Certificates of deposit (CDs) and Treasuries both can offer steady, predictable investment income—but how to decide between them? Here are five factors to help you choose.
Valid until the market close on October 31, 2023
The S&P 500 closed September with a monthly loss of 4.93%, after a loss of 1.71% in August. At this point, after close on the last day of the month, three of five Ivy portfolio ETFs — Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund (VEU), iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ)— are signaling "cash", up from last month's double "cash" signal.
Ultra high net worth investors have been using direct indexing to reduce their annual tax bill for years. But thanks to breakthroughs in technology and the ability to buy fractional shares, direct indexing has become more accessible.
Financial advisors often face the challenge of transitioning a new client into their practice in a tax-efficient way.
Customization is increasingly important across a number of industries. For advisors, the ability to create personalized portfolios that can meet the specific demands and preferences for investors is going to be vital. Join the professionals at Envestnet and VettaFi as they unpack the latest in direct indexing innovation.
Now seems like a good time to talk about wrappers and which ones are best for different situations. How do you decide whether to use an ETF, a mutual fund, or something else?
Innovative provider of custom indexes becomes a key part of a growing suite of VettaFi index solutions, which now power nearly $19 billion in ETFs and other vehicles.
As soft-landing calls engulf Wall Street, traders are betting that a market calm will endure across investing strategies — despite the latest selloff in US stocks and bonds.
There’s no clearer way to say it. Leave these garbage phrases out of your marketing.
The S&P 500 closed August with a monthly loss of 1.71%, after a gain of 3.22% in July.
Whereas my last article focused on what I call the “balanced believer,” this piece explores the “private investigator” mindset.
Many advisors are now providing customized wealth management services to their clients and their families, often across multiple generations.
Increasingly more advisors and investors are discovering the benefits of options strategies in their portfolios. There is great value in understanding and utilizing options strategies with the range of benefits they can provide portfolios, including protective puts.
While money market assets have risen in recent years, returns have historically lagged behind a diversified portfolio.
Advisors are using tax-managed products for tax-sensitive clients. In this interview, we learn how tax-managed products maximize the after-tax returns for investors to help them get to their goals with greater certainty.
Investors have access to multiple personalized indexing products, a key benefit of which is to allow for tax-loss harvesting (TLH). I analyze when TLH works and how helpful it is to returns.
Market volatility is an inevitable part of investing. And, understandably, tumultuous times will likely trigger emotional responses to match.
The only constant in life is change — and Wall Street strategists trying in vain to divine the stock market’s future. After collectively missing the lion’s share of the year-to-date rally in the S&P 500 Index, the Street’s macro soothsayers appear to be getting modestly more bullish again.
The sale of a business, property, or large stock position can generate a financial windfall that may trigger a large tax liability.
Investors with $250,000 or more to spend on municipal bonds are increasingly seeking opportunities to pick and choose what goes into their portfolios.
To find undiscovered investment strategies, financial advisors must perform due diligence that goes beyond track records.
Investors loading up on long-term bonds have a history at their back.
Everyone can stop all the hand-wringing over the “over-concentration” of the Nasdaq 100: The index provider is doing something about it, as expected, in a sign that the system is working as intended after all.
VettaFi’s Dave Nadig checks-in on some of the hottest ETF topics over the past several years. Cambria’s Meb Faber discusses the firm’s continued growth and spotlights the Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD). Strategas’ Todd Sohn provides the 10 ETFs he’s using to track market conditions in the second half of 2023.
Spring cleaning is essential to a cleaner home, just like rebalancing is essential to keeping an investor on track.
A direct indexing solution can help make an investment portfolio as personalized as a home.
Imagine a new digital environment where our data is portable and democratized, challenging the current monopolies. Web3 promises to be such an environment, using blockchain technology.
