Today's Wealth Management Pulse
SmartAsset outlines a three‑step wealth‑building plan for early‑30s earners
Financial planners recommend that workers first capture any employer‑matched retirement contributions, then set aside 10‑20% of gross pay for savings, and finally eliminate debt with rates above roughly 10%. They also advise establishing a 3‑6‑month emergency fund in a high‑yield account to ensure liquidity.
Also developing:
QDVO’s 32% Return Masks a Hidden Risk for Income Investors
Amplify CWP Growth & Income ETF (QDVO) posted a 32% total‑return over the past year while delivering monthly checks funded largely by covered‑call premiums. The fund’s portfolio is concentrated in mega‑cap tech names—NVIDIA, Apple, Microsoft—none of which pay traditional dividends, so income hinges on option premiums. As implied volatility (VIX) falls, premium income shrinks, making future distributions variable. The covered‑call overlay also caps upside, meaning QDVO will lag a pure growth fund in a strong rally.
Lazard Posts 5% Q1 Revenue Rise and Announces $575M Campbell Lutyens Deal
Lazard announced first‑quarter 2026 adjusted net revenue of $673 million, up 5% year‑over‑year, alongside record $9 billion net asset‑management inflows. The firm also disclosed a $575 million all‑stock acquisition of private‑markets adviser Campbell Lutyens, creating a new global business unit aimed at scaling...
Trump Signs Order Creating TrumpIRA.gov, Offering $1,000 Annual Match
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 30 to launch TrumpIRA.gov, a government‑backed website that will let workers without employer‑sponsored plans open low‑cost IRAs. The platform will deliver a Saver’s Match of up to $1,000 per year for...
I’m a Retirement Expert Who Just Turned 65. Here’s the Advice I’m Actually Following
The author, a longtime retirement writer, turned 65 and shifted from theorizing to living retirement. He distills five durable lessons: keep portfolios simple with low‑cost ETFs and a trusted adviser, build risk capacity rather than just confidence, resist reacting to...
T. Rowe Price and Westwood Report Strong ETF Inflows Amid Shifting Investor Preferences
T. Rowe Price posted $2.8 bn of net inflows into its exchange‑traded funds, pushing total ETF assets above $25 bn, while Westwood Holdings Group’s ETF suite grew to $315 m in assets. Both firms cite fee compression and a tilt toward income‑oriented, real‑asset...
4 Ways to Become Wealthy That No One Taught You In School, According to Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger outlines four wealth‑building principles that run counter to textbook finance. He urges investors to concentrate capital on a few high‑conviction ideas rather than diversifying indiscriminately. He stresses buying businesses with durable, high return on invested capital (ROIC) and...
Madhusudan Kela’s Portfolio: 5 Stocks Rally up to 135%; 4 New Q4 Bets Revealed
Renowned investor Madhusudan Kela disclosed a ₹2,290 crore (~$276 million) portfolio covering 19 stocks as of 30 April 2026. Five of those holdings posted one‑year gains between 35% and 135%, while ten stocks delivered double‑digit losses, five of which fell more than 25%....
New Free Financial Advice Plan Aims to Help Britons Build Savings
The UK Financial Conduct Authority has launched a regulated "targeted support" service that lets banks, building societies and platforms provide free, commission‑free investment suggestions to customers with cash savings. The scheme, aimed at the estimated 7 million adults holding £10,000 (≈ $12,500)...
Saving for Grandchildren
The article outlines four tax‑advantaged ways to save for a grandchild—529 plans, UGMA custodial accounts, Coverdell ESAs, and the newly introduced Trump accounts. It details each option’s contribution limits, tax benefits, and withdrawal rules, highlighting the Trump account’s $1,000 government...
Wall Street Trap
May 1, 1975 marked the SEC’s deregulation of brokerage commissions, sparking the rise of discount brokers and lower trading costs for investors. Decades of research, from Alfred Cowles to Barber and Odean, show that individual stock‑picking and active fund management consistently underperform...
