Alex Barnes, CFP - Savvy Wealth

05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Today is about more than a long weekend or the unofficial start of summer.

Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country and the freedoms we enjoy every day because of their sacrifice.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

05/20/2026

Last chance I had to help at Field day at Gold Hill Elementary School, hard to believe next year I won’t have any kids in elementary school anymore.

Can’t wait to see this girl continue to crush it in Middle school though!

05/15/2026

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month, and I want to take a moment to talk about something most people genuinely don't think about until it's too late. 👇

Your ability to earn income is probably your most valuable financial asset. Not your house. Not your retirement account. Your paycheck and your ability to keep earning it.

So here's the question: what happens to your finances if an illness or injury keeps you out of work for months?

A lot of people assume their employer has them covered. But most work-based disability plans have real limitations:

❌ Benefits are often capped and could be taxable
❌ Coverage disappears when you change jobs
❌ The definition of "disabled" may be stricter than you think

The good news? You can own a policy outside of your employer that's portable, customizable, and pays benefits tax-free. It's one of the most overlooked tools in personal financial planning.

This month, I put together a full breakdown in my newsletter, covering what disability insurance actually is, where workplace plans fall short, and what to look for in an individual policy. No jargon, no pressure. Just clear, useful information.

Want a copy of the May newsletter?

Drop a comment below or send me a message and I'll get it to you directly.

And if you're not on my monthly list yet, it's a quick sign-up. I send one email a month with straightforward financial insights. No spam, no sales pitches.

05/15/2026

May is Disability Insurance Awareness month. It’s always a good time to make sure you are protecting one of your most valuable assets, your income. Let me know if you want me to send you my May newsletter where I make it simple to understand. 📩

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day 🪷

Today we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate all the moms and mother figures who play such an important role in their families and communities.

Whether you are a mom, grandmother, stepmom, adoptive mom, or someone who has helped guide and support others with care and encouragement, thank you for the impact you make every day.

We hope you are able to spend time with the people who matter most and enjoy a well deserved day of appreciation.

05/07/2026

Sent out my monthly market newsletter yesterday, and there's a lot of good perspective in this one. 📊

Earnings are up, stocks are down, and headlines are loud, but here's what the data is actually saying:

🗓 Every calendar year since 1926 with a pullback under 15% has finished positive. We're still below that level.

📍 When earnings grew and stocks fell in the same quarter, the market averaged +15.6% over the following year.

History suggests this setup has been a pretty favorable starting point for patient investors.

Want the full update or want to talk through what it means for your situation? Just reach out — happy to share! 👇

04/22/2026

Excited to share something new we’ve been working on at Savvy Wealth with the launch of Savvy Intelligence.

This is a pretty cool step forward in how technology can actually help advisors better serve clients. Not about replacing the relationship, but making it stronger.

What I like most is the intention behind it. It’s not just about being faster. It’s about having more time to think ahead, catch opportunities earlier, and be more proactive for the people I work with.

At the end of the day, most people aren’t just looking for investment advice. They want help connecting everything… taxes, cash flow, long term planning, and making smart decisions along the way. Having better tools behind the scenes helps make that possible.

Being part of a firm that’s focused on building in this direction is a big reason why I made the move, and I’m excited about where things are heading.

If you’re curious what this actually looks like in real life, feel free to reach out 👍

4 likes. "Savvy Intelligence: Your Whole Practice, Working for You"

04/21/2026

An Inside Look at Markets — Live with Savvy's Chief Investment Officer

Markets have been anything but straightforward lately.

Between shifting economic data, policy uncertainty, and ongoing geopolitical headlines, it’s becoming more important to focus on what’s actually driving markets — not just reacting to the noise.

Our investment team at Savvy Wealth recently put together a Q2 market update that breaks down what they’re seeing right now, how portfolios are being positioned, and the key themes we’re paying attention to moving forward.

We’re hosting a webinar to walk through those insights:

Inside the Markets: Q2 2026

This will cover:
• What’s driving markets beneath the surface
• How we’re thinking about positioning in the current environment
• Risks and opportunities we’re watching in Q2

📅 Thursday, April 23rd
🕛 12 PM ET

If you want a clearer view of how we’re thinking about markets right now, this should be a valuable session.

👉 https://www.savvywealth.com/events/inside-the-markets-q2-2026

03/16/2026

I skipped my usual mid-month planning post this week because I thought a market check-in was more valuable right now.

With the ongoing Iran conflict driving oil prices above $100/barrel, markets have been volatile. Here's the short version of what our investment team is watching:

✅ Earnings are still strong — 73% of S&P 500 companies beat expectations this quarter, with double-digit earnings growth for the 5th quarter in a row.

⚠️ The risk to watch: if energy prices stay elevated for an extended period, that can feed into inflation and delay interest rate cuts — which matters for portfolios.

📌 The approach: our investment team is monitoring conditions closely and will make adjustments when the data calls for it. Historically, geopolitical events create short-term volatility — not permanent market damage. The key is staying disciplined and not reacting to headlines.

I've put together a brief one-page summary of the current market outlook. If you'd like to see this, or the full investment team report, just send me a message and I'll get it to you.

And if you're not a current client but have been wondering how your portfolio is positioned in this environment — I'm always happy to have that conversation.

No pressure, just perspective. 👋

03/05/2026

Markets, Momentum & What the Data Is Saying

There’s always a lot of noise around markets. February is a good time to step back and focus on the actual data.

Here’s what stands out so far in 2026:

📊 January was positive. Historically, when the market starts the year up, it tends to finish higher more often than not. Not a guarantee — just perspective.

🌎 International stocks are quietly strong. Emerging markets are up around 40% over the last year. A good reminder that diversification across countries really does matter.

🏦 The Fed is on pause. If rate cuts come later this year (as markets expect), history shows that’s often been supportive for stocks — assuming we’re not in a recession.

🔄 Market leadership is broadening. It’s no longer just a handful of mega-cap tech stocks driving everything. That’s typically a healthy sign.

🛡️ Winning more by losing less. The goal isn’t capturing every dollar of upside. It’s managing risk so you can stay invested long enough for compounding to work.

2026 is also a midterm election year, which historically has produced slightly below-average returns — but we’re coming into it after a strong 2025.

The principles don’t change:
Stay diversified.
Manage risk.
Think long term.

If you’d like a copy of this month’s report or want to review your allocation for the year ahead, just reach out.