Sommers Financial Management - A Wealthcare Company

09/04/2026

Are you making the most impact with your charitable donations?

For both you and the organizations you support?

We can help design your giving strategy to be most efficient and impactful!

09/01/2026

While we are fans of Target Date Retirement Funds for those in the "accumulation phase" of their financial lives, we can compare similar portfolios that we manage against them.

Here is the iShares "In Retirement" Target Date ETF, which allocates 40% to stocks, versus our 40 Portfolio - which also targets 40% stocks.

This is a graph showing all performance since inception of the iShares ETF.

08/25/2026

What investment strategy do you like best given the following choices based on 75 YEARS of history:

A. Average Return: 5.7%, declines 2.6% in one quarter every 15 YEARS.

B. Average Return: 6.6%, declines 5.6% in one quarter every four years.

C. Average Return: 7.4%, declines 6% in one quarter out of every seven quarters.

D. Average Return: 8.3%, declines 6.2% in one out of every three quarters.

08/20/2026

Options-based strategies inside an ETF wrapper have become very popular since 2018.

One strategy was created as a "bond alternative" and here are the quarterly statistics of the strategy based on the past 75 years of stock market history:

1. Loses value in one quarter every 15 years. Average loss in those quarters is only 2.6%.

2. In one out of every 3 quarters provides no return - 0%

3. in 50% of all quarters, hits the upside cap average of 2.4%

4. In one out of every seven quarters averages 1.4% return

5. Expected annual return based on 75 years of history: 5.71%

6. Actual annual rate of return since inception on 6/30/2021: 6.02%, with a maximum intra-quarter decline of 4.9%.

Given the Aggregate US Bond Index over the past five years has returned an annual rate of -0.21% with a drawdown of -21% maybe bond alternatives are something to consider.

How are you positioning your bond portfolio these days?

08/18/2026

Our founder Adam Sommers began investing on behalf of clients 30 years ago - from his dorm room at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

He was an avid reader of books and articles about Warren Buffett, and Adam wanted to be the next great investor.

Fast forward 30 years, and he has traded "stock-picking" and "value investing" for low-cost indexing via ETFs and "return-stacking" to obtain "portable alpha".

In 1996, Adam Sommers began with an investment partnership based on Warren Buffett's original 2-page partnership agreement.

In 2002 he founded Sommers Financial Management with a 2-page advisory agreement and proper licensure from regulators.

Fast forward to 2026 and thanks to lawyers and regulators our advisory agreement is now 15 pages long and is required to be accompanied by four additional documents - for your reading pleasure:

- a 33-page "advisor brochure"
- a 3-page "advisor brochure supplement"
- a 2-page "privacy policy"
- a 3-page "client relationship summary"

Remember that they are from the government. They are here to help.

Here is to the 30-year evolution of the financial planning & investment analysis journey of Adam Sommers in 2026.

Hat tip to his original idol and mentor Warren Buffett.

08/17/2026

Many people think we invest client money in "the stock market". While this is true, we assist our clients in investing in any asset class - and we encourage diversification.

Here is our current breakdown of client assets:

Domestic - this means U.S. stocks. In actuality, only 50% of our client assets are invested in traditional U.S. stocks.

Alternative - these are assets non-correlated to stocks/bonds. Commodity strategies, futures strategies, option strategies, etc.

Foreign - these are foreign stocks - ownership of companies based in other countries.

Real Assets - this is mostly real estate, but can include gold, infrastructure assets, etc.

Fixed - This is "Fixed Income" abbreviated. Bonds.

Yielding Cash - this is "savings alternative". We help clients earn rates that are "better than the bank" and are more tax-efficient.

Mutliple Asset Security - these are typically target-date funds, which we use for clients building their net worth inside retirement accounts like SIMPLE IRAs and 401ks.

Custodial Cash - we target 1% in cash to help cover fees, expenses, or to assist with trading (buying one thing and selling another that may not match upon ex*****on).

Digital Assets - we target around a 1% exposure for most clients to Bitcoin. We consider it tech-enabled, "digital gold".

Other is negligible - and these are likely "Alternatives" that the software doesn't know how to categorize.

In total, our clients are invested 60% in "stocks" - including both large and small - U.S. and international.

How does this compare to your portfolio?

08/05/2026

Did you know that we also do estate planning alongside financial planning and investment management?

We've completed 99 estate plan documents with clients - and this week or next we will crest 100 plans over the past 6 years.

Let us know if you need your documents and beneficiaries reviewed - we are here to help!

Estate Planning

07/21/2026

Guess what day it is!?!?!?!

It's 7/21, which means it's time to celebrate and learn more about 721 tax-free real estate exchanges!

You may have heard of a 1031-exchange, but have you heard of a 721-exchange? It's similar, only instead of having to find both a buyer for your investment property, and a seller of a replacement property, a Real-Estate-Investment-Trust (REIT) purchases your property in exchange for shares of the REIT - tax free!

Here is a link to one of our favorite 721-exchange providers, Flock Homes. They invite your single family rental to be a part of the flock, where they will take over management and give you a slice of every home in the "flock".

Check it out!

See how simple it is to exchange your property through Flock’s 721 Exchange platform—from initial consultation to fund ownership. Understand each step, what to expect, and how we handle the details for you.

05/29/2026

It's 5/29, so time to celebrate the benefits of investing for your family's education via 529 accounts.

These accounts grow tax-free, are extremely flexible, are intended for education expenses - but can fund a Roth IRA in the future. What's not to like?

Need another bonus benefit? SFM helps establish, fund, and spend out of 529 accounts for our clients that custody at my529 - at no additional cost!

529 plans are sponsored by states, state agencies, and educational institutions, and are authorized by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

05/04/2026

This May the 4th, build a financial plan that’s designed to go the distance — across the universe and into the future.

At Sommers Financial Management, we help you navigate the investing galaxy with a strategy focused on protecting what you’ve built and growing what comes next.

Because the right plan can help your money stay on the light side of the future.

May the 4th be with your portfolio.