Dear Future You

February 2026 - Dear Future You

A Letter to Your Future Self

A young athlete recently made headlines by writing a letter to his future self - a simple yet profound act of pausing today to speak directly to who he will become tomorrow. It’s an idea that echoes far beyond sports.

Every four years, the Olympics remind us that peak performance isn’t about luck. It’s about consistent preparation, intentional progress, and a clear vision of where you want to go. Olympians don’t arrive at the starting line by accident; they train with purpose, refine their strategies, and adjust as they grow. Jack Hughes’s decision to put pen to paper and speak to his future self is the same spirit - a commitment to accountability, growth, and long-term focus.

That’s exactly what good financial planning is all about.

Too often, people think about money as something to react to. Many investors respond to market headlines, tweaking a portfolio after a downturn, or kicking tough decisions down the road. But purposeful planning is proactive. It’s writing your own letter to the future: defining what success looks like, anticipating challenges, and building a process that keeps you aligned with your goals even when life gets messy.

Our Purpose-Built Planning approach helps you do just that:

🔹 Define what matters most - not just numbers, but your intentions for your life and legacy.

🔹 Map out the steps - like an athlete’s training plan, your financial plan is structured, measurable, and adaptable.

🔹 Stay accountable over time - we help you revisit objectives, adjust for life’s curveballs, and stay focused on where you’re headed.

Jack wrote to his future self to create clarity and accountability. In many ways, that’s what financial planning does too. It transforms uncertainty into intentional action, and vague hopes into documented, achievable goals.

As we reflect on watching the world’s best athletes compete this winter, let it remind us that preparation matters - not just for medals, but for the everyday victories in your financial life.

Because when we plan with purpose, the future you look back on is one worth writing about.

Visit lecontewealth.com to explore how our team can help you build stability.

The Shadow of Your Estate Plan

Last week alone, nearly every client meeting I had involved estate planning, from updating beneficiaries to guiding families through Power of Attorney decisions and settling estates.

Here’s the reality: without a plan, your family carries the burden. Probate drags on. Assets get lost. Stress multiplies.

With Valentine’s Day just happening, consider this your reminder. A clear estate plan may be one of the most meaningful gifts you leave behind.

Read more here.

Kevin Painter
Partner
LeConte Wealth

The Value of Doing Things Right

Not everyone in our firm started with a background in finance and that’s kind of the point.

This blog highlights how attention to detail, teamwork, and strong processes are just as important as investment strategy. The real magic of Purpose-Built Planning happens behind the scenes through careful follow-through, clear communication, and a team working in sync so clients never feel lost in the process.

It’s a reminder that great financial planning isn’t just about predicting markets. It’s about building a thoughtful experience around your life and your goals.

Click here to get a perspecitve from an operations team member.

Karla Dunne
Operations Manager
LeConte Wealth

Recently Published On Financial Friction

No additional blog posts this month.

Economy In Focus

The Data:

• 5.98% - 30-year mortgage rates fall below 6% for the first time in over three years 
• 2.2% - Real GDP growth for 2025, holding steady despite softer job gains and a Q4 dip 
• 50,000 - Dow Jones Industrial Average crosses a historic milestone on February 6  

Commentary:

February painted a picture of an economy that keeps outperforming expectations while quietly shifting beneath the surface.

Mortgage rates continued their downward drift, closing the month at 5.98 percent, the first time they have dipped below 6 percent since September 2022. That move has already sparked a noticeable uptick in refinance applications, giving homeowners a chance to lower monthly payments and freeing up cash for other spending or saving. For prospective buyers, the relief is modest but welcome after years of elevated borrowing costs.

At the same time, the broader economy delivered 2.2 percent real GDP growth for all of 2025 (quarter over quarter annualized). Job creation slowed and wage pressures eased, yet output held up thanks in large part to strong productivity gains. Early evidence points to AI adoption helping companies produce more with fewer additional hires, an encouraging sign that technology is beginning to shoulder more of the growth burden.

Markets reflected this resilience in real time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged past the psychologically important 50,000 level on February 6, closing at a record 50,115.67 and underscoring the blue-chip index’s strong start to the year. Beneath the headline, however, leadership continued to rotate. International stocks (tracked by the MSCI ACWI ex US) have outperformed U.S. benchmarks by a wide margin so far in 2026, while value stocks have clearly taken the lead over growth names. Even within technology, valuations have compressed as investors weigh exactly how transformative, and how profitable, AI will ultimately prove to be.

The Federal Reserve remains focused on its dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability. With the unemployment rate near 4.3 percent and core inflation continuing to moderate (though still above the 2 percent target), policymakers have held the federal funds rate steady at 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent. Most analysts still see room for one or more modest cuts later in 2026 if labor market softness reappears or disinflation stays on track. That outlook should help keep longer term Treasury yields in check, even as short term volatility persists.

Layer on ongoing geopolitical risks, tensions in the Middle East, uncertainty around Taiwan’s critical semiconductor supply chain, and the lingering effects of recent trade policy shifts, and 2026 clearly shapes up as a year of transition rather than outright contraction. The IMF’s latest assessment reinforces this view, projecting U.S. growth to accelerate modestly to 2.4 percent this year amid buoyant private sector performance.

Consumer sentiment offered its own positive signal, with the Conference Board’s index rising to 91.2 in February after a weak January. While still below last year’s peak, the improvement suggests households are feeling slightly more optimistic about jobs and income.

For long term investors, the message is clear and timeless: headlines will always be noisy, sector rotations are a normal part of market cycles, and disciplined, goal focused planning remains the most reliable edge.

LeConte In The News

This month we celebrated Karla's four years with LeConte Wealth!

Since stepping into her role as Client Services Manager, Karla has become a steady force behind the scenes and on the front lines. Her leadership, attention to detail, and deep care for people elevate every client interaction and every internal process she touches. She brings clarity where things feel complex and calm where reassurance matters most.

We’re grateful for the impact Karla has made over the past four years and excited for what’s ahead.

Contact us

865-379-8200

[email protected]