The first half of the year was like a tug of war for the market. For much of the first quarter, the market pulled back and forth from positive to negative. In March, the start of the war with Iran pulled the S&P 500® into negative territory for the year and the index finished the first quarter at its low for the year. After beginning the second quarter at its low, the market did not look back and by the second week of April the S&P 500® was back in positive territory.
The first quarter of 2026 served as a good reminder that market conditions can change quickly. After 2025 delivered historically low volatility and strong returns across most areas of the market, 2026 started the same way.
Looking to get organized before the end of the year? Here is our annual financial checklist to help get you started. As you are working through it, please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone here at Droms Strauss Wealth Management for assistance.
We help our clients achieve financial independence...not necessarily "retirement" but instead, having the ability to have the life you look forward to and knowing you have the financial ability to step away from you job or career - even one that you might enjoy so that you might realize other long term objectives.
Young couples, and frequently grandparents, ask about planning for the education of children or grandchildren. We periodically prepare education funding computations so that parents and grandparents can plan for the education of their children.
Whether it involves long-term care planning, a review of existing life insurance policies or something as mundane as a review of your home and automobile liability coverage, we can assist you in determining whether you have the proper coverages. We are not insurance agents but we do know what to look for in your policies and determine whether or not you need to make changes.
Are you struggling to understand how the new tax laws impact your family? We can help you determine what strategies can be used to minimize your income taxes and can structure your investments to minimize your tax burden.
Do you have an up to date estate plan? We regularly work with attorneys to make sure that your plan documents are current and achieve your dispositive objectives and meet all of your concerns.
Do you use appreciated securities for your charitable giving? Have you considered how a donor advised family fund might actually save you taxes and be used for your annual charitable giving? We can help .... from explaining the concepts all the way through execution.