Although our nation is not in a financial storm, experts are struggling to formulate an economic forecast. In fact, they can’t even come up with a consensus on where the economy stands today. There are just too many crosscurrents creating a variety conflicting views.

Have tariffs led to higher inflation? Which way are interest rates headed? Is the economy growing as fast as the numbers indicate?

Something we do know is that our national debt surpassed $37 trillion earlier this month. That means we now spend more on loan interest than we do on both national defense and Medicare.

The bottom line is that all the uncertainty adds up to more questions than answers. But despite all that, the American consumer appears to keep rolling along, albeit with a bit more caution.

Take a certain large restaurant conglomerate, for example. The traffic at their upscale steak house has slowed a bit, but their mid-scale steak house chain is maintaining heavy traffic. That seems to be an indication that consumers are trading down somewhat.

And it’s in the same vein as grocery store brand sales increasing while national brand sales are falling. In other words, consumers are being more selective with their spending.

From an investor’s perspective, it may be tempting to reach for some of the exotic and flashy investments that are dominating the financial headlines. But I seriously question if now is the time to be chasing returns.

Regular readers know that I’m a big believer in diversification, which means having a variety of quality positions in a variety of asset classes. It may not be the flashiest or most glamorous approach, but historically, it has stood the test of time. I’m aware that what happened in the investment world in the past is not guaranteed to repeat. Nonetheless, long-term diversification has proven to be an effective strategy.*

There have recently been some subtle changes in the investment world. One is significant. Private equity has been given the green light to be among the investment choices for retirement programs. Private equity tends to be higher risk and can be illiquid. I’m speculating that the firms that administer these retirement programs are scrambling to upgrade their investment choices to include a menu of private equity offerings. As a financial advisor, I’m a bit concerned about the decision to make riskier investments more readily available to almost everyone.

SA few years ago, an investment firm advertised that, if you wanted to invest like the wealthy, they were your firm. They offered choices beyond traditional stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs. Unfortunately, many of those who thought they were investing like the wealthy have lost significant money.

Such losses could mean working beyond their intended retirement date for many investors. What’s just another day in the market for the ultra-wealthy is often a catastrophic loss for everyday investors. And in many instances these significant losses came about when investors were swinging for the fences. But they played the game without a scouting report, commonly known as research.

With economic forecasts and projections all over the map and private equity firms now trying hard to get a slice of the retirement pot, it’s time for investors to be levelheaded. Be wary of overreaching by taking on unnecessary risk.

*A diversified portfolio does not assure a gain or prevent a loss in a declining market. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful or will achieve their stated investment objective.

Email your questions to kenmorris@lifetimeplanning.com

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Society for Lifetime Planning is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. https://kestrafinancial.com/disclosures

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results.

By Darin Weiss

Guest Columnist

Homelessness, addiction, and abuse don’t exist in a vacuum. Too often, our society views these challenges as personal failures as if these crises start with “bad choices” and end with personal responsibility.  But this narrative misses the real, underlying issue that they are a symptom of deeper disconnection: Isolation

Isolation is a silent spark that can ignite cycles of addiction, despair, and ultimately, homelessness. When people are disconnected from family, from hope, from opportunity they may slip into the shadows, seeking relief from pain in whatever way they can. Addiction thrives not in a crowd, but in loneliness. With each passing month in isolation, the path to self-destruction becomes easier and the way out grows harder to find.

As a society, we can see these patterns play out again and again. Addiction claims its victims quietly, often borne from a place of despair and a longing for connection. And homelessness, for many, is less a cause and more a symptom — the visible result of chronic disconnection.

Community as the cornerstone of healing

Here’s the truth: healing doesn’t happen alone. It takes place in the warmth of community. Being part of a supportive network restores a sense of belonging, purpose, and accountability. It’s the difference between someone slipping through the cracks and someone being caught and lifted by the hands of faith and others.

Communities are safety nets, holding individuals steady through the storms of life. When someone stumbles, a neighbor offers a meal. When pain returns, a friend listens. When hope is thin, a mentor shares encouragement. This consistent presence, day in and out can prevent the downward spiral of isolation that leads to addiction and homelessness.

Building a community together

Programs, shelter, and counseling matter. But without real relationships, the risk remains that people who overcome addiction or homelessness will return, alone, to the same environments that once broke them. That is why more than 20 years ago, Grace Centers of Hope purchased a crumbling house on a forgotten street in Pontiac, Michigan, a street filled with boarded-up homes and boarded-up hope.

When we started this housing initiative, it was because we saw a pattern. Men and women would graduate from our year-long residential program, healthier and full of hope, only to return to the environments that had once broken them  the same blocks, the same people, the same triggers. Some had nowhere to go. Others didn’t want to leave the community that had become their lifeline.

Today, that street is bursting with hope and love. Children ride bikes past tidy porches. Neighbors look out for one another. The project was not just about rebuilding houses and providing programs, it was about rebuilding a community, nurturing hope through solidarity and combatting isolation.

On Sept. 9, in “Little Grace Village,” as it is known, we will unveil the 60th refurbished home as a symbol not just of shelter, but of second chances and the power of community.

When we invest in a community, when we walk alongside one another rather than judge from a distance we don’t just address the symptoms of addiction and homelessness. We help heal the root causes.

If we want to break the cycles of isolation that so often lead to addiction and homelessness, we must step beyond our routines and comfort zones. We must create more spaces where connection, compassion, and accountability can flourish. The promise is not just safer neighborhoods, but stronger, more resilient hearts.

