Timothy Walk - Northwestern Mutual

Whether the economy slips into recession or sticks the soft landing, volatility is likely to stick around. Here’s Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte’s take on how investors can respond.

Disappointing Jobs Data Suggests an Economy Nearing the Edge More signs emerged that the economy is nearing an inflection point. How should investors respond to the growing risks?

If you ever had to write a sentence as punishment then it's time to review your beneficiaries. Let's get started... http://spr.ly/618952jJz

If you’re ready for a midlife career shift, we’re happy to talk through the steps to help you do things right.

What to Know About Starting a New Career at 40 Starting a new career can be tough, but it’s never too late. Here are some important things to keep in mind before making a career change at 40.

Equities rode a wave of investor optimism to close out August on a high note. Here’s Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte’s look at what risks the Fed believes still exist and how investors can manage them.

Investors’ Confidence Sends Markets Higher Stocks closed higher thanks to a resurgence of investors’ confidence. But does the economic data warrant current valuations?

Being a financial advisor can be a lonely gig. I am always grateful that I ended up on Cody Beatty's team. Last week, we had the privilege of learning from a 21 year vet in this business Travis Falk while sharing our own goals and receiving feedback. As Travis mentioned, if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.

If you are interested in making a career change and being surrounded with the best team you can ask for, dm me. Let's have a conversation.

I recently finished Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Ryan's work has been instrumental in my adoption of stoicism and this book is an awesome read. Here are some excerpts...

“Imagine if for every person you met, you thought of some way to help them, something you could do for them? And you looked at it in a way that entirely benefited them and not you. The cumulative effect this would have over time would be profound..."

"It’s far better when doing good work is sufficient. In other words, the less attached we are to outcomes the better. When fulfilling our own standards is what fills us with pride and self-respect. When the effort—not the results, good or bad—is enough. With ego, this is not nearly sufficient."

“The future bears down upon each one of us with all the hazards of the unknown.” The only way out is through.”

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Equities climbed last week thanks to more confirmation that the Fed is ready to cut rates. Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte looks at why the Fed may be limited in how far it can go to stem an economic slowdown.

Some Investors Expect Rate Cuts Will Save the Day, but Will the Economy Follow the Script? Will the Fed’s rate cuts be enough to save the day? Or is the economy following a different script?

If you ever hit a tennis ball into your neighbors dish satellite then it's time for you to review your retirement plan. Let's get started... http://spr.ly/618952jJz

It might sound funny, but it's true- the longer you live, the longer you're expected to live. And living longer is great news if, you’re prepared financially. DM me for some valuable info on longevity and the importance of planning for a long retirement. http://spr.ly/6183lWYFW

They have very different purposes.

The Difference Between a Revocable and Irrevocable Trust Trusts can be an important part of your estate plan. Before setting up a trust, it’s important to understand the difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts.

Markets surged last week on encouraging economic headlines. Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte digs into the details to see whether the good times can continue.

Why Not Too Hot nor Too Cold May Not Be Just Right Economic headlines last week offered an incomplete story of the economy. We sift through the details for a clearer picture.

For the last year I have been annoying my family with facts I have learned from David Eagleman. I recently finished Livewired: The inside story of the ever-changing brain by Neuroscientist David Eagleman. Here are some things I found fascinating, the last is my favorite...

“So how does the massively complicated brain, with its eighty-six billion neurons, get built from such a small recipe book? The answer pivots on a clever strategy implemented by the genome: build incompletely and let world experience refine. Thus, for humans at birth, the brain is remarkably unfinished, and interaction with the world is necessary to complete it.”

“... So the basis of behavioral improvement is not simply the repeated performance of a task; it also requires neuromodulatory systems to encode relevance. Without acetylcholine, the ten thousand hours is wasted time.”

“Brain circuitry comes to reflect what you do, and so the cortex of a highly trained musician morphs into something measurably different—in a way that you can see on brain imaging, even with an untrained eye. If you pay careful attention to a region of the motor cortex involved in hand movement, you’ll find something amazing: musicians have a puckering on their cortex where nonmusicians do not, shaped roughly like the Greek letter omega (Ω).4 The thousands of hours of practice on the instrument physically molds the brains of the musicians.”

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If you remember wanting to rep a movie on your first day of school, then we need to talk about how to make sure we are inflation proofing your retirement. Let's get started... http://spr.ly/618952jJz

Recent economic data shows why a soft landing may be difficult for the Fed to achieve. Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte weighs in with his take on what investors should consider as they prepare for more bumps ahead.

Markets Bounce Back, but Risks Remain Last week’s market volatility may be just the beginning. We look at how investors can brace for more turbulence ahead.

If you were ever excited that your parents "packed" this for your lunch... then we need to talk about retirement planning. Let's get started...http://spr.ly/618952jJz

I had a blast at our back to school networking event. Thanks to everyone for coming and checking out our new space in Upper Arlington and to everyone who serves in the Elder Care community.

Will a September rate cut be enough to prevent the economy from tipping into recession? Our Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte offers his take.

Fed Signals Rate Cuts Are Coming—Now Comes the Hard Part News of a likely rate cut in September was overshadowed by weak economic data. We look at why investors’ concerns are warranted.

As your life evolves, your need for life insurance also tends to change. Let’s sit down to make sure your plans match where you’re at in your life.

When Should You Reevaluate Your Life Insurance Coverage? Like many parts of your financial life, life insurance isn’t something you should set and forget.

On vacation I read The mountain is you by Brianna Wiest. Some of my favorite quotes were...

Mental strength is not just hoping that nothing ever goes wrong. It is believing that we have the capacity to handle it if it does.

The way you are self-sabotaging: Mindlessly scrolling through social media as a way to pass the time. What your subconscious mind might want you to know: This is one of the easiest ways to numb yourself, because it is so accessible and addictive.

If you want to master your life, you have to learn to organize your feelings. By becoming aware of them, you can trace them back to the thought process that prompted them, and from there you can decide whether or not the idea is an actual threat or concern, or a fabrication of your reptilian mind just trying to keep you alive.

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If you ever looked up movie times on a newspaper... then we need to talk about your financial plan. Let's get started... http://spr.ly/618952jJz

Rolling an old 401(k) into your current employer’s plan, or your own IRA, is an easy way to keep your retirement savings in one place. Here’s how to do it.

How to Roll Over Your Old 401(k) Millions of Americans landed in new jobs over the past year. Here’s how to roll over a 401(k) from an old employer without incurring steep withholding taxes, penalties or fees.

If you are not already following Chris McAlister, are you even a leader? Chris' approach to leadership is great and I recently had the privilege to experience the newest iteration of what they are doing to impact leaders next.

Conflicting data gives some investors hope the Fed can achieve a soft landing. Get Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte’s take as he explores the latest stock market trends, inflation data and Fed strategies in this week’s Market Commentary.

Markets End Volatile Week on High Note Amid Mixed Signals In this week’s Market Commentary, Chief Investment Officer Brent Schutte explores the latest stock market trends, inflation data and Fed strategies.

On vacation I read, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.

Some of my favorite quotes are, "You accept things as they are, not as you wish they were in this moment. This is important to understand. You can wish for things in the future to be different, but in this moment you have to accept things as they are."

“At the moment you consciously make a choice, pay attention to your body and ask your body, “If I make this choice, what happens?” If your body sends a message of comfort, that’s the right choice. If your body sends a message of discomfort, then it’s not the appropriate choice.”

“Attachment to money will always create insecurity no matter how much money you have in the bank.”

What are you reading?