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Haze Matthews - Financial Advisor, 6001 Chatham Center Drive, Savannah, GA (2026)

Wofford College graduate. Originally from Aiken, SC.

04/22/2026

Recently I've had some conversations with clients who are watching the news about Iran and oil prices and wondering what to do. Their accounts are down. They've been talking with friends and coworkers who are going through the same thing.

Here's what I share with them.

You are not investing alone.

162 million American adults have money in the stock market right now. Most of them through a 401k, an IRA, or a retirement plan they contribute to every paycheck. When the market drops, it's not just happening to you. It's happening to your neighbor, your coworker, the person standing behind you at the grocery store.

During the 2008 financial crisis, 80% of 401k participants kept contributing. Not because they were brave. Because their paycheck hit on Friday and their contribution went in automatically.

Today, 88% of eligible workers with a 401k are participating, the highest rate on record. And last year, 45% of participants increased their savings rate, according to Vanguard.

Being uneasy when the market drops is completely normal. It does not mean something is wrong with your plan. But there is a difference between feeling uncomfortable and making a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion.

If you are watching your portfolio right now and feeling uneasy, just know you are one of 162 million people experiencing the same thing. Historically, the vast majority of retirement plan participants have continued contributing through periods of volatility. That does not mean every situation is the same, but understanding how others have responded can help put your own experience in perspective.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Educational purposes only. Every situation is different.

04/13/2026

Last week I showed what happened if you bought into the US stock market at the worst possible moment.

This week, the opposite question. What if instead of selling when the market crashed, you did the opposite?

Three people each had $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 (an index of the 500 largest US companies) in October 2007, right at the market peak. By March 2009, each of their accounts was worth about $4,300.

Each of them made a different choice.

Person A panicked and sold everything, moving the money to a savings account. They kept their money out of the market for about 4 years before getting back in once things felt safe again. Today they have about $17,500.

Person B held on and did nothing. Today they have about $60,000.

Person C held on and added another $1,000 while prices were down. Today they have about $74,000.

Person A's story is not hypothetical. Gallup data shows US stock ownership dropped from 62% before the 2008 crash to 52% by 2013, and did not return to pre crisis levels until 2023. Millions of real people spent the entire recovery watching from the sidelines.

Person C did not predict when the market would stop falling. Nobody can. They were not a finance expert. They just had $1,000 of extra cash and the discipline to put it to work when every headline was telling them the world was ending.

That single $1,000 decision grew into $14,000.

This is the part of risk most people miss. Risk is not just about how much you can afford to lose. It is about whether you can stay steady when everyone around you is running for the exits, and whether you can see a falling market as an opportunity instead of an emergency.

If you understand your own risk tolerance before the next decline, you may be more likely to stay invested and avoid emotional decisions.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Educational information only.

04/10/2026

If you bought the S&P 500 on the exact worst day, right before every major crash since 1980, here is what would have happened to you.

Six times the market has fallen 20 percent or more. Every single time, it eventually recovered and went on to make a new all time high.

Some recoveries were fast.
Others took years.

The dot com crash took over 7 years. The financial crisis took over 5. Covid took 6 months.

The lesson is not that declines are easy. They are not.

The lesson is that downturns have historically been a normal part of long term investing. Volatility is uncomfortable, but it has also been the price of admission for long term growth.

Nobody knows when the next decline will happen or how long it will last. But the hardest part of investing has rarely been picking the right fund. It has been staying in your seat when the headlines are screaming at you to get out.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Educational information only.

04/02/2026

I got on a Zoom call with a client the other day to help him organize information for his taxes.

He is a farrier out in Arizona. He runs his own business, shoes horses full time, works long days outside, and has really built a great business for himself.

Before we met, I sent him a checklist of all the information we would need. When we first pulled up the numbers, it showed he could owe around $23,000 in taxes.

So we walked through everything together, line by line. We made sure all of his income was reported correctly, then reviewed deductions he may have been eligible for, including supplies, tools, fuel, phone expenses, and vehicle use.

One of the biggest factors was Section 179 depreciation on his work truck, since it is used primarily for business purposes.

After reviewing everything, his federal tax liability was reduced to $0 and he received a $25 refund from Arizona.

Results like these depend on each individual's specific tax situation. But it is a reminder that many self-employed business owners may overlook deductions simply because they are busy running their business.

Every situation is different, but taking the time to review expenses, keep good records, and plan ahead can make a meaningful difference.

Educational information only. This example is based on one client's experience and is not intended to imply similar results for others. Tax outcomes vary based on individual circumstances. Please consult a qualified tax professional regarding your specific situation.

03/30/2026

Nearly a century of market history tells one clear story: the best-performing asset class changes over time.

Stocks led in the '50s, '80s, '90s, 2010s, and so far in the 2020s. Gold dominated the '70s and 2000s. Real estate led in the '40s. Bonds had strong decades too, including 12% annualized returns in the '80s.

There has never been one asset class that outperforms every single decade.

That is one reason diversification matters.

The goal is not to predict the next winner every time. The goal is to build a portfolio that gives you exposure to different areas of the market so you are not relying too heavily on any one investment.

A lot can change in 10 years. The asset class leading today may not be the one leading next decade.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.

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6001 Chatham Center Drive
Savannah, GA
31405

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Haze Matthews - Financial Advisor