News and Insights

Home
Resources
News and Insights

Home
...
News and Insights

New year, new retirement plan limits! We’ve put together this resource to see plan limits at a glance, but we know that your life after retirement is far more important than just a sheet of paper. Our team of advisors can help you navigate these new changes and evaluate new techniques to make the most of what you’ve been given. Connect with us today! Call us at: 618-345-4900 E-mail us at: EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com Check out our website: https://connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group

Start out the year strong by refreshing your approach to money and set yourself up to keep your finances thriving all year long. Unsure of where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Our team is passionate about helping others make the most out of what they’ve been given – we’d love to team up with you to help steward your money and achieve your financial goals! Email us at EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com Call us at 618-483-6167 Check out our website: connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Celebrating Tanya Crehan, CFP®️! Please join us in celebrating Tanya Crehan, Associate Financial Advisor, who has been with Eckhardt Financial Group for 2 years now! A graduate of Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance and a minor in Accounting, Tanya also competed as a Division I Women’s Soccer player and brings that same drive and teamwork to our practice. She’s deeply involved in her community where she serves with Compel Church and the Dream Center in Southaven, Mississippi. Tanya lives in Olive Branch, MS, with her husband, Enda (a native of Galway, Ireland), and their three children: Aiden, Ruairi, and Eamon. She loves time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. Tanya, thank you for your heart for education, your commitment to comprehensive planning, and the energy you bring to our team. We’re grateful for you!

Celebrating 3 years with Sherry Lancaster! We’re grateful for Sherry Lancaster, our Office Professional who keeps Eckhardt Financial Group running smoothly with expert appointment scheduling and calendar management. We’re so glad she came to our team after over 25 years of experience. We can always rely on her to be friendly, organized, and helpful to everyone who speaks with her! A special part of Sherry’s story is getting to work alongside her daughter, Kayla Lancaster, on our scheduling team. Sherry and her husband, Allen, make their home in Florida, and since joining us in 2023, she’s been a steady, positive presence for our clients and our team. Sherry, thank you for your dedication, warmth, and excellence. We appreciate you!

2025 has been a year for the books! We are so excited to start 2026 off with a bang! Got some financial resolutions this year? Let’s hear them! We’d love to help you achieve your goals this year. Get in touch with us and start paving the way to your financial future today. 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-483-6167 🌐 connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

At Eckhardt Financial Group, Action Teams are our favorite way to make a difference in the community. Our staff has put in the work and made the best use of the Action Team program in so many different and creative ways! • Robin Lewis led the charge with not just one, but TWO supply drives for animal shelters in the area • Tina Kaiser and her family blessed the community by refurbishing the local Free Little Library, providing a Thanksgiving meal for hungry college students, helping out with a youth fishing tournament, collecting disaster supplies, and equipping their Bible study with materials • Heather Klein helped provide 235 Thanksgiving meals to people who otherwise would have gone without • Ryleigh Farar sweated it out supporting Save St. Louis’s community garden on a planting and weeding day. • Will Ochs gathered supplies for Blessing Bags to provide local students in need with necessary supplies and food • Amanda LaGrand and her kids helped put together Christmas gifts for a child on the Angel Tree • Tessa Dockins coordinated a collection of supplies to give to the Humane Society It is truly amazing to see so many people rally around their communities and help those in need, people or furry companions alike! Would you like to find out more information about what you can do through a Thrivent Action Team? Reach out to Ryleigh Farar, and she can help get you connected to resources and brainstorm ideas to help you live generously: Ryleigh.Farar@thrivent.com 618-345-4900 connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! We hope your day is filled with peace and joy as you celebrate Christ’s birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” - Luke 2:14

Here at Thrivent, living generously is what we’re all about. As we approach Christmas and the end of the year, we wanted to look back at 2025 to see all the amazing things that have been possible through Thrivent’s generosity programs. One of our amazing clients and her amazing team of volunteers gathered supplies to support unhoused people at Pinellas Hope this week, all decked out in their Thrivent Action Team shirts! What an amazing display of generosity, teamwork, and community action! We're so excited to see how our clients make a difference in their communities in 2026. Just in 2025, we’ve seen clients do a wide range of Action Teams – here are just a few! • Quilting days to make blankets for those in need • Building beds for children without a bed of their own • Diaper giveaways and car seat safety check days • Project days to make houses accessible for people with disabilities • Emergency kit preparations and classes on severe weather preparedness Would you like to find out more information about what you can do through a Thrivent Action Team? Reach out to Ryleigh Farar, and she can help get you connected to resources and brainstorm ideas to help you live generously: Email her at: Ryleigh.Farar@thrivent.com Call us at: 618-345-4900 Check out our website: connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group

