Know What's Happening in Wealth Management
Know What's Happening in Wealth Management
Value Investing Beats Trend‑Chasing Over the Long Run
The Economic Times contrasts short‑term trend‑chasing with disciplined value investing, noting that Joel Greenblatt’s Magic Formula offers a systematic way to identify undervalued, high‑quality stocks. It adds that macro‑driven volatility creates temporary mispricings across U.S., European and emerging markets, allowing patient investors to capture long‑term alpha.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has warned leveraged‑ETF issuers to pause the effective dates of new high‑leverage funds, citing concerns over compliance with Rule 18f‑4. The agency’s Division of Investment Management used a brief group call to signal that proposed 3× and 5× products may not meet the derivatives‑risk limits required for registration. Leveraged ETFs now hold roughly $150 billion in assets, yet no single‑stock 5× fund exists in the market. The SEC’s pushback follows a wave of filings from firms such as Leverage Shares, GraniteShares and Direxion.
"I'm a new investor. How do I start?" 1. Sign up for a 401k/403b. Select Vanguard/Fidelity funds with low expense ratio. Contribute at least up to the match. 2. Open and max out HSA, if eligible 3. Roth IRA/max out the 401k/403b This is the...
S&P 600 up 9% YTD. S&P 500 flat. Tech lagging. Energy leading. Value crushing growth. This isn't a head fake. This is a regime change. The small-cap rotation is real and it's getting started. https://t.co/AYVusIGbRd
Bron, a self‑custody wallet provider, introduced a Digital Inheritance feature that lets heirs access a deceased owner’s crypto after a mandatory six‑month delay. The system relies on pre‑selected Guardians who verify recipients and uses multi‑party computation (MPC) to reconstruct lost...
✍️ Longform links: a look at a potential SpaceX IPO, the long-term health impacts of Covid, and how the iPod changed our relationship with music. https://t.co/6bSrheJuzD image: https://t.co/vMSvzVUcJK https://t.co/8bTwTklNAR
Over the past 14 months, International stocks have outperformed US stocks by 27%, the widest margin since 1993-94. But zoom out. On a rolling 5-year basis, US stocks have outperformed for 15 years running. This is by far the longest stretch of US...
U.S. solar demand stays robust as utilities, businesses and households adopt solar‑plus‑storage solutions, but the sector now faces near‑term policy and tariff headwinds. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act curtails Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and adds Foreign Entity of Concern rules, creating procurement...
Quality is an idea, a piece of artwork, a business, a relationship, or even a book that keeps working (providing value) even after conditions change over time. Quality is an interesting topic because it’s one of the most overused terms...
Garry Marr argues that a paid‑off Canadian home still costs money because the equity tied up could earn a risk‑free return, while owners also face maintenance, taxes and opportunity costs. The Greater Toronto Area saw average resale prices fall 4.7%...
When a Canadian spouse dies, most assets transfer to the surviving partner through a spousal rollover, deferring capital‑gain tax until the survivor either sells the assets or dies. The deceased’s original cost base carries over, so no gain is realized...
Autohome (ATHM) is confronting structural headwinds as its revenue has slipped roughly 30% from the 2020 peak and analyst earnings forecasts continue to be trimmed. The slowdown in China’s automotive market and heightened competition among online auto platforms have eroded...
Putnam Investments, now owned by Franklin Resources after a 2024 acquisition, manages roughly $162.3 billion in assets. The firm’s three Zacks‑ranked mutual funds—Putnam U.S. Research (PLJMX), Strategic Intermediate Municipal Fund (PPNAX) and Core Bond Fund (PTREX)—have posted strong three‑year returns of...
Bond options traders are increasingly betting the Federal Reserve will not cut rates this year. The probability of a no‑cut scenario rose to 25% by Wednesday, up from 17% before the Iran‑Israel conflict escalated. Higher oil prices from the Middle‑East...
Interesting highlight in this article about the new Robinhood Advisor Network (custodial referral program via TradePMR that pays a 25%-of-fees rev-share for the referral): "For an RIA that ends participation in the program, they will also pay a one-time fee...
Tesla’s meteoric rise has sparked FOMO, but piling into the stock isn’t prudent for retirement savers. A diversified, long‑term portfolio—often an S&P 500 index fund—already provides indirect exposure to Musk’s companies. Investors should audit their holdings, cap any single‑stock position (commonly...
