a kid anymore.

The day your child turned 18, a few things changed that extend beyond money.

1. You no longer have the same automatic access to their affairs.

Being Mom, Dad, or legal Guardian doesn't give you the same authority you had when they were a minor. If they're in an accident or hospitalized, you may find yourself on the outside of decisions you never imagined being excluded from.

A healthcare power of attorney, financial power of attorney, and HIPAA authorization can change that. These are not documents you want to learn about during an emergency.

2. Know how their health insurance works away from home.

If your child is staying on your plan, find out how that coverage works where they're going to school. Is it network dependent? Are there in-network providers nearby? And if your child has ongoing medical needs, what is the plan for managing those when home is several hours away?

3. Help them start building credit the right way.

A starter credit card used responsibly can help establish a credit history. But the more important part is the conversation around how credit works. Pay the balance in full. Don't treat the credit limit as money you have. The habits they develop now can follow them long after they leave campus.

Most of the college checklist is obvious. But some of the most important things aren't going in the dorm room.

I have this conversation with clients all the time. This does not mean something went wrong. It just means your, and your loved ones, life continues to change.

If any of this resonated with you, that feeling is worth paying attention to.

Assuming you've got it right doesn't mean assuming you're done.

09/08/2026

Someone made a deposit into my son's retirement account, and I had no idea it was coming.

For those who don’t know, Trump Accounts are now available for eligible children under 18

Children born from 2025 through 2028 who are U.S. citizens with a valid Social Security number can qualify for a one-time $1,000 contribution from the federal government and there are also private and charitable contributions being made for certain children.

That second part is where I learned something.

My wife, Hannah, is pregnant with our daughter who is due in November. Because she will be born in 2026, she should qualify for the $1,000 federal contribution.

My son was born in 2024. He does not qualify for that $1,000.

And because I would rather not have that conversation 20 years from now about why his little sister got a head start saving for retirement, we have already started putting money into his Trump Account ourselves.

A few nights ago I was at a birthday dinner and Trump Accounts came up. I pulled up my son's account to show what it looked like and noticed the balance was a little higher than I remembered.

I didn’t think much of it. From time to time I will throw an extra $20-$50 into a random account at the end of the month sometimes and forget about it.

Later that night I looked again and noticed a notification that there was a $250 contribution from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Initially I thought, “Great, now I get to figure out how to return the money since my son does not qualify”

As it turns out, to my surprise, my son does qualify.

I knew about their program but thought we would not qualify.

Good news for my son, income limit is not based on our household income. It is based on the median household income of the ZIP code we live in. My son is under 10, we are among the first 25 million activated accounts, and he qualified.

Thankfully being wrong this time meant an extra $250 toward my son's future instead of anything that cost us.

It was also a good reminder that a second set of eyes matters. You can know what you are looking for and still overlook something sitting right in front of you.

And on a much bigger scale, it is pretty incredible to see people willing to put their own money toward giving millions of kids a head start.

So, thank you to the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation for giving my son $250.

💬 Have you set up a Trump Account for your child or grandchild yet?

Michael and Susan Dell are committing $6.25 billion to help 25 million children start investing early, putting $250 into investment accounts for children 10 and under so more families can begin building financial futures.

09/04/2026

In honor of Labor Day weekend, I thought it was only fitting to talk about what happens when you stop doing the labor.

Retiring and claiming Social Security are two different decisions.

Most people treat them as the same one.

I hear this reasoning all the time. Someone retires and almost immediately says:

"I was living on $100,000 after taxes. If Social Security gives me $40,000, I only need $60,000 from my savings. Besides, who even knows if Social Security will be around later?"

On the surface that makes sense. Let's take it apart.

First, the "who knows if it will be around" part.

Does anyone really think Social Security is going to completely disappear when the trust fund runs out? How does any politician get reelected if they let one of the largest sources of retirement income in this country just vanish?

Here is what the 2025 Social Security Trustees Report actually says: if Congress does absolutely nothing, the trust fund is projected to run out in 2033. Even then, ongoing payroll taxes are projected to cover about 77% of scheduled benefits.

Let's round it to 20% less to keep the math simple.

Would you rather receive 80% of a $3,000 monthly benefit or 80% of a $4,000 monthly benefit?

That's $2,400 versus $3,200. Every month. For the rest of your life.

Now the other part.

Social Security is income you cannot outlive. Claim before your full retirement age and your benefit is generally permanently reduced. Delay past full retirement age and it generally keeps growing until age 70.

Claiming early to protect against something that may never happen means locking in a reduction today. That tradeoff deserves more thought than it usually gets.

And yes, waiting until 70 is not right for everyone. Health, cash flow, taxes, a spouse's benefit, and your full financial picture all matter.

Here is what I do with every client who faces this decision:

I show them their breakeven age. The point where delaying actually starts to pay off over claiming early. I show them how each option affects their cash flow. And I show them what their assets could look like at the end of their plan under each scenario.

Then they decide. Because an informed decision and a default decision are two very different things.

Retiring and claiming are two separate decisions. One does not have to trigger the other.

I have several more topics in mind for this series, but I’d like to hear from you.

