Benchmark Wealth Management

07/21/2026

The Humans (and Minifigs) of Benchmark 💙

We’re continuing our new series to introduce the real people behind our team. Meet our scheduling queen, Alyssa!

💼 Joined Benchmark in 2021

😊 The Minifig:
We custom-built a LEGO twin for everyone on the team! Alyssa's verdict? We absolutely nailed it with the notepad and to-do list. She promises it’s the only way she functions! As for the hair, she jokes that the full blonde look perfectly captures her current quarter-ish life crisis of never quite knowing if she wants to be a blonde or a brunette. We love her either way!

🎯 The Purpose:
Benchmark's core purpose is to help good people do great things. For Alyssa, that means being a rock-solid source of support behind the scenes. While she prefers to stay out of the spotlight, she absolutely loves knowing that the meticulous work she does provides the foundation that helps everyone else shine.

🧩 The Human:
Outside of the office, Alyssa loves a good balance of family time and cozy hobbies. You can usually find her spending quality time with her boys and her dogs, enjoying quiet nights at home working on puzzles or needlepoint, listening to audiobooks, traveling, and maintaining her reign as Benchmark's Top Survivor Enthusiast.

07/16/2026

If you think aggressive investing means taking uncalculated risks, think again. 🧠

This week, Elian shares quick perspective on why true aggression in investing is always intentional, measured, and tied to your specific "why".

07/15/2026

Meet The Humans (and Minifigs) of Benchmark 💙
We’re continuing our series to introduce the real people behind our team. Meet one of our incredible Paraplanners, Katie!

💼 Joined Benchmark in 2022

😊 The Minifig:
We custom-built a LEGO twin for everyone on the team! Katie's verdict? Since LEGO hair options don't quite come in a custom "salt & pepper" blend yet, we had to go with the full gray look. Katie embraced her silver strands a couple of years ago and while some may call it "premature gray", we call it right-on-time! 👩

🎯 The Purpose:
Benchmark's core purpose is to help good people do great things. For Katie, that means standing by our clients as a cheerleader through every season, especially the hard ones like a tough diagnosis, job transition, or loss in the family. She loves stepping into our clients' shoes, taking the overwhelming paperwork off their plates, and breaking down massive projects into simple, digestible steps.

🌸 The Human:
Outside of the office, Katie finds joy in life's simple, thoughtful moments. You can usually find her enjoying a quiet morning coffee, tending to her tiny garden, relaxing outdoors by the grill with good friends, traveling to national parks, giving thoughtful gifts, or splashing around in the pool with her step-grandson!

07/13/2026

Calling all high school and college students! 📣

Only a few seats remain! If you've been thinking about a future in financial planning, our Future Advisors Day is a great place to start!

Join us Thursday, July 23, for a one-day immersive experience! Registration closes soon.

Join Benchmark for a hands-on experience for students ages 16+ who want to explore a career in financial advising. Spend the day learning what it's really like to work in the profession, meet advisors and team members, and discover the many paths into the industry. What to Expect: 🤝 Meet our team...

07/08/2026

The "Benchmark difference". It's something our clients feel, and it's something our team works hard to earn every single day. Whether it's breaking down complex strategies or simply being the kind of people you can count on, it's a joy to show up for our clients. ❤️

"I can't recommend Elian or Brandon or any of the investors at Benchmark enough. They can talk as deeply as you want to go about the market and investment options/strategies or they can break it down and explain it in simple terms for commoners like me. For those of you that follow Dave Ramsey, Elian is an SmartVestor of Dave's and he has the heart of a teacher. All of Benchmark is filled with salt of the earth kind of people. Just as personable and hospitable as they are knowledgeable about investing. And you can tell they are focused on helping you meet whatever your financial and investing goals are. We've been going to Elian and Benchmark for almost 10 years and I'd trust them with anything. Anyone who uses them, you know what I'm talking about when I talk about the Benchmark difference."

- Sarah B., Benchmark Wealth Management Client

07/07/2026

Meet The Humans (and Minifigs) of Benchmark 💙

We’re continuing our new series to introduce the real people behind our team. Meet Financial Advisor and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Elian Levatino!

