This Week’s Blog Is Written By Scott D. Heins, CFP®, IAG Chief Investment Officer
May 27, 2026

Cruise Control

This past weekend most of my family temporarily migrated to Minnesota for a few days to attend a high school graduation service for two of my nieces.

We were certainly not the only ones on the road this weekend, and I am thankful we made it there and back without incident.

One of my irritants of long-distance interstate driving is people who either purposefully or inadvertently randomly vary their speed.

I much prefer driving amongst people that use cruise control.

When everyone uses cruise control, everything is more predictable. You gradually approach a slightly slower vehicle from behind, change to the passing lane to ease on by them at a steady pace, change back to the travel lane a safe distance in front of them, and then gradually increase the distance between your vehicles until they are a speck in your rearview mirror. Ideal, as far as I am concerned.

But then there are drivers that are quite unpredictable. One moment you pass them as they plug up traffic at 65 miles per hour in the left lane, and the next moment they are whizzing by you because they suddenly felt compelled to keep up with traffic. Or perhaps they pull into the passing lane to overtake a slower vehicle, but then adopt the slower vehicle’s leisurely pace and take miles to pass them as traffic backs up behind them.

These drivers without cruise control are simply responding to the environment around them – the beat of their music, the sandwich they are eating, the speed of the vehicles around them, or their own myopic impression of how fast they are going. Their focus wanders incessantly from the most important task at hand – driving safely.

Cruise control drivers have a plan. They set an appropriate speed for the road conditions and stick to it whether their music is fast or slow, whether the vehicles around them are plodding or speeding, whether they are in a distracting conversation or not. Unless they set their cruise control to the wrong setting, they are much less likely to get pulled over and get a ticket for impeding traffic or speeding.

The same is true for your financial life. You can choose to wander along your financial path at speeds that vary depending on what other people do, how you are feeling that day, or random whims. Or you can thoughtfully set your speed using cruise control, maintain a steady pace, and minimize the odds of moving violations.

If you or someone you care about would like to improve their financial driving skills, our caring advisors are here to help you set your cruise control at an appropriate speed for your journey.

Quote of the week: Tommy Lasorda: “Baseball is like driving, it’s the one who gets home safely that counts.”

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.

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.

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