Proposed Regulations for Inherited IRAs Bring Unwelcome Surprises

When Congress enacted the SECURE Act in 2019, one of the noteworthy changes related to the period over which beneficiaries were required to take IRA distributions. Before the SECURE Act, beneficiaries of inherited IRAs could “stretch” the required minimum distributions (RMDs) over their entire life expectancies. The stretch period could be decades for younger beneficiaries, […]

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Perspectives Newsletter – November 2022

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Greenleaf Trust announces addition of new member to the Board of Directors

Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce the addition of James Liggins, Esq. to board of directors: At the regularly scheduled October board of directors meeting, the board unanimously voted to accept the nomination of James Liggins, Esq. to the Board of Directors of Greenleaf Financial Holding Company, Greenleaf Trust of Michigan and Greenleaf Trust of […]

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Money Talk with Nick Juhle

Chief Investment Officer Nicholas Juhle spoke at the Detroit Economic Club about the collapse of consumer confidence. Listen here

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September Retail Sales – Inflation/Rates Weighing on Consumers

U.S. retail sales slowed in September with inflation adjusted spending unchanged from a year ago and down month over month.  Weaker retail spending is an indication that rampant inflation is catching up with consumers.  The Fed is expected to implement a fourth 0.75% rate increase next month as part of an ongoing effort to soften […]

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September Inflation – Hotter than Expected; Core on the Rise

On the heels of last week’s solid jobs report, September inflation data came in hotter than expected this morning likely cementing another 0.75% Fed rate increase next month.  While policymakers have responded to elevated inflation with the fastest hiking cycle in over 30 years, the labor market and consumer demand have remained resilient.   The Consumer […]

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Economic Commentary

When the financial crisis and resulting severe recession took place in 2008, we offered that the recovery would be long in duration and reflected in incremental progress along the way. The essential reason for that observation was the knowledge that the recession of 2008 was not a typical business cycle recession, but rather one that […]

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Is Private Placement Life Insurance Right for You?

With market volatility persisting throughout the year, investors have become more interested in alternative investments. Some of these investments, such as hedge funds, private equity, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and others incur large income distributions. For those in the top tax bracket that can mean income taxes near 45%, whether or not that income […]

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Perspectives Newsletter October 2022

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No Loose Ends

It’s almost Halloween, and there are spooky things everywhere you look. Though this time of year is often intentionally scary, don’t let fear control you, especially when it comes to your finances. Sometimes fear of what’s waiting around the corner, or the big scary unknown, can stop us dead in our tracks and keep us […]

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Electronic Notice Delivery for Retirement Plan Participants

The Department of Labor’s Electronic Disclosure Rule has simplified the delivery of retirement plan information to participants. This rule allows retirement plan administrators to satisfy their information disclosure requirements under ERISA (The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) by making required notices and disclosures available to employees electronically under a “notice-and-access” method. The new […]

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Sequence of Return Risk

Participating in an Ironman race requires months, if not years, of rigorous training, discipline and mental dexterity. Preparation is not limited to purely triathlon training, but crosses over into the efficiency of navigating the transition zones (from swimming to biking, and from biking to running). Successful triathlon participants train their bodies to perform these transition […]

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S&P 500 Earnings Update

2022 has been a difficult year for investors offering limited opportunities for positive returns. After rising nearly 27% in 2021, the S&P 500 index has retreated 24% year-to-date. Uncertainties abound as persistent inflation is met with increasingly restrictive monetary and fiscal policy and geopolitical risks loom large. US corporate earnings, however, have proven resilient thus […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CTFA designation

October 7, 2021 Birmingham, MI – Greenleaf Trust announces CTFA designation Senior trust relationship officer receives Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor designation Mark Meyers, CFP, CTFA, CLU, ChFC, a Senior Trust Relationship Officer in southeast Michigan was recently awarded the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation from the American Bankers Association. Mark provides holistic […]

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September Jobs – Payrolls In Line, Unemployment Lower

Continued job gains underpin consumer health, offering no relief for the Fed.  U.S. employers added jobs at a healthy, though more moderate pace in September and the unemployment rate fell, suggesting the labor market remains resilient against aggressive rate increases from the Federal Reserve.  While there have been some signs of moderating labor demand including […]

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Stocks are tumbling again. Should I sell?

By Rose White Chief Investment Officer Nicholas Juhle, CFA® discusses the need for disciplined investing despite tumultuous markets. Read more on MLive.

