KF Update – Market & Business Updates Spring 2026

7 Minute Read 
 
We hope you’re doing well and looking forward to some nicer weather ahead. We wanted to share a few important updates, including recent market activity, Schwab’s transition to a fully digital platform, and a few timely reminders. We hope you find this information helpful.

Schwab Digital Update
As expected, and in line with broader industry trends, Schwab will be transitioning to an almost entirely digital service model by this summer. This means that all service requests—including new account openings, beneficiary updates, ACH links, and more—will be completed electronically.

While we will no longer be able to process requests via traditional paper forms, Schwab’s digital experience is designed to be simple and user-friendly. For any service-related request, you will receive a secure digital envelope from our office to your email address on file. From there, you can review and sign documents using your Schwab login credentials.

If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to create your Schwab login and keep your credentials accessible. Downloading the Schwab mobile app can also make completing service requests even more convenient. You can create your login using the link below and clicking on the ‘New User?” icon:

Schwab Client Login

If you need help setting up your Schwab login, please contact the office as we would be glad to assist.

2026 Market Update
Several major market indexes are approaching correction territory—defined as a pullback of 10% or more from recent highs—following recent developments in the Middle East and concerns about a prolonged spike in oil and gas prices. While these periods can feel uncomfortable, corrections are a normal and healthy part of long-term investing. Historically, markets experience a correction approximately every one to two years, with most lasting between three and six months.

This does not mean client portfolios are down 10% or more. Thanks to a strong start to the year, along with diversification and disciplined rebalancing, most portfolios have given back the gains from January and February and are down just a few percentage points year to date.

In addition to helping weed out short-term speculation and keeping stock valuations aligned with underlying company fundamentals, these pullbacks can also create attractive buying opportunities as prices become more favorable.

There is no way to predict whether this could develop into a longer or more pronounced downturn, but as we often remind clients, investing is a long-term endeavor. By staying invested, tuning out short-term noise, and remaining focused on your long-term goals and financial plan, you are best positioned to benefit as markets recover and equities move higher over time.

The performance data below highlights how different areas of the market have performed so far this year. Parentheses indicate negative returns.

Year-to-Date Market Performance

Wilshire 5000 – Total U.S. Market: (6.78%)
Dow Jones Industrial Average – Large U.S. Companies: (5.92%)
S&P 500 – Large U.S. Companies: (7.33%)
Nasdaq Composite – Growth-oriented U.S. Companies: (10.53%)
Russell 2000 – Small-Cap U.S. Companies: (2.48%)
Morningstar Value Index – U.S. Value Equities: 1.5%
MSCI EAFE – Developed International Markets: (1.66%)
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index – U.S. Bonds: (0.25%)
Gold: 3.69%
Silver: (1.72%)
Bitcoin: (23.78%)

Source: Kwanti, as of March 30,2026, past performance is not indicative of future results.

IRA Contribution Deadline – April 15th, 2026
Renee has been reaching out to clients regarding this deadline, but as a reminder, you have until April 15th to make any additional IRA contributions for 2025. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist you.

2025 Tax Returns
If possible, please provide us with a copy of your tax return once it has been completed so we can review it and keep it on file. If you have an upcoming meeting scheduled with our office, feel free to bring it with you and we can review it together at that time.

Kane Financial Team
Over the past few years, our practice has experienced strong growth, which has led me to expand our team to ensure we continue providing the high level of service, responsiveness, and availability our clients expect. As many business owners know, finding the right people to join your team is one of the most challenging—and important—parts of running a business.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have Renee, Kristi, and Danielle on our team, and I’d like to highlight some of the important work they do behind the scenes. Their support allows me to delegate many of the day-to-day responsibilities of the practice so I can focus on what I enjoy most—financial planning and working directly with our clients.

Renee is entering her fifth year with Kane Financial and brings over 15 years of industry experience. She leads the firm’s day-to-day operations, overseeing account activity, transfers, contributions and distributions, as well as supporting firm-wide compliance and process management. Renee works closely with me to support ongoing client relationships and is a valuable resource for account-related matters, service requests, and operational questions.

Kristi is finishing her second year at Kane Financial and manages billing, bookkeeping, scheduling, and the organization of our practice. Thanks to her attention to detail, our systems and records are exceptionally well organized—allowing us to quickly access past tax returns, statements, meeting notes, and upcoming tasks whenever needed.

Danielle is entering her second year at Kane Financial and has assumed a leading role in the firm’s investment management work. She regularly reviews and monitors the underlying investments in client portfolios, oversees portfolio drift and cash positions within client accounts, evaluates portfolio allocations, and thoughtfully manages the realization of capital gains in taxable accounts.

Many client questions and service-related requests can be handled by contacting our team directly via phone or text at (315) 801-9028, and we will ensure they are directed to the appropriate team member for prompt assistance.

As a 100% referral-based practice, we are especially grateful for the trust you place in us and for the kind words you share with others about our team. Your confidence means a great deal to us. We are continually exploring new initiatives, technologies, and ways to enhance our services so we can remain innovative and continue to deliver an exceptional client experience for many years to come.

If you ever have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to the team.  We hope you all have a wonderful summer and I hope to see many of you on the golf course soon!

Best,
Clint, Renee, Kristi, & Danielle