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Peter Babilla brings 40 years of experience in investment management and fiduciary* financial consulting to Vertex Planning Partners, LLC.
Pete graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance.
He began his career in 1983 with a focus on institutional fixed-income portfolio management, primarily working with community banks. After a decade serving institutional clients, Pete shifted his focus to working with individuals, families and business owners, providing guidance and education in all areas of Wealth Management. Among his areas of focus are accumulation and retirement planning, investment management, risk management, and estate and wealth transfer.
Pete’s planning philosophy allows him to create a personalized program for clients, based on their own unique goals and circumstances. The extensive investment and planning platform offered by Vertex enables him to create a highly customized program, tailored to each individual client.
Pete and his wife Suzanne have two children, and have resided in Wheaton, Illinois for the past 30 years. He enjoys golf, reading, and traveling with his family. Pete gives back as a past Board Member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, where his focus is on improving the lives of those living with epilepsy.
Pete works as fiduciary for his clients and holds the CERTIFIED FIANANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) designation and the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS®) designation.
Justin D’Agostino joined Vertex Partners in 2019 and serves a select group of business owners and affluent families. He specializes in investments, financial planning, and succession planning. His interest and knowledge in providing comprehensive financial planning and wealth management services to clients was sparked when he worked at a boutique tax and wealth management firm in Michigan. He has nine years of experience in the financial services industry, and his mission is to provide every client with targeted, comprehensive financial advice and to help them implement customized strategies designed to move them closer to accomplishing their unique goals.
Justin attended Hillsdale College where he earned his BA in Accounting and Financial Management and was a member and captain of the football team. Justin is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional, holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ designations.
Justin and his wife, Alexandra, reside in Chicago, Illinois. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys golfing, playing soccer and spending summer weekends with his family.
Scott Sandee brings over 20 years of experience as Managing Partner. He is responsible for leading the firm’s efforts in assisting middle-market business owners and seven and eight-figure families to plan and realize financial goals based on their unique aspirations and situations.
With a privately held family business background, Scott has helped owners prepare for and execute a successful transition. In addition, he works with business owners and their advisors to develop financial strategies to maximize sales proceeds and minimize future taxes.
Before joining Vertex, Scott served in financial planning and investment strategy roles at Oxford Financial Group, Capital Group, and The Northern Trust Company, working with Chicago’s HNW/UHNW families clients.
Scott holds the Certified Financial Planner®, Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Certified Investment Management Analyst®, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor designations. Scott earned his B.S. in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University, and his family resides in Wilmette, IL.
Julie Hupp, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, has worked in the accounting and corporate finance field since 1987. She began her career as a CPA with Deloitte & Touche, specializing in the financial needs of small businesses. Then spent the next 13 years in corporate financial planning and business development at Baxter and TAP Pharmaceuticals. Recognizing her passion for personal financial planning, Julie started her business in 2006 where she focuses on comprehensive financial planning strategies and implementation.
Julie graduated from University of Illinois with a BS in Accountancy. She received her Master’s in Management with a concentration in Finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 1994.
Outside the office, Julie is the co-founder of the 12 Oaks Foundation, which has merged with Cal’s Angels, and is a former Board member. Julie enjoys cooking, reading, running, triathlons and doing almost anything outdoors. A great weekend is spending time with her husband and two adult kids boating at their lake house in Wisconsin.
Steven P. Franzen, CPA, PFS, CGMA is a public accountant and consultant with more than 23 years of experience helping individuals and businesses reduce their tax liability. He began his career under the guidance of Patrick M. De Sio, CPA, CGMA and in 1996 became Mr. De Sio’s partner in De Sio, Franzen & Associates, Ltd. Steve’s expertise include entity design, complex tax strategies and multigenerational wealth transfer. As Managing Partner, Steve conducts his practice under the philosophy that the client’s investment in their CPA should yield a return on that investment – most of the time that return is realized when working with clients on planning for their future. In an effort to increase the planning capabilities of the firm, Steve formed Vertex Accounting Partners, LLC to ensure their guiding philosophy will continue well into the future.
Steve is a certified public accountant and has earned the professional designations of Personal Financial Specialist and Chartered Global Management Accountant. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois CPA Society. Steve earned a B.S. degree in accounting from Millikin University. He and his wife Kristie live in Sugar Grove, IL with their three children.
Gregory P. Benner, CPWA®, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, AIF®, RMA® has over twenty-two years of experience as a financial advisor. Greg’s practice is based on developing holistic financial plans that help his clients integrate sophisticated retirement, tax, risk management and estate planning strategies into an actionable plan, then stay the course as their behavioral coach.
Prior to founding Vertex Planning Partners, LLC, Greg spent four years as a founding partner of a Registered Investment Advisory firm affiliated with LPL Financial. He also spent seven years with JPMorgan Chase as a Senior Financial Advisor and was a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Life.
Greg holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certificant. He also holds the Chartered Financial Consultant®, Chartered Life Underwriter®, Accredited Investment Fiduciary™, and Retirement Management AdvisorSM designations. He earned a B.S. in Finance from Miami University.
He and his wife Lindsey reside in Naperville, IL with their daughter and twin sons.
