May 6, 2022
If you are a sports fan like me, you may be familiar with ESPN’s Win Probability graphic. It is displayed on the ESPN website as games unfold. Their model tracks and updates the odds that one team will win based on the circumstances of the game in real-time. As an example of how it works, […]
Read MoreMay 6, 2022
Labor market momentum continues; highlights underlying economic strength. S. employment continued to increase at a robust pace in April and wage growth (while still elevated) moderated slightly. A sustained softening in wage growth would be welcome by the Fed as it endeavors to tamp down the highest inflation levels observed in 40 years. The central […]
Read MoreMay 5, 2022
Fed Statement Side-by-Side: View the Fed Statement comparison Fed raises interest rates by 0.50%, bringing the Fed Funds Rate range to 0.75-1.00%. The market is pricing in a year-end range of 2.75%-3.00%. At its meeting today the FOMC voted unanimously to raise the Federal Funds rate to 0.75-1.00%. We also received clarity on the pace of […]
Read MoreApril 28, 2022
1.4% GDP contraction. U.S. GDP contracted at an annualized pace of 1.4% in the first quarter compared to analyst expectations for 1.0% growth and decelerating from +6.9% in the fourth quarter. On its face, the headline number is decidedly soft, but underlying details show still-solid household demand and business investment, which aligns with the commentary […]
Read MoreApril 26, 2022
Greenleaf Trust adds to client centric team to continue excellent client service: Sam Ellis, CFP joins Greenleaf Trust as wealth management advisor focused in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He specializes in the development of comprehensive wealth management plans, the execution of goal-based planning strategies, and management of client investment portfolios. Sam earned a bachelor’s degree in […]
Read MoreApril 14, 2022
March retail sales up 6.9% (nominal) and down 1.6% (real) year-over-year. Increased spending on gasoline (+37% YoY) accounted for more than a third of the nominal increase as several more discretionary-oriented categories slowed or declined. It is important to note that we are entering a period of extremely difficult prior-year comparisons. Retail sales grew by […]
Read MoreApril 13, 2022
Nicholas Juhle discusses the rise of crypto-currency in Crain’s Detroit Business.
Read MoreApril 12, 2022
Consumer prices rose 8.5% in March marking a fresh 40-year high and bolstering expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates by 0.50% in May. Many observers believe today’s CPI reading could mark the peak, capturing rising energy and food costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, we have now annualized the last of easier […]
Read MoreApril 12, 2022
D Business published press release on President and CEO Michael Odar, CFA. Read more in D Business.
Read MoreApril 11, 2022
Managing Geopolitical Event Risk Geopolitical uncertainty is an ever-present source of risk for the economy and financial markets. International tensions ebb and flow – sometimes simmering down to base levels and sometimes boiling over as is currently the case in Ukraine. In this article, we will take a closer look at how financial markets have […]
Read MoreApril 8, 2022
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Read MoreApril 8, 2022
We are frequently asked how to set an appropriate level of cash reserves in a client’s financial holdings and the answer is, it depends. It varies by individual and entity, the level of predictable expenses or distributions and whether there are other sources of funds besides the investment portfolio. But there are steps to follow […]
Read MoreApril 8, 2022
As a result of a provision of the SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act, passed in 2019, retirement plan providers are required to begin providing lifetime income illustrations on retirement plan statements by September 18, 2022. Many plan providers send quarterly statements; therefore, if you have not yet noticed a change to […]
Read MoreApril 8, 2022
Cost Basis Step-Up, a Quick History and Why it is Still in the News You may recall there was a lot of discussion around tax reform in 2021, with quite a bit of attention given to the threat to repeal the step-up in cost basis upon the death of the asset’s owner. While that change […]
Read MoreApril 8, 2022
In 2015, we implemented our 10-year strategic plan to be Top of Mind Market Brand Dominant in the state of Michigan. Each year we assess our progress and initiate tactics to take one step closer to our goal in 2025. This year, as part of our marketing plan, we partnered with public relations firm Lambert […]
Read MoreApril 5, 2022
Kalamazoo, MI, January 2015 – Greenleaf Trust is pleased to announce that Michael Storms has been promoted to Senior Research Analyst. Mike focuses on individual equity research and covers stocks in the technology, telecom, media and consumer staples sectors. He graduated from Michigan State University and has earned his Charted Financial Analyst designation.
