As graduation season arrives across Northern Michigan, many families find themselves balancing pride, excitement, and a few very practical questions about what comes next. Whether a child or grandchild is finishing high school, college, or...
6 Smart Ways to Help Your Graduate Start Strong Without Losing Sight of Your Own Plan
For many families, May is when celebration and financial reality start showing up in the same conversation. Whether you’re celebrating a graduate from TC Central or West, or a college senior at Michigan or Michigan...
April 2026 Insights: When a Cherished Property Becomes Part of the Plan
With the arrival of spring and the slow thaw taking hold across Northern Michigan, this time of year often brings a renewed sense of perspective. The change in season has a way of prompting bigger-picture...
Legacy Up North: When a cherished property becomes part of the plan
A home can hold a unique place in both the balance sheet and the family story. Whether it’s a primary residence, a seasonal home, or a long-held family property, it’s where summers unfold, holidays are...
March 2026 Insights: Quiet Wealth, Clear Decisions
As winter begins to loosen its grip and the first signs of spring start to show up across Northern Michigan, this time of year often brings a natural shift in perspective. Longer days, a little...
What Are Tax-Focused Gifting Strategies?
While engaging in acts of giving is generally driven by personal and emotional factors, it’s important to consider the potential tax implications. Tax-focused gifting strategies, such as donor-advised funds and qualifying charitable contributions, can help...
Quiet Wealth, Clear Decisions: How High-Net-Worth Families Think About Money Differently
This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of the Traverse City Business News. We live in a place where wealth shows up in different ways. For some families, success is easy to...
February 2026 Insights: Clear Planning Amid Stock Market Noise
This time of year brings a lot of financial information into focus. Tax forms arrive, account values are reviewed, and we get a fuller picture of how decisions made over the past year played out....
Tips to Prevent Overpaying the IRS – Why it’s Important to Have a Tax Plan
This article was published in the March 2023 issue of the Traverse City Business News. We have updated the content to reflect any recent changes to the tax code and for clarity. Most of us...
Cash in Kind: Charitable Giving Can Help The Donor As Well As The Cause
This article was originally published in the December 2023 issue of the Traverse City Business News and can be read in its entirety below. We have updated the content to reflect any recent changes to...