Insights

For many investors, faith-based investing begins with screening mutual funds. Certain industries are excluded. Certain companies are avoided. It is a meaningful starting point. As portfolios grow and financial goals become more layered, screening alone may not fully reflect one’s convictions or opportunities. At Stonecrop, we believe that faith-based investing is not just about avoiding what conflicts with your values. It may also involve thoughtfully pursuing what alig

Success brings opportunity. It may also bring complexity. What once felt straightforward may now require deeper coordination. A single brokerage account may have expanded into multiple custodians. A primary residence may now sit alongside investment property. Business income may fluctuate from year to year. Compensation may include equity, deferred bonuses, or partnership distributions. Growth is a blessing, but unmanaged complexity may quietly introduce risk.

There comes a point when financial decisions extend beyond personal comfort or retirement timelines. For some, that shift happens gradually. For others, it arrives suddenly through growth, inheritance, or business success. Either way, the impact widens. Decisions begin to influence family members, future generations, charitable initiatives, and even communities. When that happens, planning must evolve.

March 1, 2026 GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS: Last week, I briefly discussed geopolitical events, and the possibility of fighting in the Middle East. As I sit and write this, the information is fairly sparse, but the U.S. has attacked Iran. Events will continue to unfold as the weekend rolls on (I write this on Saturday morning generally), and investors will be figuring out what to do on Monday morning. The short-term effect is often a decrease in market prices as some investors jus

February 22, 2026 TARIFF TURMOILS REDUX: Late in the week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs. Immediately thereafter, the Trump administration announced new global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 which authorizes the president to address "large and serious" trade imbalances with up to a 15% tariff on imports. The short-term impact of this activity

February 15, 2026 INFLATION RATE DECREASES: In welcome news, the January Consumer Price index came in at 0.2% higher than the previous month, and only 2.4% higher than one year ago. "Core" CPI (which strips out energy and food) rose by 2.5% over the past twelve months. Both CPI and core CPI twelve-month numbers now sit at or near their lowest level since inflation began to rise five years ago. And yet it remains above the Federal Reserve's target of 2.0%. Energy prices i

February 8, 2026 THE ROTATION CONTINUES: The Dow Jones Industrial Average (2.50%) and the Russell 2000 (2.17%) were both solidly positive for the week, but the S&P 500 (see below) and the NASDAQ Composite (-1.84%) ended the week in the red. The blue-chip Dow hit 50,000 for the first time on Friday. Of late, investors have grown wary of the AI stock run and moved money to so-called "real economy" stocks that rely on the entire economy to grow. The Dow is limited to 30 stoc

February 1, 2026 THE FED KEEPS RATES STEADY: The Fed met last week and held rates unchanged. When this happens, economists and investors parse the words of the announcement. The Fed statement said U.S. economic growth was "solid," while in earlier announcements it said "moderate." Inflation "remains somewhat elevated." Unemployment has "shown some signs of stabilization." Two Fed governors voted for a rate cut. The Fed believes that inflation has been affected by tar

January 25, 2026 STOCKS BOUNCE AROUND AS GEOPOLITICAL NEWS DOMINATES: Will the U.S. and Europe have a tariff and trade war? As that theme dominated the news, and as world leaders gave speeches in Davos, stocks sunk, and bounced, and then hovered as nervous investors settled down, and the week ended about where it started. Intel reported a larger-than-expected loss in its fourth quarter of 2025 earnings report, and the stock decreased by 17% (still up over 100% in the past