Blog
Regularly, Impel Wealth Management leaders share their thoughts on market trends and topics. Select from a variety of subjects below to learn about our firm's philosophies and perspectives.
Higher and Higher!!
“(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" is an R&B song written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. It was recorded by Jackie Wilson for his album Higher and Higher. Released in August 1967, the song reached...
Read MoreHow High is the Ceiling?
Most of us age 50 or older grew up in homes that had standard 8-foot ceilings. As people begin to build larger and larger homes, higher ceilings became a status symbol. Most higher-end homes now boast ceilings that are at least 9 feet...
Read MoreReal Life, Real Answers...and Real Wages
In August 1987, shortly after finishing studies at the University of Akron, and still working as a bank teller at Huntington Bank’s branch on the Kent car strip, I answered a help wanted ad and had a job interview to start a...
Read MoreWho’s Minding the Store??
“Who’s Minding the Store” is a phrase that became popular in the 1960s. It was also the name of a 1963 comedy film starring Jerry Lewis, Jill St. John, Agnes Moorehead, and Ray Walston. In general, it means...
Read MoreDealing with Financial Uncertainties
One thing many of us are aware of, or is at least in the backs of our minds, is that life is unpredictable and can change in an instant. Sometimes, a major change may be predicted and can be planned for. However, oftentimes...
Read MoreShow All
The Shadow Knows...
Created in the early 1930s, The Shadow was an expert detective, a skilled marksman, and a master of stealth and disguise. He wore a wide-brimmed black hat and a black, crimson-lined cloak with an upturned collar. He was created in the...
Read MoreBanks and Inflation and Recession...Oh My!!
As they are making their way through the dark forest in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy innocently turns to Scarecrow and Tin Man and asks, “Do you suppose we’ll meet any wild animals?”. To which Tin Man says,...
Read MoreThe Great Balancing Act
On January 22, 1990, the last book that was published during Dr. Seuss’s lifetime was released. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! has become an enduring and favorite gift for students graduating anything from kindergarten to...
Read MoreWhere Should I Deposit My Paper Route Money?
Before I started kindergarten, my mom took me to the local branch of what was then the First National Bank of Akron. I was able to open a savings account with five dollars. A couple of times a year we would go into the bank to deposit...
Read MoreWill the US Dollar Retain Its Title?
It seems that everywhere you look these days, stories are circulating online and on various cable news outlets touting the inevitable decline of the US dollar. This type of commentary is not new. Quite the contrary, I have seen...
Read MoreThe (NEXT) French Revolution!!
History reminds us that the French people have taken to the streets to protest and/or overthrow their government on a somewhat regular basis over the last 250 years. According to Peter Jones, a professor of French History at the...
Read MoreDoes Jay Powell Need a Sidekick?
Throughout comic book, TV, and movie history, many superheroes had a sidekick. A friend who fights by their side and gives them encouragement, wisdom, and friendship, when they need it most. A superhero knows that they can rely on...
Read MoreYour Mother Was Right!!
Back when I was a kid, there were times that I wanted to do something because everybody else was doing it. It was probably the latest fad or the cool thing to do. It was my first introduction to herd mentality and FOMO, fear of missing...
Read MoreWhich War Are We Fighting??
The Maginot Line was built in the 1930s by France to prevent another invasion by Germany, similar to what happened in World War I. The line was named after the French Minister of War, Andre Maginot. As you can see below, it is a line...
Read MorePresident’s Day Delight: Highlights from the 2023 Impel Winter Retreat
On both Martin Luther King Jr. and President’s Day each year, the U.S. stock and bond markets are closed for trading. This has presented itself as a good opportunity for our team to use one of those days for our semi-annual...
Read MoreShould We Fear Being Average??
M. Night Shyamalan is an Indian-American filmmaker, director, and actor. He is known for making unique films with supernatural plots and surprise endings. His breakthrough film, The Sixth Sense, was the second highest-grossing film of...
Read MoreRipples of Fed Tightening Being Felt: an update from Gene Goldman
One of the things we like to do from time to time for the benefit of our trusted friends and clients is share an article or insight from someone outside of our office. In the last week, there has been a seemingly constant stream...
Read MoreWho Will Be America's + 1 ??
The term “+1” is most commonly used in reference to RSVPs to a wedding or social gathering. It grants the invited guest permission to bring someone with them to the event. Economically, one of the hard lessons we learned...
Read MoreSchool Days or School Daze??
Chuck Berry released the song “School Days” also known as “Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell” in March 1957 on his album After School Session. It is one of his more popular and better-known songs. The last verse of this...
Read MoreA Very INTERESTING Problem
As a brief follow-up to my recent blog post entitled “The National Debt…How Did We Get Here??” I wanted to bring up an additional issue that is not being talked about much but will likely be a major point of...
Read MoreImpel Wealth's Professional Advisory Network- Personal Umbrella Liability Coverage
The team at Impel Wealth Management is always looking for additional ways that we can serve our clients with excellence and add value to our relationship. To that end, we would like to introduce you to our Professional Advisory Network...
Read MoreWhat Happened in 1978?
1978 was an interesting and important year for a number of reasons. The movies Grease and National Lampoon‘s Animal House topped the box office that year. Major albums released that year included Some Girls from the Rolling...
Read MoreYou Better, You Bet
In 1982, I was a sophomore in high school. One day at noon it was announced that one of my favorite rock bands, The Who, was going to be coming to Cleveland, actually the Richfield Coliseum, on their first of many farewell tours....
Read MoreSECURE ACT 2.0: What you need to know for 2023
Source: Britannica.comThere's so much information (nearly 400 pages) regarding the Secure Act 2.0, the law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden at the end of 2022. The Act makes substantial changes to both...
Read MoreThe National Debt…How Did We Get Here??
On Friday, January 13th, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, sent a letter to the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, that has all the makings of a scary movie. Unfortunately, we could all be victims in this upcoming psychodrama.Her...
Read MoreThe Federal Reserve...I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell
As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you must have a vision and plan for the future. At most companies, and Impel Wealth Management is no exception, this means putting together goals, projections, and forecasts of where you...
Read MoreSpotlight on Impel Wealth Management
The Certified Financial Planners of Impel Wealth Management are always happy to share our experience and wisdom with you, our trusted friends, and clients. We also get asked to share some of our insights with a broader, national...
Read MoreWas the Bond Market Abby-NORMAL?
Young Frankenstein is a comedy horror film that was released in 1974. It was directed by Mel Brooks, and the screenplay was co-written by Brooks and the actor who played the title character, Gene Wilder. It is a parity of the horror...
Read MoreWhat’s the Purpose of Financial Journalism?
Being There is a 1979 political satire that tells the story of Chance, a middle-aged, uneducated gardener, who unwittingly becomes a much sought-after political pundit. He eventually becomes an advisor to the President of the United...
Read MoreMatch Game: The 2022 Stock Market Was SOOO Bad That....?
From 1973 to 1982 the TV show Match Game aired on CBS. The game featured contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelists to “fill in the blank” questions. Panelists were often B-list (or lower) celebrities...
Read MoreLookin' Out My Back Door
Lookin’ Out My Back DoorIn 1970, the American rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival released their fifth album, Cosmos Factory. This album included their fifth #2 Billboard hit Lookin’ Out My Back Door, written by the...
Read MoreHow Does the Watch Work??
Source: Crown & Caliber BlogIn 1992, I was lucky enough to be referred to a wonderful and fun 62-year-old lady named Ellen. She had been employed by a local manufacturing company for nearly 30 years, and she wanted to know if she had...
Read MoreCan We Pursue Happyness?
The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 biographical drama film starring Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman. Smith's son Jaden Smith co-stars, making his film debut as Gardner's son, Christopher Jr. It is based on Gardner's...
Read MoreSo This is Christmas, War is (NOT) Over
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was released as a Christmas song in 1971 by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, along with the Plastic Ono Band and the Harlem Community Choir. It was created as a protest song against the Vietnam War and has been...
Read MoreA Different Government Mandate??
There has certainly been a lot of talk and debate about government mandates over the last couple of years since the onset of the COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic. We have dealt with vaccine mandates, mask mandates, remote school and work...