What financial planning topics would you like me to cover next? What questions or decisions would you be interested in hearing my perspective on?

The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined reserves of the …

08/18/2026

"I can't wait to pay more taxes when I retire."

Said no one ever.

Yet a lot of people approaching retirement may be surprised by just how much of their savings could eventually be taxable.

Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce your taxable income while you're working and let that money grow tax-deferred. That's a real benefit.

But tax-deferred doesn't mean tax-free. It means tax-later.

Every dollar withdrawn from a traditional 401(k) or IRA is generally taxed as ordinary income. For people who spent decades building a significant balance, that can mean a retirement tax bill they weren't expecting.

Then come required minimum distributions. Depending on your age, RMDs generally begin at 73 or 75. Once they start, the IRS requires you to withdraw a minimum amount each year, whether you need the income or not.

Those distributions add to your taxable income and, depending on your situation, can affect your tax bracket, Medicare premiums, and how much of your Social Security is taxable.

None of that means the 401(k) was the wrong choice.

It just means the strategy that made sense while you were accumulating may need to look different as you get closer to drawing down.

This is where tax diversification matters.

Having money in accounts with different tax treatment can give you more options in retirement. Traditional retirement accounts, Roth accounts, and taxable brokerage accounts each have different tax characteristics.

When you have different sources to draw from, you can be more strategic about where your income comes from each year.

That kind of flexibility doesn't happen by accident. It gets built over time.

Maxing out a 401(k) can absolutely be the right move. But assuming it's always where the next dollar should go, every year, without considering the tax picture on the other side, is not doing yourself a favor.

As retirement gets closer, how you've saved starts to matter as much as how much you've saved.

💬 As you've thought about retirement, has anyone walked you through not just your account balances, but how those accounts will be taxed when you actually need the money?

Whether you're withdrawing from an IRA or 401(k), you may consider these retirement withdrawal strategies.

08/13/2026

✨ Assuming You've Got It Right...

"My Beneficiaries Are Already Taken Care Of."

Earlier this week I got a call from a client who wanted to double check we'd done everything necessary to fully fund their trust.

Unfortunately, someone they knew had recently passed away.

We'll call him Ernie.

Ernie was the type of person who believed in planning ahead. He had a beautiful estate planning binder filled with every document his attorney recommended.

His family knew exactly where to find it and, presumably, felt everything was done as it should.

Only after Ernie had passed away did they learn the trust had never been properly funded. Some assets had never been retitled. Beneficiaries were never updated. Others had never been coordinated with the trust.

Instead of spending those first few weeks grieving, Ernie's family found themselves trying to untangle paperwork that could have been taken care of years earlier.

I've thought about that phone call several times since yesterday.

In fact, it prompted me to double-check several of my own clients' accounts.

Unfortunately, what happened to Ernie's family isn't as uncommon as people think.

One of the most common things I hear is:

"I have a trust, so my estate is taken care of."

But so many people fail to realize that creating a trust and actually funding a trust are two different things.

The documents are only one part of the process.

Beneficiary elections are another.

Not long ago, I was reviewing accounts with a client when I noticed their daughter was still listed under her former married name. She had been divorced for YEARS.

Would she still inherit the account? Almost certainly.

But instead of a smooth process, she'd likely spend part of an already emotional time gathering court records and legal documents to prove she was the person listed on the beneficiary form.

One five-minute review prevented all of that.

Life keeps moving. Families grow. People divorce. Grandchildren are born. People move. Laws change.

I've never had a client tell me they wished they'd reviewed their estate plan less often.

I have seen families wish it had been reviewed one more time.

💬 When was the last time your beneficiary designations and your estate plan were reviewed together?

January 20, 2026 | Kristine A. Tidgren The beginning of a new year is a great time to think about estate and succession planning for your farm or business. Here we consider 12 common mistakes we encounter in this area and why they matter. ProcrastinatingThe most common estate and succession plannin...

08/04/2026

✨ Assuming You've Got It Right...

"We Know What We're Going to Spend. We have thought about our retirement budget, and we need $X each month."

I hear this often, and I try not to doubt the effort that's gone into it.

But thinking about retirement spending and actually planning for it are two very different things.

Even the most detail-oriented clients I've worked with have gaps in your spending plan.

Have you budgeted for birthday dinners with the kids? Holiday gifts? A trip to celebrate your 30th wedding anniversary? Helping a grandchild with college? Replacing the roof?

Those aren't unexpected expenses. They're life.

Here's something else I see regularly.

A client gives me their retirement spending number, and it's lower than what they're spending today.

The truth is, some expenses will disappear, but rarely is the goal to spend less. The goal is to spend intentionally.

Unfortunately, this is where I've seen plans begin to unravel.

Someone retires feeling great, and they should. They are excited and they tell their advisor they need income to start flowing.

But no one ever showed them what that spending level would look like 10 or 15 years later.

No one stress-tested the plan.

No one asked what would happen if they spent just a little more than expected.

By the time those questions become obvious, the number of good options is often much smaller than it was before retirement.

