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.
Charles Schwab Posts Record $519 B Net New Assets in Q4 2025, Lifting Total Client Assets to $12 T
Charles Schwab announced $519 billion of net new assets in the fourth quarter of 2025, a 42% annual increase that pushed total client assets past $12 trillion. The firm also posted a record $23.9 billion in total net revenue and a 50% jump in adjusted earnings per share to $4.87, underscoring its dominant position in U.S. wealth management.
Dividend ETFs Surge as Bond Yields Stay Low, Boosting Large‑Cap Income Plays
Investors are shifting into dividend‑focused exchange‑traded funds as U.S. Treasury yields remain subdued, seeking income from large‑cap equities that pay solid dividends. The trend is underscored by recent payouts from MillerKnoll, KB Home, Strauss Group and others, highlighting the appeal...
Why the Ultra‑Wealthy See Pacific Nations Like Nauru as the Next Safe Haven
Affluent individuals and families are rapidly securing second passports as a hedge against escalating geopolitical tensions, driving a 62% surge in citizenship‑by‑investment (CBI) applications since 2023. Nauru’s newly launched program, which ties passport purchases to a Climate Resilience Fund, has...
Turn 110 Tax Days Into Savings with Real Estate
You work all year… ~30% goes to taxes. That’s ~110 days. 3–4 months working for the government. Real estate investors use: • Depreciation • Write-offs • Leverage To legally reduce that. Same income. Different strategy.
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Using Profit-Sharing Funds for a Home Down Payment: What to Know
Profit‑sharing plans let employers allocate a portion of profits to employee retirement accounts, with contributions capped at 25% of compensation or $69,000 for 2024. Withdrawals before age 59½ generally trigger a 10% early‑distribution penalty, and many plans impose vesting schedules...
Social Security: How Delaying Just One Year Can Transform Your Payouts
Delaying Social Security benefits by just one year can boost payouts by roughly 8% per year of deferral, while also allowing higher‑earning later‑career wages to replace lower‑earning years in the benefit formula. The Administration calculates benefits using average indexed monthly...
Oil Instability Calls for Diversified Natural Resource ETFs
Oil markets have been jolted by the 2026 Iran war, with prices swinging sharply on each new development. The volatility makes pure‑play energy exposure risky for investors and advisors. FlexShares Morningstar Global Upstream Natural Resources ETF (GUNR) offers a diversified...
GAMR Rebalance Highlights Gaming Stock Rotation
The Amplify Video Game Leaders ETF (GAMR) executed a major rebalance in March, adjusting 22 holdings. The fund swapped the U.S.-listed NetEase for its Hong Kong‑listed counterpart and added Bilibili, both at 2.5% weights, while boosting exposure to EA, Unity,...
How Advisors Are Leveling Up With 351 ETF Conversions
Section 351 ETF conversions are emerging as a growth engine for registered investment advisors, allowing them to bundle existing client assets into a new exchange‑traded fund without triggering immediate capital‑gains taxes. The process streamlines trading, rebalancing, and compliance while preserving the...
Holding Cash in Money Market Funds? You May Be Missing Out
Investors have been parking cash in money‑market funds for attractive yields, but T. Rowe Price warns that the opportunity cost of this approach is rising. Their analysis shows that a systematic 60/40 portfolio with $12,000 annual contributions outperforms a cash‑only strategy over...
‘This Is a First-World Problem’: I Can’t Roll over My $800,000 401(k) From My Prior Employer. What Did I Do...
A 72‑year‑old with an $800,000 Fidelity 401(k) discovered that required minimum distributions (RMDs) must be taken before any rollover to a new employer plan. Under the SECURE Act 2.0, individuals age 73 are subject to RMD rules, and a 401(k)...
Thrift Savings Plan Participation at an All-Time High
Thrift Savings Plan participation hits a record, with nearly 90% of Federal Employee Retirement System participants contributing enough to receive the full government match. Customer‑service satisfaction with the TSP remains around 94% for more than a year. At the same...
Tax‑Alpha Strategies Pull Over $1 Trillion as Hedge Funds Target After‑Tax Returns
Hedge funds and large asset managers are channeling more than $1 trillion into tax‑alpha strategies that prioritize after‑tax returns. The surge includes $100 billion in tax‑aware long‑short funds and a direct‑indexing boom, prompting both investor enthusiasm and policy criticism.
At The Money: Investing in Freedom
The Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) uses a freedom‑weighted index to allocate capital to the world’s freest emerging‑market economies, deliberately excluding autocratic nations such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. Managed by Life and Liberty Indexes, the...
Lacking a Withdrawal Plan, Retirees Aren't Living Their Best Lives
In this episode of Money Life, host Chuck Jaffe talks with behavioral scientist Danielle Labotka about research showing retirees rely on overly simple withdrawal strategies, causing them to underspend and miss out on the full value of their savings. He...
