The year 2022 has kept us on our toes. Stock market volatility, inflation, and world turmoil have led the way. However, among all the noise, there have been some highlights that are worth exploring. One catching our attention: Series I Savings bonds. But are they worth the hype? Since February 2022, nearly $11 billion in […]

My husband tells me that to do any job right, you need the right tools. He practices what he preaches because we have a garage full of tools for any job you can imagine. (He and Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor have a lot in common.) The problem is, I can stand in our garage […]

Many employers who sponsor a 401(k) plan use a pre-approved plan document with adoption agreements. Every six years, plan document providers update their 401(k) documents with regulatory changes and file them with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for review and approval. Once the documents have been pre-approved by the IRS, employers must adopt this pre-approved […]

Federal interest rates are on the rise, which opens new planning options for many individuals to consider. These federal interest rates are used to value retained interests for federal gift tax purposes. Specifically, the so-called IRC 7520 rate is equal to the mid-term applicable federal rate (AFR) times 120%, rounded to the nearest two tenths […]

Many investors and market pundits describe themselves as contrarians. They argue the way to investment success is to zig when others zag. Warren Buffet encapsulates the idea well with his famous quote, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” It sounds simple, but how do you know when others are […]

Well, summer is just about over. There is a slight breeze in the air, the kids are back in school, football is back, and pumpkin flavored coffee is back in the stores. It was a beautiful busy summer with even more normalcy seemingly returning to our lives. We were certainly busy at Greenleaf Trust, so […]

Summer is a special time in our pleasant peninsula. Many Michiganders pack the kids into the station wagon and head off to explore areas outside of their home towns. This article will address what Michiganders might observe on their travels. Specifically, it will cover how Michigan’s economy is faring 10 years after the financial crisis. […]

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Michigan previously enacted the Qualified Dispositions in Trust Act of 2016 which allowed for the creation of Domestic Asset Protection Trusts (“DAPT”). A DAPT is an irrevocable trust that, if certain conditions are met, can shield assets from the claims of a person’s creditors. Individuals who are in professions or businesses with high liability exposure […]

For an investor, this famous proverb can be broken down into three parts: Slow – be a long-term investor, and Steady – be disciplined and stick with your investment plan through varying market cycles Wins the Race – achieve your financial goals and objectives. Simple math, right? 1+2=3. Unfortunately, it is not that simple when […]

This year has offered its fair share of challenges for financial markets and global economies. The R-word has been a constant in the minds of employers and employees alike; not recession but resignation. In what is being dubbed the ‘great resignation,’ employers have faced a historically tight labor market, rising wages, and the need to […]

Several years ago, my five-year-old was sitting at the table as I prepared his breakfast of cereal and fruit. I slid a bowl of Cheerios to him with a glass of milk and began peeling a banana. Just before I handed it to him, I took a large bite off the end. “Hey,” he remarked, […]

As Internet usage has increased over the past 20 years, there has been a shift in how we are relying on the comfort of online transactions and communications. It has become a normality to engage on the Internet with our email addresses, phone numbers, names, and other login credentials. At the same time, we have […]

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A directed trust is a feature that can be included in various types of trusts, and provides the ability to bifurcate trustee duties between administration, investment, and distributions. Grantor’s commonly use directed trusts to give more control to current and future beneficiaries. Especially in cases where the trust holds family owned investments so the family […]

The word “annuities” can generate a range of reactions from clients, their family members, and their advisors. Some reactions are positive while others are not so much. Everyone, however, can agree that they can be very complex. That said, sales of annuities were exceptionally strong during 2021 up 16% to $254.8 billion. Some of this […]

Retirement security has been a featured topic with legislation over the past several years and was recently on the agenda again.  Back in December of 2019, 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, became law. One requirement […]

“Many forms of conduct permissible in a workaday world for those acting at arm’s-length, are forbidden to those bound by fiduciary ties. A trustee is held to something stricter than the morals of the marketplace. Not honesty alone, but the punctilio of an honor the most sensitive, is the standard of behavior.” Meinhard v. Salmon, […]

It’s hard to believe but the little company we started in a historic home on the corner of South and Westnedge streets in Kalamazoo will be 24 years old this month. In May of 1998 we received our charter to become one of Michigan’s first trust only banks open to the public and in July […]

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Over the past few years, our world and many workplaces have shifted dramatically as we endured a global pandemic. While employers focused on workforce reductions and remote work, setting priorities for their 401(k)/403(b) plans was often low on the priority list. However, as life begins to normalize, we are beginning to see a renewed interest […]

The year 2022 has been challenging across financial markets, to say the least. While it is best to stay disciplined during times of uncertainty to achieve long-term goals, that does not mean we avoid making changes. Tax-loss harvesting is a strategy that we consistently use for clients regardless of economic conditions. Given the challenging market […]

As we work with clients to fulfill their goals and objectives, one of the most common strategies that we discuss is gifting. Making gifts to achieve goals and objectives, which are often generational in nature, requires a great amount of analysis and detailed execution to attain the desired outcome. Gifting strategies vary widely depending on […]