January 2022 Newsletter
January, 2022
GTS Financial featured in Advisors Magazine
Advisors Magazine recently reached out to us looking to feature GTS in their January edition. They interviewed us to learn more about what makes GTS Financial one-of-a-kind. In their article, titled "From Values-Based Investing To Helping Play Cupid", they highlighted:
- Our unique approach of helping not only with investments, but with all financial questions our clients have.
- Our option to have your portfolio invested in socially responsible investments - aligning your beliefs with your money.
- Our "no-sales", caring approach when working with clients.
Here's a brief excerpt:
"Refusing to be pigeon-holed as a stock picker eyeing the next hottest investment, GTS Financial's strong suit is working closely and collaboratively with clients on virtually any decision involving money. And that approach has taken Meyer and his team into some atypical — but enjoyable — financial guidance areas.
“Just the other day, a client tells us he wants to find a significant other; and there are many different dating services and match-making coaches out there,” Meyer said. “Some of them require four-figure down payments and have various fee structures.”
Without hesitation GTS Financial jumped in to help. “We analyzed dating services and dating coaches with him,” Meyer smiled.
This is typical – GTS Financial aims to help with all decisions involving money, which can take some interesting twists and turns.
Indeed, transforming lives—not just money—is a GTS hallmark."
Original Article:From Values-Based Investing To helping play Cupid (advisorsmagazine.com)
*Semi-Annual Report from GTS*
This month’s Market Snapshot is an abbreviated version. During the month of January, GTS clients will receive their semi-annual report which will dive deeper into how their portfolios performed in 2021 as well as some additional information about the markets and our outlook for 2022.
Stocks Notch Record Highs
The end of the year is historically a strong period for stocks–a seasonal pattern dubbed “The Santa Claus Rally.” This year’s final week of trading did not disappoint as stocks posted healthy gains to kick off the week, despite a global increase in Omicron infections. Investors were buoyed by data that showed fewer associated hospitalizations, which helped ease fears of the variant’s economic impact.
The S&P 500 set multiple fresh record highs, with Wednesday’s new high representing the 70th such high in 2021, while the Dow Industrials recorded its first new record since November. Stocks drifted on low trading volume in the final two trading days of the year, capping a good week, a solid month, and a strong year for investors.1
Robust Holiday Sales
The market got off to a good start last week in part due to a strong holiday sales report. A major credit card issuer reported that consumer holiday spending rose 8.5% from last year’s levels, driven by an 11.0% gain in online sales. It was the biggest annual increase in 17 years. The spending by consumers exceeded pre-pandemic sales by 10.7%. The retail categories that experienced the highest sales increases were apparel (+47.3%) and jewelry (+32.0%).2
It was a particularly robust number in view of investor concerns about supply chain disruptions, port congestion, labor shortages, and wavering consumer confidence.
Join our Healthy Living Challenge
Usually in this section, you would find an article about a particular health-related topic that you might learn from or feel inspired by. We admit it is an unusual recurring section to have coming from your financial advisor's newsletter, but we believe health in its various forms- physical, mental, spiritual - can be viewed as a kind of wealth in itself.
Health is a priority we have incorporated into our day-to-day GTS Financial office culture. We each have one planned 'workout day' per week where the expectation is to come to the office an hour later after we get in a good sweat. We share something we are grateful for at the start of every Monday morning meeting, and we aim to take regular team walks on the parking garage roof over lunch (or now that it is cold outside, we have moved to climbing stairs!)
For the month of January, we decided we'd like to collectively carve out some time each week to get a healthy head start to the new year and we invite you to join us!
We don't think we are alone in our growth mindset to always be seeking ways to improve, so we thought it might be fun to challenge you to prioritize health this month. Who knows, maybe it will spark some ideas to creatively incorporate some new healthy activities in your life too!
Week 1 Challenge: Gratitude
To kick things off, we are prioritizing Gratitude. Besides being the first of our GTS Core Values, we know that regular gratitude practice leads to greater happiness and health. Therefore, every day this week we will be taking a pause to partake in some guided gratitude journaling. If you haven't already done our 7-Day Gratitude Challenge, feel free to pull out that GTS Financial Gratitude Journal we sent you and give it a try!
What to do: Write down 3 things you are grateful for at the start of each day.
Week 2 Challenge: Physical Health
The following week we will turn to our physical health. While we all have preferred modes of exercise that we try to incorporate into our routines, we thought a yoga session before the start of a workday would be a great activity to challenge our strength, flexibility, and focus.
What to do: Try to move for at least 20 minutes at the start of each day.
Here are two (free!) resources to check out if you need some guidance:
(She has several different videos, browse for one that inspires you or take her 30 day Move challenge)
(Dealing with aches or pains in certain places? Check out the [P]rehab "guys" for some potential ways to help!)
