Partnering with an independent, local, family-owned financial advisory firm offers a range of benefits that can enhance your financial planning experience. Full disclosure: I am a little biased in this opinion. Financial Strategies Group (FSG), the firm I am blessed to be a part of, fits this criteria.
It all started when a project on my honey-do list required me to dust off the circular saw. I discovered an interest in woodworking... Most people start their research on Google but fail to realize that everyone has a unique set of circumstances and goals, so general advice isn’t going to get you where you need to be, at least not efficiently. The same goes for financial advice. There are a lot of different ways to save and invest, but making sure you are using the right investments and saving your money in the right places will have a huge impact on the quality and success of your goals.
Dart Container, a major employer in the Greater Lansing area, has announced plans to lay off 250 workers, 160 of which are from the Mason headquarters. Dart Container's recent announcement of layoffs has undoubtedly caused concern and uncertainty for many. These job losses will most certainly have a significant impact on the Mason community as a whole.
Domestic large and mid-sized companies led total returns in the last twelve months and through the initial two quarters of 2024 (although emerging markets were about 1.6% higher than mid-sized companies on a year-to-date basis). Large companies generated a positive total return in the second quarter with mid-size and small companies contracting a couple percent, but on a year-to-date basis all three categories have generated positive total returns...
Many moons ago, I was a Personal Finance Planning major at Central Michigan University. I distinctly remember in the Spring of 2012, my finance class had a competition amongst my peers to see who could make the most money in a trading simulation system. At the time, gold was trading at all-time highs. It was the “hot” asset class that was outperforming everything else. The code was cracked (buy gold), and I was destined to be the top performer. Alas, it was not to be, but it got me thinking. With all of the recent headlines of gold hitting all-time highs and the infatuation from the consumer: Is gold really an asset class for the long term?
The single most important investment in the global financial system is the U.S. Treasury Security. In my first investing class in college, I remember the professor explaining that our entire investing and financial system is built upon the premise that treasuries are the safest investment and that the U.S. always pays its debts. That statement might sound strange to those who are not a fan of the way we as a country run a deficit or to those who have paid close attention to the budget ceiling fights in recent years. Despite those factors, the premise is true, and that is why treasuries are the single most important investment in the U.S. financial system.
It is often said that “half of marriages end in divorce.” The truth is that divorce rates have declined over the last ten years (1). Whether you choose to stay married or divorce, the amount of couples getting divorced is still staggering and it can happen to any of us. Divorce is far reaching, often affecting more than just the two people involved and their possessions. Family, friendships, children, businesses, real estate, income, assets, and retirement are a few things on that very long list.
For many years, market participants have been closely following every statement made by the Federal Reserve Chairperson and every data point used by the Fed to guide its decisions. However, it has become increasingly tiresome. While monetary policy, including interest rates, is undeniably important, the daily fluctuations caused by inflation reports and their potential influence on the Fed's interest rate decisions have become excessive...