September 5, 2023
August 30, 2023
Greenleaf Trust announces addition of six team members
Greenleaf Trust continues to grow across the state of Michigan with the addition of six teammates across the company.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023
Economic Commentary
If you sold in May and went away this year, my condolences. The third quarter is off to a healthy start. Investment markets performed well in July, and while second quarter earnings are down compared to a year ago (as expected), forecasts call for recovery in the second half and a strong outlook for 2024.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023
Leaving a Digital Legacy
Have you ever Googled the answer to a question that you were too embarrassed to ask anyone else? For example, “Why does my dog keep sniffing my eyes?” or “Why am I lightheaded?” My sister and close friends know the first thing they need to do when I pass away is to erase my Google […]
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023
Retirement Plan Audits – First Time?
What to expect during your first Retirement Plan audit.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023
Points Power-Up: Maximizing Credit Card Rewards for Travel
When it comes to credit cards, there are many different types of cards you can carry, some of which include standard cards, travel cards, cashback cards and store specific credit cards.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2023
August 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
July 7, 2023
A Brief History of the Last 25 Years
Mike Odar reflects on the 25 years of Greenleaf Trust
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
2023 Mid-Year Update
After a challenging 2022, investors should be pleased with the market experience in the first half of 2023. In stark contrast to a period when both stocks and bonds moved lower together, financial markets have largely been in recovery mode over the last six months. Several positive themes have bolstered markets including a strong labor […]
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
Selecting the Wrong Trustee
The selection of a trustee is pretty much the choice between either a professional or an amateur
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
Health Savings Account: The Triple Crown Advantage
The triple tax benefit of Health Savings Accounts
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
Hardship Withdrawals Are on the Rise
How to Help Participants Balance Current Needs vs Future Security
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
Estate Planning or Alphabet Soup?
Trusts are a major part of most estate plans and attorneys and financial advisors love acronyms to describe the various types of trusts, but what do all these letters mean and what purposes do they serve?
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023
July 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
June 5, 2023
Founding Roots in Retirement Plan Services
Our Retirement Plan Services Division traces its roots back to the foundation of our company in 1998.
Read MoreJune 5, 2023
May Update
The US Department of the Treasury manages payments for the federal government. Congress, by law, limits the maximum amount of debt that the Department of Treasury can issue to finance budget deficits. This limit is commonly referred to as the “debt ceiling.”
Read MoreJune 5, 2023
Roth IRA vs Roth 401(k): What’s the Difference?
When it comes to investing for retirement you have a multitude of options to choose from. Making the decision about how you are going to manage the taxation of your retirement plan contributions makes the decision even more complex.
Read MoreJune 5, 2023
A Slice of Real Estate Advice
Let’s explore some options worthy of consideration for the administration and distribution of real estate assets.
Read MoreJune 5, 2023
Fund a Roth IRA with College Savings
SECURE Act 2.0 offers a creative solution for funding Roth IRAs for the youngest members of our families by leveraging excess 529 plan savings.
Read MoreJune 5, 2023
June 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
May 5, 2023
May 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
May 5, 2023
Purposeful Culture
One of our founding goals in 1998 was to find really talented teammates and create a culture that would engage and inspire them.
Read MoreMay 5, 2023
April Update
The second quarter of 2023 is off to an interesting start. For the most part, investment markets performed well in April and first quarter earnings season is shaping up better than expected.
Read MoreMay 5, 2023
Gifts – Deceptively Simple
Lifetime gifts remove the asset, and any future asset appreciation, from the donor’s taxable estate.
Read MoreMay 5, 2023
Retirement Saving Coverage Gap
Recent Perspectives articles have called attention to the newly passed SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which initiated several retirement plan changes and enhancements.
Read MoreMay 5, 2023
Higher Interest Rates Lead to a Paradigm Shift in Financial Planning
While the strategy of aggressively raising rates can affect various aspects of consumers’ lives, it also creates an opportunity to reevaluate and refresh the traditional financial planning guidance that has been in place for the past decade.
Read MoreMay 5, 2023
Grandchildren Trusts and Education Trusts
During our meetings with grandparents, a common topic is leaving assets to their grandchildren. While direct gifting, paying for tuition or medical bills, or funding 529 educational savings accounts are all effective techniques, this article focuses on another popular technique: establishing trusts for grandchildren. We will explore the different types of trusts, incentivizing them, and […]
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
Greenleaf Trust the Bank
There are a lot of headlines out there questioning the safety and liquidity of our banking system after the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
2023 First Quarter Update
When we delivered our year-in-review seminars in early January, we characterized our outlook for 2023 as “cautiously pessimistic.”