Read MoreStrange Things Are Happening
As the movie Toy Story opens, all is good with the world for Sheriff Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks. He is Andy’s best friend and most valued toy. This is a position he has held for many years. All the other toys look up to and...
Read MorePlease Come Home for Christmas
The holiday season is upon us. This means Christmas decorations going up before Halloween is over. It means endless replays of movies, such as Christmas Vacation and Elf. It also means that Christmas music will be playing everywhere...
Read MoreImpel Wealth Special Tribute: A Local Hero
As I was browsing the internet, looking for definitions and descriptions of what would make someone a Local Hero, several defining characteristics came to the forefront. The first was someone who provides a positive influence on the...
Read MoreYour Retirement Contributions Just Received a Record Increase
Throughout my career, I have always been passionate about helping others save for retirement and save on their taxes.Last week, we had the opportunity to hear from Nathan Ollish, our Certified Financial Planner, about the 2023 Social...
Read MoreGive a Little Bit...More
Give a Little Bit is the opening song from Supertramp‘s 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments. The upbeat song was written by band member Roger Hodgson several years before he shared it with the rest of the band. The upbeat and...
Read MoreThe Money Pit Sequel??
In the 1986 movie The Money Pit, Tom Hanks (yes, the same Tom Hanks who has six Oscar nominations) plays Attorney Walter Fielding and his classical musician girlfriend, Anna Crowley, is played by Shelley Long. They decide to buy a...
Read MoreHow BIG Was the Bomb??
As we began the new year, the Federal Reserve Bank had not yet started raising interest rates from their historically low levels. As a matter of fact, they were still buying $120 billion of government and mortgage bonds each month to...
Read MoreMr. Blue Sky
I have been a huge fan of the band Electric Light Orchestra, ELO, from the first time I heard their music, which is characterized as fusion of rock, pop, and classical music arrangements. The band was formed in 1970, and during...
Read More2023 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment and Medicare Part B Premium Decrease
On October 13th, the Social Security Administration announced that the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for benefits paid and wages subject to payroll taxes will increase by 8.7% in 2023. This is a 2.8% increase over the 5...
Read MoreWill Prime Do Better Than Subprime??
Going out to eat with friends and loved ones should be a fun experience. However, sometimes menus can be overwhelming and confusing. There are so many food choices, toppings, and side orders that often people give up and ask their...
Read MoreAre You the One on the Right or the One on the Left??
Most people know that Johnny Cash was an American country singer-songwriter. According to Wikipedia, much of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption. His music was often characterized by train-like...
Read MoreStart Today to Plan for Tomorrow
Over the course of history, there have been many advances that have improved life for the human race- more than I will attempt to review here. The one code however that all of the brilliant minds in the world have never been able...
Read MoreOops, They Did It Again!!
When the COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic hit the shores of the United States in February and March 2020, it created economic chaos unlike anything we have ever seen before. The economic shutdowns created one of the deepest recessions we...
Read MoreBrothers in Arms
“History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes” is a quote attributed to Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens. This quote has been used often in political and economic realms. However, today I am going to be using it to...
Read MoreHead Over Heels
"Head over Heels" was the first single by the all-female pop rock/new wave band the Go-Go's. It was released in 1984 from their third studio album, Talk Show. Source: Amazon.comThe Go-Go’s inspired a musical on Broadway in...
Read MoreCould China Swallow Europe…and Still Be Hungry??
The 2001 PBS episode of Frontline was entitled The Monster That Ate Hollywood. It was touted as a scary story about giant predators (multinational conglomerates) and greedy villains (studio executives), with huge marketing budgets and...
Read MoreWorkin’ For a Livin’
Featured on their breakthrough 1982 album Picture This, Huey Lewis and the News’, Workin’ For A Livin tells an autobiographical story of working really hard to make enough money to just scrape by. It seems that no matter...
Read MoreHow Long is Your Runway??
Since Impel Wealth Management opened its doors more than five years ago, most of you have been aware that we are part of a national group comprised of more than 20 offices and over 55 advisors across the country. That group is known as...
Read MoreAre Risk and Volatility the Same Thing??
As much as my wife Rachel finds it unusual, I always enjoyed math class. Math came relatively easy to me (unlike foreign language). I was incredibly blessed to have really good math teachers throughout my high school years. Mr. Rosche...
Read MoreWill Inflation Take Social Security to High Heights??
In January 1990, Random House published the last book that was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss during his lifetime. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! follows the life journey of a young boy throughout his challenges and successes....
Read More6 Ways to Avoid College Pitfalls
Source: OSU Dean's OfficeAs we head into the Fall, my husband and I prepare to send our two kids off to college. I pause to think of all the parents challenged with navigating student loans, the avoidable fees on your tuition bill and...
Read MoreOne Foot on the Brake, and One on the Gas
It has historically been recommended to only use one foot to push either the gas or brake pedal when driving an automatic transmission vehicle. Research from various websites tells us that if a person happens to use both feet and hits...
Read MoreForever Young??
In 1973, Bob Dylan and The Band recorded the song Forever Young for Dylan’s 14th studio album, Planet Waves. The song was originally written as a lullaby for his oldest son Jesse, who was born in 1966. As you can see from the...
Read MoreClowns to the Left, Jokers to the Right
In late April 1973, the little-known band Stealers Wheel released their hit single, Stuck in the Middle with You. This song still gets significant airplay today. As a matter of fact, my wife Rachel and I heard it today while we were at...
Read MorePeople Get Ready
Curtis Mayfield, lead singer for The Impressions, wrote the song People Get Ready which was released in 1965. Rolling Stone named the gospel-influenced track as the 24th greatest song of all time. The song has a deep sense of both...
Read MoreTales From the Crypt(o)
Source: en.wikipedia.comPlaying that role today, I have three different tales from the crypt(o) to share with you. The first two seem fit for the television series above. This should not surprise anyone, as many cryptocurrencies have...
Read MoreTo Infinity and Beyond…Wealth Planning for a Longer Life
The 1995 film Toy Story was a step into the future for Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. It was the first entirely computer-animated feature film, and it was the first release from Pixar Studios. The movie introduced us...
Read MoreGive a Little Bit
Jesse Hurst was invited to speak at the Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary last Wednesday. He was asked to share his thoughts and the outlook of Impel Wealth and the Horizon Advisor Network Investylitics committee on the economy and the...
Read MoreWill the Real Estate Market do a Wile E Coyote??
Based on the vivid and recent memories that people have of the 2007–2008 housing bubble and subprime mortgage crisis, the CFP‘s of Impel Wealth Management are getting a lot of questions about similarities to today’s...
Read MoreOur Team Building and Tandem Kayaking Day
This is what I love about these people! We had such a great day last week when we closed the office for a day to have a Team Building Retreat. In past work life, I never had the opportunity to participate in these business...
Read MoreThat Was a BAD First Half – Time for Rally Caps??!!
Wikipedia tells us that a “Rally Cap” is a baseball cap worn inside-out and backwards, or in some other unconventional manner, by players and/or fans to will a team to a come-from-behind victory late in a game. The rally...
Read MoreAre We Going to Need TWO Tape Measures??
For those of you who remember the great Cleveland Indians (Guardians??) teams of the mid-90’s, the image below of Jim Thome standing at the plate will be very familiar to you. Jim was born in Peoria, Illinois and received...
Read MoreThe Opposite of Robin Hood
Almost all of us have some picture in our head of who Robin Hood is or what he represents. For our retired clients, this may come from seeing the swashbuckling Errol Flynn play the title character in the 1938 movie. Some people...
Read MoreIs it OLD or CLASSIC?
Source: etsy.comTo those of you who have known me for many years, it will probably come as no surprise that I spent a lot of money on records as a kid. I can remember when a 45 RPM record cost $.96. Along with 4% sales tax, you could...
Read MoreThe Last Four Years…How Behavior Drives Results??
Investors who are trying to accumulate the resources necessary to make a successful transition from work life to a retirement of significance, and those already retired who are trying to maintain the lifestyle and activities they have...