December 2025 Market Update: Stock volatility returns

From slowing manufacturing to resilient corporate earnings, December brings mixed signals for the economy. Explore what these trends mean for your portfolio and the year ahead in Thrivent's December Market Update.

Today we'd like to highlight one of our own, Heather Klein! With the help of a Thrivent Action Team, Heather and her daughter came together to prepare and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to elderly and vulnerable members of our community. Thanks to their hard work and compassion, 235 meals were provided this year. That is 235 neighbors who felt seen, supported, and cared for during the holiday season. Thrivent Action Teams make it possible for anyone to take a small idea and turn it into real, meaningful impact. Whether it is a meal, a service project, or support for a cause you care about, these teams give clients the tools and seed funding to put generosity into action. We are grateful for the heart behind this project and for the difference it made. If you would like to learn how to use an Action Team to support something meaningful to you, we would be glad to help you get started. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more caring community. See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Celebrating Seven Years with Eric Stiegman Today we are proud to celebrate seven years with Eric Stiegman, whose steady presence and genuine care have made a lasting impact on our clients and our team. Eric has a gift for meeting people exactly where they are in life, whether he is helping retirees protect what they have built or guiding young families as they lay the foundation for their future. His focus on tax efficiency, long-term planning, and practical, personalized advice has helped countless families move forward with confidence. Eric graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a degree in biology, a background that adds a thoughtful and analytical lens to his work. Outside the office, he lives in Nashville, Illinois, with his three children, Claire, Cole, and Cortland, and you can often find him at his children's sporting events or at the golf course! We are grateful for Eric’s heart for service, the trust he builds with clients, and the dedication he brings to our team every day. Here’s to seven years and many more ahead.

6 year-end financial tasks

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can distract us from other action items on our checklist. End the year on a strong note by refocusing on your finances. Take a look at these tasks to complete before Dec. 31.

Checklist: 7 tips to outsmart scammers & protect yourself online

The EFG team does our best every day to keep the information of the people we serve safe. Check out these 7 tips that you can use on your end to keep you and your loved ones safe this Christmas and beyond! ⬇️ https://www.thrivent.com/insights/magazine/fall-2025/checklist-7-tips-to-outsmart-scammers-protect-yourself-online?utm_source=fieldfb&utm_campaign=ThriventThinking&utm_goal=educate&utm_term=library&utm_content=scamprevention

Happy Thanksgiving from our EFG family to yours! This time of year reminds us how grateful we are to do what we do. At Eckhardt Financial Group, we truly see ourselves as a family serving your family. We feel honored to support you through life’s goals, milestones, and meaningful moments. Here are some of our favorite photos of the EFG family through the years, and we look forward to many more smiles as we continue helping your family thrive. We are thankful for our incredible team, and we are especially thankful for you, our amazing clients who make the job worthwhile. The EFG family took a vote on the best Thanksgiving food, and turkey was the clear favorite, but we also heard some fun and unique answers: Tina loves her turkey served with noodles, and Sherry says Thanksgiving would not feel complete without sauerkraut! Let’s hear it – how does your family do Thanksgiving? Wishing you and your loved ones a warm, safe, and joyful holiday. The Eckhardt Financial Group Family 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-483-6167 🌐 connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Happy One-Year Anniversary, Will! Today marks one year since Will Ochs joined Eckhardt Financial Group, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have him on our team! At EFG, Will is passionate about helping clients align their financial planning needs with their goals and values. This year, he obtained his Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA™️) designation, which is what helps him make meaningful connections and explore each client’s unique situation to provide personalized financial solutions. A graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in Financial Planning, Will brings a fresh perspective and enthusiasm to our Altamont office. He’s passionate about serving his local community and helping clients navigate financial decisions with confidence. We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished in your first year, Will! We can’t wait to see all that’s ahead! 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-483-6167 🌐 connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group

