Eclectic Associates

A financial aid letter looks final when it arrives, though it has more moving parts than most families realize.

Need-based aid is calculated the same way everywhere. What changes is how generously each college stacks grants and scholarships on top. Applying early decision locks a student in before that competition can happen, and families can turn down the loan portion while keeping the grants.

Read this and other takeaways from our client reception earlier this month with Kevin McMullin, founder of Collegewise.

https://bit.ly/3V56YJb

Takeaways From a Conversation With Collegewise Founder Kevin McMullin — Eclectic Associates, Inc. Collegewise founder Kevin McMullin joined Eclectic Associates to discuss college admissions, rankings, early decision, and financial aid.

Picking a retirement plan for your business isn't a one-size-fits-all decision. It depends on how many people work for you, how much you want to save, and how much complexity you're comfortable managing.

A solo 401(k) can be a great fit if you're working on your own. A SEP IRA offers simplicity if you have a small team. A traditional 401(k) opens up more customization as your business grows, and a personal defined benefit plan can help highly compensated owners save well beyond typical limits.

Every option comes with trade-offs worth understanding before you choose.

https://bit.ly/4guMAbH

Which Retirement Plan Is Right for Your Business? — Eclectic Associates, Inc. Comparing 401(k), SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and defined benefit options can help you choose the retirement plan that fits your business and employees.

Choosing where to apply to college can feel like guesswork, even for families who have done their homework.

Join us Wednesday, September 2, for a candid conversation between Eclectic Associates' Carl Lachman, MBA, CFP®, and Kevin McMullin, founder of Collegewise, on building a smart college list, understanding what admissions offices really look for, and knowing when to start the process.

5:30 p.m.: Appetizers, desserts, and drinks
6 to 7 p.m.: Discussion

Eclectic Associates Office, 1440 N. Harbor Blvd., Suite 220, Fullerton, CA 92835

Bring a friend who's navigating this too. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3SdUU7F

Seeing a fixed annuity advertised at a higher rate than your bank's CD? It's worth a closer look before you sign anything.

These contracts lock in a set interest rate for a number of years, which sounds great until you factor in what you're giving up: easy access to your money. Cash out early and a surrender charge can take a real bite, and some contracts include a market value adjustment that can reduce your payout even further depending on where rates have moved.

There's often a quirk at the end of the term. If you don't act within a short window, your money may automatically roll into a new contract, sometimes at a lower rate than you'd want.

None of this means these annuities are a bad option for everyone. It just means the rate is only part of the story.

https://bit.ly/4wJHZIB

Better Than CDs? The Allure of MYGAs — Eclectic Associates, Inc. MYGAs offer guaranteed rates that can beat CDs, but surrender charges, market value adjustments, and auto renewals can carry significant trade-offs.

After markets hit their March lows, a steady recovery followed. The S&P 500 finished the quarter up 10% for the year, while U.S. small-cap stocks rose 23% and emerging markets gained 24%. Investors who stayed the course through the uncertainty were rewarded for it.

Heading into the second half of 2026, a few things are worth watching: where inflation lands as energy and shelter costs ease, how the Fed responds, and whether the market's concentration in a handful of large technology companies continues to shift toward broader sectors.

https://bit.ly/4xcbaoi

2026 Second Quarter Letter — Eclectic Associates, Inc. A recap of markets in the first half of 2026, covering stock and bond performance, inflation trends, AI spending, and why diversification still matters.

If you've seen "Moneyball" or read the book, you know the story: a small-budget baseball team started winning by ignoring the conventional wisdom everyone else followed. Billy Beane's insight wasn't a secret. It was just a willingness to look at different data and tune out the noise.

There's a parallel for investors. The financial news cycle, expert forecasts, and daily market updates can feel like useful information, but studies consistently show they have little to do with long-term outcomes. What tends to matter is more practical: how a portfolio is allocated, what fees are being paid, and whether you can stay disciplined over time.

https://bit.ly/4hEmEfK

Invest Like Billy Beane: Pay Attention to the Right Things — Eclectic Associates, Inc. What Billy Beane's Moneyball strategy can teach investors about ignoring market noise and focusing on allocation, fees, taxes, and discipline.

One of the most valuable tax benefits available to investors is one many people have never heard of.

The step-up in basis allows appreciated assets to pass to heirs with a new cost basis at the time of death, which can eliminate decades of unrealized capital gains taxes under current law.

For families with investments, real estate, or business interests that have grown significantly over time, this is worth understanding. We walk through how it works and when it matters most.

https://bit.ly/4fcOiik

Step-Up in Basis: The Tax Case for Holding Appreciated Assets Until Death — Eclectic Associates, Inc. We explain how the step-up in basis can reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes on inherited stocks, real estate, and business interests.

AI can now mimic voices convincingly enough to make a phone scam sound like a call from someone you love. It's a troubling development, and it's worth knowing how to protect yourself and the people around you.

We share four practical strategies for verifying whether a call is really from who it claims to be, including one simple step you can take with your family today.

AI Voice Scams: How to Verify It’s Actually Family or Friends Calling — Eclectic Associates, Inc. Scammers now use AI to mimic the voices of family and friends. Learn simple ways to verify whether a call is really from someone you know.

We had a wonderful evening hosting Apollo Lupescu, PhD, senior economist at Dimensional Fund Advisors, for a client reception.

The conversation touched on AI valuations, geopolitical risk, the semiconductor supply chain, and what market history tells us about staying invested through uncertain times.

Lupescu's message was grounding and, honestly, reassuring: The world is always changing, but the fundamental premise of investing doesn't.

We share the key insights from the evening here:

https://bit.ly/4v7s5Yx

Stay the Course: Insights from the DFA Client Reception — Eclectic Associates, Inc. DFA economist Apollo Lupescu joined Eclectic Associates to discuss AI, market valuations and why staying invested through uncertainty can help drive long-term success.

Tax season just wrapped up, which actually makes right now one of the better times to think about next year.

Your return can be full of useful information: how dividends are being taxed, whether charitable distributions were reported correctly, whether losses can offset future gains, and how your AGI is affecting Social Security and Medicare costs.

We share what we look for on a Form 1040 review and the planning questions it helps answer.

https://bit.ly/43euILT

Don’t File It and Forget It: Tax Planning Starts Now — Eclectic Associates, Inc. Tax planning starts with your Form 1040. We break down what to look for on last year's return to help find savings opportunities and avoid mistakes.