Read MoreThrough Volatility, Maintaining Perspective is Key
With the first six months of 2022 behind us in what has so far been a challenging year in both the stock and bond markets, the team at Impel Wealth Management wants to first thank you for the opportunity to serve you, our trusted...
Read MoreOne Step Up…and TWO Steps Back
Bruce Springsteen released the Tunnel of Love album in 1987. The third top 20 single from that album was titled One Step Up. Unlike many songs that Bruce recorded with the legendary E Street Band, Bruce plays all the instruments...
Read MoreJesse Hurst Named a Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor for 2022
For the fifth consecutive year, Jesse Hurst and the team at Impel Wealth Management have been recognized by Forbes and SHOOK Research as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor.This year’s list features more than 6,500 of the best...
Read More8 Is Enough?!!
In 1977, the United States had just finished its Bicentennial celebration. Saturday Night Fever was drawing people to the box office and making disco popular (as if that was possible). In what may have been a nod to the economic pain...
Read MoreWill We Pass the Midterm?
Just the mention of midterm exams brought fear and trepidation to the hearts of many students throughout their high school and college years. The thought that so much of your ultimate grade for a class would hinge on how you did on a...
Read MoreA Special Triple Tribute
In the more than five years since the founding of Impel Wealth Management, I have occasionally highlighted a person or organization that has made an enormous difference in our community. We call these “special tributes”,...
Read MoreWhat Does Inflation Look Like?
In the mid-90s, most people still had vivid memories of what a period of rising and persistent inflation looked like. For those of us who lived through the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, we can remember the impact that double...
Read MoreWelcoming Sophia
Last year I introduced you to Cetera’s Diversity in Financial Planning Scholarship designed to drive financial literacy, advance education, and ongoing career development by working with students to overcome barriers...
Read MorePast Performance Does Not Guarantee Future…(You Know the Thing)
In our ongoing effort to provide you with timely reminders of basic investment principles, we are going to look at one of the most often stated disclaimers that is used within the financial services industry:Source:futurethink.comWe...
Read MoreCan We Get Some Satisfaction?
American business author and former management professor at the University of New Orleans, Michael LeBoeuf, reminds us of something that most of us intuitively know: Our goal is to create a customer service culture that produces...
Read MoreThe Man Behind the Curtain
Many of you are kind enough to ask about my and Rachel‘s family and how our kids are doing. It has been a while since I have given you an update on Shane (who just celebrated his 31st birthday…really). He had previously...
Read MoreSome Perspective on Volatility
It seems that the primary function of financial journalism is to terrify us out of ever achieving our financial goals by shouting about the market’s volatility. We have been reminded of this almost hourly as the markets started...
Read MoreTalkin' Bout My Generation
From my perspective, two important events occurred in October,1965. First of all, on October 5th, I was born. Later that same month, one of my favorite rock bands, The Who released their classic song, My Generation. They later...
Read MoreDo You Prefer Soft or Hard??
I can think of at least two consumer-based industries (I am sure there are others) who spend a significant amount of time pondering the above question. The first would be the toothbrush industry. When you think of the vast array...
Read MoreTime Is on My Side
The song “Time Is On My Side” was written by Norman Meade and first recorded by a jazz trombonist named Kai Winding and his Orchestra in 1963. Over the next two years, it was covered by both soul singer Irma Thomas from New...
Read MoreWhat Did YOU Expect?
Expectations are a funny thing. The dictionary defines it as the anticipation of what will happen in the future. We know that expectations drive behavior and emotions. Think about your own expectations of watching a family...
Read MoreLet's Get Real
The phrase let’s get real has been used for decades. According to the Cambridge Dictionary it is an informal phrase used for telling someone they should try to understand the true facts of a situation and not hope for what is...
Read MoreCome On Irene
Thanks to you, our valued clients, as well as our trusted friends in the professional advisory community, Impel Wealth continues to experience a rapidly growing number of referrals.As time flies, it may seem hard to believe that Nathan...
Read MoreIt’s All About the Base (Effects)
Many more people can tell you who the singer or lead guitarist of popular bands are than can tell you who played bass for the same groups. I will cherry pick some easy examples. Most people (my age) know Mick Jagger and Keith...
Read MoreAnalyze This??!!
In the 1999 comedy film Analyze This, Mafia don Paul Vitti, played by Robert De Niro, suffers from anxiety attacks that force him to visit a psychiatrist, played by Billy Crystal. Known as a vicious mobster, De Niro finds himself...
Read MoreFilling Up the Gas Tank....Held Up Without a Gun
After living through the Arab Oil Embargo in 1973, which caused fuel prices to rise, long gas lines, the biggest stock market decline since the Great Depression, as well as a massive recession, The United States was once again facing a...
Read MoreAll Together Now
One, two, three, four Can I have a little more? Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten I love...
Read MoreThe Waiting is the Hardest Part
The waiting is the hardest part Every day you get one more yard You take it on faith, you take it to the heartThe waiting is the hardest part …Tom Petty Featured on the 1981 album Hard...
Read MoreWe Are Going to Need a Bigger Coffee House
History shows us that the rise of the coffee house in 18th century Europe became a hub for information sharing. It seems that people coming together in what was our first networking community, drew people from all walks of life. This...
Read MoreDo You Remember 1990??
In 1990, people were flocking to movie theaters to see Pretty Woman and Home Alone, Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers were winning another Super Bowl, the Hubble Space Telescope, which is still operational and whose replacement...
Read MoreCommon Questions - Retirement Spending, Take the Money and Run
In the next installment of Common Questions, we tackle the topic of retirement spending. Retirement income planning is a complex topic with many moving parts from understanding income sources to asset allocation strategies to income...
Read MoreWill the Bond Market Give us a Cherry Bomb??
When we were in second grade at Indian Trail Elementary school, we couldn’t wait to get outside and play during lunch recess. Many of us packed our lunches so that we would not have to wait in the cafeteria line. That way, we...
Read MoreRespect the Streak
History, but especially baseball history, is filled with amazing stories of athletic feats. As humans, we are inspired by athletes doing things that have never been done before, especially when it will likely never be done again.I...
Read MoreDid Inflation Go Metric?
For those of you old enough to remember, 1975 was a challenging and interesting time to be alive. We had recently closed the door on the Vietnam War and Watergate. We were anxiously looking forward to our nation’s Bicentennial...
Read MoreBIG V…or little v?? Dr. Seuss and Stock Market Volatility Part 2
In my last post, I shared something I learned as a child from the Dr. Seuss ABC book. The book gave rhyming examples of words that started with each letter of the alphabet, with both upper- and lower-case examples, as you can see...
Read MoreBIG V…or little v?? Dr. Seuss and Stock Market Volatility Part 1
For those of you who have been to the offices of Impel Wealth Management, or have known me for many years, it should come as no surprise that one of the first books I learned to read was the Dr. Seuss ABC book. The book gave rhyming...
Read MorePocket Full of Crypto-nite?
In 1991, a New York based rock group, the Spin Doctors, burst on the national music scene with the release of their album Pocket Full of Kryptonite. They had a unique musical sound, did not seem to take themselves too seriously and...
Read MoreSomething's Gotta Give
In 1955 Sammy Davis Jr. had a hit song, Something's Gotta Give, written by Johnny Mercer the year before. The opening lyrics are as follows: When an irresistible force Such as you, Meets an old immovable object like me. You can...
Read MoreCommon Questions - Mortgage Refinancing, Money for Nothing
The Certified Financial Planners of Impel Wealth Management are always trying to share ideas and thought leadership with you, our trusted friends and clients. Our goal is to make sure that you have the resources needed to be informed...
Read MoreAdding Two Servings of Special Sauce to the Impel Recipe!!
As we add to the team at Impel Wealth, we believe in hiring for a combination of values and internal character traits. Included are a strong desire to help others, good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with...
Read MoreLast Christmas…OR the First COVID Christmas
Last Christmas George Michael might have given his heart, but US consumers bought and gave a whole bunch of stuff. In the chart below, provided to us by Adobe Digital Assets and US Global Investors, you can see that online sales for...
Read MoreWhere Have ALL the Baby Boomers Gone?
