To Inform: Markets treat news in a variety of ways. There are times when bad news is simply bad news, and the market responds accordingly (down). There are times when bad news is “good news,” and the market responds accordingly (up). As for good news, there are times when good news is good and the […]

To Inspire: Next week, Christians all over the world will be celebrating the birth of Christ. A remarkable and often overlooked part of the story is Mary’s consent to be His mother. When the angel, Gabriel, shares with her God’s plan, she gives her consent: “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be […]

To Inspire: I will confess up front that I do not send many Christmas cards these days, just a handful to very faraway friends and very elderly aunts is about all I manage most years. But something I read this week has inspired me to get back to a longer card list. Writer Peter Coy […]

To Inform: Earlier this week we held our December Portfolios and Pints event. As part of the discussion, in what has become a bit of an annual tradition, we shared an updated summary of “Long Term Capital Market Assumptions.” It’s an intimidating sounding term, but “Capital Market Assumptions” (borrowing phraseology from JP Morgan) “provide return […]

To Inform: As we near the end of 2024, it looks like this year will be like last in some respects. As in 2023, the US stock market has done well, but “the average stock” is underperforming the S&P 500. A way to measure the performance of the average stock is by looking at the […]

To Inspire: I just finished a book study with a group of clients; discussing the book Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House by Jared Cohen. Earlier today our group met, and we discussed the post presidencies of Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter, and George W Bush. Politics aside, […]

To Inform: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” These words were spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his first inaugural address in 1933. Regardless of your thoughts on FDR (I have a few), these words were a salve to a nation wracked by economic turmoil and social unrest. Not a year earlier […]

To Inspire: Thanksgiving is almost here. A quieter, family-filled time before the chaos of the holiday season gets underway, the very essence of the holiday is to express appreciation and thankfulness for the blessings in our lives. Gratitude is so important, but sometimes can be hard to find. Guideposts writer Rick Hamlin recently shared a […]

To Inform:   Estate planning is often viewed as a task reserved for the wealthy and admittedly not something most of us want to consider, but the truth is, everyone can benefit from having a solid estate plan in place. It’s not just about distributing assets after death; it’s about ensuring that your wishes are […]

To Inspire:   I had the privilege of interviewing OSU Professor Angus Fletcher at our recent Wealth Summit. Angus heads up Project Narrative, the world’s leading academic research initiative on the power and potential of our own life stories to help our brains heal from emotional trauma and to help us find greater purpose and […]