Michael Spencer, CFP - Financial Advisor at Blue Trust

10/09/2026

When making a charitable gift, cash is often the first option that comes to mind.

If you own stock that has grown significantly in value, it may be worth considering whether to give the shares directly rather than sell them and give the cash proceeds.

Those approaches can have different tax implications. A direct gift of qualifying appreciated securities may allow you to avoid recognizing the capital gain while still making the charitable gift.

There are rules and limitations to consider, so the specifics matter. If you’re already planning to give, take a look at what you own before deciding how to fund the gift.

10/07/2026

The best financial conversations are rarely just financial.

They're conversations about marriage. Family dynamics. Fear. Responsibility. What a couple is hoping to leave behind, and what they're afraid of leaving behind.

Money has a way of surfacing what people care about most deeply — and what they're most uncertain about.

That's why trust matters so much in this work. Without it, the real conversations never start. With it, the spreadsheet becomes the easy part.

10/02/2026

Your children may not support the same organizations or causes you do. And they don’t necessarily need to.

What you can share is the thinking behind your generosity. Why have certain needs mattered to your family? How has your faith shaped your giving? What have you learned through the organizations and people you’ve supported?

Those conversations give the next generation a foundation for thinking about generosity for themselves.

Over time, their giving may look different from yours. They can still carry forward a thoughtful approach to using what they have for the benefit of others.

09/30/2026

There are more worthwhile causes and needs than any one person or family can support.

A giving plan can make those decisions a little easier. You can think ahead about how much you intend to give, the causes or organizations you want to prioritize, and where you want to leave room for needs that come up during the year.

It doesn’t have to account for every gift in advance. It can simply give you a place to start when the next opportunity arrives.

Get started on your giving plan and learn more about values-based investing here:

There are more worthwhile causes and needs than any one person or family can support. A giving plan can make those decisions a little easier. You can think ahead about how much you intend to give, the causes or organizations you want to prioritize, and where you want to leave room for needs that com...

09/24/2026

Growth almost always happens outside our comfort zone.

John Maxwell says everything we want in life but do not yet have often sits just beyond that line.

Real growth begins when we step forward and start adding value to others.

Meaningful progress rarely happens while staying comfortable.

What have you been able to accomplish that required stepping outside your comfort zone?

09/22/2026

Caring for aging parents reflects the values many families hold about responsibility, stewardship, and legacy. It's stewardship in its most personal form.

Thoughtful planning can help protect far more than assets. It can help protect relationships, dignity, and peace among the people you love most.

You don't have to have it all figured out. You just need a place to start, and someone to think it through with you.

What do you want your parents to experience during their final years?

09/17/2026

Sometimes conversations about stewardship focus so much on saving, giving, and preparing for the future that we can overlook something important: enjoying what we’ve been given matters too.

Take the trip. Make memories with your family. Enjoy the home you’ve worked hard for.

There’s wisdom in thinking carefully about how much to spend, save, and give. There can also be real joy in using some of what you’ve built to enjoy the people and experiences that matter to you.

Stewardship has room for both.

How do you balance preparing for the future with enjoying life now?

09/15/2026

September is a good point in the year to ask a simple question: What has changed?

Maybe income looks different than you expected. You sold an asset or had a significant financial event. Your giving changed. Something shifted in your business or family.

Those changes can have ripple effects. Income may affect tax considerations. Investment activity may influence charitable giving. Changes in the family may bring up estate questions.

Sometimes just taking stock of what has changed can help bring the rest of the year into clearer focus.

08/20/2026

Most people don't realize that owning shares comes with a voice. Proxy voting, corporate engagement, direct dialogue with company leadership on issues that matter to you.

This is one of the most overlooked dimensions of values-aligned investing, and it's producing real results.

08/18/2026

The debate around values and investing has generated more heat than clarity in recent years.

Some of that is political. Some of it is driven by firms using values language to market products that have more to do with trends than conviction. And some of it comes from a genuine misunderstanding about what this approach actually involves.

Here's what it involves at Blue Trust: a client tells us what they believe. We help them think through how those beliefs can be expressed in their portfolio. And we execute that expression with the same care, objectivity, and discipline we bring to every other dimension of their financial plan.

We don't prescribe convictions. We don't follow trends. We serve clients. That's the whole thing.

Learn more about our process below.

A disciplined framework for stewardship in investment decisions. Values-Aligned Investing integrates Biblical values with long-term economic strategy. Chat with an advisor today!