Articles, insights and analysis.

Greenleaf Trust is honored to be named among Corp! Magazine’s Salute to Diversity Award Winners. President Mike Odar explains how diversity is critical to our success: “Diversity in thought, leadership, background, education and experiences allows our company to think through situations from many different angles to make sure we’re providing the best service we can possibly […]

For many Americans, a 401(k) loan seems like the perfect way to access money. In this scenario, you borrow from your own account and repay yourself with interest. It sounds simple… Read more at the Grand Rapid Business Journal.

Wendy Cox needed a change. She had been working in law for more than 15 years, climbing the ladder to a partnership at a law firm. “The constant battle wore me out after a while,” Cox said. “With estate litigation, there’s a lot of fighting over china. I wanted to be in a position to […]

Something peculiar has been happening in the United States labor market. Hiring has been strong, but wages are growing more slowly than previous business cycles.   Read the full article at Value Walk

Real US economic activity data reveals a continued mixed picture with strength in consumer spending and recession-like weakness in manufacturing. Consumer confidence surveys, both U of M as well as the Conference Board, are weaker and reflect growing concerns and uncertainties in global and domestic sustainability. The concerns seem to be focused on geopolitical hot […]

Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do are the core values that each Airman commits to when joining the Air Force. At Greenleaf Trust, we also have core values that all new team members make a commitment to before joining our team. Greenleaf Trust’s core values form the foundation of how […]

The ever quotable Yogi Berra, who brought us such philosophical gems as “when you come to a fork in the road, take it,” and “you can observe a lot just by watching,” is also credited with the insightful idiom that “predictions are difficult, especially when they’re about the future.” This difficulty in predicting the future […]

If you read the Michigan Trust Code (admittedly not a particularly riveting read!), you will frequently encounter the terms material purpose. A trust’s material purpose will guide a trustee in the administration of the trust. If a probate judge is called upon to interpret the trust instrument, or the judge is asked to order a […]

Private enterprise is often lauded for the speed at which it recognizes and addresses society’s needs. However, the seeming failure of the business community to recognize and respond to the climate crisis and other mounting sustainability challenges has caused some to question whether business will play a positive role in addressing environmental challenges. Below, we […]

There are countless statistics proving that Americans have not traditionally saved enough prior to their retirement years. Even though total assets in retirement accounts have now breached $26 trillion, the average employee’s 401(k) balance rests around $100,000, which is a little light for 30-40 years of retirement. In an effort to assist with this well-documented […]