VettaFi’s Todd Rosenbluth covers several recent developments including iShares’ Bitcoin ETF filing, Amplify’s agreement to acquire ETFMG’s ETFs, and several active ETF launches and filings. Charles Schwab’s D.J. Tierney discusses ETF flows, standout ETFs, and their direct indexing platform. T. Rowe Price’s Tim Coyne highlights the firm's expanding actively managed ETF suite including their approach to fees and the transparent versus semi-transparent structure.
Our director of Customized Portfolio Solutions and overlay portfolio management, Brian Causey, shares his key takeaways from 20 years of working on overlay solutions.
There’s not much you can do about rising college costs, but there are a few tax breaks you can use to help offset the expenses.
While it has been months since the latest regional bank failure, many advisors remain concerned. They fear that the issues that caused runs on Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank have not receded.
VettaFi’s Lara Crigger offers perspective on two of the year’s most noteworthy ETF stories. Northern Trust’s Michael Natale presents the firm’s base case on equities and fixed income. Teucrium’s Sal Gilbertie spotlights several ETFs including their recently launched AiLA Long/Short Base Metals Strategy ETF (OAIB), which leverages artificial intelligence.
Bob was in Las Vegas last week where he spoke at the AICPA conference, and then did some fly fishing in Denver.
Earlier this month, WealthManagement.com announced the finalists for its 2023 Industry Awards (the “Wealthies”). VettaFi is one of two firms to be recognized for outstanding achievement in research innovation. The Wealthies was the first award program of its kind to honor companies, organizations, and individuals supporting financial advisor success.
At of the start of this year, Rick Pitcairn took on a new position as the chief global strategist at Pitcairn, a 100-year-old multi-family office with $7bn in client assets. In this position, he is focusing on macro-economic trends and is searching for new global initiatives that will add to the firm’s growth.
Rick recently journeyed to India where he met with some of the wealthiest local families to discuss multi-generational wealth transfer. He saw that people all around the world want the same things, including economic security and a safe environment to raise their children. But the investing and business environments differ significantly. Rick knows that U.S. investors have a home bias, but he saw substantial economic growth is happening outside our borders. Rick is here to discuss if an international allocation appropriate or too risky.
While tuition is the main qualified expense you think of when you get a 529, there are other tangential education expenses that will also qualify.
Here are four things advisors get wrong about tax-loss harvesting.
529 plan benefits abound no matter which type of plan you choose. Read on to get a full understanding of what 529 plans can do for you.
Tax-loss harvesting is one of the direct indexing’s biggest benefits. The automation that direct indexing provides greatly increases the strategy’s potential benefits.
Banks and financial institutions are big issuers of preferred securities, so the recent banking industry volatility has had an impact. Our guidance on preferreds is unchanged but with some caveats.
Macroeconomic uncertainty presents new challenges for investors who are saving for long-term goals like retirement. Inflation can diminish the ability to save today and the value of those savings tomorrow.
One of my mentors once told me that "Hope is not a strategy" and since we can't predict the markets, I have decided to focus this blog on using Direct Indexing to attract new high net-worth clients.
VettaFi’s Dave Nadig and Host Nate Geraci debate a wide range of prospective ETF ideas offered by “Fintwit”.
The federal Pell grant provides financial assistance to low-income students. Since it’s a grant instead of a loan, it’s essentially free money that students can use to cover their college costs.
Crypto traders are avoiding billions of dollars in tax by taking advantage of wild price swings to “harvest” losses so they can be offset against other profits, according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Readers of my AI articles have asked me for practical examples of how it can positively impact their practice.
Direct indexing is an innovative investment strategy that can solve a variety of investor challenges. We discuss the five main benefits of incorporating direct indexing in a client’s portfolio.
The fiercest adversary of investing based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) is Aswath Damodaran. ESG is a failure, its advocates are to blame, and the concept should be retired, according to Damodaran.
While direct indexing has been a hot topic for the past couple of years, many advisors and investors are still trying to assess what it is, if it's right for them, and where it might fit into their portfolios. Head of Vanguard Personalized Indexing Emily LeStrange works with advisors to understand where direct indexing fits into an advisor's practice – and whether the benefits of direct indexing outweigh the challenges.
