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We help clients pursue their financial goals, but over time, we often become part of each other’s lives. Those relationships are built on trust, strengthened through shared experiences and remembered long after the portfolio reviews are over.

In the first half of 2026 investors weathered dramatic shifts in the economic and geopolitical landscape.

Estate planning is drafted at a single point in time. Most documents are drafted with as much flexibility as possible, but sometimes facts and circumstances change which may necessitate creative solutions. Some of the most common problems that need solving are discussed below.

Before taking investment advice from a friend at the next cocktail party, it is important to understand the elevated risks involved with IPO investing. If you choose to participate, make sure your investment is sized appropriately within your overall financial plan and that you are not investing more than you can comfortably afford to lose.

At first glance, it may appear that they would not be eligible for retirement benefits either. However, employers too often assume these workers are automatically excluded, which can lead to costly plan corrections and compliance issues.

One difference in trust directors between Michigan’s trust director statute and other states’ laws that authorize a trust director (or trust protector) is that Michigan’s statute is clear that a trust director serves in a fiduciary capacity, which means that the trust director owes duties of care and loyalty to the trust beneficiaries, from which liabilities can attach to the trust director who does not act reasonably and in the trust beneficiaries’ best interests.

Our Retirement Plan Services division provides administrative, fiduciary and investment management solutions for 159 employer sponsored retirement plan clients and over 18,000 plan participants across the country.

As we move into the summer months, our attention will remain focused on three key areas: incoming retail and labor market data, developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the Federal Reserve’s next policy decisions.

Tax planning for many closely held business owners frequently occurs through a series of independent decisions. It typically looks like a conversation with an accountant near year-end, an isolated retirement contribution analysis, a discussion about succession planning that gets deferred until “later,” or an eventual consideration of what a sale might look like.

Whether the decline is sudden, or gradual, diminished capacity can leave a person vulnerable, and this vulnerability is especially significant for business owners.

Economists typically categorize inflation into four types or stages based on speed: creeping, walking, galloping and hyperinflation. If we continue with the use of a mouthwatering sandwich as our example, we can examine each of these stages of inflation in turn.

What this moment calls for, perhaps, is a clearer-eyed understanding on all sides of how much retirement security has quietly been outsourced to employer goodwill, and what happens when that goodwill contracts.

The example lends itself to a central theme of the book that any business can be a hospitality business. We believe this too. We believe in the importance of making clients feel seen and cared for through thoughtful, purposefully personalized service.

At the end of the day, the conflict in Iran has introduced new risks. It will likely weigh on growth and keep inflation somewhat elevated in the near term but the bigger picture hasn’t fundamentally changed.

While there may not be many AI-drafted estate plan cases which have been litigated or published yet, there have been situations where unverified AI drafting has caused issues in the courtroom, including made up case law citations in legal briefs and using outdated laws.

Most investors picture market swings, worrying headlines and the uncomfortable feeling of watching an account balance bounce around. That is not risk. That is noise.

AI has the potential to meaningfully improve efficiency, personalization and participant outcomes in the retirement plan industry. However, its success depends on thoughtful implementation, strong governance and continued human oversight.

For many individuals, decades of financial records, online accounts and personal information now exist across a wide range of websites and services.

Laws continue to change, as do the needs of trust beneficiaries. Yet an irrevocable trust’s words are locked in on the date the trust becomes irrevocable.

Greenleaf Trust is structured to remain privately held into perpetuity. We have the ability to serve from generation to generation and intend to do so. We also may make acquisitions in the future as part of our long-term strategy to Serve Clients More. When and if that happens, we will always put client relationships first.

The U.S./Israeli strikes on Iran have materially altered expectations for 2026. Coming into the year, investors expected a solid combination of decelerating inflation, interest rate cuts, strong corporate earnings growth and low risk of recession. Rapidly rising energy prices have introduced a new layer of complexity for investors to navigate.

Financial Literacy Month is a meaningful reminder that building confidence in your financial future does not have to happen alone. Whether you are just getting started or refining an existing plan, having a trusted partner can make navigating financial decisions clearer and more manageable.