Hey everyone! I’m Josef Mehall. I’m a 27 year old Wealth Advisor with 1.oak Financial, where I primarily work with federal employees and soon to be retirees on retirement income, tax planning, investment management, and building comprehensive financial plans designed for life after work. I’ve been working alongside Mike for a little over three years now, and I’m incredibly grateful for his mentorship and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how much my approach has evolved: from learning basic Federal Benefits in late 2023 to truly understanding the value of solving problems through education and coordinated planning. One of the most meaningful experiences early in my career was helping my own parents. Like many families, they had investments and a mostly absent advisor, but no real retirement strategy. Since then, we’ve updated their estate plan, implemented tax-reduction strategies, optimized their retirement accounts, built a more intentional retirement income plan, and brought everything together with a team of professionals. Seeing that transformation firsthand reinforced why I love this profession and why planning matters more than status quo. Outside of work, I’m a former collegiate hockey player, have lived in five different states, and I’m a huge car enthusiast. Born and raised in Michigan and now reside in Nashville, TN. If I’m not talking retirement planning, you’ll probably find me at the gym, kayaking, paddleboarding, staying active, or diving into something new about finance. I genuinely love learning, whether it’s finding better ways to serve clients, studying financial planning and investing, or picking up new skills that help me grow personally and professionally. I’m excited to continue learning from everyone here. There are decades of experience in this group, and I know I’ll pick up ideas that make me a better advisor. I'll continue to contribute by sharing what’s working for me, lessons I’ve learned along the way, and anything that helps move our profession forward.

Thought I'd share a quick recap. Nothing groundbreaking, just trying to stack good days together of small wins. This week I: - Closed a long-term nurture from last year. My client recently turned 59½ and was finally ready to move out of the G Fund into a strategy that better aligns with his retirement income goals. A great reminder that patience, organized asset under influence tracking, and consistent follow-up pay off. - Helped replace an underperforming annuity with a solution that was a better fit for the client's current objectives. - Completed 8 strategy calls, ranging from helping a 40-year-old think through investing for the future to retirement-focused conversations with people looking for a more structured planning process. - Completed 6 planning meetings, including one client with about $100k spread across a TSP, life insurance, and inherited funds. We organized everything into a clear plan, and she's excited for her solution meeting next week. - Completed 6 solution meetings, opened 3 Roth IRAs, and advanced another G Fund conversation toward implementation that should wrap up early next week. - Had a great conversation with a prospective client preparing to sell a condo. We talked through how to intentionally position the proceeds before the sale so the money has a purpose instead of sitting idle while decisions are made later. - Worked with another client on tax-reduction strategies, helping them see how tax planning fits into the bigger retirement picture, not just the investment side. - Not every metric was a win: I also had 10 no-shows, along with the usual ghosting and "unsubscribe" messages. That's part of this business. You can't control who shows up, you can only control your preparation, your follow-up, and how consistently you keep showing up. One thing I've been intentional about lately is doing whatever the week requires. That meant a couple of late evenings preparing for meetings, reviewing recommendations, and getting applications submitted quickly. Clients may never see those hours, but they absolutely feel the difference when meetings are well prepared and follow-through is prompt.

After @Mike Milligan weekly calls recently, I wanted to pull some more data to further drive home the point that not only in LinkedIn your digital business card it's the future of your business: 1. THE STAGE IS EMPTY — AND THAT'S YOUR EDGE Only 1% of LinkedIn's 1.3 billion members post content weekly. That 1% generates 9 billion impressions every single week. 99% of your competition is completely silent. If you're posting consistently, you're already winning before you say a word. 2. THE AUDIENCE IS ALREADY THERE - 62% of HNW individuals are on LinkedIn weekly - 50%+ of Americans with $100K+ portfolios are active on LinkedIn - 52% of advisors say being connected on LinkedIn makes it MORE likely they'll do business with someone - 23% of Gen Z won't even consider an advisor without a social media presence The people you want to reach are scrolling right now. The question is whether they're seeing YOU. 3. THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE - 86% of advisors who use social media gained new clients from it - Advisors with a content strategy generate 168% more leads/month and onboard 50% more clients/year - The most successful advisors post ~35x per month — roughly daily - Carousel posts get 596% more engagement than plain text - One advisor tracked $7,840 in new revenue per post Posting content is like running a referral engine 24/7 without picking up the phone. The data is clear. The tools are free. The audience is there. Sources - Broadridge 2024 Financial Advisor Marketing Trends Report → info.advisorstream.com - Putnam Investments: Social Media for Advisors Study → napa-net.org - Forbes: How to Generate $50K in Leads Weekly by Posting on LinkedIn → forbes.com - Buffer: 26 LinkedIn Statistics to Know for 2026 → buffer.com/resources

The world is rapidly changing with the advancement of Artificial Intelligence tools and software. The take away I had from this conversation is : what tools can I implement over the next month to do my work at a higher level and save time in doing so. The next two years will separate the champion advisors from those doing the bare minimum using outdated approaches to solutions.

The Social Security Administration has announced a 2.8% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2026 — slightly higher than last year’s 2.5% increase. This change will affect nearly 75 million Americans, including retirees and those receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Starting January 2026, the average Social Security benefit will rise by about $56 per month, bringing the average monthly payment to approximately $2,071. Married couples will see their combined benefit increase by an average of $88 a month.​ The COLA is designed to help retirees keep pace with inflation. While it’s a welcome increase for many, it’s important to note that the rise in living costs and Medicare premiums could offset much of the gain. AARP research shows that more than three-quarters of older Americans still feel these modest adjustments don’t fully cover real-world inflation, which continues to impact essential goods and healthcare costs.​ In addition to benefit increases, some key thresholds are also changing in 2026: - The maximum taxable earnings limit will rise from $176,100 to $184,500, meaning higher-income earners will contribute slightly more in payroll tax. - The maximum monthly benefit for new retirees claiming at full retirement age will climb to around $3,827, up from $3,822.​ For financial advisors, this update serves as both a planning checkpoint and a client communication opportunity. Now is the time to review Social Security strategies: - Reassess claiming decisions based on updated benefits. - Coordinate tax-efficient income strategies around the new taxable maximum. - Evaluate how inflation-adjusted benefits interact with Roth conversions, pensions, and portfolio withdrawals. Social Security remains a foundational element of retirement income — but as COLA adjustments remind us each year, relying on it alone may not be enough to keep up with inflation. A diversified, intentional income plan that integrates Social Security, tax planning, and investments remains the best path to long-term financial independence.