💼 Joined Benchmark in 2010

😊 The Minifig:
We custom-built a LEGO twin for everyone on the team! Elian’s verdict? He still has no idea what he’s supposed to be holding (Elian, it's a giant pen! 🖋️). He also says that the lack of fingers, nose, and ears on his tiny plastic counterpart is a little creepy. 😂

🎯 The Purpose:
Benchmark's core purpose is to help good people do great things. For Elian, that means reminding clients that delayed gratification truly pays off. The biggest joy in his partnerships is watching people realize everything they spent years planning for.

⛳ The Human:
Outside of the office, Elian is a massive sports fan. You can almost always find him out on the golf course or catching a game and making memories with his family! 🏈

07/06/2026

📈 July 2026 Market Note from the Benchmark Advisors:

We hope you enjoyed a relaxing Fourth of July weekend as America's 250th birthday celebration continues. As the weather heated up last month, the stock market cooled a bit, and investors took profits on some of their technology winners. Market watchers blamed a variety of factors for the decline, but a 12-week rally in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index of 92.5% pointed to an AI trade that went too far too fast. Gains in healthcare, industrials, and financial services stocks helped offset declines in the big tech stocks and limited the magnitude of the decline.

Stock market volatility has increased in recent weeks amid the push-and-pull between AI-driven optimism and concerns about high valuations. While major indexes have pulled back some, particularly large cap technology names, broader market participation has helped limit downside and maintain a constructive backdrop. The revitalized market for initial public offerings (IPOs), highlighted by the recent SpaceX IPO, offered a sign of healthy market conditions. Overall, equities remain supported by AI-driven earnings strength and improving breadth, but near-term gains may be tempered as markets consolidate earlier advances and navigate ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the bond market has shown signs of stabilization. Earlier in June, rising Treasury yields reflected stronger economic data, bubbling inflation concerns, and rate hike fears. More recently, however, falling oil prices and evolving central bank expectations have helped ease pressure on yields, supporting bond market performance.

The economic backdrop remained resilient in June, supported by AI infrastructure investment, productivity gains, and lower oil prices. Inflation remains in focus, with policymakers balancing persistent price pressures against improving global supply conditions. Geopolitical developments continue to introduce uncertainty, while AI investment serves as a longer-term growth driver. This combination suggests an economy that is neither overheating nor contracting — but one that continues to expand at a moderate pace.

These economic and financial market crosscurrents reinforce the importance of staying disciplined and diversified in a volatile, policy-sensitive environment. While stocks may still need to digest earlier gains in the near term, the economy remains on stable footing. In the second half, several key themes will shape the investment landscape, including the AI buildout, the leadership change at the Federal Reserve, and midterm elections.

07/02/2026

Banner says it best: Happy 4th of July! ❤️🤍💙

Just a heads up - we will be closed tomorrow, July 3, so we can celebrate the holiday with our families. We hope you do the same!

07/01/2026

If you want to know how to navigate the ups and downs of the market, look to someone who has seen the seasons change. 🚜

In this One Minute Concept, Daryl draws on lessons from 76 years of experience to share why staying the course is the ultimate investment strategy.

06/30/2026

The Humans (and Minifigs) of Benchmark 💙

We’re kicking off a new series to introduce the real people behind our team. Meet our Chief Operations Officer, Sarah!

👏🏻 Joined Benchmark in 2016

😊 The Minifig:
We custom-built a LEGO twin for everyone on the team! Sarah's verdict? Having her dog, Banner, by her side is 100% spot-on. However, she promises her real-life to-do list is much longer, and her curls are way less manageable than these!

❤️ The Purpose:
Benchmark's core purpose is to help good people do great things. For Sarah, that means clearing organizational obstacles and supporting our internal team so they can thrive and deliver the best possible care to our clients.

🥍 The Human:
When she isn't running business operations, Sarah is usually planning a house project, at a kid's lacrosse game or theatre performance, or cooking a big meal. Most importantly, she’s spending time with her husband of 21 years, Andrew, and their four kids - currently spread out among college, high school, middle school, and elementary school!