Week 3 Challenge: Service
Our emphasis in week three will be our third GTS Core Value, Service. We will be partnering with The Sandwich Project of Minnesota to make and pack hundreds of sandwiches that will be delivered to those in need in our community. While on its surface this might not look like a 'self-care' activity, if you read our October 2021 Newsletter article, Volunteering for Mental Health, you'd agree that volunteering is as good for you as it is for the people you serve!
What to do: Find a local volunteering opportunity to give back to your community.
Week 4 Challenge: Mindfulness
Finally, in week 4 we will highlight Mindfulness. We will be trying some mindfulness exercises to center our attention on the present, without judgment. Regular practices in mindfulness can help us to focus our attention, increase our ability to regulate emotions, and decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.3 Even just learning the basics together should help build a framework for us to continue honing this skill in our everyday lives.
What to do: Try one of the many mindfulness apps out there and meditate at least 10 minutes on 5 days this week.
Looking for a few suggestions? Here are a few of our favs:
- Headspace (Smart phone app)
- Calm (Smart phone app)
- Meditate with PetitBamBou (Smart phone app)
- Great Meditation (YouTube)
We know that being the best versions of ourselves will help us put our best foot forward in the way we serve our clients, so expect great things from your healthy GTS Financial team in 2022! If you've joined us in this challenge, please let us know! We'll be happy to cheer you on.
New Year, New You? Don't let the Fresh Start Effect Backfire on You.
Look around. This time of year, you probably don't have to glance or scroll very long before being bombarded with advertisements for gym memberships, healthy meal delivery subscriptions, or exercise equipment. And why not? These industries are capitalizing on a real phenomenon - the Fresh Start Effect.
The Fresh Start Effect is the tendency of people to use a special occasion or key date as a reason to take action towards achieving a goal. It may seem silly to some, but the simple act of shifting into a new calendar year allows us to see our past selves as different and separate from our current selves. Moreover, it grants us the freedom to visualize and plan for a future, more ideal self.
And does the effect work? Well, sort of. We don't need to depress you with the statistics on the percentage of New Year's resolutions that are still being stuck to by springtime. What we can share with you is some of the lesser known "Dos and Don'ts" for successful Resolution-Keeping.
DO take "inventory." As you embark on your new goal, you may want to ask yourself, what do I need to make this happen?4 Is there a skill you need to learn, support from a friend or spouse to hold you accountable, a piece of equipment, or a time of day you need to block off in your schedule regularly to pursue it consistently? Set yourself up for success by working out the details and potential barriers before running into them.
DO set small, specific process-oriented goals on the way towards your resolution. Say you want to lose 10 pounds, maybe you'll start with a micro-goal of making a nutritious breakfast smoothie every morning to ensure you're always starting your day on the right foot. Or perhaps you hope to learn to play the piano. Resolving to sign up for lessons before the end of January might be a great goal to start.4
DO track your performance. Before you start your quest to "save more money" or "live a healthier lifestyle," you should have a way to define what metrics are most important to you about this goal and how to measure them. Once you've determined the quantifiable aspects of your plan, take inventory of where you are now. Then, in the future, you'll know how to define success. There are many task-specific tracking apps in the world, so feel free to harness technology to your advantage on this one.5
DO know your "Why." Your resolution should be important and meaningful to you. Try not to let outside expectations or others' wishes influence what you commit to yourself.4
DON'T set a goal in an aspect of life you already feel pretty successful. Research suggests fresh starts work the best when a person has recently experienced failure in this aspect of life.6 Think of the analogy of playing a multi-level video game- if you are down to your last life and still have a long way before the final level, hitting the reset button will give you a revived sense of self-efficacy. If you were doing great and someone trips the power, you'll feel disappointed and perhaps less motivated to work towards something you already built.
DON'T skimp on sleep. Sleep plays a vital role in most common resolutions. For those aiming to improve work performance or get a promotion, a lack of sleep reduces productivity. For those looking to improve their body composition, missing sleep will decrease your production of leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full) and increase ghrelin production (the hormone that increases appetite and fat storage). If you want to focus on relationships - again, insufficient sleep will negatively impact your mood and social interactions.7
DON'T expect perfection. We are all human with multifaceted lives. Embrace your setbacks when they happen as opportunity to reignite your motivation or rewrite your strategy.5 Framing failure as a reason to recommit rather than quit will keep you on the right path.
DON'T decide because it is January 4th, you can't get started. There is nothing uniquely special about the ringing in of a new year that is any more significant than choosing another temporal landmark…it could be as easy as choosing the ringing in of a new week if you want to start next Monday.5