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Good morning and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family! You may not know this, but Thanksgiving is my favor holiday. Yes, the food is great. Turkey, Ham, broccoli casserole, and Mandy's famous Mac and Cheese. I gained 5 lbs writing this. But my favorite part is spending time with family and reflecting on how lucky we all are. I am truly thankful for everyone reading this. I hope that you have a great time with family this week. Market Recap - The Ai trade: Valuation Worries We are seeing heightened volatility as investors are focusing on the valuations of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.
What Happened -Megacap tech dragged the market lower early week, taking the Nasdaq, S&P, and even the Dow with it. -With the government catching up on delayed reports, investors leaned on big consumer stocks for real economic signals. -Midweek bounce: all major indexes snapped back as optimism built ahead of a key AI earnings report. -Thursday opened strong on that AI beat, then fizzled as rate-cut anxiety returned. -Fed minutes showed a split committee, and a mixed jobs report muddied the outlook. -Gains were choppy thanks to weak consumer sentiment and soft manufacturing data. |
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The Gift Tax isn't What Most People ThinkMost families never trigger a gift tax. The IRS gives you a $19,000 gift tax exclusion per person in 2025 and 2026. This means you can gift $19,000 to as many people as you want each year with ZERO paperwork and ZERO tax. Go over that? You likely still won't owe any tax. You will just file a simple form and chip away at your lifetime exclusion, which in 2026 will be $15 million per individual. In other words, don't get caught up in the $19,000 number ($38,000 for a married couple). You can give more, there just may be a simple filing. A few smart gifting ideas?
As always, each situation is different, so talk with your tax pro before moving any big dolars. |
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My Daughter's Wedding...to Mason! Since this week is a time of reflection and thanks, what a better picture to highlight! (There were over 1000 of this day, actually, but this one is one of my favorites!) Ansley and Mason were married May 31 this year and it was such a blessing for my family and our firm. Mason has been a part of our family since they were in the 10th grade, so it was nice to make it official. He is a great young man, and we are lucky to have him in the family and in the family business! Picture Credit: Devoss Photography |
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In this section, we want to address common or not-so-common questions that we find worthy to share: "Should I buy Term or Permanent Insurance?" The quick answer is term insurance covers temporary problems. Permanent solves permanent problems. Term is great for replacing income during your working years, protecting a mortgage, or providing for young kids. Permanent fits when we are solving an estate planning riddle, need lifetime coverage, or want to have a tax-advantaged place to build long term wealth. (Important: Permanent insurance can provide tax-advantaged growth, but only when it’s designed, funded, and managed correctly. Costs matter, assumptions matter, and your goals matter. Talk with your advisor or tax professional before using it as a long-term wealth strategy) |
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"Gratitude turns what we have into enough" - Aesop This is a great week for this one. It is so easy to look around us and wish that we had more. But sometimes, it is great to have some perspective and feel content with what you already have. I am so thankful for everything. I hope that you are too! |
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A great way to thank us is to share this with any of your family of friends. And we would really appreciate it! |
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Frederica Focus - November 24, 2025