We know that the Baby Boomers generation has had an enormous impact on our economy since they first started showing up on the US landscape shortly after World War II. Traditionally defined as those born between 1946 and 1964, they have...
Read MoreHas Irrational Exuberance Returned?
Investors tend to put on blinders during times of market froth. After living through the Dot.Com bubble of the late ‘90s, and the real estate bubble of the mid ‘00s, I have watched it firsthand and lived to tell about it...
Read MorePass the Remote, Please
In our household, Rachel reluctantly cedes control of the remote control to me. I truly believe that I am a better clicker and have better instincts for being able to watch multiple shows at the same time, all while minimizing...
Read MoreClassic Rock or Rock Meets Classical?
As far back as I can remember, I have always been a huge fan of classic rock. I especially remember being drawn to bands or sounds that pushed the envelope to try new concepts and experimented with out-of-the-box ideas. There are many...
Read MoreAre We REALLY Socially Secure? Part 2
As we stated in our first installment of this series, the Social Security trustee‘s report was finally released in August, four months later than usual. It showed that the Social Security trust fund is now projected to run out of...
Read MoreAre We REALLY Socially Secure? Part 1
The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in August of 1935. It created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers aged 65 or older a continuing income after they retired. Upon signing...
Read MoreHow Do We Measure Inflation?
A recent report from Advisor Perspectives shows some conflicting information about the Consumer Price Index, CPI, the way it is measured, and how it compares to its underlying price components. As you can see from the chart below,...
Read MoreWatched Pots and Economic Outlooks
As we turn towards the fall season and the final quarter of the year, there are many questions and concerns that people have been voicing about our economic and political backdrop. To that end, I have two pieces of news and information...
Read MoreDon't Miss the Really BIG Events
As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” empireonline.com We live in a fast-paced society, with a 24-hour news cycle that spins...
Read MoreGo West Young Man
Over my more than thirty years in the financial planning and wealth management industry, I have been inspired to see more of this beautiful world as you, our trusted friends, and clients, have shared stories of your travels around the...
Read MoreLike Father, Like Son – An Overview of Proposed Changes to the SECURE Act
The SECURE (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) Act was signed into law on December 20th, 2019. Two of the key provisions of this act were pushing the Required Minimum Distribution Age (RMD) from 70.5 to 72 and...
Read MoreSocial Security Gains Could be Offset
As much talk and attention as there has been about inflation over the last six months, there is one large group of Americans that stand to benefit from these higher measures of consumer prices, and that is retirees collecting Social...
Read MoreInflation's Potential Impact on 2022 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment
For many retired Americans, their social security check is a key part of their income in retirement, and a recent study shows they could see a significant bump in their benefits for 2022. According to a study published by the...
Read MoreOn The Road Again
After speaking at a conference in Denver in January 2020 and attending the Forbes/SHOOK Top Wealth Advisor conference in Las Vegas in February 2020, the routine of business life and travels came to an abrupt halt just a few weeks later...
Read MoreWhat is Keeping Central Bankers Awake at Night?
If you were the head of one of the world’s top central banks, such as Jerome Powell of the Federal Reserve Bank, you would have access to a lot of information and data that the rest of the world is not privy to. Given where we...
Read MoreShould I Save or Should I Spend Now?
Many of you have heard me reference the 1996 book The Millionaire Next Door by authors Thomas Stanley and William Danko. I have usually drawn analogies between the people outlined in this book and my clients, as many of my clients have...
Read MoreDid COVID-19 Move People to Retire?
As we have seen with past periods of financial disruption and dislocation, the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has changed the retirement plans of more than 3.1 million Americans, age 55 and older. According to the Census Bureau, more...
Read MoreLessons Learned and Helping Others
Since the pandemic overwhelmed the economy and the markets in the spring of 2020, our team and our clients have had the opportunity to revisit the wisdom of staying true and aligned with your lifetime financial plans, rather than...
Read MoreWho is Keeping Score?
Many of us know what a credit score is and know that the higher our score, the better. However, this is often the limit of knowledge for many consumers, and even more misunderstandings can come into the equation as many confuse their...
Read MoreShould We Watch the Stock Market or the Economy?
There are many times when what is going on with the economy looks very different from what is going on with the stock market. We only have to look at the last few years to see this in action. In calendar year 2018, we had economic...
Read MorePoint/Counterpoint Inflation - And the Winner Is...??
Over the last two weeks, we have been looking at both sides of the new and alarming inflation narrative in true Point/Counterpoint style (just like they did in the 1970’s on the TV show 60 Minutes). The first week, we spent a...
Read MorePoint/Counterpoint - Inflation Fears MAY Be Overblown
Last week, we began a three-part series on whether or not inflation was going to be a major problem for the US economy and its consumers over the next 3 to 5 years. We framed this in a Point/Counterpoint manner similar to the way 60...
Read MorePoint/Counterpoint - The Case for Inflation FUD
In the early 1970’s, there was a recurring segment on the CBS TV news program 60 Minutes entitled “Point-Counterpoint”. During this regular feature, two reporters would take opposite sides, debating the same issue. A...
Read MoreWhat Role Does Psychology Play in Wealth Management?
In 2008, the United States was in the midst of the great recession, brought about by the subprime mortgage crisis and the downturn in the US real estate markets. The US economy, banking system and financial markets were in such a state...
Read MoreAre There Baby Boomers in China?
The Baby Boomer generation has had an outsized influence on many aspects of life in the United States over the decades. The Baby Boomers were born after World War II, from 1946 to 1964. During this time period, approximately 76 million...
Read MoreShould I Still Refinance My Mortgage?
Many of us are well aware of how hot the housing market is right now and have either experienced this firsthand, or probably know somebody who has. Not only are the existing home sales and new construction markets hot right now, but...
Read MoreAre We in ANOTHER Housing Bubble?
It seems that at least several times each week Nathan and I are discussing the housing market with our clients. Many of our clients are surprised to see record high valuations on their homes according to various real estate websites....
Read MoreIs Inflation Coming Back?
Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. -Sam Ewing You have not heard much about inflation over the last 20 years. For most of that time period, the...
Read MoreFunding the Future of Student Success, The Diversity in Financial Planning Scholarship
After witnessing the events of the past year, I was challenged and inspired to create a vision of how I could partner with my broker/dealer, Cetera Financial Group to make a difference. We are an organization steadfastly committed to...
Read MoreA REAL Fantastic Voyage
For those of you who grew up in the Northeast Ohio area, you probably remember watching Superhost Marty Sullivan, present the WUAB channel 43‘s Saturday afternoon movies. One of my favorite movies in regular rotation was the 1966...
Read MoreConsiderations When Buying a New(er) Car
For many of us, outside of purchasing a home, buying a car will be the next largest purchase we make in our lives. Depending on your personality, going to the dealership to find a new car is typically viewed as an enjoyable challenge...
Read MoreSecond Quarter Webinar Consumers Are Ready for Reopening
The team at Impel Wealth Management is happy to invite you to our Second Quarter Outlook Webinar, entitled Consumers Are Ready for Reopening. Our goal is to continue to keep you in the loop and educate you about where things may be...
Read MoreJesse Hurst named a 2021 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes
For the fourth year in a row, Jesse Hurst and the team at Impel Wealth Management have been recognized by Forbes and SHOOK Research as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor. The ranking features 5,224 of the best financial advisors in the...
Read MoreLife Expectancy Growth Stalls
For more than a century life expectancy in the United States has been steadily increasing. The last time there was a major change in this trend was around the time of the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak. This flu pandemic, which was caused...
Read MoreWall Street's Charging Bull
Arturo Di Modica recently passed away at age 80. Like most people, you have probably never heard of him. But you have certainly seen The Charging Bull sculpture which is located at the base of Wall Street in the New York City borough...
Read MoreSpecial Video Replay Available How Are YOU Doing? Helping Families Navigate COVID-19 Realities
Impel Wealth Management was happy to partner with Akron Children’s Hospital and our special guest speaker Dr. Laura Gerak, Director of Clinical Psychology to provide our friends and clients with the above webinar. If you were...
