As we hunker down for the back stretch of 2015 and enjoy our pumpkin spice lattés, break out our sweaters and root for our local Top 20-ranked football teams, we have much to be thankful for. Reflecting on the recent news brought to light regarding Volkswagen, I am also very thankful that we, residents of

We live in an area with a history of greatness! Our roots run deep and our work ethic runs deeper. Our city of Flint, Michigan has had its ups and downs in the past, and thanks to some local entrepreneurs with great vision, we are again on the upswing. When someone asks you, “What’s your

In early August, the headlines were inundated with the news the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) had decided to devalue their currency in relationship to the U.S. Dollar. Not only did they devalue their currency, but they actually devalued it against our dollar three times in the same week. This was the largest currency devaluation

You may have noticed recent financial headlines regarding the European Union and the inability of the country of Greece to repay their debt. Our clients continue to question, “Why does it matter to us in the U.S. if Greece defaults on their loans?” Greece has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $237 Billion,* which is

Per Investopedia, a consolidation is defined as “the movement of an asset’s price within a well-defined pattern or barrier of trading levels. Consolidation is generally regarded as a period of indecision, which ends when the price of the asset breaks beyond the restrictive barriers. Periods of consolidation can be found in charts covering any time

A properly diversified portfolio will normally contain some amount of bond, or bond fund exposure. Bonds are contracts between an entity, i.e. company, municipality, or government and an investor that lends money to that entity. The entity agrees to pay the investor interest over an agreed upon time period and at the end of that

The bees’ll buzz. Kids’ll blow dandelion fuzz … and people will look to buy a new house in Suummmmerrrrr! I live in Michigan and my daughters have made me watch “Frozen” over ten times, so I thought a quote from Olaf’s song was appropriate. It’s that time again – when people give in to their

In a written letter, Benjamin Franklin quipped, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Surprise! Tax time has rolled around again. I often hear people discuss their plans for spending the year’s tax refund. I don’t think it’s merely a coincidence that the government refunds overpaid taxes at

you are like many of our clients, you like to make your IRA and Roth IRA contributions once a year. There are many different rules regarding these contributions and I’m going to review a couple of them to help you simplify the process. First of all, the government gives us a small window of time

alentine’s Day is a time to show love and appreciation for those important to us, but I think we as Americans need to show ourselves a little love: stop spending money on gifts and start preparing for the future. When saving for retirement, clients often ask about the difference between a 401(k) plan and a

Ryan Seacrest and his merry band helped us ring in the New Year from New York City’s Times Square, people all over the nation in their respective time zones positioned themselves next to their significant others and started the year with a midnight smooch. Another New Year’s ritual in which many took part – particularly

It’s that time again: Thanksgiving is just around the corner with Christmas right on its heels. Like hardworking squirrels storing away nuts for the future, I find handling Christmas expenditures is best if planned for in advance and not looked at as an unexpected expense; after all, it comes every year. The American Research Group