This Week’s Blog Is Written By Matt Totsky, CFA®, IAG Wealth Platform Manager
July 1, 2026

America the Beautiful

On a wall in our bedroom at home, my wife and I have a map of the United States. At first glance, it’s nothing special—a collection of colorless states with white borders. But it isn’t meant to stay that way.

The appeal of the map is that you can go online and upload photos from your travels that are sized to fit within each state’s borders. Those pictures can then be ordered as stickers to cover the essentially blank canvas.

By my most recent count, we’ve filled in 28 of the 50 states.

We’ve watched grizzly bears feed on spawning salmon in Alaska.

We’ve marveled at seemingly endless herds of buffalo in Yellowstone and stood in awe looking across the Grand Canyon.

We’ve enjoyed gorgeous sunsets on picturesque beaches in Hawaii.

We’ve reconnected with family and friends in faraway states like Maine, Montana, and Kentucky.

Each trip adds another piece to the map. And yet, even with all those memories, we’ve only scratched the surface. There are still a lot of beige and ecru states staring back at us. There are still vast stretches of countryside, towns, mountains, and coastlines we’ve yet to experience. Looking at that unfinished map reminds me just how much of America there is still left for our family to explore and appreciate.

As this Saturday marks our nation’s semiquincentennial (that’s just a fancy word for the 250th anniversary), I hope you all get a chance to reflect on the wonders this country has to offer: its natural beauty, the diversity of its people, the liberties we enjoy, and the freedoms we share.

It’s often easy to focus on the negatives of our country. Difficult chapters of our past. Divisions and inequality that continue in the present. Distress over what the future may hold.

Without a doubt, there are valid questions to be raised and problems to be addressed. But our nation has always been one made up of innovators, problem-solvers, and idealists who believe there’s a way to do things better than they’ve been done in past generations.

I still believe that the American Dream is a vision for the future, not a relic of the past. As you celebrate with loved ones this weekend, I hope you take a moment to marvel at the beauty of the nation we call home. And perhaps reflect on the role each of us can play in helping ensure America is every bit as beautiful for the next 250 years.

Quote of the week: Franklin D. Roosevelt: “We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions – bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality.”

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IAG Wealth Partners, LLC, (IAG) a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. Jason Ganiere is solely an investment advisor representative of IAG Wealth Partners LLC, and not affiliated with LPL Financial.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

Any opinions are those of IAG and not necessarily those of LPL Financial. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. This information is not intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Investing involves risk including loss of principle.

ART: 1132669
Photo Credit: Pexels, Photo by Jay Chung