Kids' Best Investment: Time, Not Pokemon Packs
This dad spent $1,750 on Pokemon cards for his kid's 9th birthday. That's 10 shares of $NTDOY — the company that makes Pokemon. $1,750 invested at 10% growth for 9 years = $4,100. The cards will be in a shoebox by Christmas. Parents, wake...
Invest, Don’t Just Spend; Compounding Builds Wealth
Most people buy things and don’t even think about investing… Remember, long-term investing can be a powerful way to build wealth 📈 Compounding is often called the “8th wonder of the world” for a reason For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
Advisors See Model Portfolios, UMAs as Central to Continued Alts Adoption
At iCapital Connect in Phoenix, advisors and asset managers reaffirmed strong enthusiasm for alternative investments despite recent redemption pressures in private‑credit BDCs. They highlighted model portfolios and unified managed accounts (UMAs) as the primary mechanisms to scale alternatives across the...
Management Integrity and Culture Drive Fund Performance
“There is one thing I have been doing for many years now and has in my view been absolutely central to the fund’s performance. [...] I am referring to building an understanding of and conviction around a company manager’s integrity...
Unused Pension Allowance Can Boost Contributions to £220k
Did you know that unused pension allowance carries forward for three tax years? This means that in this tax year a person (depending on their specific circumstances) could put up to £220k in a pension
Noah Holdings Posts 12.5% Q4 Revenue Rise and 17.5% Full-Year Net Income Gain
Noah Holdings Limited released unaudited results for Q4 and the full year 2025, showing a 12.5% year‑over‑year increase in quarterly net revenue to RMB733.2 million and a 17.5% rise in full‑year net income to RMB558.9 million. The data underscores expanding demand among...
How a Discretionary PM Has Managed Resurgent Global Markets
Francis Sabourin, senior investment advisor at Richardson Wealth, continues to keep U.S. equities at the heart of his portfolio while expanding exposure to developed and emerging markets that have outperformed North America in 2024‑2025. His strategy prioritizes business fundamentals over...
Retail Investors Stay the Course in Volatile Markets, Moving Money Into ETFs and Commodities
Finimize’s quarterly Modern Investor Pulse shows retail investors remain bullish despite volatility, with confidence that global markets will rise in 12 months climbing to 68%. Nine‑in‑ten plan to keep or increase investment levels, shifting surplus cash toward ETFs (62.5%) and...
Financial Freedom Makes Life 1000x Easier
Life becomes 1000X easier when you have: - No car loan - No school loans - No credit card debt - 6 months of expenses saved - Automated monthly investments
How Simplified Advice Rules Could Boost Your Pension and Investments
The FCA is set to overhaul advice regulations by introducing simplified, lower‑cost guidance for pensions and investments. The new framework replaces the “necessary” information standard with a “sufficient” one, reduces paperwork, and may waive knowledge assessments for straightforward products. Firms...
Choose Growth or Preservation: Define Your Family’s Wealth Goal
Are you trying to grow your $5M to $10M? Or are you trying to make sure it still exists when your grandchildren are adults? Those are two completely different strategies. And most families never have the conversation about which one they're...
The Best Defense: What 222 Years of Data Reveals About Protecting Your Portfolio
Over two centuries, the classic 60% stock/40% bond mix delivered roughly 7% annual returns but suffered drawdowns exceeding 71%. A new study covering 1800‑2021 evaluated dozens of defensive tactics and identified Defensive Absolute Return (DAR4020) and multi‑asset trend‑following as the...
Microcaps Double, Triple, Then Plunge—Sell Aggressively
Microcaps vs larger caps are two different animals. When a microcap goes up 2x and 3x in a 12-month period the median peak to trough drawdown is 58% and 68%. When an S&P 500 stock goes up 2x or 3x in a...
Centimillionaire Fireside Chat: Top 7 Mistakes Investors Make + 5 Things Only the Ultra-Wealthy Do | Paul Karger
In a fireside chat with Paul Karger, partner at Twin Focus Capital, the podcast outlines the seven most common investor mistakes and five habits that set ultra‑wealthy individuals apart. Karger’s firm, a $12 billion multi‑family office, added over $2 billion in AUM...
Tomkiewicz Wealth Management Launches Fiduciary Advisory for Medical Professionals in the Berkshires
Certified Financial Planner Nate Tomkiewicz has launched Tomkiewicz Wealth Management, a fee‑only registered investment advisory that will serve doctors, nurses and other health‑care professionals in New York’s Capital Region, Berkshire County and nationwide. The boutique firm offers fiduciary investment management,...
Here's How Many Shares of Microsoft You'd Need for $1,000 in Yearly Dividends
Microsoft currently pays a $0.91 quarterly dividend, totaling $3.64 per share annually. At its March 20, 2026 close of $382, an investor would need about 275 shares—roughly $105,000—to generate $1,000 in yearly dividend income. The stock has slipped amid AI...
