June 2025 Recap
The Economy While second-quarter economic growth appears robust on the surface, potentially reaching nearly 4% driven by a surge in durable goods, this figure doesn’t fully capture the significant economic and political volatility experienced in the last 6 months. For instance, the first-quarter GDP saw a decline of 0.5%. When averaged, the first half of […]
Smart Strategies for Financial Independence
Many Americans start July off celebrating Independence Day, when the thirteen colonies took the brave step of becoming politically and financially independent from the British monarchy. The concept of self-determination that guided them had its roots in the Enlightenment ideals of individual liberty and self-governance. July is also a time that many children take their […]
Economic Commentary – June 30, 2025
Fireworks generally start well before Fourth of July in neighborhoods around the country. This curtailed week for market-moving data is no exception. The economic cherry bombs will be in the form of employment data, which could as easily be a bust as a large and startling “Boom”. And there will be plenty of sparklers highlighting […]
Celebrity Estate Planning Lessons: What Jimmy Buffett’s Trust Dispute Teaches Us
Lessons from Jimmy Buffett’s Estate In recent celebrity estate news, Jimmy Buffett’s widow, Jane Buffett, and his accountant, Richard Mozenter, are currently embroiled in a legal battle. They share roles as Co-Trustees of Jimmy Buffett’s marital trust, which houses the bulk of his $275 million estate. Established for Jane’s lifetime benefit, with remaining assets passing […]
Investment Commentary – June 30, 2025
In the second quarter, the S&P 500 was up ~10%. The U.S. dollar has had one of its worst starts to a year on record. It is on pace to fall approximately 8% in Q2 alone. Almost every asset class is negatively correlated with the U.S. dollar. To put the first half of 2025 simply, […]