Strategic Planning Group

09/07/2026

We dedicate our efforts to ourselves, our families, our passions, and our needs. Whether you're an employee, an entrepreneur, or retired, here's to making the most of this holiday!

Have a wonderful !

09/04/2026

This morning’s jobs report showed payrolls up 162,000 in August and the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1%. That is a stronger print than most forecasts. Markets will now argue about the next Fed meeting.

Households can take a narrower lesson. One month does not make a cycle. It also does not erase the months that looked softer. Labor markets move in fits. The longer American pattern is adaptation — people find work, firms adjust, the story keeps going after the headline cools off. A plan that needs every report to land the same way is a fragile plan. The print is useful context. It is not a new identity. Not individualized advice.

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

Interest rates are moving, bond yields are reacting, and markets are once again trying to handicap what the Federal Reserve will do next.

There is nothing wrong with paying attention. Interest rates affect borrowing costs, bond prices, business investment, valuations, and eventually the economy. But knowing that rates matter is very different from knowing where they go next.

For investors, that distinction matters. A financial plan built around one forecast—rates falling, inflation disappearing, the Fed cutting, or the economy accelerating—can become fragile very quickly when reality takes a different path.

A better framework is to treat interest rates as an input rather than an instruction. Maintain appropriate liquidity, understand the role of each investment, rebalance deliberately, and build a portfolio capable of functioning across multiple economic environments.

The goal is not to predict every turn. It is to avoid requiring the prediction to be right.
Markets can and do decline. Not individualized advice.

09/02/2026

September carries a long statistical reputation as one of the weaker months on average for U.S. equities. That pattern is real enough to notice. What is less discussed is how little it changes the broader arithmetic of long-term ownership. Markets move for reasons that rarely respect the calendar—geopolitics, policy, data surprises. The investor who waits for a “cleaner” month often ends up waiting through several of them. A simple process that keeps capital allocated according to a plan, with cash set aside for known expenses, has historically done more work than trying to outguess the seasonal table. Past patterns are not guarantees; markets can and do decline for extended periods. The point is not prediction. It is reducing the number of decisions that have to be perfect. Not individualized advice.

08/26/2026

What happens if the whole financial system just collapses? Fair question - but there's a real difference between planning for actual risks and building your life around a doomsday scenario.

This week's Tom's Take is about why too much caution can become its own risk, and why I believe in planning for what could go wrong while still investing for what could go right.

Strategic Planning Group | Plan for More

08/26/2026

When gas prices rise, small changes in driving habits can make a noticeable difference in fuel use.

Experts suggest that driving at steady speeds around 65 mph and avoiding rapid acceleration or braking can help improve efficiency. Using cruise control on highways may also reduce fuel consumption.

Other adjustments can add up over time, including limiting idling, reducing extra weight in your vehicle, and keeping tires properly inflated.

Combining trips, carpooling when possible, and planning routes more efficiently may also help reduce overall fuel use.

While these changes may seem minor, they can help drivers get more out of each tank—especially during periods of higher fuel costs. 🚗


Source:

When gas prices go up, it adds to drivers' pain at the pump. But experts say consumers can do something to stretch their fuel just a little farther — change the way they drive.