May 2025
Tim and Emily Miller with their children, Leah (age 6), Abram (age 4), and Samuel (age 9)
BFG Spotlight - TIM MILLER
Tim Miller, financial advisor at Benson Financial Group in Quincy, doesn’t like talking about himself, but he lights up when his family is mentioned.
Tim, a Quincy native, has been married to Emily for 11 years. Together they have three children: Samuel, Leah, and Abram. The couple is intentional about prioritizing family time.
“We value being together. Some of our best moments are just being at home,” Tim said. “We spend a lot of time, after working hours, on walks or at the school playground. We love being outside.”
Tim met Emily through a mutual friend at church. Emily had moved from Quincy to work with AmeriCorps and later relocated to Kansas City. After a year of dating long-distance, they considered Tim moving to Kansas City—but with Tim’s deep roots in Quincy, Emily ultimately chose to return. Since then, they’ve been building their lives together in a community they love.
Both Tim and Emily enjoy serving together through their church, Madison Park Christian Church. Tim serves on the board of directors at Horizons Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry, the United Way of Adams County finance committee, and as a Quincy Chamber of Commerce Ambassador. He also volunteers at the Quincy Family YMCA, supporting its many youth activities.
Tim’s passion for community service derives from values instilled by his parents.
“They taught me to love Christ first and then to love others. So, helping others has been ingrained in me from the beginning,” he said. “I was in Boy Scouts and volunteered with different church organizations when I was young.”
Tim graduated from Quincy High School, attended John Wood Community College, and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Quincy University.
His interest in finance sparked as a young adult. Deep in college debt, Tim enrolled in a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class.
“I learned about college debt the hard way, but after taking the class, my goal was to get out of debt,” he said. “I paid off my college loans before Emily and I married, and we strive to stay debt-free.”
He went on to teach the same course at Madison Park, helping others gain financial freedom. Around that time, he also met Steve Hill, a now-retired advisor at Benson Financial Group, who encouraged him to become a client. Over the years, the BFG team took notice of Tim’s talent for finance and his servant's heart.
In the fall of 2021, a meeting with Justin Gibson and Jeriod Turner, BFG advisors and partners, about investment strategy turned into a conversation about Tim joining the firm.
Tim chuckled as he remembered the exams required to become a financial advisor.
“I thought my test-taking days were over after college. But through prayer, God gave me clarity that He was leading me here,” he said. “I don’t think I found them—it feels more like they found me.”
With prayer and encouragement from the team, Tim passed the rigorous exams and now holds a FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 Securities Licenses through LPL Financial. He joined Benson Financial Group in January 2022.
Tim sees his role at BFG as another way to serve the Quincy community. Since joining, he’s learned the value of listening.
“It’s so important to listen first and then speak second, third—or maybe even fourth—because we serve our clients best by knowing who they are and what matters to them,” he said. “We can help them make good investments and have an abundant life here on earth, through giving and receiving, while keeping our focus on eternity.”
His desire to lead with a servant’s heart is reflected in one of his favorite Bible verses:
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. —Proverbs 4:23
“To me, guarding your heart means being intentional about what you let in—because everything flows from it,” Tim said. “If I want to lead with kindness, stay focused on what matters, and reflect Christ, then I must protect both my heart and my mindset.”
Quincy Office Spotlight
Benson Financial Group’s Quincy office marked its second anniversary in April.
Two years ago, the firm welcomed more than 100 clients, community members, and the Quincy Chamber of Commerce to celebrate its grand opening at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The decision to open a second office was driven by a desire to better serve Quincy clients and a growing Illinois client base. Establishing a presence in Quincy has further strengthened the connection to the community.
“For years, many of our clients were driving from Quincy to meet at our Hannibal office,” Pat Benson, BFG founder, said. “We wanted to offer a more convenient option for those clients and to reach out more to the Quincy community.”
The Quincy office staff includes two advisors, Aaron Hill and Tim Miller, along with Jen Kovar, executive assistant, and Kristina Corzatt, administrative assistant. The office is also a meeting place for BFG advisors and employees from Hannibal to serve Quincy clients.