Your Initial Savings of ₹20 per Day Can Help in Getting a ₹6 Lakh Monthly Pension. Here's How
A 30‑year‑old investor who saves roughly ₹20 a day and starts a ₹6,000 monthly equity SIP can amass about ₹9 crore (≈ $1.1 million) over 30 years by applying a 10% annual step‑up and assuming a 15% return. The corpus, invested in a systematic...
Strong Family Office Committees Multiply Wealth, Weak Ones Destroy Legacies
The real power in family offices sits in those investment committees. I've seen firsthand how the right committee can multiply wealth while weak ones destroy legacies. These aren't just meetings - they're where billion-dollar decisions get pressure tested. This is...
Four Unconventional Wealth Lessons From Charlie Munger
4 Ways To Become Wealthy That No One Taught You In School, According To Charlie Munger https://t.co/FRTmnAZ1dk
Wealthy Raid Their Pensions to Avoid UK Inheritance Tax Shake-Up, Advisers Warn
Wealthy UK retirees are accelerating pension withdrawals ahead of a planned inheritance‑tax overhaul, according to financial advisers. The Treasury is expected to tighten rules that currently allow pension funds to pass tax‑free to heirs, prompting a rush to move assets...
WisdomTree Q1 2026 Earnings Show Record AUM and Digital Asset Push
WisdomTree reported Q1 2026 results on May 1, posting a record $152.6 billion in assets under management, $5.9 billion of net inflows and an 8% sequential revenue rise to $159.5 million. The firm also highlighted a $100 million inflow into its tokenized money‑market fund...
Kevin O'Leary Unveils 60/20/20 Asset Allocation Blueprint for Retail Investors
Kevin O'Leary disclosed his personal investing formula on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, outlining a three‑bucket portfolio of 60% equities, 20% fixed income and 20% alternatives. He tied the mix to dividend‑focused stocks, a 4.5% 10‑year Treasury yield and disciplined...
Passive Real Estate Products Displace Traditional Landlording, $14B Shift Evident
Reed Haimson, founder of Passive Realty Group, says investors have moved $14 billion into passive real‑estate vehicles, signaling a decisive shift away from hands‑on landlording. The trend reflects growing demand for time‑saving, tax‑efficient structures that promise capital preservation over cash‑flow focus.
1977: Ask Farnoosh: How Much Should We Pay for College? Plus: Her Investments Went Missing
In this episode Farnoosh Torabi tackles the looming decision of college costs, urging listeners to treat college choice as their first major financial decision and to weigh return on investment. She shares a cautionary story about a woman whose investment...
Choose Cold Wallet or Uphold Vault for Inheritance
Decent is DWP's cold wallet recommendation. Tangem, Ellipal, Arculus, and Trezor are all solid alternatives. If you want exchange storage, Uphold's vault product holds a third key for $5 a month and can regenerate access after a death. Most platforms...
Invesco’s Larosiliere Talks Income, Yield in 2026
At the VettaFi Q2 Market Symposium, Invesco’s Stephanie Larosiliere highlighted a resurgence in fixed‑income ETFs, noting that higher starting yields are opening income opportunities that were unavailable for most of the past decade. She pointed to the Invesco Total Return...
Invesco’s Larosiliere Talks Income, Yield in 2026
At the VettaFi Q2 Market Symposium, Invesco’s head of fixed‑income strategy, Stephanie Larosiliere, highlighted a resurgence in income‑focused bond ETFs as a driver of total return through 2026. She pointed to the Invesco Total Return Bond ETF (GTO), which now...
Matt Kaufman on the Calamos Approach to Autocallable ETFs
Amid a volatile macro backdrop, Calamos Investments is promoting autocallable ETFs as a yield‑focused alternative to traditional bonds. The firm’s suite—CAIE, CAIQ and CAGE—wraps structured autocallable notes in an ETF wrapper, offering liquidity, transparency and tax efficiency while linking payouts...
TSP Funds Returned to Growth in April
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) posted gains across every fund in April, snapping a lackluster March. The C Fund led with a 10.49% rise, while the S Fund and I Fund each climbed roughly 10%. Fixed‑income F Fund edged up...
