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 […]

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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 […]

I thought the title to this month’s newsletter article appropriate mostly because we are all thinking it after a challenging 2020. We just finished up our annual strategic planning process which culminates with our Advance and company-wide Strategic Planning meeting. And, we have a lot to look forward to in 2021. Our Advance is an […]