Alyse Keultjes: Independent Financial Representative with LPL Financial

02/11/2026

Lunch with the South Bend Rotary.

01/01/2026

While bear markets are unavoidable, bull markets are much longer with larger returns. Since 1956, the average bear market has lasted one year, two months with a decline of 36%. In contrast, the average bull market lasts 5 years 9 months and returns 192%.

This chart shows the S&P 500 price index with the start of bull and bear markets adjusted to zero. The returns for each period show the relative price returns from the start of the bear or bull market to the end of the market cycle. Bear markets are defined as declines from the prior highest market level that extend beyond -20%. Subsequent bull markets begin from each bear market bottom.
Source: Clearnomics, Standard & Poor's

12/30/2025

💡 Financial Insight of the Week: The Power of “Automating Your Wealth” One of the simplest—but most overlooked—ways to build long-term financial stability is automation.

🔸 Consistency beats intensity. You don’t need to time the market. Automated contributions ensure you’re investing during the highs and the lows, creating an average purchase cost over time.
🔸 Less emotion, better decisions. Markets get noisy. Automation keeps your financial plan on track, even when headlines spark fear or excitement.
🔸 Your future self will thank you. Small, steady contributions compound in ways that surprise people. Time in the market is still one of the most powerful tools we have.

12/26/2025

The best financial decisions happen before a big change, not after. If you’ve been putting off reviewing your plan, this is your sign.

I’d love to help you make proactive, confident choices—starting now.
📅 Set up your appointment: https://oncehub.com/AlyseKeultjes

12/23/2025

How have Federal Reserve rate cuts historically affected financial markets?

• The context behind rate cuts matters - the Fed typically lowers rates when the economy is weakening, which means rate cuts often coincide with economic crises and recessions. Recent rate cuts are different and reflect the Fed’s desire to support the economy while managing inflation risks.
• Lower rates have historically been positive for both stocks and bonds.

While these historical patterns provide valuable context, remember that past performance doesn't guarantee future results, and focusing on long-term economic trends rather than short-term policy changes will serve you better as an investor.

12/18/2025

Whether you’re focused on retirement, college planning, debt reduction, or building long-term wealth, having a strategy in place makes all the difference.

Let’s make sure you’re on track for the future you want.
📅 Schedule your meeting here: https://oncehub.com/AlyseKeultjes

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

This chart shows the monthly change in nonfarm payrolls employment gains from the Establishment Survey. The changes are seasonally adjusted.

Non-farm payrolls is an important economic indicator watched closely by investors.
Payrolls have slowed in recent months, signaling weakening hiring activity among employers.
The annual revisions by the BLS have also been negative, suggesting that the job market has been weaker than originally thought.
Date Range: January 1990 to present
Source: Clearnomics, Bureau of Labor Statistics

12/11/2025

Money stress comes from uncertainty. A solid, updated financial plan replaces that with clarity and confidence.

If you’ve been meaning to get your arms around things—retirement, budgeting, investments, or just a simple check-in—I’m here.
📅 Choose a time that fits your schedule: https://oncehub.com/AlyseKeultjes

12/09/2025

CPI is a commonly cited measure of inflation. It uses a basket of goods and services to track price changes for consumers. In order to measure the underlying trend in inflation, rather than temporary shocks to food and energy, economists often focus on core CPI.

This chart tracks the year-over-year changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Consumer Price Index excluding food and energy prices (Core CPI). The CPI index measures the change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services.
Date Range: January 1960 to present
Source: Clearnomics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

12/04/2025

Financial planning isn’t just for tax season or year-end—it’s a year-round strategy. If you’ve had changes in income, family, or goals, this is a great time to sit down together and make sure everything is aligned.

Let’s get ahead of the next season:
📅 Book your review here: https://oncehub.com/AlyseKeultjes

12/02/2025

Continued innovation and increases in productivity growth are key to long-term market and economic growth. The stock market has not moved up in a straight line with past innovations, and many effects of innovation can take years to materialize.

This chart tracks the S&P 500 price index using a logarithmic scale. On this log scale the Y-axis labels increase by a factor of two, so each step along the axis is a doubling of the index value. This provides a better depiction of growth rates than linear price levels which would be dominated by more recent activity. Select innovations have been labeled.
Date Range: January 3, 1928 to present
Source: Clearnomics, Standard & Poor's