July 2016 Newsletter
July 22, 2016
It’s Been a Busy Summer!
These warm summer months always seems like they should be slow and leisurely, but in reality, the days end up flying by. This year has been no exception, and I wanted to share with you all that has happened so far this summer.
First, please join me in congratulating Matt and his new wife Danielle! They married this month in a beautiful wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica, then jetted off for a weeklong honeymoon in Paris. Matt is now back in the office, although still suffering from a bit of jetlag.
We’ve also been busy pulling our new office space together. Floors have been laid, wires have been run, desks have been assembled, and we’re almost completely settled in. We look forward to hosting you in the new space.
In June, I attended the Concorde Investment Services national conference in Detroit. These conferences offer an outstanding opportunity for us to continue to grow and learn with other advisors, as well as hear from industry leaders on a variety of wealth management and practice management topics. In addition, we receive updates on available investment products and learn about new investment offerings. This year, I was invited to participate on a panel where the panelists were encouraged to share their thoughts and expertise on a variety of wealth management topics, including how to offer clients a comprehensive wealth management experience.
Finally, Will Clark has joined the Kuhn Wealth Management team. Will is busy studying for his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam and learning the routine at our firm. Learn more about Will below. As Kuhn Wealth continues to grow, we certainly feel privileged and humbled by the opportunity and trust all of our clients have put in us.
We hope you’re having a wonderful summer! And please keep reading for more helpful information this month.
Best,
Nathan
President, Kuhn Wealth Management
Unclaimed Property
Did you know that the state of Illinois is holding over $2.5 billion in unclaimed funds? These dollars come from insurance refunds, dividends, and long forgotten bank accounts, to name a few sources.
It’s simple to find any unclaimed funds that may belong to you. Simply visit the Illinois Treasurer’s website and type your information into the search bar. I suggest searching Last Name, First Name, and leave the City/Zip blank. Be sure to search any other names you may use; e.g., I searched Kuhn, Nathaniel; Kuhn, Nathan, and Kuhn, Nate. Don’t forget to search a maiden name as well. You can also search for funds for deceased relatives.
My search turned up funds that were owed to Sara and I from our previous auto insurance company. While my unclaimed property amount is a small, I have talked to clients who found thousands of unclaimed dollars—proving it’s certainly worth a quick look!
Market and Investment Updates
It’s been a tough year with continuing violence and attacks at home and abroad; our thoughts are with those who have been affected. We’re in the midst of a presidential election between two candidates with the highest unfavorable rankings in recent history, and dealing with Brexit and the now negative interest rates in Europe. In spite of all of this, though, the Dow and S&P 500 hit new highs in July. What a rollercoaster!
The American economy continues to grind along despite all of these headwinds. While employment and other economic figures have certainly been choppy, our economy seems to have among the soundest fundamentals for continued growth. In communications with a number of asset managers, the theme of an overweight to domestic versus international equities continues to prevail. Still, most managers remain cautiously optimistic and acknowledge there’s great uncertainty in our economy and in domestic and international headlines.
A combination of Brexit and now negative interests rates abroad have pushed already low rates even lower. If you have a mortgage or student loans, you may be able to take advantage of the low rates. If you have a 30-year mortgage with rates over 3.5% or 15-year mortgage over 2.875%, or if you are paying PMI, reach out to your mortgage contact to see if refinancing makes sense. If you don’t have a lender who you work with, call us—we provide mortgage services! We have also seen student loan rates on 10-year terms drop to between 5% and 6.75%.
As always, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to call or drop us an email.
Welcome Will Clark
We’re excited to announce that Will Clark has joined the Kuhn Wealth Management team as an Assistant Advisor. Will is also preparing for the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) exam and is eager to launch his new career as a financial planner. He has an extensive background in public accounting and years of experience working for operator-owned businesses. Will’s background and personality fit well within our firm, and we look forward to his growing role within our firm.
As of 07/22/2016. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Past performance and predictions are not a guarantee of future results. The material contained hearin is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its authenticity, accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed. Projections are inherently limited and should not be relied upon as an indicator of future results. The S&P 500 Index is a widely recognized capitalization – weigheted index that measures the performance of the large- capitilization sector of the U.S. stock market. Direct investment in an index is not possible.
Securities offered through Concorde Investment Services, LLC (CIS), Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Kuhn Wealth Management, Inc., a state registered investment advisor. Kuhn Wealth Management, Inc. is independent of CIS and Concorde Asset Management, LLC. All of whom are unaffiliated with third party sites, and cannot verify the accuracy of nor assume responsibility for any content of linked third party sites. Information available on third-party sites is for informational purposes only.