Read MoreMore Savings, Less Debt
It appears that Congress and the Biden administration are on the path to adding an additional $1.9 trillion of stimulus money to our rapidly recovering economy. On February 1st, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), issued updated...
Read MoreHow Can You Be Growing and Shrinking at the Same Time?
It would seem to be a physical impossibility that you could be growing and shrinking at the same time. However, a recent report from the Visual Capitalist website shows that very phenomena playing out with the US economy over the last...
Read MoreBack to the Future
In 1980, Ronald Reagan won his first Presidential election, inflation and interest rates were double digits, US hostages were being held in Iran, and I was finishing my freshman year of high school. As we take a look back at how things...
Read MoreWhat Happened to Canada and Australia?
When my sons Shane and Zach were young, I was subjected to a number of TV shows designed specifically for the preschool crowd. Many of these shows were on PBS, and I admit to thoroughly enjoying some of them, such as Sesame Street and...
Read MoreAre There Really TWO Job Markets?
You probably don’t need more evidence to ascertain what a crazy year we just lived through in 2020. However, in the category of you can’t make this stuff up, Department of Labor statistics show that BOTH the lowest and the...
Read MoreThe One Where Joey (and the Economy) Dug A Hole
Any of you who are fans of the popular TV show Friends, will likely remember the episode where Joey, Chandler and Monica went to the beach. To help pass the time and burn some energy, Joey decided to dig a hole in the sand as you can...
Read MoreAlexa, How Do I Video Conference?
2020 was certainly an interesting year, and one that most people are happy to see move to the rearview mirror. I believe that when historians look back on the COVID-19, coronavirus outbreak, they will look at it as a period that...
Read MoreNational Spotlight on Impel Wealth
We know that many of you have seen the financial advisors of Impel Wealth Management featured in local media, newspapers, magazines and TV, on a somewhat regular basis. We are happy to be recognized locally as a trusted voice for...
Read More2021 Outlook: The Road to Recovery
Happy New Year!! Good riddance and goodbye to 2020!! It was a year filled with unprecedented events, from a global health pandemic, to social unrest, to political and economic uncertainty and volatility. Unfortunately, as we round the...
Read MoreHow DEEP and How WIDE?
They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. In the case of the picture below, a picture is actually worth trillions of dollars. Our friends at JPMorgan Asset Management provided us with a chart of all of the recessions since 1910....
Read MoreO Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree
It is hard to believe that we have less than a week until Christmas, and in light of the season and trying to bring a little joy, I thought I would share one of my favorite family Christmas traditions. For practically my entire life,...
Read More2021 Social Security and Medicare Part B Changes
On October 13th, the Social Security Administration announced that the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for benefits paid and wages subject to payroll taxes will increase by 1.3% in 2021. This is slightly less, by 0.3%, than the...
Read MoreWhen Will the Economy Get a Shot (or Two) in the Arm?
The first trucks containing the COVID-19, coronavirus vaccine are headed out the door and the first Americans will begin receiving vaccination shots shortly. While the general population‘s health and wellness is top of mind and...
Read MoreAnother 2020 Milestone!!
2020 has been packed with negative news and milestones that most people wish they had never seen or lived through. From viral pandemics to social unrest and bitterly partisan elections, it has truly been a year that even Marty McFly...
Read More2020 and Friday the 13th
To state the obvious, 2020 has been an unusual year. We even had two Friday the 13th’s in a single year. However, when we look at the entire decade of the 2020s, we see that having multiple Friday the 13th’s in a single...
Read MoreGiving Thanks In 2020
As we find ourselves in this season of giving, we thought it would be a nice idea in the coming weeks to share with you some of the ways in which Impel Wealth's employees choose to give back to others through various charities and...
Read MoreAre We on a Road to Nowhere?
The US Government’s fiscal year ended on September 30th. According to data from the US Treasury Department the budget deficit for calendar year 2020, totaled $3.13 trillion. This dwarfs the previous year’s budget deficit of...
Read MoreCARES Act Waives Required Minimum Distributions in 2020
As a reminder to the trusted friends and clients of Impel Wealth Management, the passage of the CARES Act earlier this year waived required minimum distributions (RMDs) for 2020. This waiver applies to the RMDs for both IRAs and...
Read MoreWill 100 Years Old Really Become The New 60?
We are going to take a break from the intense and divisive political and economic landscape we are living through to focus on something much more positive and upbeat today. We want to bring you some updates on what is going on with...
Read MoreI Have a Fish Story for You
Paul Zane Pilzer is an economist, New York Times best- selling author, and social entrepreneur. in 1990 he wrote a book entitled Unlimited Wealth which includes the parable The Fish Story. We think it is an excellent illustration of...
Read MoreWebinar Replay: 2020 What Else Could Go Wrong?
In our continuing effort to keep you, the trusted friends and clients of Impel Wealth Management, informed about what is going on with the economy and financial markets, we recently hosted the above Zoom webinar on Wednesday,...
Read MoreTrump vs Biden: Do Markets Care Who Wins?
This is THE key question that seems to be on the minds of the clients of Impel Wealth Management. As we move towards the Presidential and Congressional elections that will take place in the next couple of weeks, there is significant...
Read MoreThe Case for Diversification
Since COVID-19 first began to impact the U.S. and global stock markets earlier this year, many investors have seen their portfolios embark on quite the wild ride. When the S&P 500 reached what was then a new all-time high on February...
Read MoreWhen Life Gives You Lemons
Many of you know that I've been part of a professional study group for nearly 15 years. I was first asked to be part of such a group in 2006. This study group consisted of 10 certified financial planners from across the eastern half...
Read More2020 What Else Could Go Wrong?
Impel Wealth to Host Election and Markets Webinar A Look at History, Elections and Financial Markets 2020 continues to be a year for the record books. A year that will be etched in our memories for the rest of our lives. A year that...
Read MoreCan I Have MORE Special Sauce?
What makes for a great team? While there is no guaranteed recipe for success, I believe that a combination of a strong desire to help and serve others, good communication skills and the right culture contributes to a fun and...
Read MoreAn Economic Update from Brian Wesbury, First Trust Portfolios
In our continued effort to keep all of our trusted clients and friends updated on what is happening in the U.S. and global economies and the potential impact it may have on the stock market, we wanted to share with you a video from...
Read MoreThe Dangers of Science vs Social Media
A recent research project between the Franklin Templeton mutual fund company and Gallup organization, looked to find out how peoples behavioral response to the COVID-19, coronavirus pandemic could impact perceptions of risk, decision...
Read MoreCOVID vs Stimulus - Did Personal Incomes REALLY Rise?
2020 has continued to be a most unusual year in a number of ways. Two recent reports on personal income bear this out and will surprise many of our readers. According to economist Paul Kasriel, in the April to June quarter, personal...
Read MoreHow in the World are We going to Pay For This??
The word "unprecedented" has been bandied around a lot over the last six months. However, it is certainly appropriate when we think about the enormous amount of money that has been spent by the Federal Government to support...
Read MoreA SWOT analysis along with a SWAT analysis
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17, NIV The team of Impel Wealth Management got together on July 31st before our semi-annual team retreat. We try to live out the verse above by questioning, encouraging,...
Read MoreWhen is the Stock Market Like a Classic Novel
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” The above quote is from the 1945 George Orwell classic book, Animal Farm. During my junior year of high school, I took a class called Modern Novel. Of...
Read MorePreparing for the Unexpected
As many of you may already know, I served as an Active Duty Army Officer for 4 years after I graduated with my undergraduate degree from the University of Akron. My time in the service and especially my time overseas taught me many...
Read MoreWill 90% get the American Economy an A?
Life seemed so much simpler and well-defined when I was a young student. The grading scale was straightforward, 90% or above earned you an A. You knew exactly what you needed to get the grade you wanted. As I got older, things became...
Read MoreThe Consumer Will Decide the Shape of the Economic Recovery
We hope you are enjoying the summer and staying healthy in these trying times. Now that we are officially in a recession, we are looking for clues on how long we will stay in it and what the recovery will look like. The good news is...
Read MoreWho wants to go to Wally World??
We often talk with our clients about how "memories" have more value than "things". We also find that the value of memories go up over time. Often times, the memories clients share with us have to do with shared experiences and family...