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
Employee Stock Options, A Primer for Employees
Executive compensation is the combination of salary, benefits and bonuses offered to executives and other top management in exchange for their efforts on behalf of an employer.
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
How to Protect Yourself from Online Tax Fraud
In 2022, there were nearly 7.8 million reports of suspicious activities related to taxpayer returns according to the Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud Information Sharing Mission & Analysis Center, a partnership between the IRS, companies and states. Most of these suspicious activities related to online tax fraud.
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
Ready or Not, Rothification is on the Way
Is “rothification” even a word? Probably not, but to me it seems a fitting term to describe several of the changes in store for retirement plans as a result of new legislation signed by Congress at the end of 2022.
Read MoreApril 4, 2023
Retirement Transitions – We’re Not In Kansas Anymore
Retirement is an ongoing process of emotional adjustments.
Read MoreApril 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
March 7, 2023
Greenleaf Day of Caring
With the capital markets closed in observance of Presidents’ Day, we created a day for our teammates to give back to the communities in which we live, work, and play. We call this day our Day of Caring.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
Just Put It on Our Tab
Our national debt has garnered a lot of attention this year, both for its absolute size and for the possibility that our elected friends in Washington might fail to raise its ceiling.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
Incentive Trusts – Do They Actually Work?
Most estate plans skip the idea of using incentive distribution provisions to induce behavioral changes in the estate beneficiaries. A common estate distribution regime uses milestone ages, e.g., 25% at age 25, 50% at age 30, and the balance to be distributed at age 35.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
Marching Away from the Madness
Behavioral biases are beliefs or behaviors that can unconsciously influence our financial decision-making. One example is loss aversion, where the pain of losing (money) is more powerful than the pleasure of gaining.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
Secure Act 2.0 – More Changes to the Rules
On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The legislation contains significant retirement provisions in what is called the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“the Act”).
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
Is Cross-Testing Appropriate For Your Defined Contribution Plan?
Cross-testing is a calculation method used for allocating employer discretionary profit-sharing contributions. This is often used alongside 401(k) and safe harbor contributions to maximize annual contribution limits (usually targeted to owners or highly compensated employees) at the lowest overall cost to the company.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2023
March 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
February 3, 2023
Welcome Home
Please join me in welcoming our newest teammate back home to Birmingham, Michigan. Bill Feldmaier has recently joined Greenleaf Trust as our new Managing Director of our southeast Michigan market and will be located in our Birmingham office.
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2023
As Goes January…
We’re off to a good start in 2023. If you believe the notion that ‘as goes January, so goes the year,’ the so-called January Barometer suggests we may be in for a positive year in the stock market.
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2023
The Intelligent Investor
US equities have historically generated outstanding returns for long-term investors. Notwithstanding numerous recessions, market panics, wars, and a global pandemic, the S&P 500 has increased in value from 17 in 1927 to nearly 4,000 in 2022, equating to an annualized total return of nearly 10%.
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2023
Using IRAs for Charitable Purposes: What’s Not to Like?
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) comprised over an estimated $13.9 trillion of assets as of 2021 per the Investment Company Institute. IRA balances have risen significantly over time as companies moved away from pension plans and baby boomers gathered assets for retirement.
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2023
Retirement Plan Administration – How Accurate Is Your Data?
The year end has passed and business leaders and office personnel have been working diligently on closing the books for the year end 2022. This process can be time consuming and stressful.
Read MoreFebruary 3, 2023
February 2023 Perspectives Newsletter
January 5, 2023
Page One
One of the things that makes us unique is our talented team. They are deeply committed to the work they do for our clients and deserve meaningful recognition for their achievements. At the end of the year, we announced the following 29 promotions. These were teammates from throughout the organization that successfully executed customized purposeful growth plans with their coaches. Promotions are always based on merit and impact at Greenleaf Trust, not time in role. Needless to say, I am extremely proud to recognize these teammates and share their new titles with you.
Read MoreJanuary 5, 2023
Retirement Plan Industry Year in Review and the Landscape in 2023
The year 2022 ushered in significant events in the industry in many areas. Some were more impactful than others, but a few are worthy of review.
Read MoreJanuary 5, 2023