If you're within five years of retirement, here are three questions worth asking today:

✔ Do you know which accounts you'll draw from first, and why that order matters?

✔ Do you have a plan for healthcare costs before Medicare begins?

✔ Have you thought about how you'd like to leave assets to your family or the causes that matter most to you?

If any of those questions give you pause, that's not a bad thing.

Because assumptions you are using probably aren't the problem. Not testing the assumptions correctly are.

💬 What's one expense you think people consistently forget to include when planning for retirement?

07/28/2026

The biggest retirement mistakes I've seen didn't happen because someone made a bad investment.

They happened because someone made a good assumption.

They assumed good returns meant nothing needed to change.
They assumed their spouse knew what to do.
They assumed taxes would go down in retirement.
They assumed their beneficiaries were still correct.
They assumed they had enough.

Making assumptions isn't the mistake. Never testing them is.

I've had this conversation more times than I can count, with people at very different points in their journey. Some are still working, counting down the years. Others are already retired and just want to know they haven't missed anything.

Almost none of them walk in saying: "I think something is wrong."

They say things like:

"I think we're doing okay."
"We've worked hard. We should be fine."
"Our investments have done well."

And a lot of times, they are right.

But here's what a growing account balance can't tell you:

It can't tell you what happens if a spouse passes away early.
It can't tell you if your pension election was really the best option.
It can't tell you if your beneficiaries still reflect what you actually want.
It can't tell you how taxes might look 20 years from now.

Those are the questions most people never think to ask. Until one day life asks them first.

That's why I'm starting a new series called:

✨ Assuming You've Got It Right

Each week I'll take one of the most common assumptions I see in retirement planning and share one question I use to help people find the blind spots before they become real problems.

Because confidence isn't hoping everything works out.

It's knowing your plan has been tested from every angle.

💬 What's one assumption about your retirement that you've never actually stopped to test? Drop it in the comments.

07/23/2026

💰 How much difference does contributing an extra $100 per month to your 401(k) really make?

Most people think...

"It's only $100. Will it really move the needle?"

Let's do the math.

Imagine you contribute an extra $100 every month to your 401(k).

If that money earns an average annual return of 8% over 30 years, it is expected to be just shy of $150,000.

Think about that for a second.

A decision that costs around $3.30 per day today could potentially add six figures to your retirement.

That's the power of consistency and compounding.

The biggest obstacle I see isn't usually picking the perfect investment.

It's simply getting started.. or increasing your savings by an amount that feels manageable.

You don't have to double your contribution overnight.

Sometimes the smallest adjustments today can make the biggest difference tomorrow.

If your employer offered you a 1% raise tomorrow, would you notice if you directed that extra amount straight into your 401(k) instead of your checking account?

07/07/2026

A question I've been asked a lot this week:

"Should I open one of these new Trump Accounts for my child or grandchild?"

It's a fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you're actually trying to accomplish.

Here's a quick breakdown of how the three main options compare:

🔹 529 Plan: Best for education

If paying for college or private school is the primary goal, a 529 is still hard to beat. Qualified withdrawals for education expenses are federal income tax-free, and many states offer additional deductions on contributions. Higher contribution limits also make it easier to front-load gifting strategies.

🔹 Taxable Brokerage Account: Best for flexibility

No contribution limits, no restrictions on how or when the money is used. The trade-off is tax exposure on dividends, interest, and capital gains along the way. But for families who want maximum control over the funds, a brokerage account remains a solid option.

🔹 Trump Account: Best for long-term wealth building

These are brand new, officially available as of July 4, 2026. They function like a custodial traditional IRA for children under 18. Contributions are after-tax and capped at $5,000 per year. Investments are limited to low-cost U.S. equity index funds (Ticker SPYM appears to be the only investment). Children born between 2025-2028 may be eligible for a one-time $1,000 government seed contribution. Funds generally can't be accessed until the child turns 18, at which point the account converts to a traditional IRA.

The key limitation worth noting: these accounts aren't designed for education funding. Higher education costs appear to be a qualified expense, but withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, similar to a traditional IRA.

For many parents and grandparents I work with, the account type is actually the second question. The first is:

• Are you trying to fund an education?

• Give them a financial head start in early adulthood?

• Build long-term generational wealth?

• Leave a lasting legacy?

Each goal points toward a different tool, and in some cases, a combination of accounts may make the most sense.

💬 I'm curious: what's driving your interest in saving for the next generation? Is it education, flexibility, or something longer-term?

Trump Accounts provide eligible American children with tax-advantaged investment accounts courtesy of President Donald J. Trump.

06/25/2026

QUICK EXERCISE 👇

Grab a sheet of paper.

Write down every bank, investment, and retirement account you (and your spouse) own.

Now answer these five questions:
✔ Where is it?
✔ Who are the beneficiaries?
✔ Is my contact information up to date?
✔ What is it earning interest?
✔ Why do I still have it?

If you can't answer all five questions for every account in less than 10 minutes, you probably have more complexity than you realize.

One of the biggest values I provide isn't finding the "next great investment."

It's helping people organize years, sometimes decades, of financial decisions into one coordinated plan.

How many accounts made your list?