Read MoreApril 4, 2022
Chief Investment Officer Nicholas Juhle discusses cryptocurrency’s rise and the risks involved. Read more in Crain’s Detroit Business (subscription article).
Read MoreApril 4, 2022
Payroll additions are strong, but miss elevated expectations. U.S. job growth momentum continued in March and previous reports were revised higher. Yields moved higher after the release, indicating that bond market investors believe this report provides ample justification for the Fed to continue hiking rates. At its March meeting, the median FOMC projection was for […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2022
Chief Investment Officer Nicholas Juhle discusses inflation impacts on investing in Grand Rapids Business Journal. Read more here.
Read MoreMarch 25, 2022
March 22, 2022
Michael Odar will also join the wealth management firm’s Boards of Directors March 22, 2022, Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust, an independent Michigan-chartered, trust-only bank and wealth management firm, announced that President Michael Odar has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. In addition, he was appointed a Director on the Boards of Greenleaf Financial Holding Company, […]
Read MoreMarch 18, 2022
Karen Baldwin, senior vice president and director of human resources spoke to the Grand Rapids Business Journal about Greenleaf Trust’s work toward diversifying its corner of the financial services industry. Read more in GRBJ.
Read MoreMarch 17, 2022
FOMC Statement Side by Side Fed raises interest rates for first time since 2018 and signals intentions for 6 more hikes in 2022. At its meeting today the FOMC voted to raise the Federal Funds rate to 0.25%-0.50%. Bullard dissented, preferring a rate of 0.50-0.75%. The statement noted that the Fed will begin reducing its […]
Read MoreMarch 17, 2022
Nick Juhle discusses the Fed’s recent rate hikes combatting inflation on WOOD TV8.
Read MoreMarch 17, 2022
Nick Juhle discusses the the interest rate increases with MiBiz. Read more here.
Read MoreMarch 16, 2022
February retail sales up 17.6% (nominal) and 9.7% (real) year-over-year. Primary drivers of the year-over-year increase include spending on gasoline (+36.4%), restaurant dining (+33.0%) and apparel (+30.6%). Despite sustained strength in real retail sales growth, heightened inflationary pressures exacerbated by the Russia/Ukraine conflict are posing a threat to consumer demand and therefore economic growth. In […]
Read MoreMarch 15, 2022
Richard Carden, CFP® joins Greenleaf Trust in southeast Michigan as a senior wealth management associate. Richard is responsible for the development of comprehensive wealth management plans, the execution of goal-based planning strategies, and the management of investment portfolios. He has earned his Bachelor’s degree in trust and wealth management with a minor in financial planning […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
Consumer prices are 7.9% higher than they were a year ago – in line with forecasts and marking a fresh 40-year high. This data suggests inflation woes were intensifying even before Russia’s Ukraine invasion sparked a dramatic increase in commodity prices. Most economists were expecting February to mark the peak of YoY price increases, with […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
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Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
At this time of year retirement plan providers are busy completing the annual Actual Deferral Percentage (ADP) tests for qualified retirement plans which contain a salary deferral or Roth 401(k) component. 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 Internal […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
Planning for retirement is not only important from a financial perspective, but from a psychological perspective as well. Being prepared financially for retirement is critical, but the emotional impact is one that is often overlooked. Moving from a busy career into uncharted territory creates excitement as well as anxiety. The path to retirement reminds me […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
Valuation discounts, often utilized in connection with the transfer of ownership interests in family-owned or closely-held businesses, are a valuable estate planning tool. These discounts have gotten a good deal of press lately. Last September, the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) (H.R. 5376) was introduced in the House of Representatives. In its original form, the […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
Greenleaf Trust has long been an advocate of diversifying equity portfolios across the stocks of both US and non-US companies. However, over the past several years, the returns of domestic equities have consistently outpaced non-US equities. This has led some to question whether investing in non-US equities is still prudent. Additionally, recent high profile geopolitical […]
Read MoreMarch 10, 2022
We have all read the headlines about the tight labor market and have seen the help wanted signs around all of our communities (I counted 17 on my 20-minute commute into the office this morning). Without going into the myriad of reasons why we have a tight labor market, suffice to say that it is, […]
Read MoreMarch 4, 2022
