Market Commentary

Market Commentary: The S&P fell for the Second Week Straight and Inflation Rises

Stocks continued to retreat as losses on Tuesday were large enough to push the market down more than 2% for the second week in a row. The S&P 500 has retraced 6.7% of its massive rally from the lows in March.

Videos

Rewirement: Rewiring The Way You Think About Retirement

Jamie Hopkins, Director of Retirement Research at Carson, hosts “Rewirement: Rewiring The Way You Think About Retirement.” A lot has changed since your parents retired, and the world is a more expensive, complex place: Click Here to Watch the Webinar

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Sharp Decline in S&P 500 Could Signal More Volatility

Investors were reminded stock investing comes with volatility as the S&P 500 dropped 3.5% on Thursday and declined 2.3% for the week. The downside pressure was felt most directly by stocks that had performed best. Figure 1 shows the best performing stocks this year (furthest to the right) lagged during the downturn (closest to the bottom).

Blog

How to do Your Estate Plan, Your Way

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor This is going to be an unusual blog about estate planning because instead of discussing the dos and don’ts or going into a lot of legal documents and procedures, I want to discuss estate planning on how I’ve witnessed it with my clients over the last 30 years. I have been blessed to meet a lot of people and have had the honor of fulfilling the final wishes of a lot of clients. Sometimes I end up delivering messages that are not well received by family members, but I do it anyway because...read the full article

Monthly Newsletters

How to Invest Creatively in Your Fall Vacation this Year

Sneaking away during the lull between peak times – “the shoulder season” – is popular with savvy travelers for reduced crowds, milder weather and usually great deals on travel packages.

Market Commentary

Market Commentary: Higher Inflation Expected in Coming Years, S&P Sees More Gains

The Federal Reserve announced a major policy revision last week. The revised strategy indicates rates will stay low for a long period of time and will increase slower than in past rate cycles. The report and a subsequent speech by Fed Chair Jay Powell indicate the Fed will allow inflation to move above its 2% target to make up for periods when inflation has been less than 2%.

Blog

How to Make Charitable Giving Part of Your Financial Plan

COVID-19 caused an economic shockwave that we’ll feel for a long time. Nonprofits, from large global networks to the local churches, have been hit hard, too. In a recent survey of 110 nonprofits, 80% of them said revenue had fallen across the board.

Blog

Using the Right Tools to Create Your Financial Plan

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor Have you ever attempted an improvement project with the wrong tools or less than optimal equipment? About 15 years ago I decided I was going to play Tim Taylor from Home Improvement – a popular show at the time. The sitcom was based on Tim being a TV “how to” fix it, type guy.

Market Commentary

Weekly Market Commentary: The S&P Sets Recovery Records, Housing Market Showing Gains

The S&P 500 continued to march higher, rising 0.8% last week. Excluding dividends, the index of large-cap U.S. stocks reached a new record. Some investors prefer this measure for determining when bear markets end. By almost any measure, the S&P 500 is no longer in a bear market.

Blog

Why Change is Good (even for Businesses)

By Mike Gertsema, CEO & Wealth Advisor A new grocery store chain comes to town with a new variety of products – bakeries, delis, pharmacies, liquor stores, restaurants – and offers online ordering, pick up services, and home delivery services.

Insights

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