For Montubua Vasser-Smith, a semi-retired physician, travel is more than a pastime—it's a declaration of gratitude for her health, freedom, and curiosity. “I want to see as much of the world as I can while I have my physical and mental health,” she shared. That sense of urgency and appreciation recently led her to a place that had long been etched on her bucket list: Iceland.

Why Iceland?

Like many travelers who feel called to the icy landscapes of the north, Montubua was drawn by a singular phenomenon—the Northern Lights. “The intensity and movement of the lights was captivating,” she recalled, “an experience I’ll forever cherish.”

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.

Welcome back to our journey through the history of money. We've explored how early societies moved beyond barter, using shells and beads as early forms of currency. But as civilizations grew more sophisticated, these simple solutions began showing their cracks. After all, shells could be gathered by anyone with a beach and a basket, and beads could be manufactured at will. Something more enduring was needed…

The dust has settled on our nation’s 60th presidential election. As we reflect on the whirlwind of campaign rhetoric, it's important to remember two key things: first, today’s political atmosphere is not so different from the 'good ol’e days'; and second, our system and our right to vote remain privileges many have died to protect, and countless others around the world…

At Sequoia Advisor Group, one of our roles is to help our clients protect their assets and ensure their legacies are passed down to the next generation in a tax-efficient manner. Sometimes this means considering the impact of the federal estate tax. Currently, only individuals with…

In our first two posts we unpacked the profound influence money has on our lives, explained the basic functions money serves, and introduced the concept of barter.  Today we’ll pick back up with the important role barter played in the evolution of money and the transition from barter to commodity money.

Bartering - directly exchanging goods and services based on mutual need

Imagine your legacy is like a garden, cultivated over a lifetime. Like a master gardener plans for seasons beyond their own, estate planning is the art of planning and nurturing this garden for future generations. At Sequoia Advisor Group, we're your partners in this long-term cultivation. We bring the experience to help your legacy withstand time's tests.

More and more I am seeing the evidence that things are not great in the economy. I’ve read the reports, seen the statistics and heard the rumors, but from my perspective, until recently, nothing had really changed. Whether I was traveling for work, on vacation or just having dinner in a local restaurant, if activity was any sign, I saw no evidence of a broken economy.