In the late 1970s, after a church meeting at Luling Presbyterian Church in South Louisiana, three men stayed behind in the parking lot to keep talking. Rev. Billy Howell, pastor of the Luling church, ruling elder Harry Collins and Rev. John Spaulding, both of Jefferson Presbyterian Church, kept circling one persistent problem: older adults in … Continued
The S&P 500 gained +14.9% in the second quarter, ending June up +9.5% year-to-date. Despite a drawdown of around -8% from record highs in March, markets have since shrugged off fears of persistent disruption from the war in Iran and have turned their attention to renewed optimism around the seemingly endless capital investment in AI … Continued
It was Halloween, and Doug Marshall was making his rounds at the Presbyterian Home for Children’s fall festival when a boy in a Spider-Man costume came through the door. Marshall recognized him immediately. This was the same child who, not long before, had arrived on campus frightened and quiet after weeks of living with his … Continued
In 1989, a seminary student named Wil Howie read an article about the global water crisis and felt what he could only describe as a call. He believed that clean water was not simply a matter of infrastructure, but of human dignity, of faith, of what it means to be a neighbor. His calling ultimately … Continued
When Brad Masters describes his team’s work at New Covenant Trust Company, he doesn’t use typical financial services jargon. Instead, he talks about faces, names, relationships — the human elements that drive every decision. “When I wake up every day, among my first thoughts are names, people, relationships, connections,” says Masters, who leads the team … Continued
The S&P 500 approached correction territory at the end of March, down more than -8% from recent highs, in part the result of spikes in energy and commodity prices globally. Uncertainty continues to swirl in global markets four weeks into the U.S. war with Iran. While it wasn’t clear heading into 2026 what the catalyst … Continued
The S&P 500 gained over +17% in 2025, the sixth year out of seven with returns of at least that amount. Themes that drove markets higher in many of those past years were the same in 2025. The market was driven by a handful of large technology companies, buoyed by optimism around AI technology, and … Continued
As part of the ongoing rollout of SECURE Act 2.0, the IRS finalized several new regulations in late 2024 and early 2025. These rules clarify how Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) work for both IRA owners and beneficiaries, building on earlier changes first introduced under the original SECURE Act in 2019 and expanded in 2023. For … Continued
The S&P 500 ended November up over +16% year-to-date and is set to once again turn in double-digit gains —its sixth out of the last seven years. Four of those years saw returns of +25% or more. Despite starting the year with consternation around trade policy and tariffs, since bottoming in early April, the stock … Continued
When most people think about investment management, financial planning, or trust administration, their minds go straight to portfolio managers or bankers. At New Covenant Trust Company (NCTC), there’s a team working quietly — and tirelessly — behind the scenes to ensure that client accounts are properly maintained, administrative needs are met, and every transaction flows … Continued