Economic Update – Spring 2023 | “A Resilient Market” The first quarter of 2023 continued to display a market of mixed emotions and uncertainty. The Federal Reserve (The Fed) continued their battle against inflation by increasing interest rates. This revealed cracks in some banks’ balance sheets with deposits leaving or paying more, while longer term… Read More
Trust & Investment
Economic Update – Winter 2023 | “Short-Lived Turbulence” There is no question that 2022 was a difficult year for investors. The rapid rise in interest rates presented significant headwinds to both the stock and bond markets. The Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index was down 13.1% as of December 31, 2022. The second worst year occurred in… Read More
The Importance of a Succession Plan Succession planning for any business, especially a small privately-owned business, is crucial. You probably know of at least one business that closed not long after the founder or a key employee fell ill or passed away unexpectedly. This may have happened despite the business having a long list of… Read More
Economic Update – Summer 2022 | “Summer of Transition” The first half of 2022 has been challenging in many respects. Inflation has been the main theme so far as the price of nearly everything has risen considerably. Everything except stocks and bonds that is. Financial markets have pulled back due to the uncertainty around how… Read More
What To Do in a Declining Market The year 2022 has been off to a rough start for investors. No matter where you turn, with a few notable exceptions, market values have been on the decline. Through May, stock prices, as measured by the S&P 500 index are down 12.76%, while bonds, as measured by… Read More
Perspective on Recent Market Volatility The human tragedy that has unfolded in recent weeks has been difficult for many and our hearts go out to those that have been affected. While the pain and suffering of fellow global citizens can’t be overlooked, we also have a fiduciary duty to our clients to analyze these events in… Read More
Economic Outlook – Winter 2022 | “Heating Up or Cooling Down” Happy New Year! 2022 has started off with temperatures in many parts of the country dropping below zero and financial market volatility heating up. My hope is that this trend reverses and we begin to see the weather heating up and financial market swings… Read More
Economic Outlook – Fall 2021 | “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The leaves change color, it is football season, and the temperature cools. Some people would describe it as ‘sweater weather’; and no one rocked a sweater better than Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers made… Read More
The Most Important Thing Legendary investor Howard Marks summed up 40 years of a successful investing career with a book titled The Most Important Thing. Aspiring investors flocked to learn what was the most important thing when it came to investing money. The genius of it was that each chapter outlined a different most important… Read More
Should You Be Concerned About Inflation? It seems like everywhere you look; prices are going higher. People are paying more at the pump. Lumber at the hardware store is three times more than what it was 2 years ago. Things like the food at the grocery store, clothes, coffee, and housing have all seen price… Read More