Today's Wealth Management Pulse
Asian families shift inheritance from land to equity portfolios
A slowdown in real‑estate values and tighter credit are prompting wealthy Asian families to move away from traditional property inheritance toward diversified financial assets, with parents like South Korea’s Choi Nam‑joon gifting shares of Samsung Electronics to their children for long‑term growth.
#701: What Retirement Planning Gets Wrong with Jamie Hopkins
In this episode, host Paula Pant talks with retirement expert Jamie Hopkins about why the traditional "retirement number" and the 4% rule are misleading. Hopkins emphasizes focusing on the income needed for your desired lifestyle, accounting for changing expenses, sequence‑of‑returns risk, and the value of adaptive spending. He also highlights overlooked retirement threats such as silver divorce, elder abuse, and cognitive decline, and explains how non‑market assets like home equity, life‑insurance cash value, and reverse mortgages can bolster retirement security.
What Is an Exchange Fund? Investment Benefits and Risks
Exchange funds, also called swap funds, let high‑net‑worth investors exchange a large, concentrated stock position for a diversified basket of equities without triggering an immediate capital‑gains tax. The vehicle is a private partnership managed by banks or wealth‑management firms and...
Managing Long-Term Care Risk in Retirement
Long‑term care (LTC) is a high‑severity, low‑frequency risk that can derail retirement plans because Medicare and most private health policies do not cover custodial services. Median costs range from $5,000‑$6,000 per month for assisted living to over $9,000 for skilled‑nursing...
Bitcoin ETFs: The Safest, Simplest Way to Invest
Let me address this bc i see it a lot. Yes if you want to use bitcoin as currency you need to DIY. But most normies just want to invest in the most painless way. This is why crypto exchanges...
How We Invest In a Falling Market
In this episode of Motley Fool Money, hosts Travis Hoyam, Lou Whiteman, and Andy Cross dissect the Nasdaq’s 12% drop and the broader market correction, attributing the volatility to geopolitical tensions, soaring oil prices, and uncertainty around AI spending. They...
How to Use a Living Trust for Estate Planning
A living trust is a legal vehicle that lets you transfer ownership of assets while you’re alive, giving you control and allowing seamless distribution after death. By funding the trust—retitling real estate, bank and investment accounts—you can bypass probate, preserve...
Prioritize Emergency Fund, Debt, and Investing Before Trusts
I was contacted today by someone making $20/hour who is asking about setting up a trust for asset protection purposes. At that income level, focus on wealth building. The real priorities: • Build an emergency fund • Pay down high-interest debt • Invest...
Circle’s USDC Stablecoin Plummets 20% as Senate Draft Threatens Yield Model
Circle’s USDC stablecoin tumbled 20% on March 24, erasing roughly $2 bn in market value after the Senate Banking Committee released a draft CLARITY Act that bans passive yield and Circle froze 16 business hot wallets. The sell‑off also coincided with...
Wealth Management for Doctors: Services and Examples
Wealth management for doctors blends investment, tax, risk, and retirement planning to address the profession’s unique financial challenges. Physicians often start saving later, carry six‑figure student loans, and earn income through complex compensation structures, making coordinated strategies essential. Core services...
Time to Be Fearful
An investor over‑committed to oil stocks and energy ETFs after noticing falling gasoline prices, seeing his portfolio halve before a rebound restored and grew his position. The experience left him alternating between panic at losses and anxiety about missing further...
State Street’s Tiny Fee Cut Is Paying Off Big Time
State Street trimmed the expense ratio of its actively managed SPY Momentum ETF (SPYM) by five basis points, a modest reduction that sparked more than $2 billion in net inflows within a few months. The fee cut appealed to both institutional...
Dubai’s Wealth Hub Status Tested as Advisors Help Clients Evacuate Assets
Recent Iranian drone and missile attacks have disrupted Dubai’s financial infrastructure, causing wire transfers to take up to ten business days and immobilizing physical assets such as gold. Wealthspire, a New York‑based RIA with $600 billion in assets under management, is...
Why Surgeons Are Maxing This Overlooked 401(k) Feature Before the End of the Year
The SECURE 2.0 Act introduced a "super catch‑up" that lets workers aged 60‑63 contribute $11,250 annually to a 401(k), raising the total limit to $35,750 for 2026. Over the four‑year window this adds $15,000 more than the standard $8,000 catch‑up, a...
Franklin Templeton on International Dividends & the Search for Income
At the Exchange conference, Franklin Templeton highlighted the growing appeal of international dividend strategies as a counterbalance to the U.S. tech‑centric market. Todd Mathias outlined three low‑overlap ETFs—DIVI, LVHI and XIDV—designed to deliver income, low volatility, and high yield through...
Internet Giants ETF Cuts Meta and Alphabet in Rebalance
The ALPS O’Shares Global Internet Giants ETF (OGIG) trimmed its stakes in Meta Platforms and Alphabet to a 6% cap during the March 2026 rebalance, aligning with a broader move away from the so‑called Magnificent Seven. The fund added three...
