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Henry's Take

Henry

Embraceable Change

The greatest certainty in life is change. As financial planning professionals, we work with change every day. In fact, we recently experienced (and caused) a huge change for our firm, when we decided to change our name to better reflect the services that we provide to clients. Between the name change and an entirely new look and feel, it took us a while to get used to it, not to mention the effort to communicate such a seismic shift to clients and colleagues.

Rest assured, we didn’t miss a beat and are well into annual meetings with clients to review what has happened in their world and provide some insight into how the recent tax law changes and other market conditions will affect the financial world (and yours) in 2018.

We are asked regularly for our “take” on the state of the market. The standard answer is: It’s anyone’s guess. But, there are indicators that we should be aware of.

I was recently quoted in a report provided by Accent Computer Solutions. They polled 18 professionals on their predictions for 2018. Here is what I predict for 2018:

The biggest surprise for 2018 is going to be inflation. Construction and manufacturing business owners are telling us that it is very hard to find qualified employees. A tightening labor market will require an increase in wages to attract new hires. That, along with the lack of skilled workers, will inevitably lead to higher inflation. I believe the Fed will need to act sooner than most investors are predicting. We will see raising interest rates. Higher rates will put pressure on the bond market and will raise the cost for businesses looking to borrow capital.

Is it gloom and doom? I don’t believe so. Is record growth going to continue? It’s hard to predict. We work hard to try and balance your risk tolerance, needs and long term interests with our experience when creating and reviewing financial plans and have processes in place as a check and balance to keep a watchful eye.


Henry Ford

Click here for a recent briefing about the drop of the DOW.

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LifeSteps News

New Name. New Look. Same People. Same Great Response.

LifeSteps Financial 101017 10011 copy

Click to view our Press Release

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Guest Insights

Reider Brian-c2

Brian Reider, Attorney,
Best, Best & Krieger

Insurance Matters

In the past few weeks, I have had several interactions with clients and advisors about business insurance. Unfortunately, the discussions were after losses occurred and required me to explain why there was no insurance coverage.

This has reminded me, again, that there is a great lack of understanding about what types of insurance coverage are needed for a business and what risks are (and are not) covered by various types of policies. [READ MORE]

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Did You Know?

BTN Rising Wages 021318 v2
BTN Bear Market 021318 v2
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Lifestyle. Legacy. Peace of Mind.

LifeSteps Financial is an independent, Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). We provide integrated financial planning, investment management and family office services to individuals & multi-generational families, business owners & entrepreneurs, professionals & executives and privately-held businesses.

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What distinguishes LifeSteps is our approach and our processes.
For more information, contact us at: 909-267-3770

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This report is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation for any particular security. Mention of individual securities should not imply that we own the security or have owned it in the past. In addition, the information provided here should not form the basis for investment decisions. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This information should not be used in any transaction without the advice and guidance of your Tax Professional. LifeSteps Financial has not independently verified, or attested to the accuracy or authenticity of the information, including any investment performance measurement.