If you’ve called into the office recently you may have heard some new voices.  As our service offering grows, it’s important to us that our close relationships remain the top priority, which often means hiring more team members to help out.  We always keep you in mind when we add people to our team, and we know you’ll appreciate the latest additions as much as we do.

Office Manager Alison Endicott

Meet Alison Endicott, our new Office Manager.  Alison is your first point of contact when you call us, will greet you when you arrive at the office, and help get you the information you need quickly.  She makes sure the office runs like a well-oiled machine, supports both our financial planning and tax teams, and amplifies the mood of our whole team.  Her instinct to anticipate needs and willingness to go the extra mile make her a perfect fit.

Read more about Alison below.

Alison’s experience in customer service has prepared her to know a little bit about everything when it comes to managing an office.  She’s passionate about supporting small businesses and creating connections with clients.  As an Oregon native, Alison understands the Central Oregon lifestyle.  Between get-togethers with friends, adventures to the Oregon coast, and attending live music, she knows how to keep life exciting. 

Most importantly, Alison is a mom to three lively teenagers and one rescue dog, Mani.  For her, the moments that matter most are spent hanging out at home playing cards, chilling during movie night, or simply chatting about life with her family.

Fun fact:  Alison went skydiving for the first time last year to help conquer her fear of heights and LOVED it.

You’ll get to know our newest tax team member, Sami Fournier, Enrolled Agent, if you use our tax services.  Sami’s role as a Tax Associate is essential during tax season.  Not only does she prepare tax returns, but she’s an integral part of building the systems that help us run smoothly.  Bringing her talent and experience in the tax industry, Sami offers a fresh perspective to our team.  She enjoys the challenge of complex tax situations, collaborating with clients, and deep diving into tax planning.

Read more about Sami below.

While born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, Sami’s nomadic sense of adventure led her all around the country but she landed in Bend in 2006.  After she earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science and German in Kansas, Sami went on to graduate school at Columbia University where she studied International Relations.  Her background working as a political analyst for non-profits in Washington, DC laid the groundwork for her love of numbers.  She applied her talent for quantitative data to transition into the accounting industry. 

But don’t let Sami’s passion of numbers fool you.  Along with her husband Jon, and their 11-year-old daughter, she leads an exciting life.  As an avid cyclist, you can often find her on both the pavement and out on the trails.  And now, Sami’s newest venture is dipping her toe in the motorcycle world. 

Fun Fact:  Sami once gave a 5-minute presentation at the Tower Theater entitled: How to Ride your Bike to Montana.

Please help us in welcoming Alison and Sami when you get a chance.  We’re thankful for the opportunity to serve you while alongside a team we love working with.

Until next week,
Your Eagle Wealth Team

Goals That Stick

Remember, your goals should be specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely. Here are some to get you started:

• Eat more whole foods (set a particular number based on your lifestyle).
• Drink more water (put a specific number of ounces you want to hit).
• Sit less and move more (ex: standing up once per hour for 12 hours).
• Go for a 15-minute walk every day.
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep.

We’d love to know: what goals are you setting this winter?

Tip adapted from Healthline⁷

The Week on Wall Street

Stocks rallied last week thanks to fresh confirmation of inflation’s cooling trend and growing optimism that an inflation slowdown may provide the Fed with space to ease up on future rate hikes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 2.00%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 advanced 2.67%. The Nasdaq Composite index surged 4.82% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, jumped 3.32%.^1,2,3

Improving Sentiment

Investor sentiment came into the new year weighed down by recession fears and concerns that Fed rate hikes may “go higher for longer.” Last week a different narrative emerged. Sustained declines in inflation, a rate hike cycle nearing an end, and a resilient economy that may avoid recession resulted in a broad-based rally.

Moderating inflation was evident in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Thursday, which, in combination with a strong labor report the previous Friday, gave investors confidence that the environment for stocks had improved. Stocks extended their gains to end the week as a few money center banks kicked off a new earnings season with upbeat reports.

Inflation’s Cooling Trend

December’s CPI report showed a 0.1% decline in prices from November and a 6.5% increase from a year ago. It was the sixth-consecutive month of decelerating year-over-year increases. Core prices (excludes food and energy) slowed to 5.7%, a decline from the previous month’s 6.0% year-over-year rise. For the last three months, core prices have risen at an annualized rate of 3.1%–the slowest pace in over a year.⁴

Falling gasoline prices (-9.4%) accounted for most of the monthly decline in the CPI. Used car prices (-2.5%) were another bright spot.⁵