Uncertainty Around Social Security, Taxes, and Healthcare Is Bad for Households – and the Economy
Recent research by Greenwald Research, partnered with Jackson National Life, surveyed 1,443 near‑retirees and retirees with at least $100,000 in investable assets about policy uncertainty surrounding Social Security, Medicare, taxes and federal debt. The findings reveal that 21% of unretired...
Financial Flashback: How Smart Planners Weathered the 2008 Recession
The article revisits the 2008 recession to illustrate how Multi‑Year Guarantee (MYG) annuities helped baby boomers preserve retirement assets while markets recovered slowly. A 5% guaranteed rate would have kept a $100,000 portfolio stable and outperformed the S&P 500 by the...
Retirees Ditch 4% Rule for 3.9% SWR and Bucket Strategies
Financial planners and wealth‑management firms are abandoning the classic 4% rule, adopting a 3.9% safe withdrawal rate (SWR) and multi‑bucket portfolios. The change reflects higher longevity, lower real yields and a surge in private‑credit and annuity products that promise higher...
Mega Backdoor Roth: Solo 401(k) Unlocks $70K for High Earners
This is the most popular time of year for my favorite loophole in the US tax code The IRS says if somebody made over $165K filing single or $246K married filing joint in 2025 they cannot contribute directly to a Roth...
10 ETFs That Could Make You
ETFs made my wife and I millionaires in 7 years. But there's over ~10,000 to choose from. Here are 10 ETFs that can make you a millionaire in 2026:
BUYING GOLD AGAIN
Investor Kevin Muir’s latest column signals a renewed appetite for gold as a hedge against rising inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. He notes that central banks are rebuilding reserves, while retail investors are turning to physical bullion after a prolonged period...
Turn Corrections Into Liquidity: Gold, Bitcoin, Equities Rise
With stocks and bonds positively correlated again (but in the wrong direction), there’s a bit of 2022 déjà vu right now. Back in 2022 as the cost of capital reset after years of ultra-low rates, the 60/40 model broke down...
Watchlists Become Excuses, Not Buying Opportunities
When a stock you own drops 25% it's an "opportunity". When it drops 10% more you call the CEO to verify the thesis and buy more. When it drops 10% more you get annoyed insiders aren't buying. When it drops...
Smart Market Tools to Help Advisors Navigate Market Volatility
Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s Greg Calnon outlines a new suite of market‑volatility tools for advisors, ranging from defined‑outcome and option‑income structures to systematic multi‑factor and dynamic factor‑allocation models. He highlights how liquid alternatives and tax‑aware indexing can add uncorrelated returns...
Let's Take a Moment to Appreciate the Benefits of Diversification 🙏
U.S. equities have retreated, with the S&P 500 sliding about 7% from its January 27 high of 6,978. The decline hits investors heavily weighted in broad large‑cap index funds, underscoring the pain of limited diversification. At the same time, the so‑called...
Investor Intentions: Marin County Employees’ Retirement Association Seeks to Invest $100m in 2026
Marin County Employees' Retirement Association (MCERA) is evaluating six finalists to manage its private credit portfolio, with a targeted $100 million allocation slated for 2026. The pension fund aims to diversify its fixed‑income holdings and capture higher yields in the growing...
Quiz: How Well Do You Know the New Child Tax Credit?
The 2025 tax law raises the federal Child Tax Credit to $2,200 per qualifying child but tightens eligibility rules that could nullify the benefit for many families. To claim the credit, children must be under 17, U.S. citizens or nationals...
Rick Rule Says This Gold Stock Panic Looks Like a Buyer Opportunity
Veteran resource investor Rick Rule warns that the recent sharp sell‑off in gold equities is less a crisis than a buying window for disciplined, long‑term investors. He argues that focusing on a "shopping list" of high‑quality names, rather than trying...
Real Assets May Be the Missing Piece in Portfolios
Financial advisors are confronting persistent inflation and a "higher for longer" rate environment as the Fed holds rates steady. They are increasingly turning to real assets, particularly midstream master limited partnerships (MLPs), to offset inflation and interest‑rate volatility. The Alerian...
Cut Spending, Invest Smarter, Hit $500K This Year
Not investing enough because of your spending? This helped me hit $500K in investments this year.
Plan for Longevity: 95‑Year Retirement Reality
There's something about retirement planning most people never consider: what happens if you live to 95? Let me explain. Most plans are built around averages. Average life expectancy. Average healthcare costs. Average market returns. But averages are built from a range, and the people...
‘Start Yesterday’: Time Sensitive Succession Planning in Construction
Construction firms are urged to begin succession planning up to ten years before a transition, as delays can erode value and options. Experts stress that audited financial statements spanning five to ten years, a strong balance sheet, and consistent cash...
