In our previous article, "TikTok Trusts: Defusing the Myths of Social Media Estate Planning," we explored how estate planning—and trusts in particular—have become the subject of viral videos and bite-sized financial and estate planning advice online. While it’s encouraging to see more people talking about financial planning, we emphasized the importance of separating online entertainment from real-life, personalized planning. A trust might be a valuable tool in your estate plan—but the type of trust matters greatly and can have significant effect on both your legacy and your balance sheet.

This brings us to the next essential concept in our series: Grantor vs. Non-Grantor Trusts.

These two categories of trusts differ significantly in how they are structured, how they are taxed, and the role they play in your overall estate and financial plan. While the language may sound technical, the ideas are foundational—and understanding them can help you make more informed decisions for yourself and your loved ones.

“So what are your thoughts on AI?” This is a question we are hearing more and more from clients. There’s a palpable mix of excitement and apprehension around artificial intelligence right now. It reminds me of the dawn of the internet in the 90s or smartphones in the early 2000s. At the time, these technologies seemed like science fiction, promising to reshape the world while simultaneously sparking fears of disruption. AI is that next paradigm shift, and its accelerating at a pace that feels overwhelming.

At Sequoia Advisor Group, we don’t see AI as a threat, but as an opportunity to elevate what we do best. It allows us to live out our core values—People First, Excellence in Everything, Details Matter—more effectively. By harnessing AI thoughtfully, we free up time for the human connections that define our relationships with you, while delivering sharper insights and faster service. In this post I want to share some of the reasons we’re optimistic, how we’re approaching AI, and what that means for you.

Earlier this month our CIO Michael Lindemann, Director of Estate Planning Matt Doane, and our CEO Jason Hunsucker traveled to San Diego, California to attend the annual LPL National FOCUS Conference—a gathering of thousands of independent financial advisors from across the country. As independent advisors affiliated with LPL Financial, the nation's largest independent broker-dealer (as reported by Financial Planning magazine, 1996-2024, based on total revenue), we benefit from a deep bench of research, tools, and compliance support while maintaining the freedom to do what’s best for our clients.

The purpose of the national conference is to bring together professionals committed to excellence in financial planning and investment strategy. LPL hosts this event annually to provide timely insights into market trends, new technology, evolving regulations, and tools that enhance the way we serve our clients.

With summer coming to a close, students are back in the classroom – and some headed off to college. The cost of higher education continues to rise, and many of you are considering how to support your children and grandchildren. This is an opportune time to dive deeper into 529 plans – what they are, the benefits they provide, and how they work.

Plan Basics

A 529 Plan is a state-sponsored savings program designed to encourage education funding through tax benefits and investment opportunities. Each state (except Wyoming) selects a financial services company to manage its plan, much like how your 401(k) is administered through your employer.

A 529 account involves three key roles:

I was born in 1975. Let's pretend my grandparents put $10,000 into an envelope for me to open on my 50th birthday, which is next month. That would have been incredibly thoughtful—and maybe I would frame those bills as a tribute to them and their generosity. However, if that cash just sat in a safe, untouched, it would only buy today what about $1,700 could have purchased in 1975. To match the purchasing power of $10,000 in 1975, you'd need roughly $60,000 now. What happened?!?

My grandparents were shaped by the Great Depression and embodied thrift and careful saving. They taught me those habits, but never could have imagined that diligent saving alone wouldn't suffice to build financial security. Their money would quietly erode—not through a market crash or theft, but via a subtle force tied to our culture's obsession with the now.

At Sequoia Advisor Group, we believe an informed investor is a better investor. Being informed helps you to make smart decisions amidst the noise. Our “Investors Toolkit” series will explain key financial concepts clearly, empowering you to manage your financial life effectively. We start with the basics: "What Is a Stock?"

A stock represents partial ownership in a business—typically a large, publicly traded company. Just as owning your home or car gives you rights, owning stock also grants certain rights:

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“BBB”) was signed into law, introducing wide-ranging updates to U.S. tax policy. The legislation extends key provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) and adds new deductions and tax planning opportunities for individuals, families, and business owners. As your advisors, we want to help you understand what’s changing—and how these changes may impact your tax liability, investments, estate strategy, and overall financial plan.

This article outlines several key tax provisions from the new law. While not a comprehensive review of all 887 pages, we’ve highlighted the areas most relevant to Sequoia clients.

If investing has a superpower, it is compound interest. The number of clients who have told me “I wish I had started investing earlier…” is too high to count. In short, the earlier you begin investing, the longer your investments have to grow, the larger they become. No less than Warren Buffet and Albert Einstein have sung the praises of compound interest:

“My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest.” - Warren Buffet

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it…he who doesn’t, pays it.” - Albert Einstein

I don’t think I can add more to the conversation than those two gentlemen, so if you give your kids one piece of financial advice, tell them to start using their 401(k)…now.