Rodney Stuart Ferguson's "The Three Buckets" Guide Promises Tax‑Efficient Wealth Growth for Advisors
Financial veteran Rodney Stuart Ferguson launched his new book, *The Three Buckets*, offering advisors a three‑bucket framework for tax‑efficient wealth growth. The guide, released April 30, 2026, targets advisors seeking a clear roadmap to organize client assets and improve tax...
SCHD Edges Out HDV on Yield and Returns, But HDV Leads Recent Performance
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) delivers a 3.3% yield, a lower expense ratio and more than 3 percentage points of annual outperformance over the past decade versus iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV). Yet HDV has outpaced SCHD by...
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Tops Picks Under $500 Amid Earnings Surge
Analysts recommend Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) as the best sub‑$500 ETF, citing 15% Q1 earnings growth for the S&P 500, forward P/E near historical norms, and a 0.03% expense ratio. The pick balances geopolitical headwinds and rising oil...
Why Tax-Efficient Retirement Income Is About Structure
The article argues that tax‑efficient retirement income hinges on the overall structure—risk allocation, account placement, and withdrawal sequencing—rather than isolated tax tricks. It stresses that a proper asset‑allocation mix is the foundation, then recommends holding growth‑oriented funds in taxable accounts...
Sell in May and Go Away? Why the Old Investing Adage Doesn’t Hold Up in 2026
April 2026 delivered the strongest monthly gains for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq since 2020, prompting fresh scrutiny of the age‑old “sell in May and go away” adage. Research from LPL Financial shows the traditional six‑month May‑October window has historically...
Who Pays Property Taxes on a Land Contract? Rules and Examples
Land contracts let buyers gain equitable ownership while the seller retains legal title, but property tax responsibilities usually fall on the buyer. The contract may dictate direct tax payments, seller‑collected payments, or an escrow arrangement, making precise language essential. Failure...
Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Expand EITC
Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet introduced the Working Parents Tax Relief Act, which would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit by up to $5,500 per child under four and raise the income eligibility ceiling to about $100,000 for families with young...
Small-Cap Value Vs. Growth: Strategies and Examples
Small‑cap investing splits into two distinct styles: value stocks that trade below intrinsic worth and growth stocks that command premium multiples based on rapid earnings expansion. Value firms typically show lower P/E and P/B ratios, modest dividends, and appeal to...
Prioritize Time Horizon Over Rate Forecasts in Bonds
When It Comes To Bonds, Don't Be A Hero: Why taking a strategic approach to bond investments based on an investor's time horizon and cash needs could be superior to a tactical approach focused on anticipating future interest rate moves....
Modernize Fixed Income Portfolios With Income Alternatives
Advisors are expanding traditional fixed‑income portfolios by adding specialized income alternatives, with over 80% planning satellite positions in Q2, according to VettaFi data. Options‑based ETFs are being used by 35.8% of advisors to lower volatility and lift yields, while active...
How Dividend Growth Tech ETF TDV Avoids Concentration Risk While Outperforming
The ProShares S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF (TDV) blends tech growth with a disciplined dividend‑growth strategy to give investors exposure without over‑weighting the sector’s megacap names. The fund tracks an equal‑weighted index of companies that have raised dividends for at...
Proper Beneficiary Setup Saves Crypto Estate From Tax Bankruptcy
A client's father died in 2025 with over $100 million in Bitcoin bought in 2011. No keys, no access, but it was in the will. The estate owed 40% tax on $76 million above the gift threshold. They could not...
Markets Have Felt Shaky for Months, but the Returns Tell a Very Different Story
Despite months of headline volatility, federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) funds have posted solid gains this year. The C Fund swung from a 4.3% loss at the end of Q1 to a 4.5% gain by mid‑April, while the S Fund...
AI Won’t Replace Human Advisors, but Will Revolutionize This Key Part of the Job: Osaic
At Osaic’s 2026 NXT Conference, head of advisor growth Shannon Reid warned that AI‑driven investment research and portfolio selection could arrive faster than expected, automating the heavy‑lifting of ETF and mutual‑fund analysis while still requiring human oversight. She emphasized that...
