In our Investment Outlook 2025 events, we will share our thoughts on the real estate market and the opportunities ahead. While the commercial real estate sector appeared to hit bottom early last year, it showed a positive trend in the latter half, with core real estate values increasing 6% per the Green Street Commercial Property Index (Green Street CPPI). As mentioned in previous publications, we favor opportunities in industrial warehouses, apartments and data centers, which saw values increase last year. However, our publications have not as deeply explored one segment of commercial real estate (CRE): office space.

There are two SECURE Acts, both of which were designed to enhance retirement savings and provide more flexibility for savers by updating and introducing new retirement planning rules.

Lately, clients have been asking us one question: how are longer-term bond yields moving higher when the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates?

We present our Outlook 2025 publication titled “Lessons Learned,” in which we discuss the resilience of the U.S. economy in 2024, highlighting the significant contributions of major technology companies to profit growth and providing insights on asset allocation strategies for 2025. Additionally, our team of analysts provide a look-back on each of the firm’s strategies and a primer on the environment for each in the year ahead.

We present our first quarter 2025 issue of Wealth Management Insights titled “Tax Planning in an Ever-Changing Environment.” In it, Wealth Management Chair Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA®, discusses strategies for increasing tax efficiency in client portfolios, including tax diversification, tax-efficient investing, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. Tyler Conroy, CFP®, CPWA®, provides insights into tax-efficient retirement withdrawals, emphasizing the importance of planning the sequence and timing of withdrawals to manage taxes and extend the longevity of assets. Scott Christianson, CFP®, explains the importance of tax diversification in investment portfolios, detailing various account types and strategies to manage tax risk and provide flexibility for tax-efficient distributions in the future.

When my family gathers around the holidays, we enjoy catching up on Jeopardy episodes with our two daughters. As they are both educators, it can be difficult for my wife and me to keep up, but it can also get pretty competitive. In one episode, I had the upper hand as the category was the “Magnificent Seven.” Luckily, this didn’t refer to the movies but to the seven stocks dominating the stock market. In investing circles, the term “Magnificent Seven,” or Mag-7, is well known, and I was surprised it had become recognizable enough to be a Jeopardy category. Unfortunately, while I was the first to “buzz in” and answer correctly in this category, I wasn’t as fortunate the rest of the game.

What a year it’s been for the equity markets. In our last Weekly Market Makers post for 2024, our colleague Jason Norris, CFA, reminds us to remember our own long-term horizons when contemplating the short-term market activity in 2025.

On Wednesday, in a widely expected move, the Federal Reserve cut the policy interest rate by 0.25% to a new range of 4.25% - 4.50%. This brings cumulative interest rate cuts to 1% for calendar year 2024.

Wrapping up any tax year results in a flurry of activity. Not just holiday shopping and family gatherings, but also tax strategy implementation and estate planning actions. At Ferguson Wellman, we regularly provide guidance and field questions about appropriate strategies for our clients’ situations.

The 2024 U.S. presidential election of Donald Trump has sparked optimism in the financial markets and corporate sentiment. While some of this enthusiasm may be attributed to the end of a tumultuous election, the positive market reactions in the immediate aftermath—including rising stock prices, declining bond yields and a strengthening dollar—suggest that domestic and international investors are responding favorably to Trump's proposed policies.

Casia Chappell, CFP®, CPWA®, discusses the benefits and workings of irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), highlighting their role in estate planning by providing asset protection, estate tax mitigation and efficient wealth transfer.

It’s been just over a month since the U.S. presidential election, and financial markets continue to be influenced by anticipation for the incoming administration in Washington D.C.

While standing in line at a local grocery store this week, waiting to purchase food for yesterday’s Thanksgiving meal, it was interesting to hear other shoppers mention the cost of their groceries to the store’s clerks.

A banana duct taped to a wall sold for $6.2 million dollars this week to a cryptocurrency founder. With bitcoin nearing $100,000 and up more than 40% in November alone, bullish sentiment may be reaching levels of excess and froth in certain corners of the capital markets.

