Virtual Progress

It is my pleasure to introduce Perry Wolfe, who joined the Greenleaf Trust team in January as senior vice president, executive director of development. In collaboration with our business development and marketing teams, Perry will lead the strategy and growth for markets outside of Kalamazoo. The timing of Perry’s arrival is fortuitous given the challenges […]

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Now is the time to maximize your estate plan

Whether you’re maximizing your time at home, or more prepared to make important decisions, now may be a good time to review your estate plan. Grand Rapids-based Trust Relationship Officer Stacy Beekman shares a list of recommended documents to review and a few ways to maximize your estate’s wealth strategy in this current environment. Read […]

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For charitable givers, CARES Act offers big tax breaks

How has the CARES Act changed charitable giving strategies in a year without Required Minimum Distributions? If you’re looking for ways to maximize your tax efficiency, consider changing where your contribution comes from, such as appreciated assets or cash from a taxable account. Read more from Chief Client Officer Dan Rinzema in InvestmentNews: https://bit.ly/3eS8MvF

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Federal Reserve Support of Money Market Funds Garners Headlines

Increased market volatility has sparked concern around money market funds, but investors have little cause to worry. Greenleaf Trust’s Christopher Burns provides historical context on money market reforms that have ensured their current stability with ValueWalk: https://bit.ly/2W1hPSp

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Perry Wolfe

Perry Wolfe wasn’t looking for change. He had a rewarding career in banking; engagement in economic initiatives to create jobs; leadership positions on not-for-profit boards; and lifelong involvement with local charities. His philosophy of leaving things better for those who follow was in full swing. So, when the bank expanded its opportunities through a merger, […]

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Advisers say now might be perfect time to rebalance portfolios

Jeff Pauza, senior wealth management adviser at Greenleaf Trust, agreed investors can minimize financial losses through proper portfolio rebalancing. “A properly diversified portfolio that would be the outcome of these comprehensive plans that were created for clients typically has several assets that are performing well even during a market sell-off,” he said. “When we have […]

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April 2020 Perspectives Newsletter

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CARES Act Retirement Plan Changes

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) was signed into law. In addition to numerous financial incentives provided to individuals and business, the CARES Act provides some major retirement plan changes allowing plan participants access to their retirement savings as a financial resource in this time of crisis. Employers […]

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Wealth Management is Crisis Management

If you are like most, you’re experiencing quite a bit of anxiety right now as we grapple with a pandemic health crisis. The human, economic and market fallout are unnerving. Unfortunately, we know the headlines will get worse before they get better. Confirmed COVID-19 cases will grow exponentially, and dismal economic data resulting from the […]

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Is Your Estate Plan in Order?

The world suddenly changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all had to learn a new skill called social distancing. Millions now work from their homes. Isolation is the new mainstream lifestyle, albeit not by choice. Consequently, any discussion about estate planning seems pretty superfluous in this time of crisis. However, if an individual is […]

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Money Market Funds Update

With all the market volatility lately, it is a little surprising that investors are concerned about the most stable part of their portfolios, their money market funds. We believe the concern has been driven by (1) a lack of knowledge about money market reforms instituted after the financial crisis, and (2) headlines in the financial […]

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Municipal and Corporate Bond Market Updates

There have been disruptive flows in fixed income markets in March. Investors are concerned about the state of the bond markets. This article will give our current thinking on the municipal and corporate bond markets. Municipal Bonds – Disruptive Outflows, Some Opportunities, & Pockets of Credit Concern Municipal bonds are generally considered lower-risk investments and […]

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COVID-19: The Disease, the Economy, and the Market

Please note: Throughout this article, we focus on the economic and market implications of the coronavirus, but we also acknowledge the significant humanitarian impact of the outbreak. Our hearts go out to those who have been directly affected and we wish you and your loved ones safety and health during this difficult time. What a […]

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Separately Connected

Each year, starting in September, we purposely engage our entire company in discussion about our long-term strategic plan. Specifically, we ask and answer the question – what do we need to do next year to take one step forward in being top of mind? Because our culture is so important to us, each year it […]

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Operation Thank You

Please join us in taking a moment to find or create a card, write a few words of appreciation to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers, and send the card to us. We’ll quickly distribute them to area hospitals and clinics, making sure that your kind and supportive words are heard. Cards should be […]

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Early financial planning smooths path for company succession

It’s crucial for business owners to develop a sound personal financial plan separate from their business to ensure an early and successful retirement and transition of business ownership. What are the factors that can hinder that process? Read more from our Doug Bajor in this week’s edition of MiBiz: https://bit.ly/3dEWfuO

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Crisis could slow exits, but owners need to keep planning

Professionals say that the planning process needs to begin years in advance. A well-planned transition is more likely to go smoothly, enabling an owner to find the right buyer that’s a good fit for the business, and improving the chances of achieving the desired financial results from a transaction. “Rather than doing it just in […]

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A Better Way of Giving

When Dan Rinzema, Chief Client Officer, sought to create impact in the community on behalf of a client, he turned to donor-advised funds. Learn more about their popularity, tax efficiency and benefits from Dan with InvestmentNews 

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Is Soft Dollar Remuneration a Conspiracy Theory?