Amid TIPS Disappointment, This ETF May Be Bond Investors’ Best Friend
Advisors face a fixed‑income dilemma as Treasury Inflation‑Protected Securities (TIPS) underperformed despite rising inflation, while Treasury yields climbed in Q1. The WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) – a $17 billion ETF with a 12‑year history – has outperformed the Bloomberg...
Open-Source AI Portfolio Advisor Runs on $1/Month
I built a system called Sheet Advisor and I'm open-sourcing it today. The idea: you bring an investment thesis, Claude helps you turn it into an actual strategy with specific positions and rationale for each. Then it watches your portfolio every...
23 Habits That Built My $1M Net Worth
I built a $1M net worth in 7 years. I didn't come from money. I didn't time the market. I didn't get lucky. Here are the 23 financial habits that made my family wealthy:
Muni Bond Investors: Let’s Talk TAXF
The American Century Diversified Municipal Bond ETF (TAXF) manages $616.6 million and offers active management of intermediate‑term municipal bonds. With a 6.2‑year option‑adjusted duration and 714 holdings, TAXF aims to outperform the S&P National AMT‑Free Municipal Bond Index. Analysts note tightening...
Alerus Q1 2026 Earnings Highlight Retirement Services Growth Amid Deposit Outflow Pressure
Alerus Financial reported $23 million net income for Q1 2026, with retirement and benefit services revenue climbing to $17.4 million despite a 5.9% dip in assets under administration. CFO Alan Villalon cautioned that seasonal deposit outflows could strain the bank’s low‑cost funding...
Which High‑Yield ETFs Can Sustain Massive Payouts?
Yearly dividend income with $1,000,000 invested: - JEPI: $82,900 - ICAP: $93,300 - OVL: $105,000 - JEPQ: $104,300 - SPYI: $119,000 - QQQI: $113,900 Which of these ETFs do you think can sustain their massive dividend payments?
Wrap-Up From VettaFi’s Q2 Market Outlook Symposium
VettaFi’s Q2 Market Outlook Symposium highlighted a suite of thematic strategies for advisors, from active fixed‑income ETFs to emerging sectors like defense drones and physical AI. Panels showcased the rise of autocallable ETFs, record $6 billion inflows into CLO ETFs, and...
Why Saving The First $10,000 Is Critical
Saving the first $10,000 is presented as the cornerstone of financial security, especially for high‑income professionals who often overlook basic cash reserves. The article highlights that an emergency fund covering three to six months of expenses protects against income volatility...
Bitcoin's Sharpe Ratio Surpasses Gold, Signaling New Bull
I continue to watch Bitcoin here following its mild winter from $126k to $60k. Its momentum and Sharpe Ratio continues to improve vs gold and other asset classes (including commodities). There has been a clear rotation away from gold ETPs...
US Stocks Beat Gold as Inflation Hedge
“The best hedge against inflation has historically been US equities:” GS’s Mossavar-Rahmani. Gold isn’t a good hedge for inflation or deflation “so the idea that gold is something you need to have in your portfolio is something we totally disagree...
T&E Inner Circle: Expert Sessions
The T&E Inner Circle is launching a series of subscriber‑only webinars that dive deep into current estate‑planning challenges. Sessions run from June through November 2026 and cover portability of estate‑tax exemptions, dual spousal lifetime access trusts, asset‑protection strategies, AI’s role...
Future‑Proof Portfolios with Thematic, Yield & Alternative Strategies
Looking forward to speaking about Using Thematic, Yield, and Alternative Strategies to Future-Proof Client Portfolios at the ETF Exchange lunch & learn in Ottawa May 13th. If you're an Ottawa-based PM or advisor, be sure to register or reach out to...
Active Tech ETF GTEK Up 25% YTD
Goldman Sachs Future Tech Leaders Equity ETF (GTEK) has delivered a 25% gain year‑to‑date, far outpacing the technology equity category’s 8.5% average. Over the past 12 months the fund posted a 65.5% total return while charging a 75‑basis‑point expense ratio....