Read MoreThe History of Man vs Machine
In the book "Progress and Poverty", Henry George, a political journalist and economist, writes about the paradox of increasing inequality amid economic and technological process. This is something we hear a lot about today, especially...
Read MoreFear VS Danger
Someone recently said to me that if you ever wondered what it was like to live through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the job loss of the Great Depression AND The Los Angeles Watts Riots of 1965, all at the same time, YOU ARE!! We...
Read MoreThe Impact of COVID-19 on Social Security
We hope that you and your family are holding up well during these extraordinary times. The team at Impel Wealth is strongly committed to empowering people to change their financial lives for the better and helping them achieve their...
Read MorePatience During an Election Year
Many of us are familiar with the phrase "Patience is a virtue". While we may be familiar with it, that does not mean it is easy to practice, especially in a society where we expect instant gratification. In the world of streaming,...
Read MoreThe Survey Says....
I guess that some improvement is better than none. A recent survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute estimated that approximately 41% of American households will not have enough money to live comfortably during their...
Read MoreCorona Virus, Stocks, and the Economy
In late March, as the markets were careening downward in the fastest bear market anybody living has ever witnessed, I shared a video with you from Brian Wesbury of First Trust. He is one of Wall Street's most respected economists and...
Read MoreTime: The Most Precious Commodity
It has been nearly two months since Ohio first enacted the stay-at-home order that originally went into effect at 11:59pm on Monday, March 23rd. During that time period, much of what was "normal life" before the outbreak of the...
Read MoreGiving Back During the COVID Crisis
Over the last two months, during this period of uncertainty, volatility and social distancing during the COVID-19, coronavirus outbreak, a number of clients have reached out to me wanting to know what they could do to help others in...
Read MoreForbes Honors and Make-A-Wish
On the afternoon of Thursday, February 16th, I was sitting in my office, finishing notes and emails after my last client meeting had finished when I got the following message: It is both a gratifying and humbling feeling to receive...
Read MoreWhy is News SOOO Negative?
Does it seem like every time you turn on the 24 hour cable news network (no matter whether you are watching the ones that lean left or lean right), the airwaves are filled with unrest, distain and negativity? If you feel that way, not...
Read MoreWisdom and the History we DO know!!
"History repeats itself, and that's one of the things that's wrong with history," Clarence Darrow "It's like déjà vu all over again," Yogi Berra It seems like the media is constantly telling us that we are in...
Read MoreSpecial Guest Commentary from Gene Goldman
The markets and economy have gone through great disruption and turmoil over the last two months as we entered this COVID-19 coronavirus medically induced economic coma. During this time period, we have done our best to be proactive in...
Read MoreThe Federal Reserve Bank and Animal House- Part 2 Unconventional Weapons
"Now we could do it with conventional weapons, but that could take years and cost millions of lives". - Otter Last week, I posited that the Federal Reserve Bank had blown through all of the "conventional weapons" that they had...
Read MoreThe Federal Reserve, Animal House & Bugs Bunny
Much to my wife's bewilderment and dismay, Animal House remains one of my favorite movies. I first saw it on cable TV when I was probably much too young to have had that freedom and choice. I have seen all or parts of this movie...
Read MoreMaking the Most of Quarantine World
In a world where the 24-hour cable news networks and social media platforms tend to spin constantly on negative news and dire outlooks, we wanted to give you an alternative thought process and a reason to have hope and optimism. Below...
Read MoreCash Equals Fear Redux 2009 vs 2020
We are at a point of maximum uncertainty from both a public health and an economic standpoint. It seems like the COVID-19 coronavirus has become the biggest public health crisis since the Spanish flu of 1918, over 100 years ago. I had...
Read MoreStimulus is coming! What does that mean to you?
With the COVID-19 pandemic having a major impact on most of our lives while we all seem to live in some form of quarantine or social distancing, Congress and the President have worked together to pass the $2 trillion dollar stimulus...
Read MoreUnderstanding Recent Market Volatility Webinar Replay
Last Friday we had the opportunity to do our first Zoom webinar for the benefit of our clients. Historically when there have been bouts of market volatility like we have recently experienced, we would have rented a room in a community...
Read MoreTHANK YOU and a Reason for Optimism
I would like to begin our Friday newsletter and update with a giant thank you to YOU, our friends and clients. During this time of volatility and uncertainty, we have been working overtime trying to communicate with you, and to return...
Read MoreWhere is the Bottom?
No matter how many times we have gone through downturns, corrections and bear markets, the $64,000 question is always "Where is the bottom?" Even after a drop of more than 26% on the S&P 500, which threw us into a bear market more...
Read MoreHelping Others In Volatile Times
As you are well aware due to the increased volume of emails that you have received from the team at Impel Wealth Management, we are striving to be very proactive in communicating with and serving our clients during this time of market...
Read MoreInvestment Newsletter
"The four most dangerous words in investing are: 'this time it's different.'" -- Sir John Templeton "The investor's chief problem -- even his worst enemy -- is likely to be himself." -- Benjamin Graham “I will tell you how to...
Read MoreLearning from Dr. Seuss
When you think of Dr. Seuss, what words come to mind? As you begin to unpack your adjectives, most people think of words like "creative" or "innovative". As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of Dr. Seuss' most important and...
Read MorePlanning for Tying the Knot
Saving for the future is a common goal that we often assist our clients- retirement, future healthcare costs, college education savings are all fairly common goals. But what about saving for the cost of future wedding expenses?...
Read MoreWill Coronavirus Infect the Economy?
After bottoming on December 24, 2018, the S&P 500 Index moved up nearly 40% over the next 13 months to mid-January 2020. Then, as word of the Coronavirus spreading more quickly and widely than was originally anticipated continued to...
Read MoreHelping Preserve What You Have Built
One of the things we love is to be a resource for our clients on many different topics that encompass their financial lives. Whether it is discussing complex economic ideas and the potential impacts on portfolios, building personalized...
Read MoreAre You Sick of Politics?
It seems like this presidential political season has been going on forever. In reality, it started November 8, 2016, the night most people were caught off guard by Donald Trump being elected. If you are sick of, or stressed out by the...
Read MorePresidential Election Years and the S&P 500
It's January and before we know it, the presidential election will be upon us. In 2019, the S&P 500 had an excellent year, returning 28.88%. With a great year in the markets behind us and a new year already almost one month in, what...
Read MoreBe Our Guest
I write a lot. Each year I write at least 40 market commentary intros. These get re-purposed as blog posts on our website, and they also get shared on social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Additionally, I write the monthly...
Read MoreDid Congress Just Make Your Retirement More SECURE?
In mid-December, as part of a massive spending bill that was passed to avoid a government shutdown, a retirement savings bill known as the SECURE Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on December 20th. The...
Read MoreWhere Do I Rank?
There will be a lot of discussion over the next few months as we work through the Democratic primaries and the Congressional and Presidential elections about income and wealth inequality. Much of the discussion will focus around how...
Read MoreHow Long Should I Work?
According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office, the number of people working from 55 to 79 years old has increased by more than 1/3 over the past two decades. This is a result of a combination of fewer men retiring...
Read MoreHow Much Will Medicare Cost in 2020?
On November 11th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that for calendar year 2020 Medicare part B premiums, which cover doctor fees and outpatient services, will increase by $9.10 per month to $144.60. This is a...
Read MoreSeason of Thanks
With Thanksgiving now behind us and Christmas and the New Year ahead, it is easy to often move past the celebration of this past weekend and turn our attention to the rest of the holiday season. We tend to focus on the "here and now,"...
Read MoreThe Health Insurance Challenge
As we head towards the 2020 Congressional and Presidential elections, I would like to continue to share information with you so that you can be a better-informed voter. It is my hope that in sharing this non-partisan data, that it will...
Read More2020 Social Security COLA
On Thursday, October 10th, the Social Security Administration announced that the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for benefits paid and wages subject to payroll taxes will increase by 1.6% in 2020. This is more than a percentage...
Read MoreWhat Are We Fighting Over?
