One of the key advantages of an HSA is its flexibility For the short term you can use it to pay for immediate medical expenses But if you don’t need to spend on medical expenses in any given year or choose to pay for those expenses from a different source your account can grow… significantly Over the long term there is no better tax-deferred wealth accumulation vehicle, Not everyone understands the ins outs of these types of accounts so listed below are 10 things you might not know about your HSA, 1 Not everyone is eligible to contribute to an HSA, HSA accounts are only available for individuals and families covered by a high-deductible health plan (“HDHP” Since HDHPs have higher out of pocket deductibles than traditional coverage individuals and families must be comfortable with paying “first dollar” expenses out of pocket up to the maximum deductible, 2 In 2025 you can contribute $4300 (individual and $8550 (family to your HSA, This is an increase from $4150 (individual and $8300 (family in 2024 , 3 HSAs can be used to accumulate wealth, If you do not need to use your HSA to pay for current medical expenses you can accumulate and invest those assets taking advantage of their triple tax benefit Annual contributions are made with pre-tax dollars Tax-deferred growth Tax-free withdrawals for health care expenses, 4 You can reimburse yourself for qualified medical expenses from your HSA at any time, Many people are under the misconception that they can only use HSA assets to pay for current medical expenses but the reality is that you can reimburse yourself for qualified medical expenses at any time as long as The expense was incurred after your HSA was established The expense was not reimbursed in any other way A good rule of thumb is to keep detailed records of all medical expenses so that…, 5 Your HSA can be used to pay for your familys qualified medical expenses , As long as you use the funds to pay for qualified medical expenses you can pay for any family member who is a tax dependent on your tax return You may also use the funds for medical expenses incurred by your child who is claimed as a tax dependent by their other parent, 6 Your HSA does not need to be with your employer, Most people think that they need to use their employer HSA plan but you can have an HSA with any provider you choose However please note that your employer might not support payroll contributions and/or pay their match to a different HSA account But just like your retirement plan assets your HSA belongs to you and is portable when you change employers , 7 Your HSA transfers to your spouse tax free upon death , If there is still money in the account upon the death of your spouse the assets are taxable to the heirs , 8 Medicare impacts your HSA contributions, Once you turn 65 you will face decisions about enrolling in Medicare parts A and B Your Wealth Advisor can provide guidance on how this will impact your HSA contributions, 9 Your HSA can be invested in financial markets, Your Wealth Advisor can help you invest your HSA assets into a diversified portfolio as part of your overall financial plan making them an effective long-term saving vehicle to help cover health care expenses in retirement , 10 HSAs can create peace of mind, Health care costs are often one of the largest expenses in retirement and they continue to rise unpredictability If accumulating and investing your HSA assets has been part of your financial plan over your working lifetime you may be more confident that you will have enough for health care expenses without having to spend your retirement assets , Summary,   An HSA offers a unique blend of tax advantages and flexibility Its more than just a medical savings account its a powerful tool for long-term financial growth By understanding its nuances you can maximize its potential and secure your future healthcare costs From tax-free contributions and growth to flexible withdrawal options an HSA can be a game-changer in your financial planning Talk to your…

Equity markets continued to rally during the first quarter buoyed by enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and increased confidence that the US economy would avoid a severe recession Bond markets however struggled to keep up with stocks as expectations for a rate cut receded and interest rates resumed their climb higher , While still in its early stages businesses are spending heavily to build out infrastructure for artificial intelligence capabilities leading to impressive growth for the companies that provide AI building blocks For example the Morningstar US Semiconductor Index rose 463% in just the first three months of this year  Partly due to these trends the widely followed S&P 500 Index has become…, Equities , The S&P 500 returned 106% in the quarter with most sectors participating Tech-heavy sectors like communication services and information technology returned 158% and 127% respectively More traditional sectors also participated with financials up 125% and Iindustrials up 11% The Russell Mid Cap Index returned 86% in the quarter while small capitalization stocks measured by the Russell 2000…, Fixed Income , The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index fell 08% due mostly to rising interest rates Shorter-term bonds and corporate bonds fared slightly better with the Bloomberg US Government/Credit 1-3 year Index generating a modest but positive 04% return Lower quality high-yield bonds also performed well with the Bloomberg US Corporate High Yield Index returning 15% , Commodities , The Bloomberg Commodity Index rose 22% in the quarter Gold prices rallied 73% while oil prices rose from $70 to $84 for a barrel of West Texas crude oil    Important Information The Bloomberg Commodity Index is a broadly diversified commodity price index distributed by Bloomberg Index Services Limited  The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the…

