George Hosfield, CFA, discusses Ferguson Wellman's quarterly strategy titled, "Inflation's Flame Flickers," which addresses the narrow market leadership, the impact of higher interest rates on inflation and how assets are priced at this stage of the economic cycle.
George Hosfield, CFA, discusses the firm's quarterly strategy titled "Stalemate," which highlights the Fed's ongoing battle to tame inflation along with our views on the health of the banking industry and capital market expectations for the balance of the year.
Director and Chief Investment Officer George Hosfield, CFA, discusses the Fed raising interest rates, peaking inflation and our view on equities and volatility across all asset classes in our Investment Strategy titled, “Balancing Act.”
ferguson wellman capital management
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, an independent investment firm based in Portland, Oregon, has announced the acquisition of Great Northern Asset Management as of January 1, 2026. The Great Northern office will remain in downtown Vancouver, Washington. This will be Ferguson Wellman’s second office in Washington.
We participate in information sharing and threat awareness through membership in the FS-ISAC, a 25-year-old nonprofit with 5,000 financial sector members. This membership includes daily threat bulletins, participation in working groups around key areas such as AI security and fraud, and two main conferences annually for best practices and learning.
Selling a business is one of the most significant decisions an entrepreneur can make. Aside from being a meaningful financial transaction, it is also a life transition that impacts your legacy, family, employees and future.
Two joyful milestones—marriage and the arrival of a child—bring celebration, change and financial complexity. These transitions also create important opportunities to strengthen your financial foundation and ensure that the plans you have in place evolve to support the people you love.
Investors had to contend with plenty of noise in 2025. Tariff uncertainty disrupted markets, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history delayed economic data and the Fed resumed its easing cycle.
This week, investors and capital markets received a dose of holiday cheer as major U.S. stock indices recorded back-to-back highs in the two days before Christmas market closures. Stronger-than-expected economic growth during the summer helped drive the momentum, offsetting fresh evidence that consumers are growing more uncertain about their economic futures.
Every year, we get questions about how to reduce taxes by moving out of state. Taxes in Oregon have been some of the highest in the country for many years, and Washington is quickly following suit.
The holiday season is in full swing, and there’s a certain energy in the air that feels unmistakable. Calendars fill with gatherings, homes glow a little brighter and routines soften as people pause to reflect on the year behind them. The gift lists and travel plans often involve higher spending and reveal deeper feelings among consumers.
As November begins, markets find themselves navigating unprecedented territory. The government shutdown has now stretched to 38 days, the longest in U.S. history. While Washington remains gridlocked over healthcare subsidies and spending priorities, the Federal Reserve is operating in the dark at a moment when clarity is paramount.
This past week offered a trifecta of market-moving headlines: the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates, the latest chapter in the U.S. - China trade saga and a flurry of earnings reports from the leaders in tech and AI.
This week, the Congressional Budget Office released its estimate of the federal government’s fiscal year 2025 budget deficit. Nine months ago, there were high expectations that policymakers would move to reduce the deficit spending we’ve seen over the last 25 years.
On Wednesday, Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund the government, resulting in the first shutdown since 2018. While news headlines are filled with political drama, the financial markets have told a different story.
As we approach the close of 2025, we’re reminded of a significant milestone—welcoming our first Octavia Group client five years ago. During a recent strategy meeting, our team reflected on the evolution of our family office, sharing insights into our growth, expanding services, and future plans—all with the aim of consistently exceeding our clients’ expectations.
The tax landscape for individuals has shifted once again with the passage of OBBBA. While
the legislation includes enhanced deductions and targeted tax relief, it also introduces several new income-based limitations that subtly yet significantly reshape tax efficiency.
The tax act, adopted on July 4 of this year, extended or made permanent many personal income tax provisions and included significant changes for optimizing charitable giving strategies. The key changes to charitable income tax deductions for individuals that become effective in 2026 are highlighted below but must be considered in the broader context of other tax opportunities.
As we enter the final stretch of the year, it’s a great time to set aside a few hours to review your financial picture and position yourself for a confident start to the new year.
We’re caught in a strange economic limbo with the U.S. employment market. Large-scale layoffs and a climb in the unemployment rate that signals a recession has not materialized; but the robust hiring that signals a healthy economy has vanished. The result is a labor market completely stuck in neutral, and the official numbers we’ve relied on for decades are looking shakier than ever.
Over the course of the third quarter, the focus among investors, economists and the Fed itself shifted from tariff policy to jobs. We’ve arrived at a dynamic in the labor market that can best be described as a “stalemate.” Both hiring and firing rates sit at low levels. Businesses, uncertain about the future, are holding onto the employees they have, while simultaneously hesitating to bring on new staff. Top of mind is whether the frozen labor market will thaw through a resumption of hiring or whether we are in the early stages of an eventual rise in the rate of unemployment.