No one heals alone. As individuals and as a society, let’s wrap our arms around our most vulnerable — not just to house them, but to help them truly belong. In community, transformation is possible: one person, one home, one block at a time.

Darin Weiss is the CEO of Grace Centers of Hope, a nonprofit based in Pontiac, Michigan. To support their mission or learn more, visit www.gracecentersofhope.org.

The number of senior communities springing up across the landscape is an indication of an aging society. These communities provide a safe living environment for seniors, with social activities, meals and minor medical care.

They also provide a sense of relief for those with aging parents. Knowing that mom and dad are being fed and that someone is keeping an eye on them is comforting.

But there’s a downside. The criminal element knows exactly where to find these vulnerable seniors.

It’s common that a person’s mental sharpness declines at some point in life. For example, I have a longtime client who was a top auto executive. After retirement, he was in high demand by auto suppliers. But time began to catch up with him, and as so many retirees eventually do, he moved into a senior community.

Everything was going just fine until the day he answered a phone call from an unscrupulous individual pretending to be from his bank. Believing the impostor’s story, he was swindled out of nearly $10,000. During the conversation, he was told not to answer his phone under any circumstances unless it was from the phony banker himself.

After being unable to reach him by phone all day, his family drove to the facility. It didn’t take long for them to determine that he had been taken. He was unable to provide a good explanation to his family, to the investigating police or to me, his advisor. In short, a slick talking criminal, posing as a banker, stole from a senior. Sadly, my client is not alone.

I am well aware that stealing from seniors is becoming quite prevalent. Nonetheless, I was surprised to learn that scammers cost older people $700 million in 2024. That’s according to the FTC, which defines older people as those beyond the age of 60.

In 2024, 8,269 seniors lost more than $10,000 to impostors. Quite a jump from 2022, when it was slightly under 1,800. Total losses to scammed seniors was $122 million in 2020. Last year, it was more than $700 million.

Scammers use made-up crises to trick seniors, often pretending to be someone of authority, as in my aforementioned client’s “banker.” Or maybe it’s a law enforcement officer with a cockamamie story about a grandchild who desperately and immediately needs money to get out of a dangerous situation. Using today’s technology, a scammer can make almost anything seem real, and senior citizens with money in the bank make ideal targets.

Financial advisors go to great lengths to protect vulnerable clients. We do not act on emails requesting money. Phone calls are made to clients prior to executing any withdrawal requests. If senior financial abuse or fraud is suspected, there are steps advisors can take to make certain everything is in good order before any money is withdrawn.

When opening an account, advisors document a trusted, client-designated person to whom we have permission to contact if any concerns arise.

Nowadays, there are numerous ways investors can directly manage their own funds. That may be fine, but as they age and become more vulnerable, they may lack the time, desire or ability to oversee their finances the way a financial advisor does. Having a financial advisor provides one more set of eyes on the lookout for con artists.

Email your questions to kenmorris@lifetimeplanning.com

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Society for Lifetime Planning is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. https://kestrafinancial.com/disclosures

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results.

Both my father and father-in-law were small business owners. Small businesses are the backbone of this nation. Not only do the owners have to be experts in their chosen field, they must also wear many other hats. They’re the HR department, the bookkeepers, the salespeople and PR department, all the while keeping a watchful eye on a multitude of regulations and red tape.

To this day I can hear my father pounding away at his adding machine, eventually tearing away a foot-long tape, then carefully reviewing the list. At the time I didn’t understand his occasional frustration, but I eventually realized it was because some days ended up in the red.

I was not as familiar with the inner workings of my father-in-law’s business, but I did observe that, as with my father, he seemed to have a multitude of duties and deadlines on his plate. Both were juggling a lot of balls on any given day and were extremely dedicated and hard working. Lessons learned.

No matter how busy, both men knew the importance of carving out time for their families. My dad rarely missed any little league games, or anything remotely important to a child. I’ve striven to carry their examples with me throughout my life, and I believe I’ve successfully passed their strengths and values on to my sons.

The days of those old adding machines spinning out small rolls of paper are long gone. Laptops, iPads and iPhones are far more powerful and efficient than our fathers could ever imagine. Being a small business owner today is much different than it was years ago. But even as technology explodes, the life lessons remain constant and valuable.

Many of the lessons I learned from my father and passed on have great financial relevance. Here are some of the lessons I’m confident my sons will pass on to their children.

Listen carefully. Whether it’s school or work, be attentive and respectful. Listening is a financial trait because far too many people have financial issues because they don’t listen to good advice.

Work hard. That doesn’t necessarily mean putting in more hours than everyone else. Just give it your very best effort when you’re assigned a task. Working smarter is more important than just putting in long hours. Take pride in your work.

Have a piggy bank. Sure, it’s a bit more difficult today because so many people use credit cards. I think the convenience of plastic instead of cash is one reason so many have financial issues. That being said, teach your children the value of regular saving. They need to understand the importance of paying themselves first.

Manage your debt. Financially, there’s nothing worse than carrying the burden of credit card debt. It’s not only a financial drain; it can also create serious mental strain. Money issues are the root of far too many divorces.

Be honest. The most important thing I learned from my father transcends finances. Honesty is important in every part of your life, but it’s front and center in financial transactions. Simply stated, do the right thing. Not only with your money, but in all aspects of your life.

Happy Father’s Day to all. Hopefully, you also have fond memories and have passed on some valuable lessons from your dad.

Email your questions to kenmorris@lifetimeplanning.com

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Society for Lifetime Planning is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. https://kestrafinancial.com/disclosures

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results.