President Donald Trump highlighted that 401(k) balances have risen, a claim supported by Fidelity data showing an 11% jump to $146,400 in 2025. However, the same year saw record‑high hardship withdrawals and a rise in 401(k) loans, signaling underlying financial...
Ohio’s Senate Bill 9, pending Governor DeWine’s signature, will update the state’s static conformity date to align with federal tax changes enacted after March 7, 2025, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s restoration of immediate first‑year expensing for research and experimentation (R&E) under Section 174. Because...
In 2026, scammers are increasingly targeting retirees by masquerading as Social Security Administration representatives through phone calls, texts, letters, and social media. They use caller ID spoofing and official‑looking logos to pressure victims into paying fees or revealing personal data....
Fidelity’s analysis of nearly 25 million 401(k) accounts shows the average balance jumped 11 percent in 2025 to $146,100, marking a third straight year of double‑digit growth. The median balance stays modest at $34,400, but accounts with $1 million or more rose to...
The New York Times argues that the best response to the Iran‑Israel conflict‑driven market turbulence is to stay the course. While short‑term speculation in energy, defense stocks, gold or Treasuries can appear tempting, academic research shows that most investors achieve better...
Certificates of deposit are offering some of the highest short‑term yields in recent memory, with the best 12‑month CD reaching 4.10% APY as of March 4 2026. The national average sits at just 1.55% APY, highlighting a sizable premium for rates‑focused savers....
BMO has restructured its three asset‑allocation ETFs—ZCON, ZBAL and ZGRO—by replacing the traditional aggregate‑bond component (ZAG) with a discount‑bond strategy (ZDB). The swap reduces taxable coupon income, aiming to boost after‑tax returns for investors holding these funds in non‑registered accounts....
In a recent LPL Financial and VettaFi webcast, experts urged advisors to adopt a "tax‑first" mindset, shifting from reactive compliance to proactive, multi‑year planning. They highlighted that capital‑gains and income taxes now outweigh estate‑tax concerns for many high‑net‑worth families. The...
That is an old saying I learned in Hong Kong that is meant to convey that any place can become unsafe and that having the ability to go to other places is invaluable. It is a lesson from history that...
A Stock Picker is a Chef Envision you are a Chef hosting a dinner. Mise en place is the French term for having all ingredients measured, chopped, and arranged before cooking. Your guests haven't been told what you are making. They only see the...
The Zacks Communication‑Infrastructure outlook highlights a 60.2% one‑year price gain, driven by accelerating fiber densification and 5G rollouts. While high capex, raw‑material inflation and geopolitical tensions pose risks, the sector’s EV/EBITDA of 4.23× remains far below broader market multiples. IHS...
"I need to park $50k of cash for 12 months. What are my options?" > $VUSXX (Vanguard Treasury MM Fund) or any Treasury equivalent. State/local tax exempt, 3.63% yield > HYSA (FDIC insured, ~3%) Don’t invest it, unless 12 months turns into 12...
Zacks’ latest industry overview highlights three oil‑and‑gas drilling companies—Noble Corporation, Nabors Industries and Transocean—with projected 2026 EPS growth ranging from 48.6% to 400%. Despite a bearish Zacks Industry Rank and a 74% drop in 2026 earnings estimates, the sector has...
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is projected to deliver an average $3,813 tax cut per filer in 2026, with the bulk coming from individual deductions and business provisions. County‑level analysis by the Tax Foundation shows stark geographic variation,...
Senators Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced the Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act, proposing a 5 percent annual wealth tax on the 938 U.S. billionaires who hold $8.2 trillion collectively. The tax would raise about $4.4 trillion, funding $3,000 direct payments...
U.S.–Iran hostilities and renewed Trump tariff threats pushed the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow below their 50‑day moving averages, deepening market volatility. The IBD Breakout Opportunities ETF (BOUT) gapped down, testing its 10‑week average, while individual breakout candidates like Ubiquiti, Motorola...
Estate planners often market "avoiding probate" as the ultimate goal, but probate is a statutory process that provides essential legal authority and asset verification. Even well‑structured plans can encounter probate due to post‑plan asset acquisitions, digital holdings, or out‑of‑state property....