As the year draws to a close, it's an opportune time to review your financial situation and ensure you meet year-end deadlines to maximize your financial benefits.

As I was getting my blood drawn yesterday, the phlebotomist learned that I worked in finance and asked my opinion on the economy. Focused on the sting from the needle, I quickly replied that things look fine and that we’re not expecting a recession in the near term.

In a typical week, a .25 point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve would likely be the top economic story in the United States. This was not a typical week.

Chocolate-loving parents may be in for a sour surprise as they rummage through their children’s Halloween candy this year. With cocoa prices double the levels seen last year, food companies are getting creative, reducing the size of chocolate bars and adding more non-chocolate treats to their Halloween candy bags for sale. Trick-or-treaters weren’t the only ones to experience an eventful week, as an action-packed capital markets provided investors with their own bag of surprises to unpack.

As summer wraps up, the kids head back to school, and the weather becomes crisp, I can’t help but remember the ice storm that hit Portland earlier this year during one of the coldest weeks.

his week, Oregon residents experienced the first taste of fall. Evenings, once long and balmy, gave way to early, crisp sunsets. Leaves, damp from evening rain and morning dew, began dropping from trees. Pumpkins appeared on porches to greet the trick-or-treaters that would soon walk door-to-door. Lastly, capital markets demonstrated similar signs of change with company earnings announcements and macroeconomic data reports, ending a fairly quiet week by setting the stage for more significant releases of information in the coming weeks and months. Surely, fall is upon us.

We present our fourth quarter 2024 issue of Wealth Management Insights titled “Creating a Family Legacy of Giving” In it, Wealth Management Chair Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA®, offers guidance on how to establish a family vision around charitable giving. Mary Lago, CFP®, CTFA®, provides insights into tax-efficient investing, retirement account strategies and charitable giving. Nate Putnam, CFP®, provides further considerations for the changing philanthropic landscape.

Wealth Management Chair Samantha Pahlow, CTFA, AWMA, presents the firm’s quarterly Wealth Management Insights titled, “Creating a Family Legacy of Giving.” In the video, she discusses how to instill philanthropic values in children and highlights several tax-efficient giving strategies to consider for year-end.

In the realm of estate planning, the terms "per stirpes" and "per capita" play a pivotal role in how assets are distributed among beneficiaries. Understanding both terms is critical for anyone looking to ensure that their assets are transferred according to their wishes.  

In October 2022, the S&P 500 hit a low of 3,577, which was 25% lower than at the start of the year. The Federal Reserve had just started an aggressive interest rate hiking cycle and 100% of Wall Street economists were calling for a recession by 2023. We believed otherwise. 

As the calendar turned to the final quarter of 2024, there was plenty of economic and geopolitical news for investors to digest.

Chief Investment Officer George Hosfield, CFA, presents the firm's quarterly Investment Strategy titled, "Awaiting the Score." In the video, he discusses how the Fed is shifting its focus to the labor market.

We present the fourth quarter 2024 Market Letter publication titled, “Awaiting the Score,” in which Chief Investment Officer George Hosfield, CFA, outlines the positive impact of receding inflation, renewed profit growth and the Fed’s monetary policy on investors. Krystal Daibes Higgins, CFA, discusses the skepticism and evolving debate around the ROI of artificial intelligence (AI). Lastly, Brad Houle, CFA, asks the question, “How Far, How Fast?” when it comes to the Fed’s rate cuts.

Recently, a realtor friend of mine shared that transaction volume was notably low due to high interest rates, resulting in a sluggish market. However, with last week’s Federal Reserve’s rates cut, he and likely others in the realty industry are hoping the housing market will be reenergized. While not everyone can buy or sell a house, home ownership is a prominent consideration when creating wealth. And while I’m not in the market to sell my house, I was curious about what is now occurring in the housing market.