Why Emotional Decision Making Can Hurt Your Investment Performance
Investors often let fear and greed dictate short‑term trades, leading to buying high and selling low. The article advises building a solid financial foundation—clearing high‑interest debt and keeping a three‑to‑six‑month emergency fund—before allocating capital to markets. It recommends a diversified,...
Ray Dalio Urges Investors to Craft a Back‑tested Game Plan Amid Market Turbulence
Billionaire investor Ray Dalio posted on X urging investors to develop a well‑tested, back‑tested game plan to steer through inflation fears, geopolitical tension and sharp market swings. He argues that a disciplined strategy reduces stress and improves decision‑making, offering a...
2026 Tax Strategies Promise $10K Savings for High Earners
Financial advisors and tax analysts have unveiled a suite of 2026 tax deductions and strategies that could shave $10,000 or more off the bills of high‑income households. The guidance, ranging from expanded SALT caps to corporate‑rate incorporation, is prompting wealth...
UK April Price Rises 2026: 9 Moves to Stop Losing Money Now
As the UK tax year closes on 5 April 2026, Finance Monthly outlines nine actions households can take to avoid losing thousands of pounds. With tax thresholds frozen, wages rising only nominally and inflation eroding real income, missed opportunities such as...
Know Fundamentals or Treat Stock Picking as Gambling
Buying stocks = gambling? For some people, yes. For others, no. If you understand what you’re buying and why, it’s not gambling. But if you’re buying stocks without knowing how to read a balance sheet or what a P/E ratio is, it is gambling. If...
Dad Won’t Talk About Estate Planning. How Can I Avoid Being Blindsided?
Raymond, a 40‑year‑old son in British Columbia, worries his 67‑year‑old father has no estate plan despite owning a home, boat, cars and a long‑term partner. Without a will, BC intestacy rules will dictate asset distribution, potentially granting the common‑law girlfriend...
Charlie Munger: 7 Wealth Mistakes Middle Class People Keep Making
Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway’s vice chairman, outlines seven common wealth mistakes that trap middle‑class investors, from chasing quick returns to ignoring opportunity costs. He stresses that lasting wealth stems from patient compounding, simple strategies, and staying within one’s circle of...
I'm a Wealth Adviser: This Social Security Claiming Mistake Can Hurt Women the Most
Women’s Social Security claiming decisions hinge on more than longevity. While delaying benefits until age 70 can boost monthly payments, the break‑even point typically falls in the early 80s, meaning early claimers may preserve assets for active retirement years. Early...
Automate Investing: Beat Discipline Gaps Forever
The best investor is not the most disciplined one. It is the one who built a system that invests automatically even when discipline is nowhere to be found. Automation removes human emotion and human weakness from your investing equation entirely. Set it up...
Your Financial Product Must Match Your Unique Situation
The financial product that's right for your colleague is probably wrong for you. Not because your colleague has bad taste. Because the right financial structure depends entirely on facts specific to you: your income, your family situation, your tax exposure, your...
255: The Rise of Private Markets: Access, Liquidity, and Portfolio Diversification
Private markets are moving from niche institutional holdings into mainstream wealth management as companies stay private longer and financing shifts away from public exchanges. BlackRock’s Head of Product and Alternatives, Jon Diorio, explained that expanded access and advisor adoption are...
Iran's FM Warns 60/40 Portfolio Hits 2022 Low
Iranian Foreign Minister dooming on how the 60/40 portfolio has performed worst since 2022 https://t.co/6DF87cVo4R
Long‑duration Treasuries Matching S&P Returns Signals Cycle Shift
Long duration Treasuries performance now roughly matches the performance of the S&P 500 from July of last year. Think about that - duration is performing like stocks. That's a cycle shift starting.
Allocate $10,000 Across Five AI Stocks to Capture the Boom
Investors can follow a $10,000 allocation model that spreads capital across Nvidia, Broadcom, TSMC, Microsoft and Nebius. The mix balances the market leader with diversified exposure to custom chips, foundry capacity, cloud services and fast‑growing AI software.
New 60/40 Portfolio: Stocks Meet Commodities
I've talked a lot about stocks and commodities and the new 60/40. This is basically that
Friday Portfolio Shifts Target Life Alert Market
(PREMIUM) "Tactical Update: March 27, 2026 - The Life Alert Market" Friday portfolio adjustments... via The Lyons Share https://t.co/7xhU1hRpGV https://t.co/LC5NkFzCHY
Jean Chatzky Warns Growing Retirement‑savings Anxiety as Social Security Confidence Drops to 36%
AARP’s personal‑finance adviser Jean Chatzky says anxiety about outliving retirement savings is rising sharply. A new AARP survey shows confidence in Social Security fell 7 points to 36%, and LIMRA research finds one‑third of older Americans are considering delaying benefits. Chatzky...
Investors Prioritize Earnings, Not Short‑Term Market Noise
What matters in the short run: -Wars -Oil prices -Tariffs -Interest rates -Sentiment -A million other things What matters in the long run: -Earnings Speculators focus on the short run. Investors play the long game. https://t.co/u1oZkcMGCY