Conspiracy theorists seem to lurk around every corner these days, imparting their less-than-logic-backed views and offering little evidence. The complex world of finance and managed assets provides ample opportunity for cynics and simpletons alike to assert similar claims — that institutions have rigged the system against them — often crying speculatively, “my broker makes more […]

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The Importance of Rebalancing

When it comes to retirement savings, most people know the basic principle: one should strive to save as much as they can, as early as they can. In addition, a high level of importance is placed on selecting the right combination of investments based on risk tolerance to assist in reaching one’s retirement income goals. […]

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mywealth by Greenleaf Trust

Welcome to the inaugural issue of mywealth tips, tricks, and tutorials! Greenleaf Trust offers multiple tools to enhance the client experience. Which one are we most excited about? mywealth! In this issue we’ll take a tour of the mywealth platform and how it plays a role in the management and implementation of your comprehensive wealth […]

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Planning Opportunities After the Secure Act

We have had a couple of months now to digest the implications of the SECURE Act and its end to the stretch distribution rule that benefited most individuals who inherit an IRA or 401(k) retirement account on the owner’s death. Rather than permit an individual designated beneficiary to take distributions from the inherited retirement account […]

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Proposed Changes to the Accredited Investor Rule

Late last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) attracted a lot of public attention when it issued a proposal to update the definition of an accredited investor. The definition relates to who can, and who cannot, invest in private, or unregistered, investment offerings. Registered securities, like publicly-traded stocks and bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs […]

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2020 Day of Caring

In the spirit of continuous improvement, each year we set out to identify ways that Greenleaf Trust could have an even greater impact on the communities in which we live and work. Our team currently serves on numerous non-profit and not-for-profit boards, partners financially with community impact firms through giving and fundraising efforts, and collectively […]

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March 2020 Perspectives Newsletter

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Coronavirus Update – Getting Worse Before it Gets Better

The coronavirus induced sell-off is reaching new depths today as investors continue to grapple with the rapid spread of the virus and uncertainty around a fiscal response to curb slower economic growth from the outbreak.  The S&P 500 officially entered bear market territory this morning with losses extending more than 25% from the late February […]

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Interview: Financial expert gives advice as stock markets continue to plunge

Nick Juhle’s interview with Kate Siefert on Channel 3 Kalamazoo has published online and is available here: INTERVIEW: Financial Expert gives advice as stock markets continue to plunge

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Oil Price War – Another Facet of Uncertainty

Happy Monday? Oil prices, already beleaguered by softening demand owing to the coronavirus, opened another 30% lower to $35/barrel after disintegration of the OPEC+ alliance triggered a full blown price war among the world’s biggest oil producers.  The oil price shock adds another facet of uncertainty during a period of instability for the global economy […]

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How to Pay Off Your Debt in Retirement

While stepping into retirement might mean walking away from a job, many Americans are dragging financial baggage into this next stage: debt. In recent years, the amount of debt retirees carry has grown, and the numbers are troubling from both a monetary and emotional standpoint. In 2016, 60% of 65+ households had debt, up significantly […]

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Perspective on Coronavirus Outbreak and Market Response

We have written previously on 01/27/20, 02/14/20 and 02/24/20 offering our perspective on the evolving coronavirus narrative. While the situation in China continues to improve, spread of the virus outside of China has ignited fears and the financial market response has been both swift and severe.  These circumstances are unnerving, but also decidedly transitory – […]

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Update on Coronavirus Outbreak

On January 27, we published a note sharing our perspective on the coronavirus outbreak.  While our views are largely unchanged, we felt it was important to provide an update as the issue continues to evolve. Status of the Outbreak: The coronavirus (COVID-19) manifests as a pneumonia-like illness resistant to standard treatments, and is believed to […]

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Does the coronavirus outbreak matter financially?

The coronavirus manifests as a pneumonia-like illness resistant to standard treatments. The first case was reported on Dec. 31, 2019, in the city of Wuhan located in the Hubei province in central China. As of Feb. 17, there have been approximately 71,500 confirmed cases worldwide with a death toll approaching 1,800. Why should U.S. investors […]

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Coronavirus Outbreak: What Are We Worried About?

