“It’s now or never, cause I ain’t gonna live forever,” is not just another great Bon Jovi lyric, it may be the best way to characterize the economy as consumers begin to do what they do best: spend a whole lot of money now that they can get out. With consumers still high on government spending and low interest rates, we are having the kind of expansion one would expect from the government’s largest spending ever. After a 2020 that was more in line with Bon Jovi’s 1984 hit “Livin’ on a Prayer,” the stock market seems to have been correct in its predicted emergence from the panic of COVID-19. So where do we go from here? Ultimately, sometimes it feels like Biggie was right and maybe “It was all a dream.” The big themes we are seeing are inflation, employment, supply chains and tax changes; there is a lot to evaluate.

On the Personal Side:

Now settling into our new home, life seems to be returning to normal for our family. The kids are going to the pool, having summer sleepovers and doing what kids are supposed to be doing.

Evan and I had our first air travel since COVID-19 and went to Bar Harbor, Maine. It was always a place that we have both wanted to explore and getting to take in Acadia National Park, spend some time away and relax was a great use of the week when Lila and Amelia were at Camp Willow Springs. It was great to see people traveling and out and about again. We are eagerly awaiting some beach time this summer and our newly appreciated freedoms. With life restarting, we are grateful for our health and the ability to be very intentional with commitments and schedules. She would not admit it, but she is regularly at the top of her MBA classes and enjoying learning.

Lila and her pack of wild animal young lady friends are all living their best lives. They are silly, having fun and not quite yet at the boys phase, helping her father remain composed. She and her friends have been more entrepreneurial as of late with selling candles, bracelets and lemonade at various times over the past quarter. This coming quarter she and I are going to experiment with her first Greenlight Credit Card. I will be sure to update you on our progress.

Amelia delighted me for my birthday with a pair of MC Hammer gold pants. She immediately began to slide across the floor imitating the hammer dance. I didn’t even think she knew who MC Hammer was. She too has jumped into the entrepreneurial phase, looking up to Lila. Amelia is still young enough to humor her old dad and threw candy out of our patriotic jeep for the Kirkwood Parade, belting our “Born in the USA” at the top of her lungs while whipping jolly ranchers at a large crowd of all ages.

On the Business side:

We have had a few issues with our e-mail this month. For some reason, we were going to spam or junk folders based on an e-mail setting. We have fixed that issue and looked a little closer at the way our clients prefer to communicate with us. We have made the big change of being able to text with clients. To keep our communication secure, we have a new text number as many of you have requested that capability. We created a contact card for your phone to make things easier for you. To add the contact to your phone, Click here.

Kam Bonn has quickly adapted to the unique culture here, Ben’s vests and Dave Matthews Band obsession, my hygiene issues and all of our various back office systems.  As our Operations Specialist, she makes sure that our processes run smoothly. From requesting money, to opening accounts, to updating information, Kam keeps things moving smoothly for us and is a great addition to the team. She has also really helped the oxygen levels in our office with her green thumb and plant collection. If you want to email her a quick hello, you can reach her at [email protected].

Anna Earley joined our team in May in the Client Service Specialist role and has been busy getting acquainted with many of you in the past months. If you have not yet spoken with her, you will surely enjoy meeting her. She is focused on providing clients with any requests and is here to help you. In the middle of our interview process, she got engaged and has a big year planned for 2022. If you want to email her a quick hello, you can reach her at [email protected].

We are very excited that we continue to grow and have a new team member joining us in August.  We will have our first fully staffed office since 2019 while in one of the toughest labor markets in over a decade to find talented people.  As we grow, please let us know if there is anything we can do to improve your experience with us and to simplify your financial life.

For better service, we ask that you call the office directly at 336-540-9700 or to email the office at [email protected].

We have been working hard to create a more comfortable, simplified financial planning experience.

Social Media:

We want to connect with you more via social media.  Let’s connect on LinkedIn or Twitter at @mattloganinc ,or follow my channel on Youtube or  follow my page on Facebook. We will be posting regularly on our blog as well so be sure to check it out from time to time.

Introductions:

We are adding to our team to be able to provide better service to existing clients as well as to welcome new clients to our group. Throughout COVID-19 we have worked hard to improve our processes and systems and how we communicate with clients. We plan to begin taking new clients again in August.

Online Access:

If you have already set up your account and would like to access your accounts, click here.

The Bus:

I can’t even use the bus when I want to because it is so booked up. If you have a fun event like a birthday or celebration or if you help a local non profit with an auction, reach out. You can email [email protected] to inquire about it.

Featured Blog Post:

Blakely Fahning, our intern extraordinaire throughout COVID-19 has ended her time with us as she moves to Fort Worth to attend Texas A&M Law School. We expect big things from her and are happy she created her first blog post with us. On top of that, she also created an office tour and the featured video of the month.

Third Quarter Outlook:

There are four main areas of the economy we are focused on for this coming quarter.  Inflation, employment, supply chains and taxes.

Inflation is upon us for the first time in a long while and it can be reason for concern.  You may have noticed your own monthly expenses going higher.  If you are in the midst of a building project and have to buy lumber, you know exactly what I am talking about.  The Fed seems to think that it will be temporary.  We believe that whenever a lot of money is put into the system chasing fewer goods, inflation will be there.  For a little more depth on inflation, check out our blog.

Employment has a few factors.  During the pandemic many of those leaving the workforce have been women and we anticipate seeing more women returning to the workforce as COVID restrictions are lifted.  All industries are having problems with labor.  You have also likely noticed this if you have been to a restaurant or had to call an 800 number for service.  Stay patient, we do think this will improve.  Higher wages are part of it improving.

Supply chains are a mess and will likely take another few months to a year depending on the particular product or resource.   The world came a screeching halt with COVID and supply chains have struggled to restore their fluidity we all took for granted prior to the pandemic.

Tax rates were drastically lowered as part of the emergency response to COVID.  We expect tax rates to rise next year and are waiting to see how the legislation may affect many of our clients.  Those of you with a lot of capital gains or commercial real estate are watching the tax debate closely.  We will keep you informed as changes may impact you.

For a more in depth look dive into Third Quarter 2021 Markets, click here.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

With gratitude,

Matt Logan