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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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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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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Welcome to 2020 and the start of a new decade! As I sit at my desk writing my first article of the new year, the Kalamazoo office of Greenleaf Trust is relatively quiet. The hustle and bustle of wrapping up end of year matters ahead of year end deadlines has been replaced with a more […]