The rains have been coming down. Hallelujah! One topic of conversation around the office is; are we capturing as much as possible or is it just flowing out to the Ocean. This phenomenon got me to thinking: we want to be sure to save water for drought preparation, how similar is that to retirement savings? For 30-40 years you have income flowing through your hands - how much do you set aside for when the ‘rain stops’ (retirement)?
- There is a myriad of ways to save and invest depending upon your employment situation. Whether self-employed, making minimum wage or a highly paid executive, there are ways we can help you save for the future.
- SECURE Act 2.0 All kinds of changes to retirement plans for how much can go in (increased contribution rates), how to and when to distribute the money in retirement and the Roth alternative will be popping up in some types of account (SIMPLE Plans, etc.).
Stay tuned as the IRS clarifies some of the rules and we find opportunities for you.
As announced a week ago, Lidia Gaspar has joined the team as Director of First Impressions. You should see what she has done to the front office! We are growing and trying to improve our service. Have you looked into AdviceWorks? You’ll be first in line for 1099 statements if you have. Tired of coming ALL THE WAY to off-downtown? Set up a Zoom meeting to review your accounts. If you have any ideas on how we can improve or better serve you, drop us a line.
Many of you have spoken to Sam Kaminsky who is passing tests left and right to become an advisor. What you may not know is that his earlier life was dedicated to Culinary and Hospitality jobs. He worked for some of the finest restaurants in the country, including our own French Laundry. So we asked Sam to put together some winter time recipes which you will find at the end of the blog. Give them a try and tell us what you think.
Market Notes – Inflation is still around with a hint of recession. What is the FED to do? Though we do put a lot of pressure on the Fed to solve inflation, we cannot put investment performance solely on the Feds’ shoulders. Companies have a big role to play, and near as I can tell, companies are trying to stay ahead of the economic curve (we hired Lidia). Some companies are right-sizing and everyone is working on their brand. For you locals, Mary’s Pizza Shack let off a bomb by closing 3 stores. They’re working their succession plan and paying attention to food costs.
The S&P 500 was off by approximately 16% last year, Bond yields are up (10 year Treasury at 3.54% as of this writing) which means prices of the Bonds are down. We expect to see volatility continue and there are hints of a rally in the second half of the year. For those of you contributing to retirement plans monthly, take a look at your year-end statement. You will find some bright spots as we have had some up market days. Perhaps you bought during the Summer and found some good relief later in the year.
What does this mean to you? You are our specialty. Give us a call, or schedule a time here on this hyperlink to our calendar or have your calendar ready when Lidia calls and let’s set up 15 minutes to discuss your goals for 2023.
All the best in ‘23
Team Harvest.
From Sam’s Kitchen
Celery Root Soup
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Yellow onions, medium dice
3 Pounds Celery root, peeled, large dice
6 Cups water
10 Sprigs of thyme
1 Bay leaf
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt, to taste
White Pepper, to taste
- In a large pot simmer garlic, onions, celery root, bay leaf, thyme and water until Celery root is Spoon Tender.
- Remove and discard thyme and bay leaf. Move all remaining solids into a blender. Pour enough of the cooking liquid to cover 1/3 of the total solids. Blend on High for 30 seconds making sure to push the solids to the bottom of the blender.
- Taste for seasoning and consistency. If too thick add more water, little at a time and blend to desired consistency.
- Season with butter, salt and white pepper to taste.
- Add Seasonal Garnishes that you like, Bacon Bits, Chives, Sour Cream, Scented Oils, hot sauces, or even some roasted vegetables.
Mulled Apple Cider
½ Gallon Local Apple Cider
2 Lemons, halved
1 Teaspoon Allspice Berries
2 Sticks of Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Clove
1 Teaspoon Ginger Powder
- Bring all ingredients to a boil and let steep for 20 minutes. Serve Warm with or without Bourbon. Or Strain and chill to reserve for later.
The holidays have come and gone but the cool weather is sticking around. There is nothing better than a yummy bowl of soup and a cocktail to warm us up in this cold, wet weather. We chose simplicity in our recipes for Winter with less being more. The Recipes, like our portfolio’s, are a guideline. There are times when we need to adjust the recipe (portfolio) to the tastes of the eater (our client). Each adjustment made leads us closer to our flavor preferences (financial objectives). A good recipe builds flavors up until the final dish is complete. In this case the base of the recipe is our Celery Root. This is like choosing a total market and bond fund in your portfolio. This will be the base 50-60% of your total portfolio or recipe. The Funds are stable and are directly correlated to the market. Then you add your aromatics, in this case onions, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. These would be your allocations to focused managed funds like ETF’s and Mutual Funds making up roughly 25-35% of the portfolio. The fund choices are tailored to the individual, but all have the same purpose of enhancing the main flavor (financial objectives) of the dish. These will be lower risk allocations based on age, financial goals, and household stability. Finally, we have the major enhancers. This is the Salt and Pepper to finish the dish or the garnishes that really expand the possibilities of your portfolio and are what is added once you have tasted the dish and find what adjustments it needs. These are very customer specific and generally make up 5-15% of total portfolio allocation, but can enhance the dish and portfolio to new levels. These usually consist of thematic funds or hedges but are based in current market conditions.