Where Do We Go From Here?

During our outlook event, we covered a myriad of topics and provided those who attended with insights on the stock and bond market as we enter 2024. Our speaker, Eric Parnell (Chief Investment Strategist at Great Vally Advisor Group) discussed the fact that solid fundamentals, projected corporate earnings and inflation metrics that are expected to continue to cool paint a favorable backdrop for risk assets going into the year. As always, markets do not operate without risk, and there are several things that can derail equity performance and knock things down just as quickly as they rose in the fourth quarter of 2023. Finally, we addressed the elephant in the room, the 2024 Presidential Election, and how markets, at least from a historical return perspective, don’t really care who is in power!

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

2023 Shred Event

Continuing the shredding event tradition has always been a priority for all of us that are involved. In addition to allowing people to securely destroy sensitive documents, it gives us a chance to give back to those in need. This year, more than any in recent memory, the rising cost of basic necessities such as food has had a disproportionate effect on the senior and low-income community. It is with great pleasure that we are able to stock the North Haven Food Bank to the brim as we head into the colder months, helping to support families in desperate need in our town. It takes a village, as they say, and the overwhelming generosity of those who participated in our event helped to amass truckloads of food that will soon find a home in kitchens across North Haven.

New Year, New Outlook

During our first virtual event of the year, we addressed the elephant in the room: is 2023 going to be better than 2022?! Spoiler alert: we hope so. We were once again joined by Eric Hundahl, who spoke to our group in mid-2022 and reviewed where we have been and what’s changed over the past several months. More importantly, we discussed what themes look to be the source of opportunity and threat in the new year and our thoughts on the current investment climate. In case you missed it, we’ve summarized the key points from our meeting, below. Please feel welcome to watch the recording as well.

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

Toys for Tots Toy Drive

One of the greatest joys of the holidays is giving a gift to a child. We have been dedicated supports of the Marine Toys for Tots holiday toy drive for years and are continuing our involvement this year. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve raised hundreds of toys over the years and helped make the holiday season a little more special for those less fortunate.

We are one of only a few official toy drop sites authorized by Toys for Tots in the town of North Haven, so please feel welcome to encourage friends or family to participate. Our toy drive runs through Friday, December 3rd and toys can be dropped off or shipped directly to our office here in North Haven. Should you choose to participate, we will accept new, unwrapped toys that will directly benefit those less fortunate in the Greater New Haven area.

2022 Open Enrollment and Medicare FAQ Webinar

During our most recent virtual event, our guest speaker, Mark Brownstein of Emerald Medicare, spoke to the many different areas that Medicare impacts beneficiaries. What should be a relatively simple system is unfortunately very complex. From determining the right time to enroll, to selecting the correct plan or coordinating benefits with employer provided insurance, there is no shortage of places where one can go wrong in evaluating your health coverage in retirement. We discussed what to look out for and the importance of shopping around during this year’s annual enrollment period.

A special thanks to Mark for taking the time to share his expertise with us and for providing valuable insight into one of the most important areas of retirement planning.

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

KB Classic: 10th Annual CTBTA Golf Tournament

Our first golf tournament was a smashing success. What was admittedly a massive undertaking came together in spectacular fashion as we narrowly avoided two thunderstorms and were blessed with a warm and sunny fall day to welcome the 104 golfers who showed up to support the Connecticut Brain Tumor Alliance (CTBTA). When it comes to defining success for an event such as this, there is always the qualitative and the quantitative. Admittedly, the weather helped make the day even more enjoyable, but it was clear based upon the smiles on everyone’s faces that a good time was had by all who participated. Following golf, the clubhouse staff delivered in spades with some great food and drinks to end what was already a great day. From a fundraising standpoint, we also outperformed and exceeded our initial goal by $20k. It is heartwarming to know that the CTBTA will be able to use these funds to expand their outreach program and continue to raise awareness in support of patients, caregivers and families who have been affected by a brain tumor diagnosis. 