Markets remained volatile during the first quarter of 2025 as investors grappled with uncertainty surrounding trade policy interest rates and slowing corporate earnings growth While the year began with optimism following strong 2024 returns concerns over new tariffs and persistent inflation pressures led to a broad market pullback Looking ahead geopolitical risks and policy uncertainty could…, The stock market saw sharp swings in early 2025 reaching an all-time high late February before experiencing a peak-to-trough correction drop of over -10% Inflation remained stubbornly high at nearly 3% leading the Federal Reserve to hold rates steady during the quarter Long-term 10-Year Treasury yields fell from a high of 48% to 42% at the end of the quarter as recession concerns grew As we move…, Equities, The S&P 500 Index declined -43% during the first quarter reversing some of the gains from the previous two years Market weakness was largely broad-based though some defensive sectors generated positive returns including Utilities Healthcare Telecommunications and Energy Mid and small capitalization companies were hit particularly hard with the Russell Mid Cap Index declining -34% and the…, Fixed Income, Fixed income markets were largely positive during the quarter as growing recession concerns led to a belief that the Federal Reserve will be more aggressive with interest rate cuts in the second half of the year The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index returned 28% reflecting downward pressure on longer-term yields Shorter-duration bonds fared better with the Bloomberg 1-3 Year Treasury Index…, Commodities, Oil prices were volatile but crude oil ended the quarter near where it started at $72 per barrel Gold continued the rally it experienced in 2024 rising 182% as investors sought safe-haven assets The Bloomberg Commodity Index posted an 88% return for the quarter as prices rose across energy and industrial metals Looking ahead supply-side constraints and geopolitical risks could drive renewed…

It’s often hard to tell the difference between relevant market information and noise That’s why every quarter our Market Observations newsletter lets you know what articles our advisors are using to form ideas and shape opinions Take a look at what caught our eye this quarter, WGN Radio, As part of a new partnership with WGN Radio senior professionals from Mesirow will be regularly joining Jon Hansen on his WGN Radio show Your Money Matters to discuss the economy markets and how investors can navigate the current environment In June Leo Harmon joined Hansen to discuss the Feds 75% interest rate increase and importance of independence in investment management In July Bob Martin…, MORNINGSTAR, Did the June CPI Report Mark Peak Inflation, US stocks finished 2021 near record highs as the S&P 500 Index posted its third consecutive year of double digit gains It was an uneven market however as bonds posted weaker returns and performance varied significantly by sector Broadly large stocks outperformed small stocks during 2021 although small value stocks actually outperformed every other category while small growth stocks posted…, The Wall Street Journal, What Smart Investors Do in Bear Markets, Part of investing is accepting that bear markets can and will happen and that they wont always happen when or how we expect An important component of long-term investment success is derived from how an investor reacts to these market declines In this  Wall Street Journal  commentary columnist Jason Zweig debunks some of the myths of how bear markets have to end while also suggesting ways that…, Bloomberg Business Week, ESPN, ’, s NHL Deal Shows Broadcasters a New Way to Profit from Sports Rights, Much to ESPNs delight the NHLs first season after signing a multi-year deal with its new broadcast partner ended with a thrilling post-season and Stanley Cup Final as well as higher ratings The networks approach to broadcasting hockey games this past season included not just placing games on traditional networks like ESPN and ABC but also complimenting the network broadcasts with robust steaming…, Published July 28 2022, *Past performance is not indicative of future results

Financial markets proved resilient during the second quarter of 2023 as investors continue to seek balance between long-term growth prospects and warning signs of a potential economic slowdown While we continue to find attractively valued investment opportunities across equities and fixed income investors should be cognizant of potential risk signals For example stretched equity valuations in…, This economic uncertainty reinforces the importance of building a financial plan that focuses on your specific goals with an appropriate asset allocation using high-quality battle-tested investments , Equities , Equity markets generated strong returns during the quarter as banking sector concerns faded and enthusiasm for artificial intelligence led to sizable gains for mega cap technology companies The S&P 500 Index returned 87% driven by a 172% return for the information technology sector The Russell Mid Cap and Russell 2000 small capitalization indexes returned 48% and 52% respectively  Non-US…, Fixed Income , Interest rates increased across the yield curve during the quarter as bond investors moved past concerns around the banking sector and refocused on growth and inflation The yield curve remains steeply inverted with one-year Treasury yields ending the quarter at 54% while the 10-year Treasury bond yields 38% While the inverted yield curve implies that investors are expecting a decline in interest…, Commodities , The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell 26% during the quarter while gold prices dropped 35% Oil prices fell from $7750 to $70 for a barrel of West Texas Intermediate oil , Published 7142023, Important Information The Bloomberg Commodity Index is a broadly diversified commodity price index distributed by Bloomberg Index Services Limited  The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade US dollar-denominated fixed-rate taxable bond market The Bloomberg US Corporate Bond Index measures the investment grade fixed-rate taxable…

