To Inspire:  It’s the age-old question: can money buy happiness?  CBS Sunday Morning did a segment last Sunday that asked that question.  Their story began by sharing Christian Hinojosa’s take on it.  In 2000, fresh out of Amherst College, Christian took a very high paying job as an investment banker. Chris Hinojosa when he was […]

To Inform:  We are in the early stages of second-quarter earnings announcements in the U.S., and things are looking positive. In order to grow earnings every year, there are really three levers a company can pull: Revenue Growth – is the company growing their sales numbers? Margin Expansion – is the company reducing costs and/or […]

To Inspire:  Melanie Streng is a cancer survivor. It was a Tuesday in July and Melanie felt great. She was on her way to her annual checkup, less than a week away from a family vacation to the lake. But during her appointment, her doctor found a lump. “Probably just a cyst,” her doctor assured her, […]

To Inspire:  Looking for greater motivation to pursue your deepest dreams and aspirations, the one God has placed deep in your heart? Then read these challenging words of iconic motivational speaker and author Jim Rohn and pass them on to a friend or loved one too. Our results are only limited by our imagination; history […]

To Inform:  In this week’s informational WealthNote, we are excited and proud to share our Portfolio Manager Aaron Filbeck, CFA, CAIA, CIPM,’s new whitepaper that explores why we look at the investment universe the way that we do. Portfolio Manager Aaron Filbeck, CFA, CAIA, CIPM   When our clients are shown a visual representation of […]

To Inspire:  Generosity.  We hear of it but do we truly live it?  Oseola McCarty did. Oseola McCarty Source: Philanthropy Roundtable   Born in 1908 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Oseola (or Ola for short) lived a simple life, working for a living for 75 years by washing and ironing other people’s clothes.  Never marrying, Oseola worked long […]

To Inspire:    This week, we celebrate the 4th of July holiday that marks the birthday of America’s independence. However, we also celebrate those who have fought and continue to fight to protect our great nation’s freedom. Today, we highlight Marine Corps. Sgt. Kirstie Ennis’ inspiring story and thank her for her service to our […]

To Inform:   At yesterday’s Portfolios at Panera discussion, an attendee said, “It seems like all of this tariff talk is making stocks bounce around and it has nothing to do with the fundamentals of the companies.”  Yes, we’ve noticed that too….in fact, as I’m writing this, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average an hour […]

To Inform:   Since my oldest son is preparing for the ACT this summer, this week’s To Inform portion of Wealthnotes is a test question: Based on popular market indexes, which of the following statements is CORRECT? U.S. stock performance is flat this year U.S. stock performance is up double digits this year U.S. stock performance […]

To Inspire:  Adventure.  What a great word – it conjures up exciting travels, challenging goals, exciting plans.  We’ve all heard that life itself is an adventure!  So true. But it’s important to ask yourself periodically if you’re living life as an adventure.  Are you building adventure into your travels, your goals, your plans?  If not, […]