bowhuis

Visit Our Website

Benchmark Financial Design

Presents Mi Smart Moment

bbowhuis @ mibenchmark.com

cbowhuis@ mibenchmark.com

2358 S. Garden Ct,

Jenison, MI 49428

616.667.8834

Click here to schedule a meeting.

Greetings!,

Does it feel to you that summer is quickly running out of time? While we had talked about getting away for a few days, in took until this last week for my wife Karen and I to finally get out of town.

Therefore, we spent a few days at the start of this week enjoying some of our favorite places in northern Michigan. Because of our time away, the blog this week is a bit of leftover items collected during the year.

I hope you find something entertaining in here and will provide more of a theme next week.

At just 0.2 square miles, the Vatican is the world’s tiniest country, but don’t let the size fool you. Thanks to a 1929 treaty with Italy, it’s a fully sovereign state with its own passports, money, and even diplomats - all run by the Pope. - BBC New s, November 17, 2023

In late 1917, during World War I, France initiated the construction of a replica of Paris on the city's outskirts. This decoy, featuring landmarks like the Gare de l'Est and simulated factory rooftops, aimed to mislead German bombers. The project, led by engineer Fernand Jacopozzi, was abandoned after the war ended in 1918. - Doughboy Foundation, Dec 14, 2023

Amazon AWS (Amazon Web Services) generated $108 billion in revenue in 2024, which was higher than the revenues of 468 companies in the S&P 500. - Creative Planning, February 19, 2025

YouTube is so big that its search engine is the second-largest in the world behind Google. Roughly 400 hours of content are uploaded every 24 hours, adding to the 1 billion hours+ of content already on the site. - Global Media Insigh t, June 5, 2025

A new album was released earlier this year with contributions from 1,000+ legendary musicians such as Kate Bush and Annie Lennox. The album isn’t full of remixes or unrecorded bangers; instead, it’s completely silent, as a protest to proposed British AI laws. - AP News, February 25, 2025

I hope you have had some time to get away and recharge this summer. If not, don't let the chance slip by. I have come to learn the power of not taking things for granted.

As always, thank you for reading and have a wonderful weekend.

Bernie & Chad

This week's Smart Moment: 08/08/25

AI WEIRDNESS - AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be at the forefront of technology these days. It feels like daily I get financial updates, news clips and even invitations to webinars about how to use and take advantage of AI. Here are 10 weird things you can do with AI just for fun:

1) Design a Theme Park Based on Your Personality Flaws

2) Generate Startup Pitches from Alternate Universes

3. Feed It Two Radically Different Concepts and Ask for a Blend

4. Turn Your Dreams Into Ambient Soundscapes

5. Generate Recipes Based on What’s in Your Fridge + Your Mood

6. Invent a Secret Language Used by Clouds to Gossip About the Ocean

7. Ask AI to Generate Bedtime Stories for Robots Who Fear Obsolescence

8. Use AI to Plan a Vacation for Your Recurring Intrusive Thoughts

9. Create a D&D Monster, Character, or Adventure from a Nightmare

10. Play a Mad Libs–style Word Game with AI

You can read more about this at Betterengineering.com

“History never repeats itself. Man always does.”

Voltare

Benchmark Financial Design

Investment Advisor Representative of and Securities offered through Founders Financial Securities, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor.