Happy, smiling, middle-aged Hispanic couple sitting on front stairs of a home.

Buying a home

Ten Tips for Refinancing Your Mortgage

Refinancing a mortgage can be a smart financial move when done right. It offers the potential for lower interest rates, better loan terms, and even..

Line graph illustrating the percentage of manufacturing jobs as compared to all jobs in the US from 1948 to 2023.

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Manufacturing Decline

Today’s Chart of the Day comes from GlobalData and shows the percentage of manufacturing jobs in the US, from 1948 to 2023.

defined contributions in blue, defined benefits in green

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: More 401(k)'s Than Ever

Today’s Chart of the Day comes from Torsten Slok who is the Chief Economist with Apollo. It shows the increase of defined contributions (401K’s and..

Business owner talking with commercial lender

Commercial Real Estate Commercial Lending

To Rent or Own Your Commercial Real Estate? That Is the Question!

As a business owner, you face many critical decisions, and one of the most impactful is whether to rent or own your commercial real estate (CRE)...

lobbying levels show in green, Pharmaceuticals: $383M, Electronics $244M, Insurance $158M

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Lobbying

Today’s Chart of the Day is from Open Secrets and shows the amount of money spent in lobbying our federal government in 2023. We have all heard about..

Online Banking Business Banking

Your Banking Toolbox: Online Banking Tools for Small Businesses

Running a small business requires the right set of tools to manage finances efficiently and securely. Crews Bank & Trust offers a well-stocked..

Line graph showing return indices for the global market portfolio (blue) and its asset categories - Equities in brown, Real Estate (purple), Nov-government bonds (gray), Government bonds (green) and Commodities (gold) from 1970 to the present.

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: The Everything Portfolio (Part 2)

Today’s Chart of the Day is a follow up from the previous post and is from an academic paper called “The Risk and Reward of Investing” published by..

Equities broad in teal, real estate in royal blue, nongovernment bonds in magenta, government bonds broad in green, commodities broad in orange- from Dec. 1970 to December 2022

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: The Everything Portfolio (Part 1)

Today’s Chart of the Day is from an academic paper called “The Risk and Reward of Investing” by Doeswijk and Swinkel published in July 2024.

Young man sitting on wood floor with many receipts spread out around him, looking at phone

Savings

Managing Debt Wisely: A Step-by-Step Guide

According to Experian, one of the “Big Three” credit reporting agencies, total consumer debt rose more than 4.4% from 2022 to 2023, with the most..

Line graph showing the price of gold from 1920 to 2022.

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Gold vs. Inflation

Today's Chart of the Day from Ben Carlson's book "A Wealth of Common Sense" provides an insightful look at gold prices adjusted for inflation dating..

red map of China with 94% of their population living on the eastern side

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Unbalanced China

Today’s Chart of the Day from Epic Maps on X which shows the population density of China.

Multi-generational Hispanic family celebrating a little girl's birthday, blowing out candles on a birthday cake

Estate Planning Retirement

All About Trusts – How to Choose the Right Trust for Your Needs

When it comes to estate planning and wealth management, trusts are a powerful tool that can help you achieve a variety of goals, from avoiding..

Spreadsheet listing common publicly held stocks with the highest cumulative returns from 1925 to 2023. ranked from highest to lowest.

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: List of the Top Stocks

Today’s Chart of the Day is a list by Hendrik Bessembinder from his paper called “Which U.S. Stocks Generated the Highest Long-Term Returns?”..

bar chart with global prices higher in red and lower in black

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Big Mac Index

Today’s Chart of the Day from Voronoi shows the “Big Mac Index," a socially popular measure of a concept called Purchasing Power Parity. The concept..

Chart showing election years from 1930 to present, listed by loss or gains by 10% ranges. Red years indicate losses, grey neutral and green gains.

Chart of the Day

Chart of the Day: Markets in Election Years

Today’s Chart of the Day was provided by Angie Parsons, a Portfolio Manager at Crews Bank & Trust, after attending a presentation by Brian Levitt..

On Our Minds

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Buying a home

11/20/24

Ten Tips for Refinancing Your Mortgage

Refinancing a mortgage can be a smart financial move when done right. It offers the potential for lower interest rates, better loan terms, and even access to home equity. However, it’s essential to approach it with careful planning and awareness of the factors that can impact your long-term financial health. Here are 10 tips to consider before you refinance your mortgage:

Chart of the Day

11/19/24

Chart of the Day: Manufacturing Decline

Today’s Chart of the Day comes from GlobalData and shows the percentage of manufacturing jobs in the US, from 1948 to 2023.

Chart of the Day

11/14/24

Chart of the Day: More 401(k)'s Than Ever

Today’s Chart of the Day comes from Torsten Slok who is the Chief Economist with Apollo. It shows the increase of defined contributions (401K’s and the like) and decline in defined benefit (aka pensions) since 1984.

Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Lending

11/13/24

To Rent or Own Your Commercial Real Estate? That Is the Question!

As a business owner, you face many critical decisions, and one of the most impactful is whether to rent or own your commercial real estate (CRE). Your decision will affect your business's cash flow, long-term growth, and even its stability. Both options have their own benefits, and understanding the differences can help you make an informed choice.

Chart of the Day

11/7/24

Chart of the Day: Lobbying

Today’s Chart of the Day is from Open Secrets and shows the amount of money spent in lobbying our federal government in 2023. We have all heard about the money spent by the Pharmaceutical Industry, but we never see to what degree versus other industries.

Online Banking, Business Banking

11/6/24

Your Banking Toolbox: Online Banking Tools for Small Businesses

Running a small business requires the right set of tools to manage finances efficiently and securely. Crews Bank & Trust offers a well-stocked banking toolbox designed to meet the unique needs of small businesses. From digital tools to personalized banking services, here’s how their solutions can help you streamline operations and protect your business.

Chart of the Day

11/5/24

Chart of the Day: The Everything Portfolio (Part 2)

Today’s Chart of the Day is a follow up from the previous post and is from an academic paper called “The Risk and Reward of Investing” published by Doeswijk and Swinkel in July 2024.

Chart of the Day

10/31/24

Chart of the Day: The Everything Portfolio (Part 1)

Today’s Chart of the Day is from an academic paper called “The Risk and Reward of Investing” by Doeswijk and Swinkel published in July 2024.

Savings

10/30/24

Managing Debt Wisely: A Step-by-Step Guide

According to Experian, one of the “Big Three” credit reporting agencies, total consumer debt rose more than 4.4% from 2022 to 2023, with the most notable being “credit card debt, which saw a total balance growth of 17.4% in 2023. This increase is largely due to a 4-percentage point rise in the number of credit card borrowers who carry a balance from month to month, as well as additional retail spending.“ Other areas of debt that increased over the same period are mortgages, auto loans/leases, student loans and personal loans.

Chart of the Day

10/29/24

Chart of the Day: Gold vs. Inflation

Today's Chart of the Day from Ben Carlson's book "A Wealth of Common Sense" provides an insightful look at gold prices adjusted for inflation dating back to 1920.

Chart of the Day

10/24/24

Chart of the Day: Unbalanced China

Today’s Chart of the Day from Epic Maps on X which shows the population density of China.

Estate Planning, Retirement

10/23/24

All About Trusts – How to Choose the Right Trust for Your Needs

When it comes to estate planning and wealth management, trusts are a powerful tool that can help you achieve a variety of goals, from avoiding probate to protecting your assets from creditors. Trusts are legal structures that allow a third party, known as a trustee, to hold and manage assets on behalf of designated beneficiaries. Understanding the different types of trusts and the benefits they provide can help you make informed decisions about how to best manage and transfer your assets.

Chart of the Day

10/22/24

Chart of the Day: List of the Top Stocks

Today’s Chart of the Day is a list by Hendrik Bessembinder from his paper called “Which U.S. Stocks Generated the Highest Long-Term Returns?” published in July 2024.

Chart of the Day

10/17/24

Chart of the Day: Big Mac Index

Today’s Chart of the Day from Voronoi shows the “Big Mac Index," a socially popular measure of a concept called Purchasing Power Parity. The concept proposes that the costs of goods, in this case a hamburger, should be the same all over the world.

Chart of the Day

10/15/24

Chart of the Day: Markets in Election Years

Today’s Chart of the Day was provided by Angie Parsons, a Portfolio Manager at Crews Bank & Trust, after attending a presentation by Brian Levitt with Invesco called, “Is the Second Half of Elections Bad for the Markets?”

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