Payroll additions surprise positively again. U.S. job growth boomed in February while wage growth slowed, highlighting a steadily improving, though extremely tight labor market that should keep the Fed on track for a rate increase later this month. Whereas some observers had seen potential for more than one 0.25% increase in March, economic uncertainties posed […]
Read MoreFebruary 24, 2022
Background on the Situation: Following a period of failed diplomatic reconciliation, Russian president Vladimir Putin officially declared war with Ukraine last night. Shortly thereafter, a series of military advances were made by the Russian army into Ukraine, extending all the way to Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv. Leading up to today’s events, the United States and […]
Read MoreFebruary 16, 2022
January retail sales up 3.8% month-over-month (+3.2% adjusted for inflation); topping forecasts. Retail spending increased 3.8% in January – marking the highest increase since March following a 2.5% decline in December. Demand for goods remains robust despite elevated inflation levels, while the omicron variant and related surge in Covid-19 cases likely dampened services spending in […]
Read MoreFebruary 11, 2022
Chief Investment Officer Nicholas Juhle discusses the January Employment Numbers with Ken Lanphear on WKZO:
Read MoreFebruary 11, 2022
Chief Investment Officer Nick Juhle discusses the Consumer Price Index with Ken Lanphear with WKZO:
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
As of 2022, the federal lifetime gift and estate tax exemption is now $12,060,000 per person. If you are married, that means $24,120,000 can pass from you and your spouse to non-charitable beneficiaries without being subject to a 40% tax. The elevated lifetime exemption amount, combined with the recently increased annual exclusion amount of $16,000 […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
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Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
In 2021, the nation’s long-term care insurers paid out $12.3 billion in claims to 336,000 policyholders in which some claims totaled over $1 million. This represents a significant increase over prior years according to the Association of Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI). The 2021 payout was approximately $700 million more than what was paid out in […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
Workaround clears the road for select Michigan business owners. During the final weeks of 2021, Michigan joined a growing number of states in adopting State And Local Tax (SALT) parity reforms. Governor Whitmer signed a bill into law December 20 that creates an election for owners of pass-through entities with Michigan-sourced income to pay state […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
Bequests that are subject to a condition or contingency are often referred to as “dead hand” control. They are often used to incent beneficiaries or to change unacceptable behaviors. A bequest to a beneficiary that is subject to a condition that the beneficiary must abide by the condition or forfeit the bequest is often used […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
Active equity managers face many investment paradoxes. Markets are inherently volatile and can be irrational. Long-term consensus expectations are often misestimated, all of which should create inefficiencies in security prices. And yet, most active managers fail to outperform their respective benchmarks. As Senior Equity Portfolio Manager, I’m specifically responsible for the Intrinsic Value Strategy, an […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
Remember starting your first job as an adult in the “real world?” You were excited, nervous, and wanted to make a big impression on day one. The problem was you were not exactly sure who everyone was nor what you were supposed to be doing. Our growth and commitment to client service has required the […]
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2022
Consumer prices are 7.5% higher than they were a year ago – slightly higher than forecast and the highest level reported in nearly 40 years. The writing was already on the wall, but when you couple these persistent elevated levels of inflation with the labor market strength we discussed last week, it leaves absolutely no […]
Read MoreFebruary 8, 2022
How can I get more money into my retirement plan? As a relationship manager for numerous retirement plans, I regularly receive this question from business owners and other highly compensated employees (HCEs). These same individuals are often surprised to learn there are no income restrictions on Roth 401(k) or Roth 403(b) dollars, unlike the income […]
Read MoreFebruary 4, 2022
Payroll additions surprise positively – Highlighting labor market strength and emboldening Fed plans. S. job growth exceeded all forecasts and defied Omicron headwinds in January. Following its meeting last week, the FED noted the impact of the Omicron variant on COVID-sensitive sectors like travel, but predicted a short wave of infection and, as a result, […]
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2022
Greenleaf Trust adds to client centric team in northern Michigan: Kimberly Lloyd joins Greenleaf Trust as a senior trust relationship associate in Traverse City, Michigan. She is responsible for day-to-day trust administration and fiduciary compliance while coordinating estate and tax planning strategies with other professional advisors for her clients. Kimberly has a Bachelor’s of Business […]
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