McGill Junge is committed to providing ongoing education and insights related to holistic wealth management.
Risk Tradeoffs
Quarterly Commentary | Q1, 2025
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
The headlines the first few months of the year have been filled with tragic stories of plane crashes and other near misses. The intense news coverage of these incidents has caused some people to be hesitant about flying, and consider driving as a safer alternative. But are they trading one risk for another? Read More.
Lessons in Leaving a Legacy from the 2nd Richest American to Ever Live
March 2025
Author: Jared Winkers
Just as in Carnegie’s time, and long before, nobody wants to raise “spoiled” children who grow up used to being provided for. In his “Gospel of Wealth” Carnegie attempts to share his lifetime of experience on what he sees as the best use of wealth for those who have worked hard enough to attain it and want to ensure it is not squandered by future generations. Read more.
Drunk on a Horse? Try to Maintain a Balanced Perspective
Quarterly Commentary | Q4, 2024
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
When reading the numerous commentaries and outlooks they often inspire optimism for the future or pessimism about the risks that lie ahead. It’s easy to fall into a ditch on your left or your right, and it takes effort to stay on the horse. Let me try to present a relatively balanced view of some of the main risks and opportunities as we look forward to a new year. Read more.
Four Strategies to Plan for Concentrated Assets Ahead of the 2026 Estate Tax Sunset
November 2024
Author: Trent Burley
Estate planning is a crucial process that ensures that the right assets get to the right people and organizations at the right time. However, estate planning for concentrated assets, such as business interests, company stock, or real estate, can be more complex and requires careful consideration, especially ahead of the 2026 estate tax sunset. Read more.
Embracing Uncertainty
Quarterly Commentary | Q3, 2024
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
The North American ash population is estimated at 8 billion trees, about 7 percent of all trees in Eastern U.S. forests. That figure is closer to 20 percent in large cities, where ash trees were planted along city blocks, parks, and green spaces. Ash trees were chosen by horticulturalists because the species was very hardy, tolerant of pests, fast growing, and had a pleasing shape and canopy. It was considered a desirable choice for a long-term, healthy urban landscape. Read more.
Tick, Tick, Tick...
Quarterly Commentary | Q2, 2024
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
Picture this - the year is 1989, I am a freshman in high school listening to the latest from pop sensation Milli Vanilli, enjoying an innovative Crystal Pepsi, and patiently waiting for the evening news to end so I can watch the debut episode of The Simpsons. One of the last stories on the news that evening was about a gentleman in New York who put up a “debt clock”, an electronic billboard that showed the current amount of the U.S. Federal debt. His goal was to make people aware of the dangers of the rising debt level. Read more.
WASH, RINSE, REPEAT
Quarterly Commentary | Q1, 2024
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
The common directions on the back of a shampoo bottle are lather, rinse, repeat. I saw a stand-up comedian a few years ago who observed the dangers of following these directions literally—you would be stuck in a perpetual shower, not able to break free of the repeating cycle. Studying financial history highlights the same type of continuous and inevitable cycles. Read more.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE LEGACY?
March 2024
Author: Trent Burley
Estate planning is often viewed through the lens of financial and legal mechanisms—wills, trusts, taxes, and inheritance laws. However, at its core, estate planning is deeply intertwined with the preservation of family values and the transmission of a family's legacy to future generations. Read More.
INVERT, ALWAYS INVERT
Quarterly Commentary | Q4, 2023
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
In November the investing world lost one of its icons. Charlie Munger was an investor, businessman, and philanthropist but he will likely be remembered most for his mental models. He had an uncanny ability to distill years of acquired wisdom into short aphorisms. In honor of Mr. Munger, I would like to focus on just one of his famous sayings…
“Invert, always invert: Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backward…” Read More.
BENEFITS OF STUDYING THE PAST
Quarterly Commentary | Q3, 2023
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
One of the highlights of my summer was getting together with our interns for a reading club. We met monthly to discuss various white papers and articles that I selected to provide a different perspective on markets and investments than what they were getting from their college classes. Read More.
THE ECONOMY IS NOT THE MARKET
Quarterly Commentary | Q2, 2023
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
Hard landing, soft landing, no landing? A lot of ink has been spilled in the financial press over the past few years discussing how the economy might (or might not) slow down and when the next recession will start. Read More.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSPECTIVE
Quarterly Commentary | Q1, 2023
Author: Jason Kirchhoff
You have probably seen the pictures or drawings that have two embedded images and depending on how you look at them, you see different things. The most famous examples are a combination of an elderly woman and a young girl or a duck and a bunny. Read More.