Two of the biggest proposals Biden introduced in his recent budget were a big increase to the long-term capital gains tax and a new tax on the wealthiest Americans.
Tax-managed investing has gained in popularity in recent years. But what exactly is a tax-managed mutual fund? We do a deep dive into the concept.
Charitable planning is an important topic to discuss with your clients, especially if they’re facing extraordinary taxable events this year. You can add value to your clients by sharing these tax-smart giving strategies for 2023.
For millions of borrowers, student loan forgiveness will mean the difference between significant relief and ongoing payments. If you’re among them, the question is… what next?
As we discussed last week in Looking to the Futures, natural gas prices have been plagued by the perfect storm of lower demand and higher production throughout the withdrawal season.
The pitch for an actively managed bond exchange-traded fund can be compelling, especially when there’s market turmoil and uncertainty
Portfolio Manager Andy Acker explains why the healthcare sector could offer an attractive combination of defense and growth in today’s market.
My “five-step investment process” provides an ongoing systematic framework for making portfolio decisions, and further incorporating financial planning and tax considerations into overall portfolio construction.
We believe municipal bonds boast several key factors that position them as an attractive asset class in general, but especially so when markets are volatile.
A gold IRA is one way to diversify your retirement portfolio. It can protect your savings from plummeting in the event of a stock market crash or high inflation.
Silver is more volatile, cheaper and more tightly linked with the industrial economy. Gold is more expensive and better for diversifying your portfolio overall.
I have no idea how AI will impact the advisory profession. However, I’m confident it will fundamentally change almost every aspect of what you do and how you do it.
With the consumer price index increasing during the last few years at a rate not seen for nearly 40 years, the investing challenge for the coming year is finding ways to generate real returns during exceptionally high inflation.
There are several ways to include philanthropic giving in your estate plan. Here are five common options.
Corn futures traded higher to start the month with weekly USDA data showing an increase in exports week over week.
Like all trusts, a charitable trust is a legal entity that you create for the purpose of holding and managing assets. The trust is wholly separate from you. It owns any assets it holds, pays taxes and requires management just like any other legally recognized entity.
With the new year in its infancy, it may be too early to think about where to spend Thanksgiving or booking your car’s fall tune-up.
Investors are still recovering from the municipal market beatdown of 2022, but the current higher absolute yield levels provide an attractive “re-entry” point for municipal market investors.
2022 was a year of disappointment and negative surprises as economies faced the consequences of geopolitical turmoil and central banks fighting inflation.
Markets provided investors with a dozen lessons in 2022 (and a bonus one in the postscript).
Gold prices have increased to start 2023 as the dollar index extends last Friday's losses.
Commodities may seem like just another one of the bunch, but these products offer a unique way to invest your money in the market.
Build your ladder with multiple target-maturity ETFs representing different segments of the bond market, with different target years.
Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist at VettaFi, previews the upcoming year in ETFs and the financial markets. Dave also discusses potential implications of longer-term asset management trends including crypto, ESG, direct indexing, and the rise of passive.
The February crude oil contract CLG23 was down over 2% in trading early Thursday.
Great articles don’t always get the readership they deserve. We’ve posted the 10 most-widely read investment, planning and practice management articles over the last two days. Below are another 10 that you might have missed, but I believe merit reading.
As investors increasingly seek out more personalized options, many advisors are seeing direct indexing grow in popularity. Direct indexing is a type of separately managed account or SMA, where investors can express their personal values and tax preferences. The personalization and flexibility afforded by an SMA allows advisors the flexibility to manage each client’s tax situation and reflect their values. Dimensional Fund Advisors recently conducted research into the tax management benefits of an SMA. It found that a multifaceted tax management approach that goes beyond tax loss harvesting and considers tax implications at every step of the investing process can lead to more significant, longer-term gains. Here from Dimensional to discuss further is Kaitlin Hendrix, senior researcher and vice president.
Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of trading in your traditional bank for a virtual banking experience.
