Published Articles
Wealth Planning
Wealth Planning
One of the Best Investments You Can Make? Yourself.
Adam Lawrence, CPA, January 2025
A gym membership and a healthy diet are probably not the first things that come to mind when you consider investments for building wealth. Instead, most people think of stocks and bonds as ways to accomplish their financial goals.
Jeff Speight, CFP®, January 2025
Intrafamily loans are a useful financial tool for helping adult children purchase real estate, invest in a business, or pay off high-interest debt.
Preserving Family Assets with a Limited Liability Company
Keith Fenstad, CFP®, January 2025
Families who wish to retain legacy assets such as ranches, vacation homes, or other legacy property, face many challenges – delegating operational responsibilities; managing ownership; liability protection; to ensure smooth transition across generations. A Limited Liability Company (LLC) provides a legal and practical framework to address these challenges making it an ideal choice in many instances.
Economy
Economy
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, February 4, 2025
Our economy continues to generate strong economic growth averaging close to 3% real GDP over the past 10 quarters. This is well above the “potential long-term growth” that most economists thought the mature U.S. economy was capable of.
Quarterly Economic Overview & Outlook
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, January 3, 2025
Review. The U.S. economy exceeded almost everyone’s expectations in 2024, delivering strong growth and setting the stage for further expansion in 2025.
Outlook. The U.S. economy enters 2025 with the same tailwinds that boosted the 2024 economy – robust business investment (Chart 6), a solid labor market, and strong consumer spending.
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, December 2, 2024
U.S. economic growth was a solid 2.8% in the third quarter and is tracking 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Growth between 2% and 3% might be termed a “Goldilocks” economy – not too hot, and not too cold.
Markets
Markets
Monthly Financial Markets Update
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, February 4, 2025
Most asset classes got off to a good start in January. Both U.S. and International equities (including emerging markets) posted strong monthly gains. REITs and infrastructure had more modest gains while bonds posted slight gains for the month. Gold once again led all major asset classes with its continued strong performance.
Quarterly Markets Overview & Outlook
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, Curtis Holden, CFA®, January 3, 2025
Overview. Asset class performances diverged in 2024 as they reacted to the cross currents of a strong U.S. economy, weakness abroad, geopolitical tensions, a flip-flop from the Fed on interest rates, and anticipation of the new President’s policies after the election.
Monthly Financial Markets Update
John Merrill, Tom Bruce, December 2, 2024
Strength in the U.S. economy along with the anticipation of upcoming policy changes in the new Trump administration were the primary drivers of financial markets in November.
Founder's Perpective
Founder’s Perspective
Half a Century of Independence–And Why it Matters More than Ever
John Merrill, February 10, 2025
Most formerly independent wealth management firms have been sold to big institutions. Tanglewood Total Wealth Management remains independent. That means a lot to me, our team, and especially our clients. I believe it should be to you, too.
John Merrill, October 2, 2024
Exactly six years ago, the title of my Perspective was A New World Order (October 2018). The main message of that piece was that the post-WWII world order was breaking apart. The rules formerly agreed for international trade, investment, and security were being undermined by China.
John Merrill, July 2024
Winston Churchill once stated, “Americans will always do the right thing after they have tried everything else.”
Books
Books Published
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Investing in Uncertain Times 2nd Edition (2018)
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Investing in UNCERTAIN Times (2012)
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The Sure Road to Investment Success
Building Your Best Portfolio for Risk and Reward
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The Sure Road to Investment Success
Preserving and Enhancing Wealth Over a Lifetime
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Outperforming the Market
Everyone's Guide to High-Profit, Low-Risk Investing
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Beyond Stocks
A Guide to the Best Performing Complete Portfolios
