We are pleased to share our annual reflection on the Sage client experience.
Much of what is discussed at the beginning of a new year naturally focuses on market conditions, economic forces, and the decisions those realities may require. This communication serves a different purpose. It is an opportunity to step back and reflect on the principles, people, and perspective that guide how we work on your behalf.
While circumstances will continue to change, our approach to serving you remains consistent, thoughtful, and grounded in long-term relationships.
Before turning to highlights from 2025, we begin with the foundation of your Sage experience: how we think, how we collaborate, and how we exercise judgment at every step.
SageSense: How We Think and Work
Over time, we have learned that outcomes are shaped not only by expertise, but also by how people listen, collaborate, and apply judgment—especially when decisions are nuanced or trade-offs are required. That shared approach to thinking and working is foundational to how we support clients at Sage.
We call that foundation SageSense.
SageSense is not a strategy or a slogan. It reflects the culture, standards, and mindset that guide how we work together and how we support you every day. It influences how decisions are made, how teams collaborate, and how consistency is maintained as your financial life evolves.
Five principles support this shared way of working:
- Support Relationships: Trust builds over time through listening, responsiveness, and a genuine understanding of what matters most to you. Your relationship with Sage is designed to endure and adapt as your life, family, and priorities change.
- Empower Teamwork: Your experience is supported by a coordinated team working together on your behalf. Collaboration allows us to bring a broader perspective, deeper knowledge, and continuity—so progress does not depend on any one individual.
- Navigate with Integrity: Important decisions rarely come with perfect clarity. SageSense emphasizes honesty, thoughtful judgment, and doing what is right, even when the path forward is not obvious.
- Serve with Dedication: Consistency matters. We approach your financial life with preparation, discipline, and follow-through, recognizing that meaningful progress often results from steady, intentional effort.
- Elevate Excellence: We are committed to continually refining how we serve—through learning, thoughtful investment, and improvement—so your experience remains strong, resilient, and relevant over time.
Together, these principles shape not only how we think, but how we hope your experience with Sage feels.
Growth and Stewardship
As we look back on 2025, we define progress by how we managed growth and made decisions along the way.
Crossing $4 billion in assets under management was an important milestone. What matters most is how that growth occurred: through long-standing client relationships, continued confidence from families we have served for many years, and introductions from clients who trust us with people they care about.
We believe growth should enhance the client experience. When pursued thoughtfully, it creates the capacity to invest in people, systems, and processes that strengthen reliability and continuity—while preserving the personal attention and care that define trust. This balance is reflected in consistently strong client retention and remains a guiding principle as we think about the firm’s future.
Built for Continuity
As relationships deepen and financial lives grow more complex, continuity and depth matter. We carefully consider how our team is structured so clients are supported not only today, but for decades to come.
In 2025, we welcomed several new professionals.
- Gary Mitchell, J.D., joined as an Executive Wealth Manager, adding depth to our work on complex planning and financial situations. Gary brings more than 30 years of experience and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
- Steven Yezzi joined as an Associate Wealth Manager, supporting one of our primary teams in delivering thoughtful, personalized planning and guidance. Steven brings more than five years of experience and is a graduate of Boston College.
- Kieran Ward joined as a Financial Analyst, supporting both the investment and tax teams with research, analysis, and implementation. He has two years of experience and is a graduate of Gettysburg College.
These additions deepen the depth, continuity, and collaboration in your relationship with Sage. While you may not interact directly with every team member, each plays a role in supporting the preparedness and consistency you experience over time.
Looking ahead, we also recognize that many clients may not often see the full team working on their behalf. In the coming year, we plan to share more intentionally about the people behind the scenes—so you can gain a clearer appreciation for the breadth of experience supporting you and for what it truly means to build a relationship with Sage.
The Client Experience: Clarity, Connection, and Meaning
Client engagement remained strong throughout 2025. Many of you shared thoughtful, unsolicited feedback centered on responsiveness, trust, and the confidence that comes from feeling genuinely known and supported. We are especially grateful for the introductions made on our behalf, which remain among the greatest compliments you can give.