Investors are spurning mutual funds at a record clip, driving a $1.5 trillion gap in the flow of money from the old-school investment vehicles and into ever-popular ETFs.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a half point (50 basis points) on Wednesday in line with forecasts.
One thing to consider when opening a 529 plan is whether it should be a custodial or individual account. While both allow you to save for college costs and enjoy some tax breaks, they differ in terms of who has control of the account and the assets in it.
Over the coming years, Direct Indexing is expected to grow at a faster rate than traditional financial products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and separate accounts.* But what does it have to do with you and your clients?
We’ve broken down nine of the best 529 plans.
An index strategy that’s all about customization is expected to grow faster than other investment vehicles over the next four years as investors’ desire for personalization intensifies.
Believe it or not, 2022 is almost over. That means it’s time to start thinking about end-of-year tax planning strategies…
Although off their Thursday lows, equity index prices closed lower yesterday.
High inflation and slow economic growth are a problem for investors. Here's how to shore up your portfolio.
There’s no sugarcoating the stock market’s 20% plunge, but there is a small consolation prize: You have one of the best opportunities in years to lower your tax bill.
Depending on where they live, student borrowers may soon face an unexpected tax burden.
Every year, the IRS offers taxpayers a polite warning in the form of what it calls the “dirty dozen” – 12 of the latest tax-related scams. We introduce “the permissible dozen” – the 12 easiest ways to reduce federal income taxes – legitimately, of course.
Direct Indexing
CD or Treasury? Five Factors to Consider
Certificates of deposit (CDs) and Treasuries both can offer steady, predictable investment income—but how to decide between them? Here are five factors to help you choose.
Moving Averages: S&P Finishes September Down 4.9%
Valid until the market close on October 31, 2023
The S&P 500 closed September with a monthly loss of 4.93%, after a loss of 1.71% in August. At this point, after close on the last day of the month, three of five Ivy portfolio ETFs — Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund (VEU), iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ)— are signaling "cash", up from last month's double "cash" signal.
Tax Loss Harvesting Is No Longer Just for the Ultra Wealthy
Ultra high net worth investors have been using direct indexing to reduce their annual tax bill for years. But thanks to breakthroughs in technology and the ability to buy fractional shares, direct indexing has become more accessible.
6 Steps to Tax-Efficient Onboarding of Clients With Direct Indexing
Financial advisors often face the challenge of transitioning a new client into their practice in a tax-efficient way.
Personalized Index Portfolios: Bespoke client portfolios at scale
Customization is increasingly important across a number of industries. For advisors, the ability to create personalized portfolios that can meet the specific demands and preferences for investors is going to be vital. Join the professionals at Envestnet and VettaFi as they unpack the latest in direct indexing innovation.
VettaFi Voices On: Choosing Your Wrapper
Now seems like a good time to talk about wrappers and which ones are best for different situations. How do you decide whether to use an ETF, a mutual fund, or something else?
VettaFi Announces Acquisition of EQM Indexes
Innovative provider of custom indexes becomes a key part of a growing suite of VettaFi index solutions, which now power nearly $19 billion in ETFs and other vehicles.
Traders Unfazed as Soft-Landing Calls Stoke Bets on Market Calm
As soft-landing calls engulf Wall Street, traders are betting that a market calm will endure across investing strategies — despite the latest selloff in US stocks and bonds.
Six Things Advisors Should Never Say
There’s no clearer way to say it. Leave these garbage phrases out of your marketing.
Moving Averages: S&P Finishes August Down 1.7%
The S&P 500 closed August with a monthly loss of 1.71%, after a gain of 3.22% in July.
Capturing Investor Mindsets to Create a More Meaningful Investing Experience: The “Private Investigator”
Whereas my last article focused on what I call the “balanced believer,” this piece explores the “private investigator” mindset.
C Is for Customized Experience and Family Wealth Planning
Many advisors are now providing customized wealth management services to their clients and their families, often across multiple generations.
