Tammie Kuykendall is a Vice President Plan Communications in Mesirow Executive Benefit Services She is responsible for plan reporting as well as communications and educational materials for clients and participants in nonqualified deferred compensation plans Tammie has 39 years of industry experience specializing in the administration of nonqualified deferred compensation plans Prior to joining…

by Keith Gustafson CFA and Christopher M ONeill PhD CFA CFP ®, FRM ®, ChFC ®, An industry overview of glide paths and asset allocations Target Date Funds (TDFs have been utilized since the Pension Protection Act (PPA of 2006 in a Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA setting as a means of providing retirement savers with a one-stop solution suited to their age and in some cases risk tolerance level Among the allowed QDIA options which consist of managed accounts…

President Trump’s tariff announcement on April 2 2025 was much more significant than markets expected resulting in sharp selloffs across most equity markets Though the full impact of the announcement is still undetermined we continue to believe in staying focused on core investment principles around owning high-quality businesses at reasonable valuations a practical asset allocation based on your…, Please see below for our perspective on yesterday’s announcement the market reaction and our ideas for navigating periods of uncertainty While Trump announced a 10% minimum tariff on all countries he also announced much more severe tariff rates on some of the United States’ key trading partners including an additional 34% tariff on China (bringing China’s total tariff levy to over 50% , According to Fitch and Reuters the tariffs amount to an effective 26% global tariff rate the highest since 1910, 1 Market pundits are pointing out the haphazard manner with which these tariffs were announced , we view the market’s reaction as reflecting concern about economic growth, but NOT a crisis of confidence,  For example Treasury Bonds are doing a good job as a market hedge reflecting the view that US government bonds are still a safe haven during times of uncertainty We expect that , yesterday’s announcement was not the “end game”,  that the range of outcomes remains wide and where we are today is likely not where we will end up in the future If taken at face value , the immediate-term impact of these tariff implementations may likely be higher prices and a slowdown in spending,  potentially resulting in economic contraction or a recession, We expect that economic data will be choppy over at least the next few months, as businesses make unique timing decisions about how best to manage this uncertain tariff environment For example several businesses have pulled forward spending and built up inventory in recent weeks in anticipation of higher costs in the future In the medium term assuming no change to the tariff rates announced yesterday , we expect businesses to re-examine trading partners and routes including building domestic capacity and adjusting supply chains,  For example China faces higher tariff rates on the production of shoes than Brazil so shoe manufacturers may look to move production from China to Brazil However these decisions are costly and won’t likely be made quickly as executives weigh the risks and rewards - especially if the tariff regime changes again from here While the near term is uncertain , we caution against significantly changing your investment strategy,  Markets tend to rebound before data suggests improvement Staying on the sidelines and missing a rebound can be very costly to your long-term returns Long-term investors should already be aware that significant market drawdowns seem to occur every few years While the causes of the significant selloffs tend to change (housing crises pandemics inflation and unexpected tariffs the patterns remain…, We think the key to this market environment is to focus on core investment principles around maintaining a long-term perspective asset allocation and diversification,  International stocks and bonds have held up relatively well in this recent environment highlighting the benefits of asset class diversification Published April 4 2025 1 | https//wwwreuterscom/markets/us/us-tariff-rate-rockets-22-highest-since-1910-fitch-economist-says-2025-04-02/

With the change in tax code a few years ago many affluent individuals and families who used to itemize now qualify for the standard deduction instead which can impact the deductibility of charitable gifts Throughout our history Mesirow has had a strong philanthropic culture so charitable giving is a wealth planning area in which we are very experienced and eager to help provide some new ideas…, Here are two strategies to consider, Strategy 1 Donor Advised Fund, One approach taxpayers can consider is to strategically “lump together” several years’ of charitable donations into a single tax year by making a donation to a Donor Advised Fund (DAF A DAF is a vehicle for charitable giving that makes it easy for donors to dedicate funds to support their favorite nonprofit organization It allows the donor to make a charitable contribution receive an immediate…, Strategy 2 IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs, Charitable-minded investors can take advantage of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs where some or all their distribution is donated directly to a charity In these situations the amount donated can be used to satisfy the annual required minimum distribution (RMD requirement but is excluded from taxable income This approach is limited to $100000 per year  In situations where the taxpayer is…, Published  February 2024, Sources “Timing Tax Savings With Deduction Lumping And Charitable Clumping” Nerds Eye View Blog wwwkitcescom January 31 2018 https//wwwirsgov https//wwwirsgov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/donor-advised-funds “Rules and Requirements For Doing a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD From an IRA” Nerds Eye View Blog wwwkitcescom June 15 2016

Tess is an Analyst in Mesirow CTL and Structured Debt Products She is responsible for supporting the team in research and analysis Prior to joining Mesirow full time in 2022 Tess interned at Mesirow through their Capital Markets Rotational Summer Internship and spent a second summer interning with the Credit Tenant Lease and Structured Debt Products Team Tess earned a Bachelor of Arts in…