The Glass Half Full: The Calendar is Your Friend (Ep. 29)
In this week’s Glass Half Full, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group, flies solo while Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, handles a family emergency, and makes the case that the calendar is your friend heading into the final months of a midterm year. With the S&am …
Market Commentary: Stocks Climb Despite Soaring Yields
The bears had their shot last week, as Treasury yields soared—and at a bad time, too, as the third week of September is historically one of the worst weeks of the year. Unfortunately for the bears (and fortunately for the rest of us), they couldn’t just make headway. Yields may have moved t …
When Should I Sign Up for Medicare?
The topic of Medicare can raise a lot of questions for many people. One of the most common questions I receive revolves around when you should sign up for Medicare, and that’s understandable. After all, you can’t simply sign up anytime you want, and the timing of your enrollment window can …
Your Money
More8 Tax Planning Considerations Every Pre-Retiree Should Know
For many people, retirement brings many advantages—more free time, fewer responsibilities, and more time for family and hobbies. Unfortunately, taxes can remain a constant burden even after you’ve left the workforce. Working with your financial advisor to develop a strong retirement plan ca …
Choosing an Insurance Policy
Life insurance plans are designed to offer your family an infusion of income in the event of your death, so your loved ones have help with finances while they are grieving. But how do you know what type of policy to choose and if it will adequately cover your needs? This resource will help …
Which Type of Life Insurance is Right for Me?
With so many different types of life insurance, finding the most suitable policy takes careful consideration. We’ll help you find the best possible solution, but before you meet with an advisor, having a basic understanding of the different types of life insurance can help.

2026 Calendar: Key Tasks & Financial Dates
Tackle 2026 with this month-by-month financial task list. We’ve also included important dates so you won’t miss any key deadlines.
Your Business
MoreFinancial Planning for Business Owners in Ann Arbor
Owning a business brings opportunity, flexibility, and long term financial potential. It also introduces a level of financial complexity that goes beyond traditional planning. If you are a business owner in Ann Arbor, your financial life likely includes a mix of personal income, business re …
Four Ways the CARES Act Can Help Your Business
From loans to tax breaks to credits, the CARES Act attempts to provide relief to small- and medium-sized businesses. As unemployment numbers reach an all-time high, the government is looking for ways to keep Americans employed by helping employers meet payroll.
Retirement Plans for Small Business: Comparison Chart
401(k), SEP, Simple, Defined Benefit, rollovers, conversions, pre-tax, post-tax – there’s a lot to think about when it comes to retirement plans. This gets even more complex as a small business owner when you’re on the other side of the table. We put together this comparison chart, wh …

Business Succession Planning Checklist
You remember your first day of business. But what about your last day? Succession planning is more complex than it may seem. Our guide walks you through the details.
Your Retirement
MoreWhen Should I Sign Up for Medicare?
The topic of Medicare can raise a lot of questions for many people. One of the most common questions I receive revolves around when you should sign up for Medicare, and that’s understandable. After all, you can’t simply sign up anytime you want, and the timing of your enrollment window can …
5 Tips for Getting the Right Medicare Coverage This Open Enrollment Season
Navigating Medicare can be a daunting task, especially with the numerous plans and options available. However, choosing the right Medicare plan is important to help ensure that you have the coverage you need in retirement. Whether you’re enrolling for the first time or considering a change, …
When Should I Start Claiming Social Security?
Determining what age to begin claiming your Social Security benefit is a big decision. Do you claim early at age 62? Take it at your full retirement age? Delay until you’re 70 years old? Or any age in between? There are a wide variety of factors that can go into your final decision, and we …