Know Your Options: Protective Puts
Increasingly more advisors and investors are discovering the benefits of options strategies in their portfolios. There is great value in understanding and utilizing options strategies with the range of benefits they can provide portfolios, including protective puts.
The Value of Staying in the Middle of the Net
While money market assets have risen in recent years, returns have historically lagged behind a diversified portfolio.
The Future of Tax-Managed Investing
Advisors are using tax-managed products for tax-sensitive clients. In this interview, we learn how tax-managed products maximize the after-tax returns for investors to help them get to their goals with greater certainty.
How Well Does Tax-Loss Harvesting Work?
Investors have access to multiple personalized indexing products, a key benefit of which is to allow for tax-loss harvesting (TLH). I analyze when TLH works and how helpful it is to returns.
How To Help Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Market Swings
Market volatility is an inevitable part of investing. And, understandably, tumultuous times will likely trigger emotional responses to match.
Strategist Short Squeeze Is On. Investors Beware.
The only constant in life is change — and Wall Street strategists trying in vain to divine the stock market’s future. After collectively missing the lion’s share of the year-to-date rally in the S&P 500 Index, the Street’s macro soothsayers appear to be getting modestly more bullish again.
How To Use Direct Indexing To Offset Taxes on a Future Financial Windfall
The sale of a business, property, or large stock position can generate a financial windfall that may trigger a large tax liability.
Muni Investors With $250,000 to Spend Want Individual Attention
Investors with $250,000 or more to spend on municipal bonds are increasingly seeking opportunities to pick and choose what goes into their portfolios.
How to Pick Winning Managers
To find undiscovered investment strategies, financial advisors must perform due diligence that goes beyond track records.
History Says It’s Time to Buy Long-Term Bonds as Peak Rates Near
Investors loading up on long-term bonds have a history at their back.
Worried About Nvidia, Apple and Meta? Nasdaq Has Your Back
Everyone can stop all the hand-wringing over the “over-concentration” of the Nasdaq 100: The index provider is doing something about it, as expected, in a sign that the system is working as intended after all.
ETF Hype Check, Shareholder Yield, & Tracking Market Conditions
VettaFi’s Dave Nadig checks-in on some of the hottest ETF topics over the past several years. Cambria’s Meb Faber discusses the firm’s continued growth and spotlights the Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD). Strategas’ Todd Sohn provides the 10 ETFs he’s using to track market conditions in the second half of 2023.
Concentrated Stock Positions: The Consequence of Forgetting To Spring Clean a Portfolio
Spring cleaning is essential to a cleaner home, just like rebalancing is essential to keeping an investor on track.
What Should You Look For in A Direct Indexing Provider? 10 Things To Consider
A direct indexing solution can help make an investment portfolio as personalized as a home.
Exploring Web3, Artificial Intelligence And The Digital Asset Revolution
Imagine a new digital environment where our data is portable and democratized, challenging the current monopolies. Web3 promises to be such an environment, using blockchain technology.
Bitcoin ETF Saga, Direct Indexing, & the Rise of Active
VettaFi’s Todd Rosenbluth covers several recent developments including iShares’ Bitcoin ETF filing, Amplify’s agreement to acquire ETFMG’s ETFs, and several active ETF launches and filings. Charles Schwab’s D.J. Tierney discusses ETF flows, standout ETFs, and their direct indexing platform. T. Rowe Price’s Tim Coyne highlights the firm's expanding actively managed ETF suite including their approach to fees and the transparent versus semi-transparent structure.
Confessions of an Overlay Manager
Our director of Customized Portfolio Solutions and overlay portfolio management, Brian Causey, shares his key takeaways from 20 years of working on overlay solutions.
Is College Tuition Tax Deductible?
There’s not much you can do about rising college costs, but there are a few tax breaks you can use to help offset the expenses.
Chart of the Week: Are There Financials in Your ETFs?
While it has been months since the latest regional bank failure, many advisors remain concerned. They fear that the issues that caused runs on Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank have not receded.
