Posts by Basil Schmitz
AEWM Wealth Report: Planning for Long-Term Care Costs
Download PDF Version Many Americans will need some type of caregiving assistance, whether it’s from a home health aide, a family member or a nursing home. The challenge retirees face is how to pay for that care, regardless of who provides it. A Few Key Takeaways: Overview Have you considered how the cost of paid…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management Quarterly Market Report for Q4 2025
The fourth quarter delivered record highs, a government shutdown, sharp volatility and a late-year recovery. Despite turbulence, patient investors were rewarded as markets regained momentum heading into 2026. The final quarter of 2025 capped off an already eventful year with another round of headlines, uncertainty and sharp market moves. After navigating tariff shocks, shifting economic…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 12/28/25 – 1/3/26
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Dec. 28, 2025 – Jan. 3, 2026 S&P 500 fails to reach 7,000 but still has above average year! The market petered out in the final week of 2025, and we failed to reach the 7,000 level on the S&P 500.1 Thanks to a shorter week due to…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 12/21/25 – 12/27/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Dec. 21-27, 2025 Q3 GDP is finally reported — and it was big! Thanks to the government shutdown in October and November, we didn’t get a chance to look at the third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) until last Tuesday. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow indicator was calling for 3.6%…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 12/14/25 – 12/20/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Dec. 14-20, 2025 Markets waffle early in the first week after rate cut After the Federal Reserve cut rates for the third (and final) time in 2025, markets stumbled to start the week as they slipped back into “Big Tech over valuation, AI bubble, weak economy” mode.1 As…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 12/7/25 – 12/13/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Dec. 7-13, 2025 Fed cuts rates but signals pause The debate over whether or not the Federal Reserve would cut rates at its final meeting of 2025 is finally over. The Fed cut rates another 25 basis points (0.25%) last week, taking them to a target level of…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 11/30/25 – 12/6/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2025 Market comes back as final Fed meeting of 2025 looms The market has mostly completed its comeback after the valuations and rate-cut jitters that hit us in early November subsided. Last Friday, the S&P 500 crested above its last recorded high from Oct. 28…
Read MoreAEWM Wealth Report: How To Make Charitable Giving Sustainable
Download PDF Version Americans are becoming increasingly charitable, but many don’t know how to structure giving plans. Strategic charitable vehicles such as stock donations, retirement distributions and trusts can potentially help maximize both impact and tax benefits. A Few Key Takeaways: Overview Americans are a charitable bunch. A 2025 survey by Vanguard Charitable revealed that…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 11/23/25 – 11/29/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Nov. 23-29, 2025 It looks like Santa is on his way! It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving 2025 has already come and gone. We hope everyone had a happy, safe and relaxing holiday with family and loved ones. You know who had a great holiday week? The markets! After…
Read MoreAE Wealth Management: Weekly Market Insights | 11/16/25 – 11/22/25
Weekly Market Commentary THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Nov. 16-22, 2025 A wild ride into Thanksgiving week The market mayhem continued last week. Thursday and Friday were particularly epic and amazing to watch in real time. We thought we might have some calm after the federal shutdown ended and perhaps enjoy a peaceful few days leading…
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