Keen On Retirement

Earlier this month, I attended The Barron’s Advisor Independent Summit in Dallas with Keen Wealth's Chief Investment Officer and President, Matt Wilson. It's a real privilege to be invited to this annual conference where we can talk to and learn from some of the top minds in finance. While the program had been scheduled well in advance, the recent bank collapses in California and New York became one of the dominant topics. Matt and I recorded today's show live at the Summit so that we could share some of the key insights we heard from colleagues and other financial pros about the state of our banking system and the broader economic outlook for the year ahead. We also scale these issues down so that you can have a better understanding of how the big picture could affect your personal financial plan.

Last week, concerned customers pulled their deposits from Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate Capital in California after both banks reported major losses on their balance sheets. This triggered another bank run at Signature Bank in New York. All three banks were heavily exposed to the tech sector, which has struggled this year, in part, because higher interest rates make it tougher for these companies to borrow cash and pursue long-term growth strategies.

The "informal" definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. Based on that one metric, the U.S. slipped into a recession in the summer of 2022. So why is there still so much debate on this topic?

I hope our longer answers on these important topics are a reminder that while there are some universal principles upon which you can build a financial plan, the long-term success of that plan will depend on how you and your advisor work together to find the best solutions for your specific needs and goals.

Here are three strategies for weathering this bout of volatility that I hope you'll think about and discuss with your financial advisor.

For the second year in a row, we decided that it would be prudent to hold our Holiday Market Outlook virtually. And while we're disappointed that we can't share the fellowship of our breakfast event with you, please know how grateful the Keen Wealth team is for the privilege of serving as your financial advisor.