November Retail Sales – Cars & Clicks Underpin Strength

U.S. retail sales accelerated and rose more than expected in November. Strong auto sales and a jump in e-commerce owing to healthy Black Friday and Cyber Monday receipts suggests consumers remain resilient during the crucial holiday shopping season. Retail spending, unadjusted for inflation, rose 0.7% topping expectations for 0.6%.

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Yahoo! Finance: How much should I contribute to my 401(k)?

Participant Services Coordinator – Team Lead, Lisa Hojnacki provided commentary included in the Yahoo! Finance article on 401(k) contributions.

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Mike Laske

Mike Laske always had a keen interest in financial analysis and strategy, and in his case, it spans all the way back to elementary school. It was shortly after morning chores that he would ask to borrow his parents’ newspaper, look through the stock pages, carefully analyze trends, then pick a few to play with. His hobby portfolio did well enough to catch the attention of his teachers and parents, and a spark was soon a flame for a successful career in financial planning.

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Adam Mangiapane

Adam’s career journey allows him to provide unique client counsel informed by perspectives spanning accounts service, trust administration and fiduciary compliance.

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November Inflation – Steady as She Goes

In November, consumer prices as measured by CPI, rose 2.7% compared to a year ago, up from 2.6% in October and in line with expectations.

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November Jobs – Rebound After October Strikes/Storms

The U.S. job market rebounded from an anemic October clouded by strikes and storms.

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Serve Clients More

Our new goal is focused on what we are passionate about and built with a deep understanding of our core competency.

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Economic Commentary

Campaign proposals are one thing, but actual policy implementation can be quite another. It’s easy to draw oversimplified conclusions based on assumptions that only account for the first order impacts of policy decisions.

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Ensuring Your Child’s Care: How Michigan Parents Can Use a Power of Attorney for Parental Consent

A Power of Attorney under MCL 700.5103 is an effective legal tool for parents needing to temporarily delegate their decision-making authority.

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Unlock Financial Success:
Year-End Planning Tips You Can’t Ignore

Year-end financial planning is about setting the stage for a prosperous new year.

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Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Retirement Plans and More in 2025

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced contribution and benefit limits for qualified retirement plans effective January 1, 2025.

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Who is Your Descendant?

Interpretation problems can arise when the trust instrument refers to distributions of a trust’s income or assets to a person who is related to and survives the named beneficiary as his or her descendant.

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December 2024 Perspectives Newsletter

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Greenleaf Trust Recognized as Metro Detroit’s Best and Brightest Small Business to Work For

Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce its selection as Metro Detroit’s Best of the Best Small Business to Work For at the annual Metropolitan Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards.

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Detroit Free Press: 198 companies named 2024 Michigan Top Workplace: List of winners

Greenleaf Trust is top 10 for Midsize 2024 Michigan Top Workplaces.

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Greenleaf Trust announces the addition of two team members

Greenleaf Trust is pleased to welcome Jim Ripley and Amari Williams to the team.

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Advisorpedia: Family Emergencies: How Advisors Can Help Ease the Pain

Wealth Management Advisor, Steve Davis, discusses the importance of planning for unforeseen events with Advisorpedia.

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Trustworthy: Estate Planning for Irresponsible Children

Trust Relationship Officer, Adam Mangiapane, provides commentary to Trustworthy on planning your estate for heirs.

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October Retail Sales – Strong Print Ahead of Holiday Season

U.S. retail sales rose more than expected in October and September figures were revised higher suggesting consumers are entering the start of holiday season with strong momentum. 

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October Inflation – In Line Report Supports December Cut

In October, consumer prices as measured by CPI, rose 2.6% compared to a year ago, up from 2.4% in September, but in line with expectations.  Core CPI (excludes volatile food and energy prices) rose 3.3%, unchanged from September and in line with expectations.  These readings are arguably less useful in the eyes of the market […]

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US News & World Report: How Much Should You Contribute to a 401(k) in 2025?

Participant Services Coordinator – Team Lead, Lisa Hojnacki, provides insight on allocating to 401(k) plans while maintaining balance with other financial priorities.

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The Hedgehog Concept

In 2015, we constructed our long-term strategic goal to be Top of Mind in the Michigan markets where we serve. Now we’re looking ahead to the next 10 years.

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Economic Commentary

With policy actions at the Fed shifting from tightening to loosening monetary policy, we thought now would be an ideal time to add historical context to the current anticipated rate cutting cycle.

