News & Views
June 25, 2022
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Accounting for Patience: My Debit Balance with My Mom
by Lance Gunkel, CFP®, CFA, Managing Director
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I was good with numbers in high school, and I quickly learned that I also had an interest in business. An introductory accounting course sounded right up my alley for my junior year.
The first semester I spent in cruise control; the accounting principles came to me quickly, and I did well on my practice sets and exams.
The final project for the semester was given to us months in advance and required us to …
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Why Owning a Farm Might Be a Good Investment
By Bill Haupts, Agsurion Risk Consulting
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Have you ever thought you would like to be a farmer or operate a farm? Maybe you said no to that idea, but are curious if you should invest in a farm.
Farming is certainly one of the oldest professions in the history of mankind. And like most major industries, it has gone through major evolutions, innovations, and changes. The days of grandpa’s farm have given way to …
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The Capstone Study Group members came from all over the nation to the Syverson Strege office for three days. Managing Director Lance Gunkel and Cofounder David Strege are both members of the group. Organized in 1996, the Capstone Study Group is comprised of leading financial planning firms across the United States.
Capstone is an invited network of leading financial planners sharing ideas, knowledge, and support. Members are committed to helping each other grow as business managers and providers of cutting-edge services to clients in all aspects of personal wealth management.
The Syverson Strege team had the privilege of joining with the Capstone Study Group to hear Bill Carter from Carter Financial Management in Texas present a seminar “On Great Service … a Framework for Action.”
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Meet Your Syverson Strege Team – Jerin Young |
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Do you know what Jerin’s “can’t miss” Icelandic food recommendation is? Get to know Jerin Young, Senior Associate Financial Planner. |
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- In April, we had our first of five monthly contests in celebration of Syverson Strege’s 25th anniversary.
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Each month we will post two contest questions in the News & Views newsletter.
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Please email Deb Longseth with your answers.
- One random person with the right answer (or closest to the right answer) will win and be mailed one of our cool camper mugs!
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Contest questions for this month: |
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How many out-of-state clients does Syverson Strege serve?
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How many office locations has Syverson Strege had since 1997? |
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Answers from the May contest:
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How old is our oldest client? The answer is 101! No matter what age our clients are, it is a privilege to walk through life and serve them with financial education and guidance.
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How many clients (spouse and partner count as one client) are currently served by Syverson Strege? The answer is 530. We are thankful that our client base is growing nearly every week and that we are able to serve each and every family.
Good luck on this month’s contest!
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Wakeboarding – Tyler Conley |
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Who can do a 180˚ front flip on his wakeboard? Financial Planner Tyler Conley! Watch this short video to learn how wakeboarding has more in common with financial planning than you might think. Both need the right tools in place, a supportive team, dedication, and discipline. |
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Mountain Climbing – David Strege |
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Cofounder David Strege shares how creating a lifetime investment plan can be a bit like climbing a mountain. Watch this video to find out how Syverson Strege can be your “sherpa” to help navigate your financial “mountain climbing” expedition. |
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Workshop: Grandparenting in Today’s World |
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Tuesday, August 9
2:00-4:00 PM
Syverson Strege Office
What makes grandparenting an opportunity worth investing in? How is grandparenting in today’s world both a challenge and a blessing? Find out the answers and more at our upcoming free workshop: “Grandparenting in Today’s World.”
At the workshop, you’ll learn:
- what an amazing influence you are in your family.
- how your role and responsibilities differ from a parent.
- how to teach values to your grandchildren.
- how to be more intentional to perpetuate your faith to future generations.
- enjoyable activity ideas to make lasting memories with your grandchildren.
Our featured speakers are Jon Ness from the Legacy Coalition, Lori Elmitt, grandmother of six, and Wayne Johnson, resident grandfather at Syverson Strege.
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Also, at the event – prizes, refreshments, and sharing time with other grandparents!
Invite your friends and join us on Tuesday, August 9 at 2 PM at the Syverson Strege office at 4125 Westown Parkway, #104, West Des Moines, Iowa. Seating is limited so register today!