Top ETF Stories, Current Markets, & AI Commodity Strategies
VettaFi’s Lara Crigger offers perspective on two of the year’s most noteworthy ETF stories. Northern Trust’s Michael Natale presents the firm’s base case on equities and fixed income. Teucrium’s Sal Gilbertie spotlights several ETFs including their recently launched AiLA Long/Short Base Metals Strategy ETF (OAIB), which leverages artificial intelligence.
A Bit About Bob
Bob was in Las Vegas last week where he spoke at the AICPA conference, and then did some fly fishing in Denver.
VettaFi Honored As Finalist for 2023 “Wealthie” Award In Research Innovation
Earlier this month, WealthManagement.com announced the finalists for its 2023 Industry Awards (the “Wealthies”). VettaFi is one of two firms to be recognized for outstanding achievement in research innovation. The Wealthies was the first award program of its kind to honor companies, organizations, and individuals supporting financial advisor success.
The Case for Non-U.S. Allocations
At of the start of this year, Rick Pitcairn took on a new position as the chief global strategist at Pitcairn, a 100-year-old multi-family office with $7bn in client assets. In this position, he is focusing on macro-economic trends and is searching for new global initiatives that will add to the firm’s growth.
Rick recently journeyed to India where he met with some of the wealthiest local families to discuss multi-generational wealth transfer. He saw that people all around the world want the same things, including economic security and a safe environment to raise their children. But the investing and business environments differ significantly. Rick knows that U.S. investors have a home bias, but he saw substantial economic growth is happening outside our borders. Rick is here to discuss if an international allocation appropriate or too risky.
What are 529 Plan Qualified Expenses?
While tuition is the main qualified expense you think of when you get a 529, there are other tangential education expenses that will also qualify.
What Advisors Get Wrong About Tax-Loss Harvesting
Here are four things advisors get wrong about tax-loss harvesting.
A Primer on 529 Plan Benefits
529 plan benefits abound no matter which type of plan you choose. Read on to get a full understanding of what 529 plans can do for you.
How Direct Indexing Automation Aids Tax-Loss Harvesting
Tax-loss harvesting is one of the direct indexing’s biggest benefits. The automation that direct indexing provides greatly increases the strategy’s potential benefits.
Banking Stress and Preferred Securities: Now What?
Banks and financial institutions are big issuers of preferred securities, so the recent banking industry volatility has had an impact. Our guidance on preferreds is unchanged but with some caveats.
A Systematic Approach to Long-Term Investing
Macroeconomic uncertainty presents new challenges for investors who are saving for long-term goals like retirement. Inflation can diminish the ability to save today and the value of those savings tomorrow.
How to Attract High Net-Worth Investors With Direct Indexing
One of my mentors once told me that "Hope is not a strategy" and since we can't predict the markets, I have decided to focus this blog on using Direct Indexing to attract new high net-worth clients.
ETF "Shark Tank"
VettaFi’s Dave Nadig and Host Nate Geraci debate a wide range of prospective ETF ideas offered by “Fintwit”.
All About the Federal Pell Grant
The federal Pell grant provides financial assistance to low-income students. Since it’s a grant instead of a loan, it’s essentially free money that students can use to cover their college costs.
US Crypto Traders Avoiding Billions in Tax by ‘Loss Harvesting’
Crypto traders are avoiding billions of dollars in tax by taking advantage of wild price swings to “harvest” losses so they can be offset against other profits, according to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Are AI Tools Worth the Cost?
Readers of my AI articles have asked me for practical examples of how it can positively impact their practice.
Top 5 Benefits of Direct Indexing: Our View
Direct indexing is an innovative investment strategy that can solve a variety of investor challenges. We discuss the five main benefits of incorporating direct indexing in a client’s portfolio.
Aswath Damodaran: It’s Time to Retire the ESG Concept
The fiercest adversary of investing based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) is Aswath Damodaran. ESG is a failure, its advocates are to blame, and the concept should be retired, according to Damodaran.
