The Delayed Wealth Curve and Why It Can Feel Like You’re Behind
By Sergio V. Ortiz A Common Experience, With a Recognizable Pattern In my experience, there’s a moment that tends to surface for professionals in fields like dentistry, medicine, and other high-training careers. It feels like you’ve done everything required: years of education, years of training, often taking on significant debt along the way. You may […]
SWG Quarterly Newsletter: Market & Planning Update | Q1 2026
Each quarter, we provide the latest market and economic updates, valuable planning insights, and other relevant information to help you stay informed. Data Monitor Inflation Consumer price inflation has moderated further, with core inflation recently hitting 2.5% YoY as of February 2026 after falling consistently since the middle of 2022.1 Inflation has been a key concern […]
SWG February 2026 Market Update
Over the past week, we’ve been experiencing more day-to-day volatility, with sharper swings and a noticeable shift in market leadership. While market volatility is never comfortable, periods like this can feel especially unsettling after the strong run led by a relatively small group of large technology companies over the past few years. That said, this […]
What Carvana’s Stock Run-Up Reveals About Employer Stock Risk Near Retirement
By Chase Gelardi, CFP® For employees receiving equity compensation at Carvana, performance over the past few years has been very good to shareholders. And while that kind of growth is certainly a good problem to have, it can still create real planning complexities. When a significant portion of your net worth is tied to […]
Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early? A Pre-Retiree’s Guide to One of the Biggest Financial Decisions You’ll Make
By Chase Gelardi, CFP® Deciding whether to pay off your mortgage early looks like a straightforward math problem, but it rarely is. When you’re approaching retirement, the plan you’ve been saving for is starting to come into focus. The major goals are clearer, and your assets mostly need to be maintained so everything stays on […]
SWG Quarterly Newsletter: Market & Planning Update | Q4 2025
Each quarter, we provide the latest market and economic updates, valuable planning insights, and other relevant information to help you stay informed. Data Monitor Inflation Consumer price inflation has moderated further, with core inflation recently hitting 2.6% year-over-year as of November 2025, after falling consistently since the middle of 2022. Inflation has been a key […]
When Headlines Get Loud, Look Deeper
By: David Lundgren, Senior Wealth Advisor In many recent client conversations, clients have a similar observation “The news sounds terrible… so why does the market look fine?” It’s understandable. We’re surrounded by headline noise, talk of a “K-shaped economy,” rising costs, fears of an AI bubble, global uncertainty, and whatever else is dominating the feed […]
Financial Guidance for Widows: Navigating Life’s Transitions with Confidence
By: Bruce Ward Losing a spouse is one of life’s most difficult experiences, and the financial impact can feel overwhelming. At a time when emotions are high, critical financial decisions must still be made. Many widows find themselves facing complex choices about investments, taxes, estate matters, insurance, annuities, and long-term financial security—often for the first […]
Staying the Course: A Lesson in Financial Planning During Uncertain Times
By: Chase Gelardi, Wealth Management Advisor When markets get choppy or headlines turn negative, it’s natural to feel uneasy. You might even find yourself thinking, “This time feels different.” That reaction is completely normal—we’re human, after all. But if we take a step back and look at the big picture, History tells a consistent story: […]
Good Saving and Spending Habits That Can Make You a Millionaire by Retirement
By: Bruce Ward, Senior Wealth Management Advisor Achieving millionaire status by retirement isn’t just for high earners or investment gurus. It’s attainable for anyone who follows disciplined financial habits over time. While market returns and investment strategies matter, building wealth often comes down to how you manage your income, expenses, and savings. Here are some […]
How to Stay Invested and Fund Your Lifestyle — Even When Markets Get Choppy
By: Sergio V. Ortiz, Wealth Advisor A few months ago, I sat down with a couple who had just retired. Let’s call them Mark and Susan. After decades of diligent saving and careful planning, they were finally ready to enjoy the next chapter — travel, time with grandkids, and a few long-awaited experiences they’d been […]
Why Starting Your Roth IRA Young is One of the Smartest Money Moves You Can Make
By: Roxy Borquez, Relationship Manager Time Is Your Superpower Think of it like planting a tree: the earlier you plant it, the more time it has to grow and branch out. That’s especially true with a Roth IRA, where your money grows tax-free. Let’s say you start putting just $100 a month into a Roth […]
March 2025 Special Market Update
By: Bryce Coward, Wealth Management Advisor & Director of Investments As your trusted advisors and amid the heightened volatility in the equity markets, we wanted to reach out with our thoughts and perspective on the investment landscape. Since February 24th, 2025, the US stock market as measured by the S&P 500 is down roughly 8.8% […]
Survey Says…Stagflation
By: Bryce Coward, Wealth Management Advisor & Director of Investments Over the last week, various business and consumer survey data may be pointing to something we haven’t seen in quite a while: rising inflation and slowing growth as of the most recent releases. For example, on the consumer side, the University of Michigan consumer confidence […]
Creeping Inflation and Its Potential Market Impact
By: Bryce Coward, Wealth Management Advisor & Director of Investments Inflation has undoubtedly been a dominant theme this market cycle as COVID and a complete shutdown of the economy and supply chains was followed by one of the largest stimulus packages the world has ever seen. In the United States, consumer price inflation (CPI) peaked […]