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What a year this has been! Life can be challenging enough without adding a pandemic to the mix. The sense of relief as life begins to return to ‘normal’ feels so good after such a long, unexpected time. Not only is this a good time to reflect on all we have to be grateful for, […]

Offering a high-quality qualified retirement plan, especially in a tight labor market, helps attract and retain talent. Along with offering employees a retirement benefit, employers hold an important fiduciary role to keep the plan in good order through plan administration and following regulatory compliance. Ignoring fiduciary responsibilities may lead to penalties from the Internal Revenue […]

Often in real estate we hear the mantra: location, location, location. The repeated statement suggests value varies based on the location in which the real estate resides. A similar phenomenon occurs in investing and is referred to as Asset Location. The placement or location of your investments can ultimately provide tax-efficiency and enhanced after-tax returns […]

Parents often treat their children the same when it comes to distributions of their estate in order to avoid conflict or claims of undue influence. While well intentioned, sometimes parents overlook the fact that distributing their estate equally among their children can still cause their children to feel that they were treated neither equally nor […]

As of June 22, 2021, the state of Michigan has been opened to full capacity! In addition, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) have also recently rescinded their COVID-19 Emergency Rules. As a result, Greenleaf Trust will be moving to Phase II of […]

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There are few thrills in life that can compare with turning 16 and getting your driver’s license. It’s often the first true sense of independence and freedom that many experience. For me, cruising down the road, windows rolled down, parentless, in a 1992 Pontiac Grand Am was truly unforgettable. Before I could even figure out […]

Americans saw a number of changes to their retirement savings plans when the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or the SECURE Act, was passed two years ago. Get ready for more. The House Ways and Means Committee recently voted unanimously to advance a second bill, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of […]

With interest rates so low, intra-family loans (also referred to as family loans), using current low interest rates, have garnered significant interest for the purpose of wealth transfer to complement a holistic estate plan. While the majority of the conversation in recent years has focused on wealth transfer as the purpose of a family loan, […]

Optimism abounds as we approach the summer months, with a return to pre-pandemic life appearing closer than ever. Economic optimism has also returned as businesses have reopened their doors and individuals have reentered the labor force. Consumer confidence is near all-time highs with the US personal saving rate remaining well above pre-pandemic levels. Not long […]

It seemed appropriate that on my drive into the office this morning I heard the song “Human Touch” by Bruce Springsteen. The song’s lyrics took on a broader meaning for me as I reflected on the last 14 months. During that time, Greenleaf Trust team members have been working remotely. That has meant long hours […]

At the time of this writing, 145,000,000 Americans have received at least one vaccination shot against COVID-19, representing 43% of the population. Ninety-one million people, or 29% of our population, are now fully vaccinated. The temporary pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccinations caused an 11% reduction in the five day average daily inoculation rate; […]

“Conventional estate planning focuses most of the attention on assets rather than family. Structures and strategies emphasize tax savings over family needs. The planning perspective needs more focus on protecting the family as opposed to protecting assets or preserving wealth.” -George Bearup, Senior Trust Advisor at Greenleaf Trust The philosophy of protecting the family while […]

April was Financial Literacy Month. Financial Literacy Month is a nationally recognized month created with a goal of improving financial literacy in America. As a financial organization with a holistic approach to wealth management, we want to ensure that financial wellness is at the forefront of all our client’s minds, from our family office and […]

One of the frequently mentioned benefits of a trust is to protect the trust’s assets from a beneficiary’s creditor claims. While many trust beneficiaries do not have creditor problems, many of those same trust beneficiaries are married, and nationwide statistics show that about 50% of marriages end in divorce. One question that frequently arises is […]

Purposeful Growth is an integral component of our long-term strategic plan. Our growth is purposeful because it must involve continuously improving our service and capabilities to existing clients while seeking opportunities to serve new clients. Growing just to become bigger is a fool’s game. Over the years, we have found opportunities to purposely grow in […]

Did you know that April is financial literacy month? You may be asking yourself, what exactly is “financial literacy”? Financial literacy is often defined as “the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing.” You may be wondering how financial literacy is related to retirement planning. Simply, […]