Although employees work out of different locations, the BFG staff is a united team that meets weekly for group prayer, office discussion, and devotion time. This includes two brief morning “huddles” and a longer staff meeting on Wednesday.
The Quincy staff stands in the front lobby of the Quincy office. From left, Tim Miller, Jen Kovar, Kristina Corzatt, and Aaron Hill.
With several BFG employees living in Quincy and all actively serving in local churches and engaging in community service, BFG staff from both locations share a strong commitment to the Quincy community.
The team at Benson Financial Group is grateful for the warm welcome they have received.
"The Quincy community has blessed this business in a big way, even before we had a physical location there,” Pat said. “We believe in giving back to the community, and opening this office and serving in this community is part of that commitment."
The Benson Financial Group team with Quincy Chamber of Commerce ambassadors at the ribbon cutting ceremony on April 14, 2003.
Review of the Q1 Market
by Aaron Hill, BFG Financial Advisor
United States Markets
After two strong years and relatively limited volatility, the stock market began 2025 on a rougher course. Broad U.S. stock markets suffered first-quarter losses and saw an investor rotation out of the largest technology companies.
The S&P 500 Index slipped 4.3%, but there were some areas of strength, including energy (+10.2%), healthcare (+6.6%), consumer staples (+5.2%), and utilities (+4.9%). (LPL Research)
The S&P 500 is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly.
International Markets
For many years, broad international markets have lagged U.S. domestic markets. But that trend reversed in 2025. Europe, Asia, & Far East indexes showed strength, and along with a weakening U.S. dollar, that drove international gains.
Inflation
During the first quarter of 2025, inflation data was promising, indicating a slowdown in overall inflation but still above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%.
International investing involves special risks such as currency fluctuation and political instability and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks are often heightened for investments in emerging markets.
Jobs
The United States job market remains strong and has been a positive economic indicator, even amid increased volatility. Both the unemployment rate and number of unemployed people changed little in March.
The unemployment rate has been stable between 4.0 and 4.2% for nearly a year.
Crypto
Bitcoin has been unstable. It opened in 2025 at above $92,000 before climbing to near all-time highs around $105,000 in January. From there, it declined by as much as 25% before a recent rally in April brought it back to where it started the year.
Cryptocurrency and cryptocurrency-related products can be volatile, are highly speculative and involve significant risks including: liquidity, pricing, regulatory, cybersecurity risk, and loss of principal.
Worth Watching in Q2
U.S. Markets & International Trade: All major US indexes were down at least 7.5% in the first week of trading for Q2, and the S&P 500 neared bear market territory during April.
This happened after President Trump’s tariff announcement on April 2, and the subsequent reciprocal tariff announcement from China sparked the beginning of a potential trade war. Market volatility remains high, and markets have been sensitive to breaking media reports regarding tariff negotiations.
Bonds: Treasury Bond yields lowered at the start of Q2, including the 10-year dropping just below 4% before quickly trading back near 4.5%. The 10-year was as high as 4.8% in mid-January.
This bond pricing volatility is important as investors have looked for additional safe-haven investment options aside from U.S. government-issued securities. This movement has resulted in continued strength in gold performance and other international government-issued securities.Government bonds and Treasury bills are guaranteed by the US government as to the timely payment of principal and interest and, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and fixed principal value.
Oil Prices: Crude oil (WTI May 2025) reached levels not seen since 2021 (just above $60/barrel).
The fast price swings in commodities will result in significant volatility in an investor’s holdings. Commodities include increased risks, such as political, economic, and currency instability, and may not be suitable for all investors.
These views are those of the author, not of the broker-dealer or its affiliates. This material contains an assessment of the market and economic environment at a specific point in time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events, or a guarantee of future results. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Information is based on data gathered from what we believe are reliable sources.
New Employee
In April, Benson Financial Group was excited to welcome Kenton Snyder to the team in Hannibal as a paraplanner.
Kenton Snyder
Paraplanner
Upcoming Holidays & Closings
Please note that our office will close on Monday, May 26, 2025, in observance of Memorial Day. Benson Financial Group, along with the financial markets, will reopen on Tuesday, May 27, at 8:30 a.m.
May we never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Enjoy the day with your loved ones, and don’t forget to think about those who served and sacrificed.
