To Inspire: Nicole (not her real name) was recently affected by a headcount reduction. Her job was eliminated due to the economy.  In my coaching, I work with a lot of “Nicoles” who find themselves in career transition. Most often, that transition is from one company to another in a similar position―from Controller there to […]

To Inform: Markets have dealt a difficult hand of cards this year. Equity returns have been subpar nearly across the board (energy being the sole standout) and bonds, typically the ballast in rough seas, have performed almost as poorly as equities. The question on everyone’s mind is “Are there any positives in today’s market?” Before […]

To Inspire:   You probably know how much we love books here at The Joseph Group, and the classic “Tuesdays with Morrie” is one of the many books you can find on our office shelves. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Mitch Albom book about his conversations with his former university professor and […]

To Inform:  Stocks are retesting their June lows but one of the factors which has made the market environment particularly challenging is bonds are down as well. Most often, when stocks are down, bonds will tend to cushion the blow, but with the Bloomberg Aggregate Bond Index down over -14% YTD, bonds haven’t been a […]

When we are reviewing a company’s retirement plan, especially in times like today, a common question that comes up is “What are other companies doing with their plan.” It’s instinctual to wonder what’s happening with other companies in your peer group and have an interest in how they address various aspects of their retirement plan. […]

To Inspire: Fall is here. It’s Lisa’s and my favorite season of the year; nothing better than fall in Ohio! We even chose to get married in the fall – 38 years in just a few weeks! But in this issue of Wealth Notes, I’d like to focus not on the beautiful weather we’re about […]

To Inform:   “How much can I give someone each year?” We hear this question often and justifiably so as the amount has changed over the years. In this WealthNotes we’ll demystify personal gifting. What is the Gift Tax? The annual gift tax exclusion has been around since the 1920s as a way to prevent […]

To Inform: “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” is perhaps the best way one can summarize today’s market conditions. Markets rallied from June to August on several factors, eventually rising almost 20% from the year’s low hit on June 16. Since then, the S&P has slid almost 10%. Why the tug-of-war? How long will we […]

To Inspire: Could a world-renowned violinist play unannounced in a public place and not draw a crowd? If this happened, would that say – if anything – about our ability to recognize beauty? There’s a post that goes around social media from time to time about this very thing – a world class violinist played […]

To Inform:   Years like 2022 when both stocks and bonds decline are rare. Because of the conservative assumptions built into the financial plans of the clients we have the privilege of serving we know those plans can tolerate years like this. Nonetheless, it’s sometimes hard to find silver linings in market drawdowns. One silver […]