Investment Planning: Seeing the Big Picture
November 7, 2025
Get the full financial picture. Discover why long-term planning requires looking beyond the obvious and stress-testing your strategy.
Chris grew up working alongside his father, uncles, and cousins in their family-owned manufacturing business in Michigan. This familial proximity provided Chris with a unique perspective on hard work and sacrifice, while exposing him to the challenges and opportunities that often occur with closely-held family-owned businesses.
A self-professed financial theory geek, Chris has a strange need to prove out financial models for himself in an Excel spreadsheet before accepting them as gospel. This passion for knowledge started with an economics degree from Vassar College, followed by a Master’s in Economics from Cambridge University in England. Chris then went on to serve as an adjunct professor at the Brandeis Graduate School of International Economics and Finance.
Chris spent much of his professional career leveraging his knowledge, experience, and insight for the betterment of large institutions. He authored several chapters in “The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities,” including one that was selected for the Chartered Financial Analyst Level III curriculum. Professionally, he has served as an institutional portfolio manager with Fidelity as well as a portfolio advisor with Wellington Management, Putnam Investments, and Zurich Scudder Investments.
With Chris, our clients are receiving world class portfolio management, critical thinking, and problem-solving strategies. Through his decades of institutional investment experience, Chris has gained valuable insight that he is now bringing to his individual clients at Impact Advisors Group.
In his personal life, Chris is an avid pilot. He frequently flies for Above the Clouds, a nonprofit organization that provides flight experiences for underprivileged or sick children, and for Pilot AirLift Services, a nonprofit that provides non-emergency medical transportation. When he is not airborne, his feet are firmly planted in his wine cellar collecting single malt scotch and fine wine.
Get the full financial picture. Discover why long-term planning requires looking beyond the obvious and stress-testing your strategy.
Beating the market is rare. Learn why most active funds lag and why index investing (buying the haystack) can be the smarter choice.
Although the year to date returns have been incredibly concentrated, so have the earnings in the market.
The stock market has been incredibly resilient so far this year, gaining 9.5% year to date.
Smart investing starts with a plan. Learn why asset allocation, not stock picking, drives long-term portfolio performance.
Against the backdrop of heightened political uncertainty and lower consumer sentiment, investors may have concerns about a recession.
When we experience bouts of market volatility, it can be disconcerting to watch our account balance decline in value.
The S&P 500 has now had two back-to-back years of 25%+ returns. This is something that hasn’t happened since 1998.
Discover key factors influencing the U.S. dollar’s value, from economic indicators to geopolitical events.
When it comes to investment planning, IAG Director of Investments Chris Steward reminds you how important it can be to take the long view.
About 40-50% of returns have come from Dividends historically, although in recent decades that proportion has shrunk substantially.
It is worth revisiting some of the basics about the stock market, and debunk some common myths.
From time to time, the stock market experiences sharp moves like the -3% decline in the S&P 500 on Monday, August 5th.
When we look at history, generally in a bear market riskier asset classes like Small Cap Stocks decline more than Large Caps.
Most investors believe that the cornerstone of an investment portfolio is based upon researching individual stocks and actively trading them.
Weight and balance are important when it comes to retirement planning. Is your portfolio properly allocated?
My colleague Brandon and I flew from Boston to Binghamton, New York for a meeting with one of our largest clients.