At Thrivent, our goal is to empower our clients to live generously through the holistic financial services we offer. One of our favorite ways to help our clients experience the power of generosity is through Thrivent Action Teams, which make it easy for you to gather a team of volunteers to make an impact around a cause you care about! The EFG team loves to put this program to use. Below, you can see some of what our team has been a part of, from helping encourage and promote children's literacy to supporting seniors in the community. A Thrivent Action Team will provide you with up to $250 in seed money to help fund your next community project – so whether you’d like to provide leashes and pet food for an animal adoption event, garden supplies for a community garden project or anything in between, you’ll have our support. We’ve got a whole list of 101 ideas for your next Action Team – contact us and we can brainstorm some ways to make a difference in the lives of those around you. EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 618-345-4900 https://bit.ly/4nJEFsv See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Worried about how economic shifts could affect your retirement plan? Like death and taxes, market ups and downs are inevitable. The best way to prepare is to expect volatility and have a plan in place. Downturns, while unsettling, are a natural part of a long-term investing journey. The key is to stay grounded in your strategy and avoid emotional decisions based on short-term market swings. A resilient plan can help you: • Stay confident and focused on long-term goals • Balance risk and opportunity • Make informed adjustments when needed, not reactive ones Before making significant changes, consider talking with a financial advisor to gain a professional perspective or a second opinion. Together, you can strengthen your plan to weather volatility and stay on course toward your financial goals. Learn more about preparing your plan for all market conditions: https://bit.ly/46vkXKq 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-345-4900 🌐 https://connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.

Please join us in welcoming Mike Lorentz to the Eckhardt Financial Group team! We’re excited to share that Mike Lorentz has joined our team, adding another layer of outstanding client care to an already exceptional group! Mike is a new voice you may hear when calling our office. With more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, he brings broad expertise and a genuine passion for helping people that perfectly reflects what we’re all about here at EFG. A St. Louis native, Mike graduated from Saint Mary’s High School and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, where he met his wife. Together they have a daughter, Charlotte. Outside of work, he’s an avid soccer fan and proud St. Louis City season ticket holder. We’re thrilled to have Mike join our amazing support team, who make every client experience seamless, personal, and filled with care: Heather Klein – Licensed Client Service Administrator Jessica Rahn – Insurance Support Associate Jen Halterman – Licensed Client Support Associate Ryleigh Farar – Associate Amanda LaGrand – Receptionist Kayla Lancaster – Administrative Assistant Sherry Lancaster – Office Professional Tina Kaiser – Director of Administrative Operations Robin Lewis – Office Professional Tessa Dockins – Insurance Support Associate Jared Gray – Associate Zachary Sampl – Investment Analyst We’re so grateful for this exceptional team, who are all dedicated to making your experience with EFG outstanding from start to finish. 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-483-6167 🌐 connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group

Today, we honor the veterans who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedoms. We are grateful for the courage, dedication, and commitment shown by the men and women who have worn the uniform. Our team is proud to support and stand alongside the loved ones in our own lives who have served. Our team members are proud to share a few photos of our veterans today in recognition of the impact they have made and the legacy they carry. Thank you, Veterans, for all you’ve given.

Post Draft – “Staying Steady Through Market Volatility” Worried about how economic shifts could affect your retirement plan? Like death and taxes, market ups and downs are inevitable. The best way to prepare is to expect volatility and have a plan in place. Downturns, while unsettling, are a natural part of a long-term investing journey. The key is to stay grounded in your strategy and avoid emotional decisions based on short-term market swings. A resilient plan can help you: • Stay confident and focused on long-term goals • Balance risk and opportunity • Make informed adjustments when needed, not reactive ones Before making significant changes, consider talking with a financial advisor to gain a professional perspective or a second opinion. Together, you can strengthen your plan to weather volatility and stay on course toward your financial goals. Learn more about preparing your plan for all market conditions: https://bit.ly/46vkXKq 📧 EckhardtFinancialGroup@thrivent.com 📞 618-345-4900 🌐 https://connect.thrivent.com/eckhardt-financial-group See thrivent.com/social for important disclosure information.