Team Member Spotlight: Cameron Hamilton
You helped found Bike4Alz and MyHammy Vice. What inspired you to get involved with those causes, and what keeps you coming back year after year? For some reason, I keep running into crazy people with big ideas, and I can’t seem to say no. In high school, my best friend wanted to honor his granddad […]
Connections: Tara N. Halbert on Estate Planning
Tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in estate and trust law. I was a math major in college and gravitated toward tax classes in law school. I received a LL.M in tax law from the University of Florida after law school and took several trust and […]
Talking to Family About Money
Kids are back in school, football season is underway, and schedules are filling up fast. It’s also a great time to check in on your family’s finances. While a tailgate may be great for catching up, it’s not the best place for meaningful conversations about money. Discussions with families about finances are more productive when […]
A Financial Windfall Becomes a Planning Opportunity
More Than an Investment Decision At age 55, Mark and Jennifer received a $4 million inheritance following the passing of Jennifer’s father. While the additional assets strengthened their financial position, they also introduced a series of decisions that reached far beyond investment management. The inheritance included an inherited IRA, a taxable investment account, and cash. […]
The AI Economy: Growth Engine or Single Point of Failure
Artificial intelligence has moved from a Wall Street narrative to the primary engine of American economic growth. In the first quarter of 2026, real GDP grew at roughly a 2 percent annualized rate, and investment in AI-related software, equipment, and data centers accounted for an estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of that growth. By some measures, […]
Magazine & Webinars
Read the Magazine Our quarterly wealth management magazine delivers timely financial planning insights written by our team of advisors. Read the latest issue! Read Issue 5 Watch Webinars On the third Tuesday of every month at 4:00 pm, we host a free, live webinar covering relevant financial topics. Join us! Register for future webinars here […]
Two Ways to Combat Household Inflation
Inflation is not a one-size-fits-all all phenomenon Inflation is the increase in prices over time Increasing prices means decreasing purchasing power How we choose to spend our money dictates how we experience inflation Inflation has been top of mind for every participant in our economy for three years straight: households, businesses, and policymakers. Inflation […]
May the 4th Be With You
I’ve been serving families at Ballast for over a decade, but this is the first time it’s my turn to write an update on May 4th. If you are high on the nerdiness scale like me, you will know that today is the unofficial holiday to celebrate the Star Wars universe, a play on “may […]
2026 Retirement Account Contribution Limits & Year-End Tax Planning
As 2025 draws to a close, now is the perfect time to review your retirement planning strategy and prepare for the new 2026 retirement contribution limits. The IRS has announced increased limits for 401(k)s, IRAs, and HSAs, while year-end planning opportunities like tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, and Required Minimum Distributions require attention before December 31st. […]
Guest Commentary: Jeffrey Gehring on Estate Law and Planning
Jeffrey L. Gehring Dickinson Wright PLLC 300 W. Vine Street, Suite 1700 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 899-8713 jgehring@dickinson-wright.com Personal & Professional Journey What inspired you to pursue a career in estate law, and what has kept you passionate about it over the years? I really love the intersection of the technical rules related to […]
Ballast Magazine – Issue 1
Introducing Ballast Magazine A new way to explore wealth, purpose, and planning from the Ballast advisory team. We’re proud to share the first issue of Ballast Magazine—a curated collection of insights, strategies, and real-world stories for individuals and families committed to building a meaningful financial legacy. And the best part? Every article was thoughtfully written […]
Who Wants to Talk Politics?
Thanks for taking the bait. Positive stock market performance for 2024 has been celebrated by most investors, but the rationale behind the rally is where we tend to see a spectrum of opinions. I have personally heard clients laud their candidate of choice as the primary tailwind… from both sides of the aisle. It does […]