2022 Shred Event

We can't believe this was our 10th consecutive year holding a shred event. What started out small is now well known and attracts over a hundred people from North Haven and the surrounding towns. While many of us thought there were no more documents to shred after the Covid cleanouts, we were happy to see the Shred-It truck being quickly filled. Our 10th annual Shred Event was a huge success and even more so for the North Haven Food Bank who benefitted from all the food generously donated. A special thanks to the local community and the volunteers who help make our event possible, including Connecticut State Representative Dave Yaccarino and North Haven First Selectmen Mike Freda.

Social Security Virtual Event

It is no secret that Social Security is top of mind for those entering or early in retirement. Faced with a myriad of options and an inherently complex system, we partnered with BlackRock to shed some light into what most consider to be a black box. Our guest speaker, Jennifer Taboada, delivered a fact-filled presentation and highlighted the planning opportunities and risks that beneficiaries face when making a once-in-a-lifetime decision. 

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

2022 Summer Concert Happy Hour Series

Our first summer season of Happy Hour Under the Stars was a success. From our parking lot, we were able to clearly hear the bands playing, putting smiles on everyone’s face. We had a great turnout each week and enjoyed cold drinks with family and friends while listening to the concert from across the green. If you were unable to make any of our events this year, we look forward to seeing you at future instances of our summer concert happy hour series in 2023!

Market and Economic Update

In the midst of the market volatility that persisted during the first half of 2022, we met with our investment research partners at BNY Mellon to answer our client's most pressing questions. It was a great and interactive session with Eric Hundahl, CFA, who gave us a detailed overview of what has been going on in key financial markets and what macroeconomic trends are worth keeping an eye on. 

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

Bourbon Tasting

Thanks to our friends down in Shelbyville, Kentucky and their resident Bourbon expert, Melissa, we learned about the origins of Bourbon, the distillation process, what differentiates it from whiskey and, of course, sampled our fair share of delicious brown liquor from America’s heartland. A huge thank you to Nick at Greens Farms Spirits for his help in sourcing our very own private barrel of Bulleit and connecting us with the team at the distillery.

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

Megatrends Virtual Event

We often discuss the rapid pace of innovation and how it impacts our lives. It seems like a lifetime ago that dial up internet was the gold standard for connectivity (20 years ago), and many of us can’t imagine life without cell phones (they gained popularity in the mid- 1990s). We partnered with our friends at Blackrock and had a fun, lighthearted and incredibly interesting discussion about Megatrends and how they have shaped the world we live in. We also speculated on what is to come in the future while sharing a cocktail with friends!

To watch a replay of the event: CLICK HERE

2021 Shred Event

For 9 straight years, our shredding event has been a huge success. Hot off the heels of a record turnout in 2020, the 2021 event was equally as impressive. It was hard to imagine that anyone had any documents left to shred after last year, but they did. True-to-form, we had cars lined up as early as 8:30am and we successfully helped over a hundred people securely destroy old documents, credit cards and even hard drives thanks to our friends and partners at Shred-It. The North Haven Food Bank was once again the biggest beneficiary, with hundreds of food items being donated to support those in our community who need it most.

Virtual Wine Tasting

After a long year at home, we figured a good way to drown out much of the negativity was to share a much needed (virtual) drink with friends. With the help of Nick from Greens Farms Spirits, we put together a tasting of four different wines from around the world, ranging from light a light and crisp chardonnay from France to a dark and earthy Chianti from Italy. It was great to see so many smiling faces, and we look forward to seeing everyone in person soon!

2020 Shred Event

Our 2020 shred event was our biggest ever, literally and figuratively. We filled the entire Shred-It truck – a first for our event, although we’ve come close in the past. Suck home during the first half of the year due to COVID, many resorted to cleaning up and cleaning out their houses as a way to pass the time amid lockdowns. Prior to the event, we were questioning whether anyone was even going to show up, needless to say we were pleasantly surprised with the record turnout. The best part: The North Haven Food Bank received a massive donation heading into the holidays and winter months thanks to the generosity of our community.

Market Declines and Volatility Virtual Event

In the midst of a pandemic, COVID lockdowns have brought the world’s economy to a screeching halt. Chaos in financial markets has investors worried about a recession and what that could mean for their future and what, if anything, they should do to best weather the storm. We partnered with our friends at Dimensional Fund Advisors to share some insight into the benefits of remaining disciplined, especially in the face of adversity, and how long-term investors are rewarded over time for the risks they take investing in equity markets.