Vanguard's Approach to Direct Indexing
While direct indexing has been a hot topic for the past couple of years, many advisors and investors are still trying to assess what it is, if it's right for them, and where it might fit into their portfolios. Head of Vanguard Personalized Indexing Emily LeStrange works with advisors to understand where direct indexing fits into an advisor's practice – and whether the benefits of direct indexing outweigh the challenges.
Are You Rich? Biden Wants to Double Your Capital Gains Taxes and Implement a Wealth Tax
Two of the biggest proposals Biden introduced in his recent budget were a big increase to the long-term capital gains tax and a new tax on the wealthiest Americans.
What Is a Tax-Managed Mutual Fund?
Tax-managed investing has gained in popularity in recent years. But what exactly is a tax-managed mutual fund? We do a deep dive into the concept.
Top 5 Reasons to Use Direct Indexing
12 Tax-Smart Charitable Giving Tips for 2023
Charitable planning is an important topic to discuss with your clients, especially if they’re facing extraordinary taxable events this year. You can add value to your clients by sharing these tax-smart giving strategies for 2023.
The Supreme Court May Quash Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness: Here's What Borrowers Should Do
For millions of borrowers, student loan forgiveness will mean the difference between significant relief and ongoing payments. If you’re among them, the question is… what next?
Natural Gas Woes Continue
As we discussed last week in Looking to the Futures, natural gas prices have been plagued by the perfect storm of lower demand and higher production throughout the withdrawal season.
The Pros Fail to Meet the Moment With Bond ETFs
The pitch for an actively managed bond exchange-traded fund can be compelling, especially when there’s market turmoil and uncertainty
Two Sides of Healthcare, One Strong Investment Case
Portfolio Manager Andy Acker explains why the healthcare sector could offer an attractive combination of defense and growth in today’s market.
The Professor's Portfolio
My “five-step investment process” provides an ongoing systematic framework for making portfolio decisions, and further incorporating financial planning and tax considerations into overall portfolio construction.
Municipal Bond Outlook 2023: Three Reasons for Optimism
We believe municipal bonds boast several key factors that position them as an attractive asset class in general, but especially so when markets are volatile.
What Is a Gold IRA?
A gold IRA is one way to diversify your retirement portfolio. It can protect your savings from plummeting in the event of a stock market crash or high inflation.
Gold versus Silver Investments: Which is Better?
Silver is more volatile, cheaper and more tightly linked with the industrial economy. Gold is more expensive and better for diversifying your portfolio overall.
How AI is Making Advisors More Efficient and Effective
I have no idea how AI will impact the advisory profession. However, I’m confident it will fundamentally change almost every aspect of what you do and how you do it.
The Top Six Investments for Inflation in 2023
With the consumer price index increasing during the last few years at a rate not seen for nearly 40 years, the investing challenge for the coming year is finding ways to generate real returns during exceptionally high inflation.
Using Philanthropic Giving in Your Estate Plan
There are several ways to include philanthropic giving in your estate plan. Here are five common options.
Have Corn Prices Found Support?
Corn futures traded higher to start the month with weekly USDA data showing an increase in exports week over week.
How a Charitable Trust Works
Like all trusts, a charitable trust is a legal entity that you create for the purpose of holding and managing assets. The trust is wholly separate from you. It owns any assets it holds, pays taxes and requires management just like any other legally recognized entity.
Six Tax Planning Strategies for a Good Start to 2023
With the new year in its infancy, it may be too early to think about where to spend Thanksgiving or booking your car’s fall tune-up.
Municipal Bonds: Is it Safe to Get Back in the Water?
Investors are still recovering from the municipal market beatdown of 2022, but the current higher absolute yield levels provide an attractive “re-entry” point for municipal market investors.
Fed Up: Can the Fed Accommodate the Market?
2022 was a year of disappointment and negative surprises as economies faced the consequences of geopolitical turmoil and central banks fighting inflation.
Lessons from the Markets in 2022
Markets provided investors with a dozen lessons in 2022 (and a bonus one in the postscript).
