News

Ensuring that all assets are properly accounted for, and the necessary steps are taken to protect the financial well-being of heirs is crucial.

Typically, life insurance is purchased to provide financial protection and peace of mind for policyholders and their family members. Here are several alternatives for how to maximize the value of a life insurance policy you may no longer need.

Payroll administration plays a critical role when an employer offers a retirement plan, and understanding the plan document provisions is important to avoid operational failures.

The clients approached after dinner to say how much they appreciated the members of their client centric team. Their appreciation came from their team at Greenleaf Trust doing something for them that was totally unexpected.

Financial markets took the headlines in stride. While there were some setbacks.

A majority of Americans do not regularly talk about money. If money makes the world go round, why is it so uncomfortable for some of us to talk about?

When it comes to retirement there are things that we can fully control, things that we can somewhat control and then there are those things over which we have absolutely no control.

SECURE Act 2.0 represents a significant step forward in enhancing the flexibility and security of retirement savings.

Greenleaf Trust is pleased to announce the addition of Christy Dewey, Adam Mangiapane and Zach Reed.

I am proud that Greenleaf Trust is structured to remain a privately held, trust-only bank in perpetuity. This eliminates the possibility of an acquisition or merger.

The first half of 2024 continued the positive momentum seen in 2023 across financial markets. The likelihood of a recession has diminished compared to a year ago.

It is not surprising the number of individuals who want to be buried in their grave with particular items that have emotional, sentimental, and sometimes even intrinsic value.

Every person coming into retirement has struggled with the shift in mindset from work income to income from retirement assets.

Here are eight things you can do now that take only minutes but can save hours of work and frustration for your loved ones in the future.

In the retirement plan world; size matters! A plan reports their number of participants on a required annual Form 5500 which is submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). If the plan is “large,” it needs an audit.

As we approach the end of those 10 years, I have put together a talented team of forward-thinking leaders at Greenleaf Trust to develop our strategic goal for the next 10 years.

After retreating 4% in April, the S&P 500 bounced back in May reaching a new record high on 5/21 and closing out the month with a 5% return.

Prospect theory acknowledges that human decision-making is at times irrational and influenced by psychological biases.

Asset allocation is the primary driver of long-term investment performance. So, what exactly is asset allocation? It is simply the mix between major investment types in a portfolio, including equity (stocks), fixed income (bonds), cash, and alternative assets (basically a catch-all for everything else).

By many measures, the U.S. economy is thriving, unemployment is near historic lows, economic growth remains solid despite high interest rates, and the stock market continues to reach all-time highs.

A phrase commonly thrown around in estate planning literature is the use of a modern trust.

As you all know, culture is something that is very important to Greenleaf Trust. It defines us and differentiates us. One of our founding goals in 1998 was to find really talented teammates and create a culture that would engage and inspire them. If we could do that, then just think about what that team […]

As the year has unfolded, the labor market has been stronger-than-expected. The US has added an average of 276k jobs in each of the first three months and the unemployment rate has stayed below 4%.

Discussions around long-term care can be emotional, but it’s important to begin these conversations early. Long-term care planning should be a part of your overall personal risk management plan and should begin as early as your forties.

No single person can predict with perfect accuracy how markets will behave in the short term nor with consistency.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies improve our ability to mimic real life, it’s becoming harder to tell what’s real and what’s fake in the digital domain.

On Tuesday, April 23 the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued the final Retirement Security Rule. Department officials said the rule will be active later this year on September 23 requiring investment advisers to follow impartial conduct standards and acknowledge their fiduciary status. Other parts of the rule will not be effective until fall of […]

Our desire is to serve clients and their next generation. And, when appropriate, this includes serving multiple generations within the same family concurrently. This is because we believe that family is an investment with the highest returns.

For some time now, surprising resilience in the U.S. labor market has underpinned a favorable narrative for the economy. Healthy demand for labor has kept American consumers employed and spending.

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) went into effect on January 1, 2024. The CTA broadens the reporting to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of information, including personal information, concerning the control and beneficial ownership of nearly all small U.S. companies.

Lifestyle inflation can be defined as the tendency to increase spending as income rises. The following article explores lifestyle inflation in the current media environment, as well as discusses a few of the dangers of social media on your happiness and lifestyle.

According to the Congressional Research Service, approximately two-thirds of US households had a financial stake in the U.S. retirement system.

Is Michigan growing? The short answer is no. Is that a problem? Yes. Can we do something about it? Yes.

The S&P 500 has been on a tear in 2024, extending the positive momentum from the end of 2023. February marked the index’s fourth consecutive month of positive returns, contributing to a year-to-date gain of more than 7% and an increase of more than 24% from the late-October low point.

Currently there is a growing interest in revival trusts. A revival trust is one which holds, or financially supports, a decedent’s cryogenically preserved body, or a decedent’s head (brain) with the intent that centuries from now, their body or brain can be revived with the advancement of medical science.

Can a minor child inherit financial assets and/or property? The answer is YES, they can.

The passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act is spurring an evolution in the retirement plan industry. As more guidance and clarification is provided on some of the provisions of this voluminous act we can see a very different future direction.

The top five most common adjectives used by teammates to describe the behavior they admire most in teammates were kindness, honesty, supportive, reliable, and helpful.

We’re off to a decent start in 2024. 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 for stocks.

Considerations for Building and Transitioning the Family Business

Insights into Market Trends and Strategies for Long-Term Investors

When we think of retirement, we think of reaching that magical age of 65 and living our remaining years on the funds we worked so hard saving.

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.

Happy New Year! While 2023 did not lack for drama, it was also a positive year for the economy and markets. After a painful 2022, last year was a welcome period of recovery that exceeded expectations.