As financial lives grow more complex, our focus continues to extend beyond investment management toward a more integrated experience—one that brings together planning, coordination, and ongoing dialogue across financial decisions.
Throughout the year, we put this broader approach into practice in several ways.
- Clients partnered closely with our Trusts and Estates Team for advanced planning and document execution, our Tax Team for in-depth analysis, projections, and tax return reviews, and our preferred Insurance partners for risk management coverage.
- We introduced a webinar, Creating a Legacy Letter, which invited clients to reflect on the values, experiences, and lessons they hope to pass on to family. The response reinforced our belief that financial planning is most powerful when it is connected to the people and purpose behind it.
- We continued piloting our new Comprehensive Wealth Reviews, which provide a clear, organized view of your entire financial life by bringing together investments, planning priorities, risk management, and tax and estate considerations in one place. Designed to be revisited as life evolves, this new service supports ongoing conversations and aims to offer peace of mind by helping ensure your financial affairs remain well coordinated and easier to navigate for you and your family.
Our goal is straightforward: to reduce complexity, provide clarity, and support informed decision-making—while also creating space for conversations that are important to you.
Reliability Behind the Scenes
A strong client experience also relies on systems and safeguards that work quietly and consistently in the background. Much of this work is designed not to draw attention to itself, but to reduce risk, prevent friction, and ensure continuity.
Throughout 2025, we continued strengthening workflows, digital capabilities, and security practices to support reliability and ease of use. For example, expanded use of secure digital approvals and account onboarding allowed many requests to be completed more efficiently and with fewer follow-ups. At the same time, continued investment in cybersecurity and monitoring helped safeguard sensitive information and support continuity behind the scenes.
When done well, this work is rarely noticed—but it is essential to creating a seamless, dependable experience that allows our team to remain focused on thoughtful planning and responsive support.
SageSense Beyond Our Walls
SageSense does not end at our office doors. It also shapes how we show up for the families and communities we are privileged to serve.
In 2025, our long-standing partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation became especially personal as we sponsored and supported the granddaughter of a Sage client in her fight against childhood leukemia. During this year’s Million Mile, the Sage community raised $89,345, helping fund nearly 1,800 hours of pediatric cancer research. When the month-long challenge finished, the Sage Million Milers ranked fifth nationally and first among more than 500 business teams. We are deeply grateful to the many clients who participated, contributed, encouraged others, or offered support. Your involvement reflects the generosity and sense of community that define the Sage family.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2026, our priorities remain clear: to support enduring relationships, navigate complexity with care, and continue investing thoughtfully in the people, systems, and principles that underpin your experience with Sage.
We will continue looking for ways to enhance your experience through expanded services, programming, and communication.
We are grateful for the trust you place in us and for the opportunity to support you through both everyday decisions and pivotal moments in your financial life. That trust is something we work to earn every day, and we do not take it lightly.
With appreciation,
Stephen and Alan
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Disclosures
The information and statistics contained in this report have been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but cannot be guaranteed. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates in this letter are forward-looking statements and are based upon certain assumptions. Other events that were not taken into account may occur and may significantly affect the returns or performance of these investments. Any projections, outlooks, or assumptions should not be construed to be indicative of the actual events that will occur. These projections, market outlooks, or estimates are subject to change without notice. Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, product, or any non-investment-related content referred to directly or indirectly in this newsletter will be profitable, equal to any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation or prove successful. Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer reflect current opinions or positions. All indexes are unmanaged, and you cannot invest directly in an index. Index returns do not include fees or expenses. Actual client portfolio returns may vary due to the timing of portfolio inception and/or client-imposed restrictions or guidelines. Actual client portfolio returns would be reduced by any applicable investment advisory fees and other expenses incurred in managing an advisory account. Moreover, you should not assume that any discussion or information contained in this newsletter serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Sage Financial Group. To the extent that a reader has any questions regarding the applicability above to his/her situation or any specific issue discussed, he/she is encouraged to consult with the professional advisor of his/her choosing. Sage Financial Group is neither a law firm nor a certified public accounting firm, and no portion of the newsletter content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of Sage Financial Group’s written disclosure statement discussing our advisory services and fees is available for review upon request. Copyright 2026.
