Articles, insights and analysis.

We all run across quotes from a variety of sources during the course of our lives. Some of those quotes stick with us for any number of personal reasons. Close to twenty years ago a person who I think is a really talented behavioral scientist said “Big people share and little people keep secrets.” I […]

In the spirit of continuous improvement, each year we set out to identify ways that Greenleaf Trust could have an even greater impact on the communities in which we live and work. Our team currently serves on numerous non-profit and not-for-profit boards, partners financially with community impact firms through giving and fundraising efforts, and collectively […]

We have had a couple of months now to digest the implications of the SECURE Act and its end to the stretch distribution rule that benefited most individuals who inherit an IRA or 401(k) retirement account on the owner’s death. Rather than permit an individual designated beneficiary to take distributions from the inherited retirement account […]

Late last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attracted a lot of public attention when it issued a proposal to update the definition of an accredited investor. The definition relates to who can, and who cannot, invest in private, or unregistered, investment offerings. Registered securities, like publicly-traded stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs […]

Welcome to the inaugural issue of mywealth tips, tricks, and tutorials! Greenleaf Trust offers multiple tools to enhance the client experience. Which one are we most excited about? mywealth! In this issue we’ll take a tour of the mywealth platform and how it plays a role in the management and implementation of your comprehensive wealth […]

When it comes to retirement savings, most people know the basic principle: one should strive to save as much as they can, as early as they can. In addition, a high level of importance is placed on selecting the right combination of investments based on risk tolerance to assist in reaching one’s retirement income goals. […]

Conspiracy theorists seem to lurk around every corner these days, imparting their less-than-logic-backed views and offering little evidence. The complex world of finance and managed assets provides ample opportunity for cynics and simpletons alike to assert similar claims — that institutions have rigged the system against them — often crying speculatively, “my broker makes more […]

The coronavirus induced sell-off is reaching new depths today as investors continue to grapple with the rapid spread of the virus and uncertainty around a fiscal response to curb slower economic growth from the outbreak. The S&P 500 officially entered bear market territory this morning with losses extending more than 25% from the late February […]

Happy Monday? Oil prices, already beleaguered by softening demand owing to the coronavirus, opened another 30% lower to $35/barrel after disintegration of the OPEC+ alliance triggered a full blown price war among the world’s biggest oil producers. The oil price shock adds another facet of uncertainty during a period of instability for the global economy […]