TD Bank’s latest report signals that the mortgage renewal shock for pandemic‑era borrowers is easing. The household debt‑service ratio dropped to 14.6% in Q3 2025, aided by nearly eight‑percent disposable‑income growth in 2024 and 4.7% in 2025. Homeowners are lengthening amortizations,...
The WisdomTree U.S. High Dividend Fund (DHS) holds 322 dividend‑paying U.S. stocks and delivers a 3.43% yield. Its portfolio is weighted toward financials, consumer staples, healthcare and energy while underweighting technology. Compared with the Russell 3000 benchmark, DHS trails in total...
Federal budget approvals for 2026 dramatically increase nondilutive capital for biotech, raising NIH funding to $49 billion and expanding programs like CDMRP and ARPA‑H. Seed‑stage companies are responding, with 38 % planning to rely on grants and other non‑equity sources. Simultaneously, mission‑driven...
The Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) lets early‑stage investors fund startups now and receive equity later, typically when a priced round occurs. Introduced by Y Combinator in 2013, SAFEs replace costly, time‑intensive convertible notes with a streamlined contract that omits...
Apollo Global Management co‑president John Zito warned that the private‑credit market’s turbulence could persist for the next 12 to 18 months. While acknowledging a wave of fund withdrawals, he downplayed them as a systemic problem. Zito highlighted a widespread misunderstanding...
A client moved to me after 6 years with a private bank. He didn't leave because of poor performance. He left because he finally saw the full fee statement. His relationship manager had never shown him the total annual cost in dollars.
Software is *very* oversold and likely bottoming $IGV Our portfolio has exposure to quality software stocks which have been unfairly caught in the selloff and appear poised for a multi-month run. https://t.co/9W3aDdLK3Q https://t.co/Ursw6tsRqw
Ares Management CEO Mike Arougheti dismissed UBS analysts' worst‑case projection that private‑credit defaults could hit 15%, labeling it irresponsible. UBS warned the scenario could materialize if artificial‑intelligence disruption spikes borrower distress, but otherwise expects defaults to rise about 5% before...
AI, cybersecurity and infrastructure software stocks are *very* oversold. When the market volatility subsides, these growth stocks likely to embark on multi-month rally.
Animal Spirits: A Wave of Redemptions Geopolitics vs the stock market vs AI Is inflation risk back? Is it time for a correction? The optimistic view on AI The most broken housing market in America The private credit crisis of confidence & more https://t.co/3VV58HRcdq https://t.co/V5eIvRDjMe
Financial advisors are increasingly recognizing that neurodivergent clients—those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and related conditions—require communication and process adaptations that differ from traditional models. Practitioners like Korinne Sugasawara, who is neurodivergent herself, have built firms around explicit affirmations and sensory‑friendly...
New Article There is a massive difference between taking a large initial position and allowing a position to become large. Few investors understand this distinction. https://t.co/hxHNHYqor8
Insightful quick trip to NYC to meet up 1 on 1 with many peers and participate in the Family office roundtable session at Bloomberg Invest. It was intriguing hearing different perspectives on private market investing, especially the varying views on the...
Equity exchange‑traded funds recorded $110 billion of net inflows in February, according to FactSet data. Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) topped the list with $17 billion, followed by Invesco’s equal‑weight S&P 500 ETF (RSP) at $5.6 billion. Other top performers included Vanguard’s international (VXUS) and...
I didn't think about this in real time with OBBBA, but a lot of couples who are making in the $500k-$700k range this year are gonna end up MFSing because of the additional SALT cap. Seeing that a lot this...
Did you panic today, or did you plan? If you need help planning, I’ve opened my calendar and will help answer questions at www.buildingbread.com/callkev
Direct indexing, once a niche tool for the ultra‑wealthy, is now becoming a core component of portfolio construction thanks to advances in technology and lower operational costs. Continuous monitoring enables advisors to make incremental, tax‑loss harvesting adjustments throughout the year...
SmartAsset’s 2026 study evaluates the real purchasing power of a $100,000 salary across 69 large U.S. cities after accounting for federal, state, local taxes and cost‑of‑living premiums. The average adjusted value rose modestly from $71,669 to $72,444, indicating a slight...