With proper estate planning, the big-ticket items like real estate, valuable artwork, and heirloom jewelry are often addressed directly in the estate planning documents. Some of the most argued-about items during the estate settlement process are often not over money or items of monetary value. The disagreements often stem from claims to personal property or […]

The financial markets provided strong returns in 2020, despite the staggering human and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The strong returns and the resulting increase in endowment values have been beneficial to many nonprofits, which continue to see a heightened demand for their essential support services. As the disease has come under greater control, […]

After a miserable February in Michigan, I felt like all of us at Greenleaf Trust needed some acknowledgement of where we have been and some encouragement regarding the way forward. Below is an excerpt from what I wrote to our team and I am sharing it here with the idea that we can all benefit […]

Evidenced by the spring break crowds as well as daily airline passenger totals, it is clear people are experiencing real COVID-19 fatigue and are increasing their appetite for risk. Further evidence is the infection rate among younger individuals that helps to explain increased case rates and hospitalizations. Fortunately, duration of stays in hospitals have been […]

Download our monthly Perspectives Newsletter. Read More

Download our monthly Perspectives Newsletter. Read More

A lot of speculation has swirled around what COVID-19 would do to retirement plan balances. The speculation was driven in part by the frequent and broad sweeping changes that were made to retirement plan regulations in an effort to help participants and employers stay afloat in 2020. While the pandemic has taken a toll on […]

The concept of retirement is in the midst of an incredible transformation. The notion that retirement is a time to end one’s career and pursue a life of leisure is becoming increasingly anachronistic. As United States life expectancies have increased — from 55 in 1920, to 70 in 1960, to 79 today — the length […]

The past several months have provided a series of tragic stories of family members being denied access to a loved one who was shuttered in a nursing home or hospital due to the pandemic’s quarantine. The denial of access to a loved one who is alone and isolated causes everyone to suffer. Yet the denial […]

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Participant Communication Advances with Use of Modern Technology During a time when retirement plan participants are increasingly relying on online resources to access account information, a new rule from the Department of Labor (DOL) that greatly expands plan sponsors ability to deliver plan information by email or text couldn’t come at a better time. While […]

Financial Resolutions for 2021 In preparation for the start of the year, many engaged in the annual ritual of making New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, approximately 80% of people who make New Year’s resolutions will have abandoned them by the second week of February. With January already in the books, your eagerness to follow through on […]

It seems these days that there are a number of battles being waged out in the world. And, in our information society news travels fast and from many different directions. Fast and prolific enough that it can oftentimes be confusing. When my 13-year-old neighbor asked me about buying a stock he learned about from a […]

This time of year retirement plan providers are gearing up to complete the annual Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) tests for qualified retirement plans. This test in particular can be very impactful to certain plan participants. This is a non-discrimination test for 401(k) plans mandated by the IRS to ensure that a plan does not unduly […]

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If the title of this article caught your eye, you likely have spent time, energy and resources establishing a thoughtful estate plan. You have presumably run through a variety of questions and scenarios with your estate planning attorney. You understand the importance of structuring your estate plan appropriately for your family and your financial situation. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it the sudden reality-check of our own incapacity and mortality. We all now pause to ask the rhetorical questions: Who possesses the authority to pull the plug if I am in an irreversible coma? Who handles my finances if I am in an extended hospital stay recovering from COVID-19? How […]

2020 has been the year of unprecedented actions and unknowns. The presidential election has followed suit in its unpredictability thus far. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been announced as winners of the 2020 election by the major news networks. As of today, the projected total electoral votes are 306 for Biden-Harris and 232 for […]

We are in the midst of a traditional season of gifting and though it looks different, as do many things in 2020, we are still able to enjoy some of our favorite traditions and perhaps create a few new ones this year, as well. Often overlooked in our gift giving are the benefits and drawbacks […]

The multiplicity of 2020 cataclysms notwithstanding, the year-end remittance of capital gain distributions by mutual funds is both predictable and well prepared for by the financial advisors at Greenleaf Trust. These distributions, which typically begin in late November and continue through mid-December, are nontraditional in the sense that fund investors can realize a tax liability […]