Comprehensive Wealth Management - CWM

08/27/2026

According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school and back-to-college shopping are forecast to hit record highs of $43.3 billion and $103.5 billion, respectively. The total projected spending of $146.8 billion is a 14.5% increase over 2025 and surpasses 2023' spending record by 8%.

08/25/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱:

The third year of a presidential cycle (2027 in this case) is typically a positive year for equities. Mid-term Election season may test patience, but the post-election recovery is statistically robust.

08/24/2026

🤖 AI can help you invest… but please don’t use it as your sole financial plan.

One of the biggest misconceptions we continue to see is people treating AI like it’s an investment advisor.

Here’s the reality:

AI is only as good as the prompts it’s given. If you don’t know the right questions to ask, you probably won’t get the right answers.

💰 Are you considering taxes?
📊 Portfolio concentration?
🛡️ Risk tolerance?
📜 Estate planning?
🏦 Cash flow needs?
📈 Long-term objectives?

Those aren’t things AI magically knows, or things it will prompt you to ask it.

Even as AI continues to improve daily, financial advisors, CPAs, and estate planning attorneys still play an important role. Our value isn’t simply having information, its knowing what questions need to be asked before any recommendation is ever made.

AI is an incredible tool. Just don’t confuse a powerful tool with a comprehensive financial plan.

08/23/2026

A letter from CWM President Shilo Lockett: " Since our founding in 2001, CWM has helped clients navigate the dot-com bust, the aftermath of 9/11, the global financial crisis (and recovery) from 2007-2013, the COIVD-19 pandemic and subsequent sharp market selloff in 2020, along with the accompanying inflation surges, recession fears, recovery, and political uncertainty in the years that have followed.

Reflecting on all that we've collectively sustained over the past several decades, I've sometimes wondered 'How did we make all that work?' For me the answer is simple - by being true to who we are and laser focused on our purpose and core values."

Read the full letter here: https://www.cwmnw.com/blog/cwm-celebrates-25-years

08/21/2026

No matter how much we plan, uncertainty always lurks in the shadows. How much risk are you leaving on the table by assuming you've thought of it all?

08/19/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱:

If an investment feels exciting, there's a good chance much of the upside has already been priced in.

08/18/2026

Before you pull the trigger on the kitchen remodel, the new car, or that European trip you’ve been eyeing, lets run it through your financial plan first.

Not because you need permission. Because you deserve confidence.

A good advisor can model out any major purchase and show you exactly what it does to your plan. Does it move the needle? Does it barely register? Most of the time the answer is you’re fine, go enjoy it, but you should know that before you spend the money, not after.

🏠 Home remodel.
🏎️ Car upgrade.
🛫 Annual international trip.
🌴 Vacation property.

None of these are bad decisions, they just deserve a conversation before they hit your credit card.

If your advisor isn’t bringing this up on their own, ask them to. That’s exactly what they’re there for, and any good one will welcome it.

Plan the splurge. Then enjoy it guilt-free. 😊

08/17/2026

Morgan Arford (data nerd, CWM Chief Investment Officer, and overall good egg) shared his joy in this website with the CWM Team. It walks you through a basic, modern apartment showcasing tech or items we use daily (and maybe take for granted?) that previous generations would have marveled at.

A walk through a modern apartment, through the eyes of the people for whom everything in it was new.

08/16/2026

Most emergency funds are built around the wrong number.

That's not your fault, its generally just how the question is framed.
The typical advice is 3-6 months of expenses. But which expenses? Most people default to their normal monthly spend which includes dining out, subscriptions, the usual routine. That’s not a bad baseline, but it’s not what I use with clients.

In our view, an emergency fund should reflect a true emergency.
Think job loss. If you’re not working:
• No commute → less gas
• Kids pulled from daycare → no childcare costs
• Eating at home → dining out drops significantly
• Discretionary spending naturally contracts

Your real “keep the lights on, food on the table, mortgage paid” number is almost always lower than your normal monthly spend, heck sometimes significantly lower!

And that delta? That’s not just a math difference. That’s money that could be working for you in a brokerage account, or somewhere else, instead of sitting idle.
The goal isn’t a smaller safety net. It’s a right-sized one, with the difference actually building wealth instead of collecting dust.

Know your real number. Put the difference to work. That’s a conversation worth having with your advisor.

08/15/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱: Housing markets show sellers outnumber buyers by a whopping 48.5% nationally. That kind of imbalance usually means downward pressure on home prices.

Sellers in previous hot markets often mark up prices steeply, clinging to recent purchase prices despite rising buyer dominance.

It's unlikely to be another 2008, but a decade-long haul of stagnant or gently declining home values feels increasingly likely. How ready is the market for that?