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Global stocks (-1.3%) kicked off the year by struggling with losses across the board. Emerging market stocks (-4.7%) suffered the most while U.S. large cap stocks (0.0%) were the best performers by posting a flat return. Fixed income asset classes were positive with international bonds (+2.1%) and TIPS (+2.1%) the strongest performers. Alternative asset classes […]

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law by the President on December 20, 2019. This act contains provisions that will likely significantly affect either yourself or your loved ones at a future date. There are both positive and negative implications for individual taxpayers, so let’s get into what […]

10 Lessons From a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional Who Did It Himself I lived most of my life in the Midwest – born and raised in Minnesota, college in Michigan and then 15 years in Chicago. My family was finally ready to get out of the cold, so we embarked on a two-year journey that […]

As of Jan. 27, 2020, the IRS will start to accept 2019 tax returns. Most taxpayers are watching for their W-2s, 1099s, and other tax related documents to arrive in the mail and are curious to see if their tax situation will be better than it was a year ago with the new tax law […]

Every January I head down to Orlando for the Heckerling Conference on Estate Planning. Imagine thousands of attorneys and CPAs all congregating to discuss the latest complicated estate and tax planning strategies the best and brightest had dreamt up… yes, it is exactly as big of a nerd fest as you are imagining. I always […]

Over the past few years, investors have experienced an array of different emotions and market behaviors. One trend that many have noticed lately is U.S. stock market outperformance compared to international markets. Over the past five years, the IA SBBI U.S. Large Stock Index has outperformed the MSCI EAFE Index (large cap international stock index) […]

The last month of the year was positive for global stocks (+3.5%), closing +26.4% for the year. U.S. bonds gained slightly throughout the month, pushing year-end gains to +6.8% for U.S. intermediate term and +3.1% for short-term bonds. Alternative asset classes were mixed with commodities posting gains of 5.0% for the month, while managed futures […]

Do you hear what I hear??? It’s new legislation coming out of Washington this Christmas season!  Heading into the New Year the Federal Government has just released legislation that will have far reaching implications for nearly all individuals.  You may have heard rumblings of something called the SECURE Act throughout the year.  It passed with […]

Savant CEO Brent Brodeski wrote the opinion piece, “Vanquish the morale-killing element in your RIA,” for Financial-Planning.com. He reviews how RIAs can improve team morale and productivity.

You may have spent the last 30 years (or more) working tirelessly and are now beginning to realize that retirement is staring you right in the face. All those years of saving, putting your kids through college, and delaying traveling with your spouse are now over (oh wait – maybe that’s just me and my […]

Slow Down and Pay Attention We all have hectic lives. From caring for young children, to helping our aging parents, along with balancing a busy career and community commitments, it seems that there is never enough time. However, when it comes to your financial security, it is important to slow down and think about what […]

The second month of the fourth quarter was positive for global stocks (+2.5%), which have now gained 22.0% year-to-date. U.S. bonds remained flat throughout the month holding onto year-to-date gains of 6.7% for U.S. intermediate-term and 2.9% for short-term bonds.  Alternative asset classes (REITs, Commodities, and Managed Futures) all posted losses for the month. Economy […]