In today’s world of viral financial “advice,” it’s easy to get swept up in overly produced videos promising ways to “never pay taxes again” by setting up complex trusts with intimidating names—dynasty trusts, GST-skipping trusts, non-grantor irrevocable structures, or all of those rolled up into one.

But here's the truth: estate planning and trust planning is not one-size-fits-all, and following advice from unverified online sources can lead to serious mistakes.

Why does a drive thru dinner from your local fast food restaurant cost far more than the price you pay at the window? As we’ll see in this article, it all depends on where and why we assign value. 

This is the second article in our series about time preference. Using something as simple as baking bread, we will explore how this economic concept plays out in modern life and why developing low time preference is so important to our mental, emotional and financial well-being.

For most of us, resisting immediate gratification is tough—even if the future gain might be significantly bigger. This tension is an economic concept known as time preference, a simple idea with powerful implications. Time preference describes how much more we value a reward today than the same reward tomorrow. High time preference (now) is when we prioritize immediate rewards over future ones while low time preference (later) is choosing to wait for a larger reward in the future.
History suggests remarkable things can unfold when individuals, families, or even entire cultures learn to reverse their tendency toward high time preference and begin to place greater value on the future than the present.

Time preference is more than a personal quirk though—it’s a powerful force that . . .

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” — Benjamin Franklin

Franklin’s words still ring true today, especially when it comes to building wealth and planning or the future. While we can’t avoid either grisly topic, we can plan for them—and with the right strategy, we can minimize the burden of both on our loved ones.

One of the most overlooked ways to reduce lifetime taxes and improve the efficiency of your legacy is understanding how different types of investment and savings accounts are taxed—both during your life and after you’re gone. The type of account you use—whether a retirement plan, brokerage account, education fund, or custodial account—can have a major impact on how much . . .

This may seem like an odd topic right now, but there probably isn’t a better time to talk about the market than when it is down and highly volatile. Remembering how markets work, and why,

goes a long way to calming nerves, and calm nerves make good decisions. With that thought in mind, let’s think about the stock market from a few different angles.

Reason #1 – Market responses are understandable

Rapid market declines display investors’ collective response to a sudden negative event. Natural disasters, economic downturns, and geopolitical events happen quickly and without advance notice. The market tends to respond in kind. These are natural responses; no different than . . .

Spring is in the air, and for many millennials, that means one thing: Spring Break. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, an international adventure, or a simple staycation, spring is often a time for relaxation and fun. But as financial advisors, we know that the choices you make today can have a lasting impact on your long-term financial success.

So, how do you enjoy spring without sabotaging your financial future? Let’s take a look at some key financial moves that can either make or break millennial wealth.

In our previous discussion, we explored how central banks and fractional reserve banking transformed the world’s economy—shaping our modern financial system and redefining the relationship between money, trust, and authority. Now, as we bring our “What Is Money?” series to a close, we arrive at a compelling and perhaps inevitable next question:

What happens when money reaches its limits?

Becoming an entrepreneur and running your own business is an exhilarating journey, but it's also one filled with complex financial, legal, and operational decisions. Many small business owners focus on growth, sales, and day-to-day management, sometimes overlooking crucial financial and structural issues that can jeopardize long-term success. Avoiding these four common pitfalls can be a game-changer, helping you protect your business, minimize financial risks, and build a stable foundation for the future.

At Sequoia Advisor Group, one of our core values is to create a “special place.” This is about designing a welcoming space, surrounding ourselves with beauty, and supporting the creativity that enriches our community. It’s about fostering inspiration in every detail, creating an atmosphere where clients and team members feel both at home and uplifted. One of the ways we bring this philosophy to life is by featuring the work of talented local artists in our office. This not only enhances our space but…

The beginning of any year is marked with the making of New Year’s resolutions. We make resolutions as a way to set goals and create positive changes in our lives at the start of a new year. This tradition is rooted in the idea of a fresh beginning—turning the page on the past and embracing new opportunities for self-improvement. Oftentimes, resolutions revolve around exercise, diet, traveling, finances, and general personal growth. But have you considered adding estate planning to your list of resolutions this year?

As we enter 2025, we at Sequoia Advisor Group believe

Welcome back to our journey through the evolution of money. We’ve explored how societies moved from barter systems to commodity money, and how the discovery of gold and the minting of coins revolutionized trade and commerce. Today, we take the next step: examining the rise of fractional reserve banking, what it is, and how it fundamentally transformed our relationship with money.

As we step into the new year, it's a great time to take a step back and evaluate your financial situation. If you're feeling like there’s room for improvement but you're not sure where to start, you're not alone. Over the years we’ve found that with just a few focused steps, you can make real progress. At Sequoia we want to help transform your financial life, starting right now.