Medicare and Managing Health Care Costs in Retirement
Health care costs in retirement aren't going anywhere. Naturally, as our bodies get older, it costs more to keep them running. Let's look at the parts of this vital program and how it plays a part in your financial plan.
Your Legacy
MoreSafeguarding What Matters Most: Estate Planning for Families
Life changes. Tax laws change. Your estate plan should evolve with them. It can be easy to assume that estate planning is simply about creating a will, but an effective estate plan can also help protect your loved ones, preserve more of your wealth, prepare for unexpected circumstances, and …
To Give Now or Give Later: When Is the Right Time to Gift to Your Heirs?
You’re in a good position in your life. You’ve built up your wealth, perhaps from a successful business or working in corporate America. You might feel it’s time to start winding down and considering whether to transfer some of those assets to the next generation. The question then becomes …
Estate Planning Simplified: Understanding Wills & Trusts
While it can be easy for people to back-burner estate planning due to busy schedules or thinking they have plenty of time to get around to it, doing so can result in property and financial assets passing to unintended heirs in unintentional ways. Without the proper planning, your heirs coul …

A Guide to Gifting to Your Heirs
Gifting to your loved ones now or posthumously each carries their own positives and negatives as they relate to your estate plan, taxes, your goals and your legacy.
Your Freedom
MoreTax Efficient Retirement Planning Strategies for Long Term Financial Clarity
Retirement planning is often focused on savings, investment performance, and income goals. While these elements are important, taxes can play an equally significant role in shaping long term outcomes. Without thoughtful planning, taxes can reduce retirement income more than expected. A tax …
Webinar: Tax-Smart Strategies — How Women Can Design Their Wealth Plan with Purpose and Intention
Over the next two decades, more than $51 trillion is expected to transfer to women as surviving spouses, making this one of the most significant wealth shifts in history. Yet many women tell us their biggest financial concern isn’t investing—it’s paying too much in taxes. This webinar is d …
Your Family Index Number: Defining Your Future With Confidence
Long-term financial security is a goal most investors aspire to, yet accomplished individuals and families know that attaining this objective requires more than hard work and luck. Check out our free guide which discusses how a personalized and focused approach begins with determining your …

When Shifting Goals Mean Shifting Plans
Your financial plan shouldn't look the same at 55 as it did when you were 35, right? So how do you know when it's time to adjust your plan?
Market & Investments
MoreThe Glass Half Full: The Calendar is Your Friend (Ep. 29)
In this week’s Glass Half Full, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group, flies solo while Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, handles a family emergency, and makes the case that the calendar is your friend heading into the final months of a midterm year. With the S&am …
Market Commentary: Stocks Climb Despite Soaring Yields
The bears had their shot last week, as Treasury yields soared—and at a bad time, too, as the third week of September is historically one of the worst weeks of the year. Unfortunately for the bears (and fortunately for the rest of us), they couldn’t just make headway. Yields may have moved t …
Market Commentary: A Dove in Hawk’s Clothing—the Fed Hikes, but It’s Still a Dovish Fed
The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% last Wednesday after the Fed hiked interest rates for the first time in three years, but a late-week bounce left the index essentially flat for the week, down less than 0.1%. The Fed moved its benchmark interest rate up 0.25% (25 basis points) to a target range …

Midyear Outlook 2026: Still Riding the Wave
Our Midyear Outlook 2026: Explore the trends shaping today’s market environment and the opportunities and risks that may lie ahead in the second half of the year.
In the News
MoreTwo Bird Wealth Strategies to Host Free Community Shred Day in Dixboro This October
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Two Bird Wealth Strategies is inviting members of the Ann Arbor and Dixboro communities to safely dispose of sensitive personal documents during its free Community Shred Day on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The event is designed to help local residents protect themselves fr …
5 Common Retirement Fears and How to Overcome Them
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions If we’re to believe everything we see in magazine and TV ads, retirement is a time of leisurely bike rides with your spouse, lunching with friends and exploring hobbies like painting or ceramics, all done i …
Do I Need a Financial Advisor? How to Know What You Need Now
By Erin Wood, CFP®, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions, Carson Group Do I need a financial advisor? Given what I do for a living, I get this question a lot. I may be biased, but I think almost everyone would benefit from some kind of advice for their money. …