At Mesirow our client focus and our values have not changed since Norman Mesirow founded the firm in 1937—we advise individuals and families to help align their financial resources with their life goals We believe that an essential part of your financial wellbeing is the confidence that your financial identity is secure, There are a number of ways to help protect yourself from cybercrime including Using multi-factor authentication when verifying your identity and verifying transactions via telephone Creating secure passwords Protecting your personal information, Multi-factor authentication & transaction verification help protect you, Given the vulnerability of online data more people are relying on multi-factor authentication to protect their accounts Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security which requires not only a password and username but also a second factor typically a temporary code sent to a mobile phone via an authentication app SMS text message or voicemail Make sure your SMS texts are not visible…, Help protect yourself with secure passwords and careful online chatting, Create a secure password Password length is more important the complexity The longer the password is the more difficult it is to hack Avoid the use of loved ones’ names (these can be easily identified by others Don’t use autosave for your passwords It may be easier but it is much less secure Use different passwords for different websites Change your passwords regularly even the ones you consider…, Protect your personal information, Review your bank statements and credit card statements each month for suspicious or unrecognized transactions If your financial institution provides an automatic alert system set that up so you can be alerted to any suspicious activity Consider setting up security/fraud alerts through a trusted third party service Cover the PIN on your credit card so that cashiers cannot see it With access to…, What to do when you think your information is compromised, Set up a Fraud Alert As a precaution fraud alerts can be placed on your credit file by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus Once contacted the credit bureau will notify the other two agencies Experion experiancom TransUnion transunioncom Equifax equifaxcom Annually review your free credit report for unfamiliar transactions and inquiries Reports can be requested via the FTC’s website…, Summary, Ensuring your sensitive information is secure from fraud and theft in today’s digital world is more challenging than ever By implementing as many safeguards as possible including those mentioned in this article online hackers will be more likely to set their sights on an easier target Please reach out to your Mesirow Wealth Advisor to learn more about Mesirows commitment to help you stay safe , Published January 2025

It’s often hard to tell the difference between relevant market information and noise That’s why every quarter our Market Observations newsletter lets you know what articles our advisors are using to form ideas and shape opinions Take a look at what caught our eye this quarter, Byron WIEN, Complacency Gives Way to Uncertainty, Over the past several decades Byron Wien the Chairman of Blackstone has hosted a series of luncheons for some of the world’s biggest investors at the end of each summer One of the recurring themes from this years lunches was that of uncertainty Inflation central bank tightening the war in Ukraine China midterm elections and still Covid all are contributing to this sense of unease about the future…, re, ad More , MORNINGSTAR, Three Lessons for Investors From the Third Quarter, Markets provided investors with a dizzying ride in the third quarters with a sharp rally in the first half of the quarter followed by an even sharper decline over the second half The optimism from the start of summer faded during August and September leaving markets near their lows of the year at quarter end This article looks at some recent lessons and at how this market differs those of the…, KINGSWELL, The Late Great Sandy Gottesman, David Sandy Gottesman the founder of First Manhattan long-time friend of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway board member passed away in September at the age of 96 Despite a notable career as a prominent investor Gottesman typically shunned publicity once explaining to the New York Times that The only time a whale gets harpooned is when he surfaces” While Gottesman didnt seek the limelight the…, Published October 25 2022, Mesirow has no affiliation with any of the sources referenced in this article 