We continue to try to arm you with information to be a more informed voter as we head into the 2020 elections. Today's topic is not one that you hear a lot about, it is not easily understood in a twenty second YouTube video or Tweet....
Read MoreThe 2020 Retirement Challenges Part 3 - Longevity and Climate Change
Over my 30+ years in the financial planning field, I have walked with my clients through many retirement challenges. A partial list of events our clients have witnessed and survived include two Persian Gulf wars, a presidential...
Read MoreThe 2020 Retirement Challenges Part 2 - Sequence of Return Risk
Over the years, I have had two groups of clients that had the biggest struggle to overcome in the early years of their retirement. The first group of clients retired in late 1999 or early 2000, right as the dot.com bubble was starting...
Read MoreThe 2020 Retirement Challenges Part 1 - Low/Negative Interest Rates
In over 30 years of helping people accumulate the resources needed to make the successful transition from work life to retirement life, there have been many challenges that we have faced. Natixis Investment Managers recently released...
Read MoreImpel's Team of Distinction
This year, Impel Wealth Management was honored to join other local businesses by attending the 18th annual Employee of Distinction Awards luncheon, presented by Goodwill. The luncheon honors nominees from local employers who are...
Read MoreRetiree Health Care
Clients are sometimes initially surprised when we ask them questions about their health care insurance premiums, prescription drug costs, deductibles, and dental expenses. However, as we delve further into their out of pocket medical...
Read MoreWhat a Difference a Decade Makes
Over the next 14 months, leading up to the next general Congressional and Presidential election, you are going to be inundated with information and statistics. As I have listened carefully to much of what has been shared to this point,...
Read MoreLive From Denver
I don't believe that anyone will ever mistake, "Live From Denver" with "Live From New York, It's Saturday Night". However, on the Tuesday morning of Cetera's recent Connect Conference in Denver, I had a new experience. I was...
Read MoreImpel at Connect
The teams at both Impel Wealth Management and our partners at Horizon Financial Group participated in a meaningful way at Cetera Financial Group's recent Connect Conference in Denver, Colorado. Connect is the annual education...
Read MoreBack to School Preparation
It's hard to believe that summer is almost over and it is time for kids to head back to school. For many of our clients, this means either getting kids ready to return to grade school, or perhaps even sending them off (or back) to...
Read MoreWhen is WE Better Than I?
A recent poll by UBS of 3,652 women around the world found the majority continue to defer the financial decision-making process to their spouse. There were over 2,200 married women with at least $1 million of investable assets included...
Read MoreWhat's on Your Bucket List?
I am blessed to have so many clients that I enjoy spending time with. They share many deep and personal stories about what is happening with work, life and family. We take the responsibility of managing those relationships and...
Read MoreFive Years and 1,000 Points
It may seem like a long time ago, however, on August 26 of 2014 the S&P 500 closed above the 2,000-point level for the first time ever. At the time there was much rejoicing as a new, major milestone had been set. On Friday, July 12,...
Read MoreHow Do I Make Smart Charitable Giving Choices?
For the clients of Impel Wealth Management, there were many good things that came as a result of the 2017 tax law changes. The tax code was simplified, eliminating many deductions and loopholes. The standard deduction was doubled for...
Read MoreCetera's Circle of Excellence
I was recently honored to be able to attend Cetera's Circle of Excellence Conference. Only the top 15% of all advisors of the broker-dealer are invited to this prestigious annual event. This points to the caliber, accomplishment and...
Read MoreWhat is the Benefit of Low Interest Rates on Mortgages?
In October 2018, interest rates on 10 Year Treasury Bonds peaked at approximately 3.25%. As of early June 2019, these rates have dropped to less than 2.10%. This is a dramatic move in interest rates in both absolute and relative terms...
Read MoreLocal Senior Resources and Initiatives
For those of you who may not have seen the recent news, there are two important developments in the greater Akron and Summit County areas that we thought you should be aware of. First of all, GettingWiser.org is a website that was...
Read MoreKeeping Current with Social Security
In late April, Mary Beth Franklin, a nationally known Social Security expert and author came to visit the Akron area. The University of Akron Foundation hosted her at Portage Country Club for an educational session which both Nathan...
Read MoreUpcoming Changes in How We Save and Plan for Retirement
Recently, the House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously in favor of legislation which could have dramatic impacts on how people plan for and save for their retirement. A few key parts of the legislation include making it easier...
Read MoreHow much can I withdraw in retirement?
Ever since William Bendgen's article, "Determining Withdrawal Rates Using Historical Data" appeared in the October 1994 issue of the Journal of Financial Planning, advisors have been utilizing this study to guide clients on how much...
Read MoreLooking to Buy a House?
In light of the spring home buying and selling season kicking off here in Northeast Ohio, I recently wrote a blog post for Simplifynance, our next-generation financial planning service offering, on my wife Lauren and I's journey to...
Read MoreAnniversaries and Celebrations
Impel Wealth Management moved into our new home at the corner of Broad Blvd and 4th Street in Cuyahoga Falls in April 2017. As we come upon our two-year anniversary, we have much to celebrate. Impel Wealth has continued to grow. When...
Read MoreWill somebody fix Social Security, please?
Ever since George W. Bush was elected to a second term in office in 2004, there has been discussion that the nation's Social Security system needs attention in order to keep it as a viable and solvent social safety net for Americans,...
Read MoreShould I buy travel insurance?
One of the things that many of our clients look forward to as they transition from their work life to their retirement life, is being able to start traveling more extensively and checking long dreamed of places off their bucket list....
Read MoreAre YOU Confident About Retirement?
According to a new report from Retirement Living, "Retirement Preparedness Study 2019: Baby Boomers vs. Generation X", it appears that Baby Boomers are much more confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably in...
Read MoreThe Good Doctor and Economics
For everyone who has been in my office, you know that I am a huge fan of Dr. Seuss. From my earliest days of reading before kindergarten, these books were a staple of my childhood. I loved the stories, the amazing illustrations and...
Read MoreWhy Simplifynance?
As Impel Wealth Management has continued to grow, we faced a dilemma in helping our next generation of potential clients. Many of our existing clients, who are mostly 50-80 years old, initially came to us wanting to be able to retire...
Read MoreTeam Retreat - Part 2
As I mentioned last week, our team came together in early January for our annual planning retreat. Each year as part of this event, we spend time reviewing our corporate goals. We decide which goals we will try to have accomplished by...
Read MoreTeam Retreat
Early each year the team at Impel Wealth Management takes one of the federal holidays, when the markets are closed, to conduct our team retreat. This year's retreat was special and meaningful in a couple of different ways. First of all...
Read More"Fast Forward"-ing Into the New Year
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Cetera Advisors' "Fast Forward" conference in Houston. This annual event is an advisor-led conference, along with some of the key members of Cetera Advisors home office staff. The conference...
Read MoreWhen Should I Think About Moving?
As many of our clients move into retirement, they start thinking about when they will downsize or move to a smaller place that is easier for them to maintain. For some clients, they want to get to a home that is all on one floor, so...
Read MoreWhat Difference Can A Year Make?
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it...
Read MoreWhat is Disciplined Diversification?
Years like 2018, when markets are moving up and down hundreds of points a day, can make staying the course and being disciplined with our diversification a difficult and emotional proposition. These feelings are exacerbated by the...
Read MoreStudents of the Business
At Impel Wealth Management, we take pride in being students of the business. This takes place in many forms for our team. For me, it means reading 500-600 pages of economic and investment data monthly, roughly half of which is...
Read MoreShould I Pay Off My Mortgage?
As many clients are approaching retirement they would like to know if they should pay off their mortgage? The goal is to cut monthly expenses by getting rid of principal and interest payments throughout their retirement years. This can...
Read MoreKeeping Your New Year's Resolution
Personally, I have never been big on New Year's Resolutions. To me, if something is that important, then I would be doing it already in the first place (hopefully). However, this year I plan on trying to keep one, and thought I would...
Read MoreRemember the Crash of 1987?
I started in the financial planning industry in late August 1987, just a few weeks before Black Monday, when selling pressures in the stock market accelerated and by the end of the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped...
Read MorePaying for College - Who Bears the Cost?
