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 […]

To Inspire:   Earlier this week I (Matt) attended the funeral Mass of a dear friend, Tom Lynch, who died a week ago at the age of 83. Earlier in his life Tom was best known as the owner of Woodhouse Lynch Clothiers, the haberdasher for all of the bankers and lawyers in and around […]

To Inspire: Welcome to September! I’m a proud Rotarian, and for Rotary, September is Literacy Month – a topic near and dear to my heart. I know I’ve discussed my love of reading in previous WealthNotes (like this one: Easy Way to Increase Your Empathy) so you may not be surprised to hear that I […]

To Inform: Wednesday night I attended the programming season kickoff event for the Columbus CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Society. I had a front row seat for a panel discussion concerning “The Portfolio for the Future.” Panelists included the President/CEO of an institutional asset manager, the CEO/CIO of a local Private Wealth Firm and senior investment […]

To Inform:  On my desk is a copy of Anthony Sampson’s book, The Seven Sisters. The book details the history of seven of the largest oil companies that formed in the years after the breakup of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. It highlights some of the drama and political intrigue behind the discovery and exploration […]