The beginning of each year brings hope as we consider starting something new or making improvements to something we have started  Many of us reflect on what should be different and commit to making a change often referred to as a “New Year’s resolution”  Making a New Year’s resolution can be positive if done correctly as it requires us to reflect and analyze our personal position as well as set…, According to US New and World Report 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by mid-February 1   Although some failures have fewer consequences than others the inability to maintain financial goals especially in the current environment can have negative long-term implications  As we go into the new year it is important for us to revisit our resolutions and make adjustments where necessary so we can…, Common financial resolutions , I am going to have more control over my money  , Tip 1 , This broad statement often results in failure because it expresses a desire but does not clearly explain how to meet goals and objectives that lead to success  It can be compared to intentions such as losing weight or quitting smoking without a clearly defined strategy to implement toward these goals  To achieve good results a defined plan to change behavior is needed  Developing a budget is the…, Tip  2 , A benefit of the pandemic environment is that it forced individuals to recognize how they spend money  Hopefully this realization will allow households to find a healthier balance between spending and saving going forward However aggressive spending reductions may be difficult to adjust to and cause individuals to feel defeated  Changes to your budget should be realistic and sustainable  A budget…, Tip 3,  Reducing credit card debt can be challenging especially if you do not know where to start  Reducing and eliminating debt is often associated with lowering stress and improving health conditions therefore this is a resolution you should work hard to keep  Monthly credit card payments should be made on time to eliminate late fees and penalties which add 10-15% to the bill 3   Also you should…, Tip 4,   Saving for retirement is now a requirement not an option  Less than 25% of employers offer defined benefit pension plans thereby leaving more of the financial risk of retirement on employees  However many employers offer retirement plans such as a 401k 403b or 457 to allow employees to save on a tax-deferred basis  In addition many employers provide matching funds on a percentage of the money…, Stay on track, If you are falling behind with your New Year’s financial resolutions now is a good time to reset and refocus  Remind yourself why you set your goals and what outcomes are important  If you are struggling to change your habits revisit your strategy to make sure you have clear action steps that can lead to success and someone to hold you accountable for executing them  If you do not consulting a…, Published January 2025, 1  https//healthusnewscom/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/2015-12-29/why-80-percent-of-new-years-resolutions-fail   2  http//acrwebsiteorg/volumes/1023767/volumes/v45/NA-45  and  https//wwwfa-magcom/news/should-spouses-pool-their-money-or-not-31741html 3  https//moneyusnewscom/money/personal-finance/saving-and-budgeting/slideshows/financial-new-years-resolutionsslide=3  

Financial markets ended 2023 with a robust fourth quarter as investors expressed enthusiasm over easing inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s indication of a potential end to its two-year interest rate hiking cycle, The Federal Reserve began raising rates in March 2022 to combat inflation hiking its key Federal Funds rate from 0% to a range of 525-550% However the Fed has left this range unchanged since its July 2023 meeting During the same time the Consumer Price Index (CPI a widely followed measure of inflation trended down from a high of a 91% annual rate in June of 2022 to 31% most recently Following…, Equities, The S&P 500 Index rallied 117% in the fourth quarter as every sector besides energy posted strong gains Financials rebounded on the prospects of a soft economic landing while the technology sector continued its year-long upward trajectory boosted by excitement for the prospects of artificial intelligence While large-capitalization stocks led the market for most of the year mid- and small-…, Fixed Income, Bonds staged an impressive fourth quarter comeback as interest rates declined The 10-year Treasury rate peaked at just below 50% in October before falling to end the quarter and year at 38% That quick plunge led to the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index returning 68% for the quarter helping to turn the index positive for the full year  Despite the fourth-quarter rally that index has still lost…, Commodities, The Bloomberg Commodity Index fell 46% during the quarter reflecting one of the few negative asset classes during the quarter Oil prices and other commodity prices fell although gold prices performed admirably returning 114% during the quarter    Important Information The Bloomberg Commodity Index is a broadly diversified commodity price index distributed by Bloomberg Index Services Limited  The…

Markets were volatile during the last quarter of 2024 as investors reacted to President-elect Trump’s election victory along with evolving interest rate expectations Despite this added volatility markets capped off a robust year and impressive two-year run Looking forward markets should be supported by strong economic conditions but high valuations should dampen expectations somewhat In this…, US markets reacted positively immediately following Trump’s early November election victory as stocks began pricing in campaign promises such as lower corporate tax rates and deregulation This rally mostly reversed in December as the prospect of higher-for-longer interest rates began setting in  The Federal Reserve cut its key Fed Funds rate by 25 basis points in both November and December but…, Equities, The S&P 500 Index rose 24% during the fourth quarter of 2024 resulting in a 250% return for the full year following a 263% return in 2023 The largest companies continue to drive most of the performance for the S&P 500 counting for more than half of the index’s annual return An equal-weighted version of the index fell 19% during the fourth quarter and rose only 130% for the full year …, Fixed Income , Bonds struggled during the quarter due to volatility in interest rates The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index fell 31% during the quarter wiping out all but 13% of the index’s return for the full year Shorter-term bonds held their value better than longer-maturity bonds due to their lower interest rate sensitivity and the Bloomberg 1-3 Year Treasury Index returned 40% for the year  Below…, Commodities , Gold prices fell 08% during the quarter but still posted an impressive 261% return for all of 2024 Oil prices nudged up a little during the quarter to $72 per barrel Overall the Bloomberg Commodity Index fell slightly during the quarter but returned 54% during all of 2024 Important Information The Bloomberg Commodity Index is a broadly diversified commodity price index distributed by Bloomberg…