By now, I am sure you have seen the headlines: "The U.S. Student-Loan Debt Crisis Is Even Worse Than We Thought" - Forbes, May 24th, 2018 "Despite the economic recovery, student debtors' 'monster in the closet' has only worsened" -...
Read More2019 Limit Contributions
On November 1st, the IRS announced that there will be cost-of-living adjustments to the limits on employee contributions into retirement plans for 2019. The annual limit for employee contributions into 401(k)s, 403(b)s, most 475 plans,...
Read MoreWeathering The Current Economic Storm Clouds
As we approach Halloween this week, it seems that global markets have gotten spooked by the perfect storm of economic chills. A trifecta of issues has caused fear and selling in stock markets around the world: 1) Trade/Tariffs Issues...
Read MoreWill a Machine Take My Job?
The World Economic Forum recently released its latest jobs forecast, and it is projecting substantial changes to the employment market over the coming decades. Machines currently do approximately 29% of all the hours worked in major...
Read MoreWhat Will Happen with Social Security in 2019?
Experts are closely watching the projected CPI/inflation numbers to get an idea of how much Social Security benefits could potentially increase in calendar year 2019. According to the Senior Citizens League, non-partisan advocacy...
Read MoreHow Much Are Health Care Costs in Retirement?
According to a recent study by Fidelity, a 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need nearly $275,000 to cover health care costs during their retirement years. This unbelievably large amount is even more pronounced when you...
Read MoreWhat's the Risk of Rising Interest Rates?
In the wake of the 2008-09 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve Bank cut rates to near zero and left them there for almost seven years. Since December 2015, the Fed has embarked on a campaign to normalize interest rates. In this...
Read MoreJourney to America
Over the next 90 days, heading into the mid-term elections, you are likely going to be hearing much about immigration and its impact on our great country. This is not a new subject for Americans to deal with. The link to the video...
Read MoreWhat's More Important: Money or Time?
The financial planning industry has spent significant time helping people appropriately spend and save so that they can build a large nest egg so that they will be able to retire comfortably. However, we need to realize that life is...
Read MoreSmart Home-Buying Tips in a Sellers' Market
It's a sellers' market, so homebuyers need to be even more prepared than ever to confidently shop for, bid on and pay for a home. As with all things financial, planning is key. Whether buying your first home or downsizing to your last...
Read More2018 Social Security Trustees Report
According to the Social Security trustees report of 2018, over the last 35 years, from 1983 to 2017, the Social Security program has taken in more money each year than it paid out in benefits. Total revenue each year includes FICA...
Read MoreDoes the new tax law give you an incentive to pay off your mortgage?
For calendar year 2017 nearly 32 million tax filers claimed mortgage interest as an itemized deduction on their 1040 tax return. With the passage of the most recent tax law in December, that number is expected to drop to only 14...
Read MoreWhy do we question your health?
In over 30 years of working with clients on their financial and retirement plans, I have noticed a very definite trend. Clients, no matter how much money they have, tend to spend those resources in approximately five major areas....
Read MoreHow much does caring for a loved one cost?
Nearly 1/2 of all Americans have had the experience of providing care for a spouse or parent, or they believe they will end up in this role in the future. According to a recent Northwestern Mutual C.A.R.E. Study released in March,...
Read MoreThree Things to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor
For many people, the process of choosing a financial advisor can be both overwhelming and intimidating. There are hundreds of options available, and you’re trusting someone to manage not just your financial investments—but...
Read MoreThe Billionaire Next Door?
In 1996 Stanley and William Danko authored the book "The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy." The book compared the behaviors of high income families that tended to live very affluent lifestyles,...
Read MoreForbes, Best-in-state Wealth Advisors
Each year Forbes Magazine creates a list of the Best-in-state Wealth Advisors. The 2018 list was released in February and I am very pleased and honored to say that I and the team at Impel Wealth Management were honored to be included...
Read MoreCan my student loans keep me from getting a house?
Today, many more young people are graduating college, moving into the workforce and having a harder time of obtaining the American dream of owning a home. The simple reason for this is that the amount of student loan debt they carry...
Read MoreWho is taking on college debt, students or parents?
There is significant and increasing pressure on parents and even grandparents to try to help their children and grandchildren deal with the rising cost of financing their college education. Oftentimes, clients are torn between helping...
Read MoreWhat is the history of US debt?
I oftentimes get questions from clients about the issues surrounding the annual budget deficit, the U.S. debt, the shortfall in Social Security, and what this means to the future of the United States. A recent research paper and...
Read MoreShould I save more or work longer?
When planning for retirement, many people target specific age and income goals. However, a new research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Researchentitled "The Power of Working Longer" states that people should approach...
Read MoreDo my college kids need an Estate Plan?
Many of our clients, as they create their estate plans, execute a number of documents including wills, trusts, a durable power of attorney for legal and financial issues, a medical or healthcare power of attorney, as well as a HIPAA...
Read MoreLongevity - Part 2
In the first part of our discussion about increased life expectancy, we discussed how healthcare advancements are leading to people living longer lives. Today we want to discuss what that phenomenon means to clients trying to plan for...
Read MoreLongevity - Part 1
Historical data from the Center for Disease Control shows that between 1950 and 2010, a period of just 60 years, life expectancy in the United States increased by approximately five years, 4.9 years for males and 4.3 years for females....
Read More2018 Medicare
As was widely expected, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that the 2018 Medicare Part B premiums will increase for most Medicare enrollees from $109 per month to $134 per month, an increase of 23%. It will be the...
Read MoreSocial Security in 2018
The Social Security administration recently announced that Social Security benefits for nearly 66 million Americans will increase by 2.0% in 2018, representing the largest increase in retirement benefits since 2012. The last several...
Read MoreMarkets in 2017
With markets sitting near all-time highs, many people are nervous about investing new money in the markets these days. It has been a number of years since we had had a significant pull back. The pull backs that we did have more...
Read MoreMillennials and Money
Previously, we have twice discussed some unique facts about the Millennial Generation, who were born between 1980 and year 2000. We have talked about the fact that that they represent the largest generation in history, beating out the...
Read MoreSocial Security in 2034
In early July, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The trust funds are projected to become depleted in 2034, the same as they were...
Read MoreInflation Risks
We have not heard much about inflation recently, as it has been very subdued over the last 15 to 20 years. However, a recent study sponsored by Allianz Life of 1,213 US adults in July of 2017 noted that inflation is still a top concern...
Read MoreCan I Retire on $1 Million?
One of the questions I get on a very regular basis from clients is "How much money do I need to be able to retire successfully?". This is a very individualized and personal question, as it is significantly correlated to how much money...
Read MoreThe Millennial Generation Part II
In a previous blog, we explained the size and impact of the Millennial generation, the children and/or grandchildren of most of our clients. Many people have been impacted by the Baby Boomer generation over the last 50 years, since...
Read MoreThe Millennial Generation
In 1997, I was one of three founding partners of a new financial planning and investment advisory firm. When we formed Millennial Group, the name was born out of all the discussion, excitement, and anticipation about the turn of the...
Read MoreRetired Husband Syndrome
In 1994, I was meeting with a couple, and the husband had recently been offered an early retirement buy out from a local company here in Akron. At 57 years old, he had less than 30 days to decide if he was going to retire and take the...
Read MoreAIF® Designation
For many years, there have been two different standards of care and conduct within the financial planning and investment world. There has been a less stringent "suitability" standard that applies to registered representatives, such as...
Read MoreRetiring Abroad
A unique trend is starting to impact people who are retiring in the United States. Retirees who are worried about running out of money are starting to consider retiring abroad. Some overseas locations will allow retirees to live a...
Read MoreLiving Longer in Your Retirement
Planning for retirement is a relatively recent phenomenon that only began in the 20th century. Prior to this, most people's life expectancies were short enough that they typically worked until they passed away. The idea of accumulating...
Read MoreRibbon Cutting Ceremony
June 20th was a special day for Impel Wealth Management. After months of work rehabilitating a 100+ year old building on the corner of Broad Boulevard and 4th Street in Cuyahoga Falls, we were able to celebrate a ribbon cutting...
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