Robots Vs. Humans – The Battle for the Future of Investing In the Terminator movies, Arnold Schwarzenegger does not play a robot. He plays a terminator, which is something different. “I’m a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton” If you are not familiar with the Terminator movies, they take place in a dystopian… Read More
Trust & Investment
Economic Update – Fall 2018 Edition Leaves are falling, the NFL season is in full swing, and stores are already decorating for Christmas. It is hard to believe we are closing in on the end of the year. This year has felt like it has flown by. As I come up on my one year… Read More
When Will the Stock Market Finally Drop? The only true answer is that no one knows. Use that to your advantage. As we approach the 10-year anniversary since the low in March 2009, this has become one of the longest runs in the stock market without a drop of at least 20%. Historically, the market… Read More
Stillman Bank’s Bogner Earns National Certification David Bogner, Vice President and Trust Officer at Stillman Bank, was recently awarded the Certified Trust & Financial Advisor (CTFA) professional certification from the American Bankers Association. “Earning the CTFA certification validates David’s experience and depth of education in the wealth management industry,” states Marty Larson, Stillman Bank Chairman… Read More
Economic Update – Summer 2018 Edition Summer in the Midwest this year has come with two flavors – either scorching heat or epic downpour. There have not been many days in between. The U.S. economy, meanwhile, continues to move ahead steadily. Despite challenging weather, risks of trade wars, and tightening labor markets, corporate earnings are… Read More
Economic Update – Spring 2018 Edition The early days of Spring are upon us and the overall economic gauge is much like the weather – things are starting to feel better. The truth is, things have been improving since we started recovering from the depths of the financial crisis 10 years ago. It’s just that… Read More
When Volatility Strikes – How to Assess the Latest Market Turbulence After almost 2 years of calm and rising markets, last week reminded us that conditions can change quickly. Markets fell across the board as volatility roared back. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq all fell by more than 5%…. Read More
Why your Non-Profit Should NOT Go “DIY” Practical reasons why your non-profit’s investment committee should not plan to “do-it-yourself” with investing. Late last year, I came across an article in the New York Times that was highly irresponsible. It had the innocent sounding headline “Simple Investing For Non-Profits” and offered a seemingly reasonable approach –… Read More
Keith Akre Joins Stillman Bank As Trust Officer Stillman Bank has recently added a key member to its successful team in northern Illinois. Keith J. Akre, CFA, CFP® joined Stillman Bank as Trust Officer, according to Martin C. Larson, Chairman and CEO. In his position, Akre will work within the bank’s Trust and Asset Management… Read More
Look Back With Gratitude and Ahead With Caution – 2018 Outlook In terms of risk-adjusted returns, 2017 was one of the best years on record. The S&P 500 index gave investors a return of more than 20% with historically low levels of volatility. We are certainly grateful for the gains we have seen, especially since… Read More