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Economic Commentary

Current economic data and news seems mostly positive, and yet there are those who are uneasy about the near-term future and seem increasingly convinced that a recession is not far off. Why is there seemingly a disconnect between the current condition and what lies ahead of us? In this month’s article, we will try to […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CFP® Certification

Senior Wealth Management Associate Garrett Urman, CFP®, has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements. Garrett is responsible for the development of comprehensive wealth management plans, the execution of goal-based planning […]

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Michigan Economic Update

This article continues our annual summer tradition of evaluating the health of the Michigan economy. In this article, we will cover (1) the labor market, (2) the auto industry, and (3) home prices. Last year, we wrote about the robust recovery underway in the labor market, projected stability in the auto industry, and accelerating home […]

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Economic Commentary

I think we can all agree that the crisis we find ourselves in does not come with a step-by-step instruction book of solutions. The way out is complicated, includes self-sacrifice, social order of the highest degree, individual and societal self-discipline and the abandonment of political self-interests. You may observe this list of requirements and say, […]

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Economic Commentary

We all run across quotes from a variety of sources during the course of our lives. Some of those quotes stick with us for any number of personal reasons. Close to twenty years ago a person who I think is a really talented behavioral scientist said “Big people share and little people keep secrets.” I […]

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Greenleaf Trust Expands into Great Lakes Bay Region with New Midland Office

Greenleaf Trust’s expansion into Great Lakes Bay Region featured on Yahoo! Read more here.

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Economic Commentary

During the month of January, our team at Greenleaf Trust traveled throughout our geographical markets presenting our 2019 Year in Review and 2020 forecast for the economy and financial markets. It was my privilege to join Nick Juhle, our senior vice president and director of research, as well as Chris Burns, a senior fixed income […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces promotion

Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce the promotion of Mandi Doster to estate settlement coordinator: Greenleaf Trust is pleased to announce the promotion of Mandi Doster to estate settlement coordinator in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is responsible for coordinating the efforts of the estate settlement team and providing comprehensive administrative support. She drives an efficient workflow […]

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Economic Commentary

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell gave a recent speech titled “Building on the gains from the long expansion.” Within the speech, Powell focused on two important themes: maintaining a stable and reliable pace of two percent inflation and, somewhat surprisingly, spreading the benefits of employment more widely. Part of the Fed’s stated mandate has always been […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CFP® Certification

Senior Manager Selection Analyst Jacob Barker, CFA, CFP® has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements. Jacob has worked at Greenleaf Trust since 2018, and is responsible for supporting the evaluation, […]

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Economic Commentary

When the financial crisis and resulting severe recession took place in 2008, we offered that the recovery would be long in duration and reflected in incremental progress along the way. The essential reason for that observation was the knowledge that the recession of 2008 was not a typical business cycle recession, but rather one that […]

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Economic Commentary

I enjoy the interaction that I get with readers of our Greenleaf Trust newsletter each month. The reactions are usually positive and occasionally challenging, especially when we approach the silly season of political campaigns. I changed the title of my monthly article a few years ago from “Economic Update” to “Economic Commentary” because I felt […]

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Economic Commentary

We have been focusing our commentary on a consistent number of indices and surveys over the past six months, to attempt to gain insight into economic trends in place relative to consumption, production, employment, inflation and recessionary trends. This month’s commentary will be more of the same, with perhaps a little deeper dive into some […]

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Survey Says…

Continuous improvement is one of Greenleaf Trust’s core values – it is a pillar of our culture and has become part of our DNA. Every tangible improvement we have made on behalf of our clients stems from a disciplined review of our practices. As we look for opportunities to serve our clients better, we begin […]

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Economic Commentary

The National Bureau of Economic Research officially declares the beginning of a recession well after the actual recession begins. It is always a rear view look and analysis based upon data that is already months old. What we do know is that for the first half of 2022 the US economy contracted from its previous […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CTFA designation

January 13, 2021 Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust announces CTFA designation Senior Trust relationship associate receives Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor designation Kathryn Gadbois Schafer, J.D., CTFA, a senior trust relationship associate in Kalamazoo, Michigan was recently awarded the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) designation from the American Bankers Association. Kathryn is responsible for […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces new hire

Birmingham, MI — September 17, 2012 Greenleaf Trust, the Michigan-based wealth management firm, today announced the hiring of Julie Weston, who has joined the company’s personal trust team. Julie A. Weston Team Service Coordinator Julie is responsible for providing comprehensive support and administrative assistance within the personal trust area. Julie has over seven years of […]

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Economic Commentary

The malaise in current economic conditions seems somewhat omnipresent in most media so it seems the right time to look under the hood and see not only what the current common set of facts are, but also examine what the likely scenarios are for the forward economic cycle. The Weekly Economic Index produced by the […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CFP® Certification

