Employer Review of Retirement Plan Benefit

What employers can do to help employees to utilize benefits as they near and enter retirement. For many years, you have helped employees save for their retirement by offering an employer sponsored retirement plan benefit. You have encouraged savings through ensuring education sessions were held, individual consultations were available, and maybe even set up automatic […]

Read More

Topics for Your Nonprofit Committee Meetings

Volatility in the financial markets has increased, and the returns that we expect from equity and fixed income markets globally are lower than over the recent market cycles. What are the topics that should be on the meeting agenda for the Finance and Investment Committees for nonprofits? Sustainable Spending Rates One of the more difficult […]

Read More

Repurposing Life Insurance Policies

Over the decades many families purchased life insurance, either to act as an income replacement vehicle when the breadwinner died, or to provide immediate liquidity to pay federal estate taxes on the breadwinner’s death. With the 2017 Tax Act’s temporarily doubled federal estate tax exemption amount to $11.4 million per individual, many believe that they […]

Read More

Partnerships for Impact – the Nonprofit Perspective

A strong nonprofit sector is critical to the success of any community. Yet, there is an inherent power dynamic that enters many of the conversations between funders and the potentially fund-receiving nonprofits which can hinder the development of open and trusting relationships. To truly provide impactful support to our community, funders must recognize this dynamic […]

Read More

Bitcoin: Spending On Speculation

At over $12,000, Bitcoin (BTC) has more than tripled in value this year garnering renewed attention from the investment community mainstream media, and the general public after a dramatic 1,700% rise (and subsequent fall) in 2017/2018.   Read the full article at ValueWalk.

Read More

Digital Estate Planning: How to Plan for Online Accounts

What happens to email, usernames, passwords, banking information, social media and blogs when an individual dies? It’s a question most people haven’t considered, but should. Without proper planning and documentation, online information may become inaccessible and may eventually cease to exist.   Read the full article at ThinkAdvisor.

Read More

June 2019 Perspectives

View PDF

Traverse City Growth

View PDF

Opportunity Zones

View PDF

Benefits of Data Aggregators

View PDF

Pending Legislation: Tenants-By-The-Entireties

View PDF

Warning: 401(k) Loans Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

View PDF

WILS Morning Wake Up with Dave Akerly

Greenleaf Trust Director of Research Nick Juhle talks tariffs, trade, the fed and what it means for investors on WILS Morning Wake Up with Dave Akerly.   Listen to the full interview at WILS1320

Read More

May 2019 Perspectives

View PDF

Greenleaf Trust Gives – Our Communities

View PDF

Corporate Debt, a Rising Concern?

View PDF

Capacity Planning: Is Your Agent Up to the Task?

View PDF

Spring into Retirement Savings

View PDF

Take a Holiday from Fake Holidays

View PDF

Recent Michigan Legislation Regarding Directed Trusts

View PDF

US/China – Perspective on Recent Developments

Less than two weeks ago, investors were operating under the assumption that a U.S./China trade deal was all but certain.  Much has changed in a short period. Uncertainty has been reintroduced around when, or if, an agreement will materialize.  We continue to believe an eventual compromise is the most likely outcome, but for now, visibility […]

Read More

Greenleaf Trust announces promotions and new hires

April 2019, Kalamazoo and Birmingham, MI – Greenleaf Trust announces promotions and new hires Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce the promotion of two employees, as well as the addition of a new team member: After a year of service as Participant Services Coordinator, Lisa Hojnacki has been promoted to Participant Services Coordinator – Team […]

Read More

The Retirement Plan That Got Overlooked On Tax Day

https://www.fa-mag.com/news/greenleaf-trust-exec–its-never-too-soon-to-reduce-your-income-taxes-44506.html

Read More

April 2019 Perspectives

View PDF

Monetary Policy 2019 World Tour

View PDF

Know Your Ride Share Driver

View PDF

Your Most Valuable Asset – Your Personal Story

View PDF

Introducing Multi-Factor Authentication to Your Retirement Plan Account

View PDF

Grief and Financial Services

View PDF

Triple Tax Benefit – Health Savings Account

View PDF

Notable Women in HR: Karen Baldwin

Congratulations Karen Baldwin! Your recognition as one of Michigan’s most Notable Women in Human Resources is well-deserved.   Read more at Crain’s Detroit Business.

Read More

Greenleaf Trust named Great Place to Work and Best and Brightest Company to Work For

Greenleaf Trust Named Great Place to Work® and Best and Brightest Company to Work For® Firm earns accolades as premier West Michigan and financial services employer April 11, 2019, Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust, an independent Michigan-chartered, trust-only bank and wealth management firm with $12 billion in assets under advisement, announced it’s been named to […]

Read More

Forging Your Path

Sarah Johansson joined the Greenleaf Trust team on a blind leap of faith. At her interview for the position of director of marketing almost nineteen years ago, Johansson laid her hesitations on the table: “You know, I couldn’t find anything about this company—anywhere. You don’t even have a website.” William D. Johnston, chairman of Greenleaf, […]

Read More

The Yield Curve Inverted…What Now?

On Friday last week, the U.S. treasury yield curve inverted. Weak economic data out of Europe spurred heavy demand for bonds, pressuring the 10-year yield to 2.44%, its lowest level in over a year and about a basis point lower than the 3-month T-bill yield. This is significant because a curve inversion is considered one […]

Read More

Basis Planning: Qualified Small Business Stock Exclusion

Considerable time these days is spent identifying ways to include the value of trust assets in the settlor’s gross estate in order to obtain an income tax basis adjustment to those assets. But the settlor or beneficiary’s death is a condition to this planning strategy. What if capital gain exclusion could be obtained while the […]

Read More

Use Caution with Gifts of LLC Interests

Family LLCs (FLLCs) and/or Family Limited partnerships’ (FLLPs) have long been popular devices to use when making intra-family gifts (note the terms are used interchangeably below). They are easy to understand and administer, and require very little reporting at the state level, unlike a corporation.   Read the full article at Private Wealth.

Read More

March 2019 Perspectives

View PDF

Look Who’s Working Now

View PDF

Preventing Financial Elder Abuse

View PDF

Is it Time to Move My 401(k) Balance to a Money Market Fund?

View PDF

Balancing Debt into Retirement

View PDF

2018 Annual Report

Read More

Disclaiming to Reach a Higher Basis

Disclaiming an interest in property has always been a way to add flexibility to an estate plan. By exercising of a timely qualified disclaimer, the disclaimant effectively moves assets to another individual, or to a trust, without incurring any gift tax. Consequently, disclaimer planning takes center-stage in many estate plans these days by spouses to […]

Read More

February 2019 Perspectives

View PDF

Brexit: Where Are We Now?

View PDF

Is Your Durable Power of Attorney Aging with You?

View PDF

Digital Assets – Are You Planning for Them?

View PDF

Millennials: Building Their Legacy

View PDF

Hardship Distributions Made Easier in 2019

View PDF

January 2019 Perspectives

View PDF