Michael D. Bellis, CFP®, CLU® began his career as a financial planning professional in 1994. His practice is centered on holistic financial planning, astute risk management strategies and empirical, research-driven portfolio construction. He began his career in partnership with his father under the name Bellis & Associates. Together, their practice and reputation for excellence dates back more than 40 years and includes multiple generations of the same families. After his father’s retirement several years ago, Mike continued to build a client-centric, consultative practice before forming Vertex.
Mike holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification and is also a Chartered Life Underwriter. He has been an active member of both the Society of Financial Services Professionals and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. He earned a B.S. in Business & Marketing from Illinois State University. Mike is a lifelong resident of Naperville, Illinois. He and his wife Tanja have three children.
Quarterly Market Update for Q4 2025: Navigating Conflicting Signals
Investors experience market swings as a normal part of investing, and this year has been no exception. While market declines – such as the tariff-driven sell-off – can be uncomfortable, they also create opportunities to invest at more attractive valuations. On the other hand, when markets recover and climb to record levels, some investors may feel uneasy even if the underlying fundamentals are still strong. In both scenarios, holding portfolios that can weather all phases of the market cycle, with an eye toward long-term financial goals, becomes even more important.
As we begin the final quarter of the year, investors are facing conflicting signals. The S&P 500 reached new all-time highs in the third quarter as markets continued to be supported by strong corporate earnings and enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. At the same time, the labor market has weakened considerably since the beginning of the summer, raising concerns over the underlying economy and the financial health of consumers. Despite this, GDP growth has been strong, and inflation has largely stayed in check.
Market environments like these are when the benefits of long-term investment and financial plans shine. Rather than reacting to headlines and economic reports, it’s more important to hold well constructed portfolios that can withstand market shifts. This requires understanding the underlying trends that will shape markets in the quarters ahead.
Key Market and Economic Drivers in Q3
Valuations continue to climb toward historic levels
The accompanying chart demonstrates this with the Shiller price-to-earnings ratio for the S&P 500. The current value of 38x is well above the 35-year average of 27x and is approaching levels last seen during the dot-com bubble. This measure provides a longer-term perspective than standard P/E ratios by using a ten-year history of earnings, adjusted for inflation.
The fact that valuations are at these levels should not be surprising given the strong rebound of the past two quarters. The S&P 500 has climbed 34% since April 8, resulting in a double-digit gain for the year. Technology stocks across various sectors have led the market on the way up, just as they led it on the way down. The Magnificent 7 stocks, for instance, have risen 61% since the bottom. While investors are increasingly questioning whether corporate spending on artificial intelligence will generate a positive return, the reality is that this has been a key driver of the broader market and business investment.
It’s important to note that valuations don’t predict short-term market movements and are not market timing tools. Instead, they serve as core inputs into the asset allocation process. While broad market valuations are elevated, this is not the case across all parts of the market. For example, small-caps, value stocks, and international stocks have more attractive valuations than large-caps, growth stocks, and U.S. stocks at the moment. This can create opportunities for investors with a broader perspective and longer time horizons.
The Fed is cutting rates amid job market weakness
There are many factors that make this cutting cycle unique. Historically, the Fed has been forced to cut rates in response to economic crises or recessions. While there are some signs of weakness today, overall growth remains healthy. So, recent cuts represent something different: an attempt to normalize policy after the rapid tightening cycle that began in 2022. This is one reason the Fed is easing policy even while the economy remains in expansion and markets trade at all-time highs.
Perhaps the most important factor driving the Fed’s decision has been the deterioration in the job market. While the unemployment rate of 4.3% remains low by historical standards, the pace of job creation has slowed dramatically. August saw only 22,000 new payrolls added, well below the average of 123,000 from earlier in the year.
Even more striking are the payroll revisions suggesting that 911,000 fewer jobs were created over the twelve months through March than originally reported, as shown in the chart above. The Bureau of Labor Statistics revises the payroll numbers each year based on more accurate data than was available at the time of each monthly jobs report. While the numbers are still preliminary, a revision of this magnitude would represent the largest in history, showing that the job market has been weaker than originally believed.
Thus, the Fed is cutting rates because, according to the latest FOMC statement, it “judges that downside risks to employment have risen.” For investors, rate cuts typically provide support for both stocks and bonds if the economy remains strong.
Market volatility and policy uncertainty have eased for now
As many long-term investors know, periods of market calm can change quickly. The last several years have experienced many episodes of heightened volatility due to inflation, trade wars, Washington policy, the Fed, recession fears, geopolitical
conflicts, and more. The current government shutdown is but the latest event that could rattle markets in the short run, even if the long run effects are limited. Similarly, the outcome of tariff policies and the impact on inflation remain uncertain.
For investors, this uncertainty may feel uncomfortable, but it’s also what drives long-term portfolio outcomes. The last several years also highlight the difference between what investors feared and how markets actually performed. Rather than viewing uncertainty as something to avoid, successful long-term investors recognize it as a feature of markets that creates the opportunity to position portfolios for the years ahead.
The bottom line?
As the final quarter of the year begins, markets are near all-time highs amid conflicting economic signals. This environment underscores the importance of maintaining an appropriate asset allocation and staying focused on financial goals.
Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested in directly.
All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. The economic forecasts set forth in this material may not develop as predicted, and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful.
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