Succession planning can definitely be one of those things like cleaning the garage, scheduling a dentist’s appointment, taking care of the check engine light on your car or unloading the dishwasher. They are all things you can get to later. You know you should take care of them, and you will; just not now. For a business though, putting off succession planning can be much more disruptive than a dirty garage or full dishwasher.

As we navigate the first quarter of 2026, we encourage investors to maintain discipline. Whether dealing with headlines from Washington or the nuances of trade negotiations, a long-term time horizon remains your most effective asset.

The best estate planning doesn’t end with the signing of the documents, but also includes honest, candid reflection and conversation about why the decisions were made, being realistic about the individuals involved and follow up on all of the details to make sure that everything truly is in order. No one likes to talk about these things – they are hard.

I wonder what financial advice from today will make our children and grandchildren smile and shake their heads 38 years from now. What are we getting wrong? What will seem as outdated as the advice to go 100% bonds at 55? Only time will tell but I hope they find our old articles as fascinating as I found Jack’s.

As this generation of business owners move toward retirement, most of the conversation centers on how they will fund their after-career phase. But the demographic shift also impacts the millions of employees who depend on employer-sponsored retirement plans – especially in the 2.3 million U.S. businesses owned by Baby Boomers.

IRAs now comprise a substantial part of an individual’s net worth, often with balances in the millions of dollars. Individuals are encouraged, both by financial planners and by Congress to open Roth IRAs.

As tax-related scams continue to evolve, awareness and careful verification remain the most effective defenses. Greenleaf Trust encourages clients to reach out to their Client Centric Team before acting on any suspicious tax-related request.

To cultivate means to develop or improve something through care and effort. Our Cultivation initiative is a reference to the symbol of our long-term strategy, a tree. The roots represent our core values, the tree our clients, with the branches representing our team that supports our clients and the leaves the initiatives to Serve Clients More.

The recession anxieties that dominated headlines just two years ago have largely evaporated, replaced by a growing consensus that the elusive “soft landing” may have been successfully navigated. The outlook for corporate earnings remains robust, driven by productivity gains and technology adoption. In what was at times a volatile year, disciplined investors were rewarded.

In an era of rapid financial, legal and family-dynamic changes, one of the most valuable features of any trust is flexibility. While trusts are often created to provide structure, security and long-term direction, the most successful plans intentionally balance that structure with the ability to adapt.

Our annual personal trust and wealth management client satisfaction survey is designed to gauge Greenleaf Trust’s collective efforts from our clients’ perspective. We not only want to know if we are delivering on our promises, but we also crave candid feedback on ways in which we can better serve our clients. Analyzing the results helps us more closely align the voice of our client with our daily impact and better understand how our clients feel about Greenleaf Trust’s personalized service and customized solutions

Retirement marks a significant life milestone, but it is not just about your financial readiness. It really is a multifaceted transition that involves emotional, lifestyle, and practical considerations. Here are a few key areas to think about.

If an asset is given away during lifetime, the gifted asset’s income tax basis is ‘carried over’ to the recipient. If the recipient then sells the asset, he or she will incur a capital gain. That is not the same if the asset is inherited after its owner’s death.

In order to continue to be successful and Serve Clients More, we will need to focus our leadership strengths. That is why I recommended and our board of directors unanimously agreed to promoting Dan Rinzema, Chief Client Officer, to President of Greenleaf Trust N.A.

Rate cut expectations swung significantly as investors attempted to look through the fog created by delayed official government data. Speculative assets like bitcoin suffered large losses. Investors focused on earnings to assess the true impact of AI, while sector leadership rotated away from the technology giants that have dominated recent returns.

What is valuable? Does anyone want it? How should I decide who gets what? Every item of personal property you own will end up somewhere after you die – with family or charity, sold through an estate sale or (and, yes, it happens) in the dumpster. You may as well be the one who decides what happens to it all.

That’s why, at Greenleaf Trust, we created a financial literacy program to ensure our clients and the next generation are educated and empowered to make financial decisions. We started with the fundamentals: cash flow, debt management, education planning, estate planning, insurance, investments, retirement and taxes.

The Retirement Savings Contribution Credit – aka the “Saver’s Credit” – offers low- and middle-income workers who contribute to a retirement plan a tax credit worth up to $1,000 ($2,000 for married couples) when they file their annual tax return.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that there were over 76 million born during the “baby boom” between 1946 and 1964. Of particular interest to me at the time was the impact their retirement savings would have on capital markets and the creation of wealth. Now, over 30 years later, economists are talking about the Great Wealth Transfer.

Looking ahead, there are uncertainties related to an extended federal government shutdown, trade policy headlines and persistent geopolitical tensions. Nevertheless, markets have continued higher and there is reason for optimism as the Federal Reserve makes a pivot toward easing policy rates.

Even though the calendar just turned from Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the heightened risk is already here. The holiday season may bring joy, but it also brings opportunity for scammers. Stay alert and secure and you’ll be far more likely to keep your season happy rather than hacked.

Digital estate planning represents the next evolution of thoughtful financial and legacy planning. While it may seem like a small detail, addressing your online presence can prevent significant complications for loved ones and protect both financial and personal information.