Trust relationship officer receives CFP® Certification Trust Relationship Officer Cory Spaulding, CFP®, CTFA has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements. Cory is responsible for trust administration and holistic wealth management […]

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Economic Commentary

Financial press headlines continue to warn of recession and a slowing of the US and global economy, and we will focus on both in this month’s article. Let’s start with the tool that I believe provides a real time pulse rate for our underlying economy: the New York Fed Weekly Economic Index. Although I have […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces promotion

Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce the promotion of Jennifer Reisterer-Brand: Jennifer Reisterer-Brand recently joined our Operations Division, from our Retirement Plan Division, as a Senior Retirement Processing Operations Analyst. Jennifer’s primary responsibility is to lead the processing function for all transactions regarding retirement plans serviced by Greenleaf Trust.  Her responsibilities include processing of defined […]

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Economic Commentary

The New York Fed revised their May 19 Weekly Economic Indicator reading upward to 4.29%; however, their May 26 initial reading declined to 3.52%, reflecting the trend in place. Simultaneously, the Conference Board, as well as University of Michigan consumer surveys, also mirrored a small, but consistent, decline in consumer sentiment and confidence in short […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces new hires

Greenleaf Trust announces the addition of two new teammates in Operations: Mario Campbell joins our Operations division as a trust operations specialist. Mario’s primary responsibilities include document preparation, account opening and maintenance, and assisting the client centric team with the administration of their accounts. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in […]

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Economic Commentary

It is always helpful to me to scan popular culture media sources to understand what most consumers are reading, watching and listening to. Of course, the source of what people select to read, watch and listen to shapes much of what they end up believing as fact. Early in my education in economics, I was […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces new hires

In addition to the seven new hires and role changes announced last month, Greenleaf Trust is pleased to share six new hires. Please join us in celebrating the following additions: Valerie Martin joins Greenleaf Trust as a team service coordinator on the client centric team. She is responsible for providing administrative support, day-to-day servicing of […]

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Greenleaf Trust named National Best and Brightest in Wellness by the National Association for Business Resources

Greenleaf Trust named National Best and Brightest in Wellness by the National Association for Business Resources September 28, 2021, Kalamazoo, MI – Greenleaf Trust, a Michigan-chartered wealth management firm with $15 billion in assets under advisement, announced that it has been recognized as a National Best and Brightest in Wellness. The 2021 winning companies were […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces new hires

Greenleaf Trust adds to the Birmingham and Kalamazoo teams: Emily Wedes joins Greenleaf Trust as a team service coordinator on the client centric team. She is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support, day-to-day servicing of account needs, and driving the efforts of the client centric team. Emily ensures clear, concise communication by coordinating the team’s […]

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Economic Commentary

We are marching incrementally towards the benchmarks that are necessary to reach an immunity level that will restore a good deal of a “new normality” to our daily lives. I intentionally used the term “new normality” as the evidence seems clear that while we are all done with COVID-19, it is also clear that COVID-19 […]

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Michigan Economic Update

In the summer of 2019, we intended to create an annual series of Perspectives articles updating our audience on the outlook for the Michigan economy. But, as the poet Robert Burns said, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. In 2020, tracking the economic and market impact of COVID consumed our […]

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Economic Commentary

For the past twenty-four months and twenty-four newsletter articles, I have led with COVID-19 related data. The reasoning was that our economic recovery would depend upon our progress at defeating the pandemic created by the COVID-19 virus. This month, while the impact of the virus remains with us, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has replaced the […]

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Economic Commentary

Happy New Year to all! I hope that you were able to celebrate the new year with reflective gratitude and the grace of optimism as we look forward to the promise and challenges of 2022. This column is written and published each month just as it has been for the past thirty years. Wow, how […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces CFP® Certification

Senior Wealth Management Associate Brian Farrell receives CFP® Certification Senior Wealth Management Associate Brian Farrell, CFP® has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements. Brian has worked at Greenleaf Trust since […]

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Greenleaf Trust Receives Honor as Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in West Michigan

Greenleaf Trust, a Michigan-chartered wealth management firm with nearly $15 billion in assets under advisement, announced that it has been recognized as one of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®. Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® evaluates employee feedback based on key measures such as engagement, compensation, benefits and employee solutions, […]

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Greenleaf Trust announces new hire

Greenleaf Trust is proud to announce the addition of a new team member: Sarah Pease joins the Greenleaf Trust finance team as a financial accounting analyst. She is responsible for day-to-day accounting and related analysis.  Sarah also helps ensure compliance with regulatory and governing reporting requirements, manages accounts payable, and supports vendor-related processes. She has […]

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