First Investment Services

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! Our office and the markets are closed today to observe the holiday. We hope you have a great day with friends and family!

09/05/2026

Happy 401(k) Day! 🎉 A workplace retirement plan can be one of the most effective tools for helping employees save for the future while supporting long-term business success.

Whether you're considering a 401(k), 403(b), SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, or another retirement plan option, having the right strategy in place can help benefit both your business and your team.

At First Investment Services, we work with business owners to create tailored retirement and business planning solutions designed to support growth, retain talent, and help build a stronger future.

09/04/2026

"Sequence of Returns Risk" is a critical threat to retirement plans; it occurs when market downturns coincide with withdrawals, forcing retirees to sell assets at a loss.

09/04/2026

Markets pushed higher in August as AI-driven optimism helped investors look past softer economic data. The S&P 500 gained 2.62% and the S&P/TSX Composite rose 2.96%, even as softening retail sales kept consumer spending in focus. Back-to-school season adds another data point to that story, with spending expected to reach \$146.8 billion in the U.S. and \$4.5 billion in Canada this year.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 2.62 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 3.93 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, adding 1.34 percent. The S&P/TSX rose 2.96 percent.1,2

09/02/2026

As we wrap up our LPL Focus 2026 takeaways, we’re finishing the series with Randy and some of the broader perspectives he brought home from San Diego.

💬 “Focus provided the opportunity to hear economic outlooks from various perspectives while also learning more about financial positioning, tax planning, retirement income strategies and the evolving role of technology in our industry. Continuing to stay informed and learn from different perspectives helps us better support the conversations and relationships we have with our clients.”

From new technology and greater efficiencies to retirement planning, changing markets and the client experience, our team came home from Focus with plenty of ideas and perspectives to carry forward.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue learning together and look forward to putting those lessons to work.

08/31/2026

There’s more to bring home from a conference than notes and new ideas—it’s what you do with them once you’re back in the office.

For Kristin, one of the biggest takeaways from LPL Focus 2026 was seeing what’s ahead for the tools and technology our team uses every day.

💬 “I’m excited about the rollout of new tools and updated platforms from LPL! As the Operations Manager, I am looking forward to putting them to use in our day-to-day operations to create greater efficiency for our team and allow us to continue delivering excellent service to our clients.”

One more team takeaway to go as we wrap up our Focus series!

08/28/2026

Money can be a difficult conversation, especially if parents don’t feel totally comfortable with the topic themselves. But Jennifer Seitz, director of education at Greenlight, a family personal finance app, said that’s starting to change.

08/28/2026

As we continue sharing our team’s LPL Focus 2026 takeaways, today we’re hearing from Aaron!

For Aaron, Focus is an opportunity to stay informed as the financial landscape continues to evolve. This year, she spent additional time learning about retirement and estate planning and how approaches to planning continue to change.

💬 “I look forward to attending Focus every year. It helps me stay up to date on the ever-changing investment environment and provides new perspectives we can bring back to the conversations we have with our clients. My focus this year was on retirement and estate planning, particularly how planning strategies continue to evolve and the importance of thinking not only about retirement, but also about the legacy clients hope to leave for the next generation.”

We’re looking forward to sharing a few more perspectives from our team!

08/26/2026

Our LPL Focus 2026 takeaways continue!

For Melissa, Focus was a reminder that there are always opportunities to learn, improve and find better ways to support both our team and our clients.

💬 “Focus was a great reminder that even small changes can make a difference. I came back with new ideas for improving our processes, making better use of the resources available to us and finding ways to make the overall experience better for both our team and our clients.”

We’re excited to keep putting what we learned in San Diego into practice!

08/26/2026

This week's edition of the is here. Click the link for the latest thoughtful insight on market news: https://www.firstinvestmentservices.com/lpl-research-kf26a