We have written twice previously on 01/27/20 and 02/14/20 offering our perspective on the evolving coronavirus narrative.  In light of a recent spike in anxiety and global flight to safety, we attempt to look beyond the headlines and reduce the narrative to its most basic components.  Below, we have done our best to objectively evaluate […]

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The Best We Have

Over the past 12 months, I have read many articles on the topic of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) technology, and its potential medical uses. This subject is of particular interest because it is a developing genome editing technology that is controversial but yet shows great promise to treat cancers and other diseases. […]

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SECURE Act – What’s Changed?

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or SECURE Act, was officially approved by the Senate and signed by President Trump during the final weeks of 2019. While much has been written, discussed and debated about the merits of the new Act, it includes significant provisions that improve access to retirement accounts, prevent […]

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How to Think About Last Year’s Inverted Yield Curve

Regular readers of our Perspectives newsletter know that the investment research team at Greenleaf Trust focuses on leading indicators. One of the better-known leading indicators is the yield curve. In March 2019, the yield curve did something concerning to many investors, it inverted. This article will focus on historical yield curve inversions and highlight our […]

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Best and Brightest

Being recognized for something that you believe in and work hard at is meaningful. We work hard at helping our clients achieve their goals, and along the way exceeding their expectations. In order to do this, we need a talented, highly engaged team. Which means we also work hard at attracting the best of the […]

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February 2020 Perspectives Newsletter

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The SECURE Act’s Impact on Retirement Plans

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was enacted late last year with a January 1, 2020 effective date. It has been publicized as the most significant piece of legislation affecting the US retirement system in more than a decade, and will inevitably affect a majority of Americans saving for retirement. The […]

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Doug Bajor

When a morning snow impeded Doug Bajor’s paper route, he did what any other determined grade-schooler would do: he ditched his bike, and delivered the paper by running door to door. That customer-first mindset brought Doug to the attention of Greenleaf Trust, where he recently joined us as a senior wealth management advisor. Doug and […]

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Greenleaf Trust Wins Honored as Top 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in the Nation for 2019

February 7, 2020, Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust, a Michigan-chartered wealth management firm with $14 billion in assets under advisement, announced that it has been recognized as a Top 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in the Nation. Best and Brightest Companies to Work For evaluates employee feedback based on key measures such […]

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A perspective on the new coronavirus outbreak

Concerns over the human and economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China have driven a financial market flight to safety in recent days. The outbreak invites anxiety on the heels of a sustained rally in U.S. stocks that occurred despite looming issues, including a presidential impeachment, ongoing global trade negotiations and a flare up […]

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SEC considers modernizing accredited investor definition

Lucas Mansberger, senior manager selection analyst and investment strategist at Greenleaf Trust in Kalamazoo, notes the “very strong” divergence in public comments to the SEC between the investment industry and investor advocates and protection organizations. When people are moving from public to private capital markets that have less oversight, “we view that it’s much more likely that abuses will […]

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Perspective on Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak

Concerns over the human and economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak in China have driven a financial market flight to safety in recent days.  The outbreak invites anxiety on the heels of a sustained rally in U.S. stocks that occurred despite looming issues including a presidential impeachment, ongoing global trade negotiations, and a flare up […]

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Greenleaf Trust’s Year In Review: A Seminar on Financial Markets and Our Outlook for 2020

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Change-Ups

Kalamazoo-based Greenleaf Trust announced the promotions of Daniel Baker to senior vice president, director of business development and trust relationship officer; Sarah Johansson to senior vice president, director of marketing; and Nicholas Juhle to senior vice president, director of research. Read more in the Grand Rapids Business Journal

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Talk to Your Patient Advocate!

A durable power of attorney for health care, sometimes called an advance directive, is an important instrument that assures patient autonomy and ensures that a patient’s wishes with regard to their health care decisions and treatment will be followed. Overlooked, and sometimes misunderstood, is the right of autonomy of medical providers not to provide treatments […]

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A FAST Track to Keeping the Family Together

A significant amount of time is spent with clients focusing on their current wealth plan and discussing strategies for passing wealth to the next generations. Often, the more challenging conversations center on identifying clients’ qualitative goals for passing family values over generations and keeping the family together after the oldest generation dies. Our Senior Trust […]

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Higher Retirement Plan Contribution Limits for 401(k)s and More in 2020

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced cost-of-living adjustments to the maximum amount of earnings that are subject to the Social Security tax, as well as a 1.6% increase to monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits. This is good news for the nearly 69 million Americans receiving benefits, though this is a modest number […]

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