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MARKET COMMENTARY
Read monthly updates on economic events and market trends
Ryan Redfern
Chartered Market Technician® (CMT®)
Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)
PERSONAL FINANCE
Take the fear out of finance by understanding how personal decisions affect long-term goals
Laura Redfern
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Professional
Certified Financial Transitionist®
INVESTMENT RESEARCH
Learn more about active management from the author of “Why Bad Things Happen to Good investments”
Will Hepburn
Vice President of Investment Research
BEHAVIORAL FINANCE
Discover how your values influence your financial behavior
Phil Lebkuecher
Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA)
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Practical insights to help families build, protect, and grow lifelong financial resilience
Heather D. Johnson
Investment Advisor Representative
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Blog
October 2025 Market Commentary
While October hasn’t been as “scary” as it could have been, the S&P 500 did manage a very quick -2.98% drawdown in two days (Oct 9th & 10th). But this pullback gave us an opportunity to add stock market exposure in a couple of models where we were looking to...
Turning Taxes Into Opportunity: How Retirees Can Benefit From the New Senior Deduction
If you’re nearing retirement, one of the most important things you can do is understand where your “paycheck” will come from once you stop working. How will you be “paid”? And importantly, how will you be taxed? Different income sources are taxed differently, and...
Index Fund Investors Facing a Decade with No Returns?
I have long been a believer in active investment management. Personal experience has taught me that having different investment styles is as important to managing risk as having different investments themselves. From my experience, the ability to just step out of...
From Paychecks to Purpose: How to Plan for Your Future and Your Family
October marks a season of change — crisp mornings, shorter days, and the quiet reminder that a new year isn’t far away. It’s also a natural time to pause, reflect, and prepare for what lies ahead. Just like nature, financial planning invites us to prepare today for...
September 2025 Market Commentary
Contrary to market norms and general expectations, September has been surprisingly quiet, with no signs of market volatility. As of this writing (9/24/25), we’re halfway through what is typically the worst week of the entire year, but we’re only seeing very mild...
What Not to Buy in Retirement
In 20 years of helping retirees transition to a retirement lifestyle, all too often, I see people make uninformed decisions which they regret later. I want to address this topic in the hope that we can help people avoid those regrets! Don’t buy this in...
I Loved AI—But Now, Not So Much
Let Me Vent Before we get lost in the weeds of finance, allow me a small rant that relates to the following insight. The other day I wanted to visit my brother, so I dove into the challenging world of airline ticket shopping. Prices? Outrageously high. I thought my...
Thrift and Thrive: Your Fall Success Strategy
Sometimes the most effective financial strategies are also the simplest. I believe one such approach—Thrifting and Thriving—offers a powerful way to save money, build resilience, and create long-term success. Thrifting doesn’t just mean shopping at thrift...
August 2025 Market Commentary
We were expecting volatility to pick up in August, but that hasn’t really happened. After a quick drop at the end of July, most broad indexes marched higher – at least until the middle of the month. After that, I think the market took a vacation and largely went...
Money Mindset Part 4: Creating a Lasting, Empowered Money Mindset
We’ve come to the final installment of our Money Mindset Series. Over the past few months, we've explored how to break free from scarcity thinking, boost your money confidence and self-worth, and conquer the fears that keep you stuck. Today, we're pulling it all...
Value Investing’s Blind Spot: Why Tech Investing is Different
Benjamin Graham was one of Warren Buffett’s teachers and Buffett considered Graham’s books Security Analysis (1934) and The Intelligent Investor (1949) to be his investment Bibles. Back in Graham’s day, financial statements were pure chaos— accounting standards were...
Back-to-School Savings Tips for Parents
Back-to-school season always seems to sneak up on us, doesn’t it? As a wife, mom of three energetic (and very different!) kids, and someone who genuinely loves a good deal, I’ve picked up a few strategies over the years to stretch a back-to-school budget—without...
