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Our Current Thoughts On The Economy June 2023

Our Current Thoughts on the Economy June 2023

David Shotwell

Last month, our entire firm went through a training program to help us understand, spot, and prevent financial abuse. Financial abuse is nothing new, but in our time of electronic account access, artificial intelligence, and scammers having easy access to information, we need to be more vigilant than ever. This program was put together by […]

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Do Financial Advisors Provide Value

Do Financial Advisors Provide Value?

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by Cade Campbell, 2023 Summer Intern  Are financial advisors necessary and do they provide value in a world where online portfolio tools and retirement calculators are available online at little cost? Does it make sense to hire a financial advisor? Typical advisors charge a fee between 0.75% to 1.5% of assets for their services. At […]

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Our Current Thoughts On The Economy May 2023

Our Current Thoughts on the Economy May 2023

David Shotwell

Every year in late spring, Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, holds its annual shareholder meeting on a Saturday. This was the first year I’ve actually watched the proceedings (it was raining, and I was on crutches anyway), and they were fascinating. One attendee passing by a CNBC camera on the floor of the event described […]

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What The Looming Debt Ceiling Deadline Means For Investors

What the Looming Debt Ceiling Deadline Means for Investors

David Shotwell

The debt ceiling debate has been front and center lately, and will no doubt be a major news story in the coming weeks. We thought we’d share this article and charts from our partners at Clearnomics discussing this issue and how it may impact markets. The federal debt limit is once again in the news […]

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Review Of First Quarter 2023

2nd Quarter 2023 Economic Update and Market Review (article)

David Shotwell

The first quarter of 2023 was largely positive for the markets, but not positive enough to make up for the frustrating previous 12 months. While inflation still appears to be slowing, there is plenty of uncertainty around interest rates and the Federal Reserve’s ability to slow the economy just enough but not too much. As […]

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Michigan First Time Home Buyer Savings Accounts (article)

Michigan First-Time Home Buyer Savings Accounts (article)

Ashley Sajor

On February 9th, 2022, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Michigan First-Time Home Buyer Savings Account Program (FHSA) into law. The FHSA allows first-time home buyers to receive Michigan state tax savings on contributions made into the account, as well as state tax-free growth on any investments and interest, as long as the funds are used […]

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1st Quarter 2023 Investment Review & Economic Update Blog

1st Quarter 2023 Economic Update and Market Review

David Shotwell

We have the messy year that was 2022 in the rearview mirror and we’re looking ahead to 2023. Inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove the markets last year. If you’d like to hear our podcast episode on this topic, click here. As we look to 2023 there are still […]

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A Quick View On Student Loans

A Quick View on Student Loans

Ashley Sajor

In our society, there is increasing pressure for people to go to college and attain a degree. However, the cost to go to college is also increasing. On average, the cost of tuition increases by about 8% each year. It is becoming extremely difficult for most people to afford college expenses. The reality is many […]

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The Rollover Decision

The Rollover Decision

David Shotwell

When you change jobs or retire, you have the option to roll your retirement plan into an individual retirement account. This is a big decision and often not an easy one. It can be difficult to get impartial advice as both those urging you to roll your funds over to an IRA and the company […]

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Tackling Retirement Goals From Both Ends

Tackling Retirement Goals from Both Ends

David Shotwell

Small changes in savings and spending for younger, working clients can have a big effect on a financial plan because increasing savings often means we can reduce the expected spending needed in retirement. When we set up a financial plan for a new client, often the numbers don’t work well initially. We work to figure […]

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