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The Silent Treatment: Navigating Michigan’s Undisclosed Trust Law

A trustee is obligated to adhere to the instructions outlined in the trust instrument while simultaneously complying with the regulations set forth in the MTC to fulfill the objectives defined within the trust instrument.

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Passive Aggression: Actively Wielding Index Funds

Building a portfolio that incorporates passive investment vehicles requires active fiduciary care and diligence; it is neither unmanaged nor unmonitored.

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Pension Plan Termination Time?

The idea of terminating DB plans is not new, as more than $300 billion in pension plan liabilities have been transferred to insurance companies since 2012. However, this decision requires careful consideration of the current interest rate environment, plan funding status, and broader economic factors.

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November 2024 Perspectives Newsletter

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October Jobs – Distorted by Strikes and Storms, But Soft Nonetheless

Strikes and storms contributed to the slowest pace of hiring since 2020; prior months revised lower; unemployment steady.

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Greenleaf Trust announces the addition of two team members

Greenleaf Trust is pleased to welcome two new members to the team in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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Strategic Wealth Management for Business Owners: Essential Planning Guide

A comprehensive guide to business succession, wealth transfer, and long-term financial planning for entrepreneurs

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September Retail Sales – Above Forecast Again

U.S. retail sales rose more than expected September in a broad advance highlighting resilient consumer spending in the third quarter.

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September Inflation – Above Forecast

In September, consumer prices as measured by CPI, rose 2.4% compared to a year ago, decelerating 0.1% compared to August, but above expectations for 2.3%.

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Reflections on the Summer of ‘24

Once again, we had a busy and successful summer at Greenleaf Trust. As I reflect on summer, here are some of my highlights.

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Economic Commentary

If I had to describe the third quarter of 2024 in one word, it would be “pivotal.” Not because the last three months were critically significant, but because I observed a lot of pivoting. Labor market? Pivoted. The Fed’s focus? Pivoted. Monetary Policy? Pivoted. Even the Democratic National Committee? You guessed it… pivoted.

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Have a Taxable Estate? Gift Today – Exploring the Tax Inclusive Nature of the Federal Estate Tax

For individuals and families who have accumulated significant wealth that may be subject to an estate tax at their passing, the decision on how and when to pass on the wealth may be difficult.

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Investor Beware

Investors and advisors need to strongly scrutinize whenever they hear something too good to be true. In the world of investing, the adage “there’s no free lunch” holds particularly true.

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How do we SECURE the IRS Changes to our Retirement Plan Document?

The most recent changes to qualified retirement plans were the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Acts, SECURE, for short.

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Personal Cyber Hygiene: What Is It and Why Should I Care?

As evidenced by recent disclosures by LinkedIn, Target, and Equifax, the frequency of data breaches has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2023 alone, data compromises surged by 78% compared to 2022, increasing from 1,801 to 3,205 reported incidents.

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October 2024 Perspectives Newsletter

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September Jobs – Surprisingly Strong All Around

Job gains came in stronger than anticipated; unemployment rate falls slightly; revisions to prior months’ data were positive.  The US economy added far more jobs than analysts anticipated in September, in what is the strongest job growth figure since March of this year.  Overall, the report lends credence to the prospect of a soft landing […]

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CNN: Borrowing against your life insurance policy: How it works

Vice President, Assistant Director of Wealth Management, Jeff Pauza provides commentary to CNN on the risks associated with borrowing against your cash value.

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Advisorpedia: No G2 or G3? Financial Planning Without Future Generations

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Greenleaf Trust announces the addition of four team members in Kalamazoo

Four new teammates join the Kalamazoo office.

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MSN: Understanding the ‘Trump Tax’ and What It Could Mean for Your Wallet

Chief Investment Officer, Nicholas Juhle, discusses the implications of the “Trump Tax” on consumers’ wallets.

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MSN: I’m an Economist: How JD Vance Could Benefit Working Families Across the US

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August Inflation – Modest Underlying Acceleration Favors 0.25% Fed Cut Next Week

In August, consumer prices as measured by CPI, rose just 2.5% compared to a year ago, decelerating 0.4% compared to July and in line with expectations.

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Greenleaf Trust announces CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification

Senior Wealth Management Associate, Holly Crump, earns CFP® Certification

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September 2024 Perspectives Newsletter

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The Fourth Member of
Your Client Centric Team

Five years ago, we heard from our clients that they wanted a more robust online client portal. So, we did what we do whenever our clients speak.

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Economic Commentary

August was not for the faint of heart. Starting with a weaker-than-expected jobs report and exacerbated by the collapse of the yen carry trade, the S&P 500 fell 6.5% in the first three trading days of the month.

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