Levi Befort, AWMA, CMFC, PPC - Prinvest Advisors

10/02/2026

What's one financial decision you've made that helped you feel more prepared for your future?

For many of the people we work with, it's not a single investment or product; it's taking the time to create an overall strategy.

🗓️ October is Financial Planning Month—which is all about how the pieces of your financial picture fit together to help pursue your financial goals.

It's about putting together a comprehensive approach that manages your investments and retirement, provides for your loved ones—all while staying flexible enough to adjust as things change.

💡 If you've been meaning to update your strategy or to create one for the first time, it's never too late to start.

A little planning today can make a big difference down the road. Visit www.prinvestadvisors.com to learn more.

10/01/2026

Some financial decisions get a second chance. A handful don't.

▪️ When you actually retire. In EBRI's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, 46 percent of retirees left the workforce earlier than they expected.

▪️ Stepping into a parent's finances. A 2026 Care.com report found sandwich-generation caregiving duties typically begin around age 34.

▪️ Receiving an inheritance. Ohio State research found nearly one in five people who inherited $100,000 or more had spent or lost the entire amount within two years.

▪️ Selling a business. For a typical owner, roughly 80 percent of their net worth is tied up in the business itself, per the Exit Planning Institute.

▪️ Writing (or updating) a will. Only 24 percent of Americans currently have a will, down from 33 percent in 2022, according to Caring.com.

None of these moments announce themselves on schedule. The families who handle them well are usually the ones who started talking years before circumstances forced their hand.

09/30/2026

📌 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.

The Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2023.

09/30/2026

Will your future income keep pace with the life you are preparing for?

In October, the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2027 will be announced.

The annual adjustment is designed to help benefits keep up with inflation, but the same principle can be applied more broadly.

Your retirement income may need to be adjusted as your life, expenses, and priorities change.

Healthcare, insurance, travel, home maintenance, and support for family members can all affect the income you may need to generate.

Ask yourself:

▪️ Has your expected retirement spending changed?
▪️ Are certain future expenses rising faster than you thought?
▪️ Does your income strategy account for inflation?
▪️ Are you strategizing for the lifestyle that you budgeted for years ago?

A thoughtful retirement income strategy should evolve as your life and expenses change.

09/29/2026

What would you tell your 25-year-old self about money?

Getting insight from people who’ve been in your shoes can be powerful when you are young.

Here’s ours:

💡 Time is more powerful than timing.

At 25, it can feel like you have forever to start investing. But the biggest advantage you have isn't picking the perfect investment—it's giving your money more years to grow.

If we could go back, we'd say:

🔹 Start investing before you think you're "ready."
🔹 Build sound habits over chasing returns.
🔹 Lifestyle inflation is sneaky; don't let every pay rise become a spending rise.
🔹 An emergency fund isn't boring. It can help when you least expect it.
🔹 You don't need to know everything to get started.

What would you add?

Drop your best insight in the comments. Someone who's 25 today may need to hear it.

09/28/2026

🌴 More Americans are deciding that enjoying life now matters just as much as making financial progress for later.

A recent SoFi survey found that 72% of Americans would be willing to make slower progress toward their financial goals so they can spend more time with family, travel more, and prioritize meaningful experiences.

That doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning long-term goals. In fact, 59% of respondents said enjoying life is how they define financial progress, compared with 27% who pointed to owning a home.

The challenge is finding a balance between what matters now and what matters later. ✈️ That can mean making room for a vacation, concert, or family event while still keeping an eye on retirement savings and debt.

But charge that trip to a credit card and carry a balance, and interest can turn a two-week memory into a much longer bill.

What does financial progress look like to you: reaching the next milestone, enjoying more of life now, or some mix of both?

SoFi found 72% of Americans are willing to make slower progress on financial goals to prioritize family, travel and meaningful experiences.

09/26/2026

📣We're a 2026 Best of the Best Finalist! 📣

We're honored to be named a finalist for Best Wealth Management Company in the Rochester Post Bulletin's 2026 Best of the Best!

We're incredibly grateful to our clients and the Rochester community for your trust, support, and confidence in Prinvest Advisors.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and look forward to many more years of helping our clients pursue their financial goals.❤️

09/25/2026

First, it was FAANG.

Then it was the Magnificent 7.

Now investors are hearing about MANGOS.

The acronym refers to a group of companies tied to AI, including Meta, Anthropic, Nvidia, Google, OpenAI, and SpaceX.

It is a catchy way to describe where market attention is flowing. But it is not the same thing as an investment strategy.

Market acronyms tend to emerge after a group of companies has already captured investor attention. They can be useful shorthand, but they can also make concentrated bets feel more disciplined than they really are.

Long-term success comes from having a strategy that reflects your goals, time horizon, risk tolerance, and understanding the role each investment plays in your life.

AI may continue to reshape markets. Some of these companies may play an important role in that story.

But portfolios should be built around a strategy, not a slogan.

That is where guidance from a financial professional can help.

Keep in mind that any companies mentioned are for illustrative purposes only. It should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of the securities.

09/23/2026

🛠️ The richest person in your town probably isn't a tech founder or someone in finance. It's more likely the dentist running four offices, or the owner of the HVAC company whose trucks are everywhere.

New research from economists Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick, based on IRS and Treasury data, found nearly 5 million U.S. households worth at least $5 million, holding combined wealth more than 13 times that of the Forbes 400.

A few patterns stood out:
➡️Most started their business themselves rather than inheriting it
➡️Most run ordinary, brick-and-mortar businesses rather than tech or finance
➡️Independence mattered more to them early on than getting rich ever did

🌭 Case in point: Dick Portillo started a hot dog stand in 1963 with just $1,100. Decades later, he sold the business he'd built for $1 billion.

Building wealth often looks much more ordinary and attainable than the headlines suggest. If growing or eventually stepping back from a business is part of your picture, that's worth talking through together.

Getting rich in the U.S. is still possible, but the most common path to wealth doesn't involve working for other people, according to a new book.

09/23/2026

📱 More and more people are now using AI for financial questions.

And with tools like ChatGPT adding bank account integrations, personalized financial guidance is starting to feel more accessible than ever.

So yes, AI can help organize information, model scenarios, and answer technical questions faster than most people could on their own.

BUT… financial insight isn’t just a math problem.

AI cannot talk to you about the pros and cons of making a portfolio adjustment when stock prices are falling. It might struggle to fully weigh your family dynamics, health concerns, risk tolerance, competing goals, or what will actually help you feel confident in your decisions.

🧠 That is where human guidance still matters.

Vanguard’s long-running Advisor’s Alpha research highlights behavioral coaching as one of the most valuable aspects of a relationship.

Not stock picking. Not market timing.

Helping people manage emotion when the stakes are high.

🤝 The future is not AI vs. financial professionals.

The future is for those who use better tools while still bringing judgment, context, and a real understanding of the person behind the strategy.