State of the Street - July 2025

Summer has a way of rearranging time. Days extend. Vacation moments melt together and, suddenly, we realize we’ve lost track of the day of the week. Enjoy the moment. The grey of winter always returns sooner than we expect.

The pace of summer isn’t necessarily slower, but things somehow feel more spacious.

For those of us at Christopher Street, the rhythm of summer feels particularly different this year. We are all working from home until August – seventeen of us in seventeen different locations. The last time we were separated like this was during COVID – a period we don’t care to repeat. But that initially disorienting time taught us how to operate seamlessly from various locations. And this time we are scattered for a happy reason: our office at 475 Park Avenue South is undergoing a major renovation. We are making room for a growing team – expanding the space to foster more collaborative working.

As we adjust to the shift in pace, there is a unique opportunity: to pause, take stock of where we’ve been, and refocus on where we’re headed.

At Christopher Street, the first half of the year has been full – of growth, of celebration, and of thoughtful progress. And yet, it has also been a challenging period for all of us. In the same year that we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, many of the principles and values we’ve long championed are coming under renewed attack.

It has been hard to watch. And it has been hard to comprehend. But we have met these setbacks with a renewed commitment to stand, visibly, for the principles upon which Christopher Street was founded.

CONTINUED PRIDE

We exited June full of Pride. Not only is June “Pride Month”, but it’s also the birthday of Christopher Street Financial. This year, as we turned a spry 44 years old, we used the opportunity to share, in more detail than we have before, our storied past. Read it here in Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Christopher Street Financial was founded with pride by Bob Casaletto in 1981. It’s with pride and passion that Jen Hatch advanced Bob’s original vision. And it’s with those values and energy that the entire team and I continue to move forward with conviction. The responses to this shared story have been deeply moving, especially the feedback from those who have been with us since the initial days. At the same time, those who are newer to Christopher Street shared how powerful they found our history, speaking to the steps we've taken – and continue to take – to lead with integrity, inclusion, and purpose.

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY

In the first half of the year, we welcomed 14 new clients to Christopher Street – an admittedly large number of individuals who we have been getting to know better over the last several months. If you’re one of them, let me say “Welcome!” once more. Like you, they are unique people with different goals, concerns, and dreams. But similar to you, they understand and value our relationship-based approach to financial planning.

Many of our new clients were referred by existing clients. We are humbled by what that says in terms of trust in us. There is no higher compliment than knowing you trust us enough to share your experience with friends and family.

And we take that trust very seriously. When it comes to welcoming new clients to Christopher Street, we know that our growth needs to be steady, selective, and intentional. Each new relationship that we start is a commitment to build mutual trust over time. We are not one-size-fits-all. So if you’ve ever thought about introducing us to someone in your world, we would love to have the conversation. But know that we’ll never sacrifice quality or attention as we grow.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

As our client relationships grow, so too has our team. We’re thrilled that Seth Rivers, Senior Financial Advisor, joined us this year to ensure we remain true to our commitment.

Seth is a deeply thoughtful, relationship-first advisor. His approach is patient, deliberate, and grounded in listening. He focuses on personal financial strategies that align with individual goals and values, and not just the stock market. In just a few short months, he’s stepped into a number of client relationships with humble expertise. He’s a tremendous addition, and we’re lucky to have him.

AND THE MONTHS AHEAD…

But we’re only halfway through the year!

One of the most exciting projects we are currently exploring is expanding our service capabilities with Kestra, potentially adding an additional custodial and technology platform alongside our current offering through SEI. It’s early days, but we’re optimistic about the potential. The addition would offer our team more tools – and provide you with more options – when it comes to the financial planning and investment opportunities. And as we evaluate this opportunity, we are especially grateful to be working alongside Kara Murphy, Kestra’s Chief Investment Officer, whose strategic insights are already helping us deepen our research and asset allocation thinking.

These are exciting times. And yet, we also need to acknowledge the sense of unease that many of you continue to express – and which we share – in light of the current political climate. Current events weigh heavily on all of us, especially for those of us in LGBTQ+ and other historically marginalized communities. These aren’t abstract fears: they’re personal, lived, and often painful.

At Christopher Street Financial, we can’t predict the political future. But we can promise this: we will continue to show up for our clients, no matter what lies ahead. Our work has always been about helping people build financial resilience and protecting what matters most, creating lives of meaning and security – even in uncertain times. That mission is more urgent than ever.

We’ll continue to keep you updated on platform developments, team growth, and service enhancements as we continue to write the next chapter. In the meantime, if you have questions or just want to say, “Hello!”, we hope you’ll reach out. That’s what we’re here for.

Wishing you a joyful and restful summer.