Gold Rallies on a Weaker Dollar
Gold prices have increased to start 2023 as the dollar index extends last Friday's losses.
A Primer for Clients to Invest in Commodities
Commodities may seem like just another one of the bunch, but these products offer a unique way to invest your money in the market.
How to Build a Bond Ladder Using ETFs
Build your ladder with multiple target-maturity ETFs representing different segments of the bond market, with different target years.
2023 ETF Industry & Market Preview with VettaFi’s Dave Nadig
Dave Nadig, Financial Futurist at VettaFi, previews the upcoming year in ETFs and the financial markets. Dave also discusses potential implications of longer-term asset management trends including crypto, ESG, direct indexing, and the rise of passive.
Crude Oil Slumps on Travel Concerns, Forecasted Production Increases
The February crude oil contract CLG23 was down over 2% in trading early Thursday.
The Ten Best Articles You Probably Missed
Great articles don’t always get the readership they deserve. We’ve posted the 10 most-widely read investment, planning and practice management articles over the last two days. Below are another 10 that you might have missed, but I believe merit reading.
New Research on Tax-Advantaged Direct Indexing
As investors increasingly seek out more personalized options, many advisors are seeing direct indexing grow in popularity. Direct indexing is a type of separately managed account or SMA, where investors can express their personal values and tax preferences. The personalization and flexibility afforded by an SMA allows advisors the flexibility to manage each client’s tax situation and reflect their values. Dimensional Fund Advisors recently conducted research into the tax management benefits of an SMA. It found that a multifaceted tax management approach that goes beyond tax loss harvesting and considers tax implications at every step of the investing process can lead to more significant, longer-term gains. Here from Dimensional to discuss further is Kaitlin Hendrix, senior researcher and vice president.
Online Banks versus Traditional Banks: Which Is Best for Your Clients?
Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of trading in your traditional bank for a virtual banking experience.
Record $1.5 Trillion Rift Opens Between Mutual Fund, ETF Flows
Investors are spurning mutual funds at a record clip, driving a $1.5 trillion gap in the flow of money from the old-school investment vehicles and into ever-popular ETFs.
FOMC Slows Rate Hikes as Expected
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a half point (50 basis points) on Wednesday in line with forecasts.
529 Plans: Custodial versus Individual
One thing to consider when opening a 529 plan is whether it should be a custodial or individual account. While both allow you to save for college costs and enjoy some tax breaks, they differ in terms of who has control of the account and the assets in it.
Why Direct Indexing? What to know in 2023
Over the coming years, Direct Indexing is expected to grow at a faster rate than traditional financial products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and separate accounts.* But what does it have to do with you and your clients?
The Best 529 Plans for 2023 and Beyond
We’ve broken down nine of the best 529 plans.
Build-Your-Own-Index Boom Could Hit $825 Billion in Four Years
An index strategy that’s all about customization is expected to grow faster than other investment vehicles over the next four years as investors’ desire for personalization intensifies.
The Silver Lining to Investment Losses in 2022
Believe it or not, 2022 is almost over. That means it’s time to start thinking about end-of-year tax planning strategies…
Equities Move on Fed Commentary
Although off their Thursday lows, equity index prices closed lower yesterday.
Investing for High Inflation and Slow Growth
High inflation and slow economic growth are a problem for investors. Here's how to shore up your portfolio.
Got Crushed in the Market? Harvest Your Losses to Lower Your Taxes
There’s no sugarcoating the stock market’s 20% plunge, but there is a small consolation prize: You have one of the best opportunities in years to lower your tax bill.
Student Loan Forgiveness May Hit You With a Heavy Tax Bill
Depending on where they live, student borrowers may soon face an unexpected tax burden.
Reducing Taxes the Right Way: The Permissible Dozen
Every year, the IRS offers taxpayers a polite warning in the form of what it calls the “dirty dozen” – 12 of the latest tax-related scams. We introduce “the permissible dozen” – the 12 easiest ways to reduce federal income taxes – legitimately, of course.