Deadvlei is a clay pan in Nambia characterized by dark, dead camel thorn trees contrasted against a white pan floor. The trees are estimated to be 900 years old; however, due to the dry climate, they have not decomposed.

📈 Stock Quote

"Don’t run after pleasure and neglect the practice of meditation. If you forget the goal of life and get caught in the pleasures of the world, you will come to envy those who put meditation first."

- The Dhammapada

🤔 Riddle Me This

Q: There are three cups of flour on a counter, and you take one away.
How many cups of flour do you have now?

(scroll down for the answer)

🍿 In Case You Missed It

🧘 Beyond Being Flexible to Being Present

Vector managing director, Sharon Calhoun hosts this conversation on yoga and meditation. Learn simple techniques for managing attachment to the past and easing anxiety about the future. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or just looking for more ways to stay grounded, this podcast episode offers plenty of insights for living a well-balanced life.

Sharon Calhoun - (Episode) On Yoga, Decision-Making, and Financial Planning.

📊 Summer Series on Intra-Generation Wealth Transfer

This summer, we recorded 3 podcast episodes focused on wealth transfer from older to younger generations. Often this looks like parents and grandparents helping young adult children get established by funding education and home downpayments.

In this series, Vector wealth advisors discussed a variety of topics, including inheritance planning, beneficiaries, and estate taxes.

Joe Grochowski - (Episode)
Passing on your wealth while ensuring your financial stability.

Chris Wagner - (Episode)
The importance of beneficiary designations and the role of wills and trusts.

Mike Nesheim - (Episode)
Maximize your wealth transfer potential while optimizing for tax liabilities.

🍂 September in Minnesota

Fall in Minnesota is a special time. And while, yes, it’s still technically summer as of this post, it’s not too early to make plans. Here are five awesome autumn activities:

1. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

2. Pick your Own Apples

3. Cheer for the Home Team

4. Visit a Museum

5. Take a Drive

(adapted from the exploreminnesota.com fall list)

💼 Back-to-College Spending

Do you remember picking out new clothes and sneakers for your first day of class?

According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 2024 back-to-college spending is estimated at $1,364 per household. In 2014, spending was just $916.48. That is nearly a 50% increase in ten years.

Shoppers are picking up back-to-school deals prompted by retail promotions like Amazon’s Prime day, and 4th of July and Labor Day sales. The retail federation reports that sales-event driven shopping is up 55% since 2019.

Deeper dive: For the 2013-14 school year, UMN-Twin Cities tuition and fees were $13,555, with around a 17% increase to $15,859 in 2023. (source: UMN)

🤔 Riddle Answer

A: One cup, as it is the only one you have taken and the only one you possess. The remainder is still present where they were.

The riddle suggests that ownership is dynamic—defined not just by what is physically present but by our interaction with it. Possession in this frame is beyond proximity or quantity and more focused on control and agency.

💡 Insights and Context Delivered

Vector Wealth offers a variety of ways to stay connected and informed.

Connect with your advisor and to Vector’s company page on LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow our Well Balanced podcast.

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Well Balanced Vol 31