I’ve been thinking about what we leave behind—not just in terms of wealth or assets, but the stories, values, and intentions that shape how we’re remembered. Legacy isn’t only about the distant future or some formal legal document. It’s about the quiet ways we care for those we love, the choices we make with intention, and the small, steady acts that reflect who we are.

In this edition of The Affinity Insider, we explore the idea of legacy—not as something reserved for later in life, but as something you can actively shape today.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

📌 Your Finances in Focus — A modern approach to estate planning, now available through our partnership with Wealth.com.

📈 Market & Investing Commentary — Volatility, resilience, and the power of staying the course.

🎯 Featured Article — Why so many estate plans fail, and how to create one that actually works.

📚 What I’m Reading, Watching & Listening To — Insights on wealth, well-being, and what truly matters.

🌊 Behind the Scenes — A summer celebration that reminded me legacy is less about headlines, and more about presence.

Whether you’re thinking about what’s next for your family, your career, or your broader impact, I hope this month’s newsletter helps you feel a little more grounded and inspired.

Let’s begin.

💸Your Finances in Focus

Introducing Wealth.com: Modern Estate Planning at Your Fingertips

We’re excited to announce a powerful new offering for Affinity Financial clients: access to Wealth.com, the most comprehensive digital estate planning platform available today.

Estate planning has long been one of the most important—and most procrastinated—parts of a financial life. That’s understandable. Between emotional roadblocks and costly legal logistics, it’s easy to put off.

But not anymore.

Thanks to our new partnership, you now have access to Wealth.com—a secure, attorney-built platform designed to help you create and maintain a personalized estate plan without the typical $5,000+ price tag. Unlike generic document generators, Wealth.com tailors your plan based on your goals and updates it over time with smart recommendations. You can build your plan at your own pace, collaborate with me as your advisor, and revisit it anytime life changes.

If you’ve ever thought estate planning was only for the ultra-wealthy or something to handle “later,” this is your moment to take control.

📅 Let’s talk about your estate plan.

📈Market & Investing Commentary

Through mid-year 2025, the S&P 500 stock index has experienced some of the largest single-day market returns on record. The 9.5% rise for the S&P 500 on April 9 — the day President Donald Trump issued a 90-day tariff pause — was the largest daily gain since 2008 and the third largest since the index launched in 1957. This followed the 6.0% decline on April 4 — shortly after sweeping U.S. tariffs were announced — the 19th largest daily loss for the index.

There have also been nine S&P 500 all-time highs this year, some of which bookended notable subperiods for the market in 2025. One occurred on February 19, just before the index faced its largest drawdown of the year at nearly -19%, ending on April 8. Thereafter, the index rose almost 25% to end June again at a new all-time high.

These numbers provide helpful context for the investor experience over the period. However, if you’re looking for salient takeaways from a period high on uncertainty, we have a few to share:

1. Our sentiment on the market or economy won’t always match how the market actually performs. We tend to weigh heavily what we perceive as bad news versus what we see as good news. This is normal, but it can lead investors to act on emotion driven by uncertainty and short-term pessimism. History has shown that doing so often results in poor portfolio outcomes.
2. Markets constantly process the news, regardless of whether we individually see something as good or bad, and set prices that reflect aggregate, forward-looking expectations. In other words, markets look ahead, not just at what has happened, and price securities for positive expected returns going forward.
3. The near-term ups and downs can feel — and be — extreme in the moment. The aforementioned emotions and urge to “do something” can be intense. Investors experienced this in late February, March and early April.

As we saw unfold over the next two months, those who kept a long-term view and remained disciplined in the face of uncertainty were again rewarded. The long-term plan you have set up shouldn’t be forgotten in times of market stress. It’s likely most useful in those very periods.

As always, we’re here to help you cut through the noise and stay aligned with your goals—calmly, clearly, and with conviction.

🎁Featured Article

The Estate Plan That Actually Works

Why do so many estate plans fall short, leaving families with confusion, delays, or costly probate? From Jimi Hendrix to James Gandolfini, even well-advised individuals have faced unintended consequences.

This article breaks down:

• The most common estate planning mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• What makes a plan actually work when it matters most
• How to protect your legacy, reduce costs, and spare your family unnecessary stress
• Simple steps to get started or strengthen the plan you already have

Whether you’re starting a family, newly married, raising young children, caring for aging parents, building a business, or simply want peace of mind—this article is for you.

👉 Read: “The Estate Plan That Actually Works”

Did You Know? 👇

We believe a comparison of asset class performance through the financial panic and subsequent recovery helps to show the benefits of investing for the long-term. Here are the annualized returns of different asset classes following the S&P 500 Index market peak before the Financial Panic of 2008:

• US Stocks: 10.3%
• Gold: 8.8%
• Home Prices: 4.0%
• 10-Year Treasury: 2.7%
• Inflation (CPI): 2.5%
• Cash: 1.3%
• Oil: -1.3%

📰🎧🍿What I’m Reading, Listening To, and Watching

WEALTH

🧾 Tax changes under Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ — in one chart (CNBC)

🪖 America Strikes Iran (Geopolitical Cousins)

⚕️ How Likely Are You to Have an Extended Long-Term Care Need? (Morningstar)

WELL-BEING

⛓️‍💥 Pure Independence (Collaborative Fund)

👔 5 Harsh Truths Nobody Told You About Entrepreneurship (Sahil Bloom)

🧿 Envy Is the Cancer of the Soul (More to That)

🏡Behind the Scenes

70 Years of Grace, and a Week to Remember

Sometimes the most meaningful memories happen not in the big waves, but in the still water just beside them.

My parents, wife, son, and I recently spent a week in Mission Beach to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday. We shared a bayside VRBO, three generations under one roof, so we could be together for slow mornings and sunset strolls. The days were simple but full: my mom walking hand-in-hand with our son, watching him gather shells along the shoreline, reading him bedtime stories, and soaking up the kind of time you don’t usually get back.

Mission Beach is a narrow stretch of land, with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other—just a few steps apart, but worlds away in feeling. Across the street, the ocean roared with energy and noise. But on our side, the bay was glassy and calm. That quiet water mirrored the feeling we all seemed to crave, a chance to be still, together, and fully present. My mom has always been that steady presence: generous, driven, kind. It meant a lot to honor her not with a single big event, but with time. Time with her grandson. Time with all of us.

One evening, we had a celebratory dinner at Top of the Market, a waterfront restaurant perched just above the San Diego marina, offering a relaxed yet refined atmosphere—white tablecloths, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sweeping harbor views. The team went above and beyond by offering us a private room, customized menus, and the kind of attention to detail that elevated a special dinner into something unforgettable. It reminded me how much care can shape a moment into a lasting memory.

And every night, just after sunset, fireworks from Sea World lit up the sky. Our son was in for a special treat. He stayed up late a few nights, chocolate birthday cake on a plate, wide-eyed on the patio as the burst of colors danced overhead. We all gathered together, taking it in. Those are the moments I’ll remember most: the stillness of the bay, the joy of being together, and a quiet sense of gratitude that settled in as the sky grew dark.

P.S. ~ Wherever your summer takes you, I hope you find your own version of the bay—a place of calm, connection, and joy that lingers long after the fireworks fade.