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Syverson Strege Style Show for Women
Tuesday, September 13 at 10:00 AM
Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge, West Des Moines
- Invite a friend!
- See the latest fashions modeled by Syverson Strege employees.
- Learn about stylish fashion tips.
- Coffee bar, refreshments, prizes!
Registration details coming soon.
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This month’s Charity Discover is DMARC Food Pantry Network. The mission of DMARC is “working together to meet basic human needs for the greater Des Moines community.”
Through DMARC’s 14 partner food pantry sites and mobile food pantry sites, DMARC offers a nutritionally balanced three-day supply of food to individuals or families once per month, as well as additional food items available on a daily basis. DMARC Board President Denise Bubeck says, “While many people in our community face mounting food insecurity, we can provide a fortress of security to our neighbors.”
The Syverson Strege team has supported DMARC with several food bank projects and wholeheartedly supports their mission to fight food insecurity. Chief Planning Officer Matt Roberts is a regular volunteer for DMARC and sits on one of their committees.
Watch this video to learn more about DMARC.
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The DMARC Food Pantry Network has seen a 39% increase in use in April 2022 compared to April 2021 due to inflation and other contributing factors. They could use your donations today. |
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Iowa Funeral Directors Association |
Financial Planner Wayne Johnson and Director of Marketing & Communications Julie Summa represented Syverson Strege at the Iowa Funeral Directors Association Convention & Expo! Syverson Strege has been a longtime partner with the IFDA staff and its members. |
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Chief Planning Officer Matt Roberts was invited to participate in a panel discussion on the “Changing Patterns of Retirement” which aired on KCRG-TV, the ABC affiliate in Eastern Iowa. The discussion included whether people are retiring later or earlier, how the falling stock market affects retirement decisions, and tax-deferred retirement accounts. |
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What are I bonds and should you consider adding them to your portfolio? Why is the interest rate of I bonds so attractive during times of high inflation? Find out more in this Finance Moment Podcast. |
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Market Update
by Jason Gunkel, CFP®, CFA, CAP®, Chief Investment Officer, Financial Planner
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It’s no secret that the financial markets have struggled during this first half of 2022 and investors may be nervous about the future. |
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High inflation, rising interest rates, the war in Ukraine, and fears of a recession have pushed the stock market into a bear market with the S&P 500 Index falling over 20% year to date with about one week left prior to the mid-point of the year.
Perhaps the bigger surprise has been the drop in bond prices with the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index down about 11.5% year to date!
Central banks have been raising interest rates aggressively to combat inflation and the inverted yield curve garners a lot of attention because most of the time a yield curve inversion indicates a recession to follow. However, so far, many economists don’t think a recession will occur as indicated by an April Wall Street Journal survey where 75 economists surveyed put the probability of a recession occurring over the next 12 months at only 28%.
The U.S. economy remains under significant pressure from inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), driven largely by surging food and energy prices, accelerated at an 8.6% annual rate in May—the highest since December 1982. Food and energy aren't solely to blame for inflation. At this point, prices are up across many categories.
The problem for the Fed and other major central banks is that a lot of the inflationary pressure stems from supply-side issues, which they can't control. The only option available is to slow economic growth enough to bring domestic demand down to meet the constrained supply.
While inflation is likely to remain elevated over the next couple of years, we believe that low unemployment, the trillions of dollars saved during the pandemic, and high consumer demand will cause economic activity to be stable enough to avoid a recession next year.
Unfortunately, investing in the financial markets means having to cope with uncertainty and downturns from time to time. History has shown us that markets are resilient and have rewarded investors over the long run. Having a well-developed investment and distribution plan with sufficient cash reserves can make market downturns much less scary.
We are hopeful that the second half of the year in the financial markets will be much better than the first.
Make sure to watch our upcoming 2nd Quarter Market Update video coming out in early July where I will share more details about the current markets and economy.
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Syverson Strege
4125 Westown Parkway, Suite 104
West Des Moines, IA 50266
515-225-6000
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