Bison Wealth Adds $11.7 Million to First Trust Global Tactical Commodity ETF
Bison Wealth has taken a new $11.7 million position in the First Trust Global Tactical Commodity Strategy Fund (FTGC), marking one of the largest single‑day inflows into a commodity‑focused ETF this year. The move underscores heightened investor appetite for tactical exposure...
How Can an Ontario Couple Ensure Their a Disabled Son Is Taken Care of After They Die?
Anthony and Chelsea, Ontario retirees, have assembled a layered financial plan for their disabled son, including a $100,000 CAD (≈$74,000 USD) RDSP, a $700,000 CAD (≈$518,000 USD) life‑insurance policy, and a Henson Trust to keep assets outside ODSP calculations. Financial planner Ed Rempel projects the...
How Can an Ontario Couple Ensure Their Disabled Son Is Taken Care of After They Die?
Ontario retirees Anthony (62) and Chelsea (61) are safeguarding their 28‑year‑old son with a developmental disability by combining government benefits, a $100,000 CAD (~$75,000 USD) RDSP, a $700,000 CAD (~$525,000 USD) life‑insurance policy, and a Henson Trust in their will. They also...
Building Financial Stability Beyond the Gig
Artists in the gig economy often lack formal financial training, leading to cash‑flow volatility and stress. The DC Jazz Festival’s CEO highlights budgeting, emergency savings, debt management, and retirement planning as essential habits for musicians. He also promotes workshops that...
All That Glitters Is Usually Taxable: Gold and Silver Tax Rules
Gold’s surge has drawn investors to bars, coins, and ETFs. The IRS treats gold and other precious metals as collectibles, imposing a top long‑term capital‑gains rate of 28 % versus 20 % for stocks. Physical‑gold ETFs face the same collectible tax, while...
How to Manage Risk in an Equity Investment Portfolio
Equity risk— the chance a stock’s value falls due to market forces—affects every investor, from beginners to institutions. The article outlines the main risk categories (market, business, sector, liquidity, event) and illustrates how macro factors like inflation, interest rates, and...
Will Environmental Hazards Make a Mess of Your Estate Plan?
Environmental contamination can turn a seemingly simple real‑estate bequest into a costly legal burden. Under CERCLA and many state “mini‑Superfund” statutes, owners, trustees and estates face strict liability for investigation and cleanup, with no exemption for trusts. Beneficiaries may invoke...
I Have $2.2 Million Invested and Pay a 1% Advisor Fee. Is That Too High?
A financial advisor charging a 1% assets‑under‑management fee on a $2.2 million portfolio aligns with industry averages of 0.5%‑2%. Over a decade, that fee would total roughly $250,000, which can be justified only if the advisor provides comprehensive planning beyond simple...
Why Even the Best Retirement Calculator Is Wrong
In this episode, Roger Whitney critiques the overreliance on retirement‑planning software—especially Monte Carlo engines like Bolden, Money Guide Elite, and eMoney—explaining that they only measure the probability of a portfolio not hitting zero, not the quality of life in retirement....
Prepaid Tuition Plan Vs. 529 Plan: Which Is Best?
Prepaid tuition plans let families lock in today’s college costs, effectively hedging against tuition inflation, while 529 college‑savings plans function as defined‑contribution accounts with a wide range of investment options. Both vehicles provide tax‑free withdrawals for qualified education expenses, but...
Ed Slott IRA Quiz Continued: EDU #2612
In this episode, Jim Saulnier and Chris Stein continue the Ed Slott IRA quiz, testing their knowledge on IRA rules and nuances. They explain recharacterizing IRA contributions, clarifying that the deadline is October 15 of the year after the contribution,...
Is Your ‘Sustainable’ Super Funding Fossil Fuels or Weapons? How to Check the Fine Print
Australia’s A$4.5 trillion (≈$3 trillion USD) superannuation pool often contains holdings in fossil fuels, weapons and gambling, despite many funds marketing "sustainable" options. Each super fund sets its own screening criteria, ranging from outright bans to revenue‑percentage thresholds, leading to wide variation...
Ask Why, Not Just Past Performance, When Choosing Funds
Next time your financial consultant recommends a fund, try asking this: what is the structural reason this should keep performing? If the answer is "it's done well," that's a description of the past. And past performance, as every disclaimer in the...
Five Essential Investor Lessons Amid Market Turmoil
With everything happening out there, it is easy to get swept up in all the emotion. In our latest @CarsonResearch blog, I take a step back and look at 5 lessons all investors need to know. https://t.co/B5u4UhzmLw
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S&P 500 Vs. Total Market Index Funds: Which Is Better for Long-Term Growth?
The article compares S&P 500 index funds with total‑market index funds for long‑term investors. Total‑market funds provide broader diversification across 3,000‑4,000 U.S. stocks, including mid‑ and small‑caps, while S&P 500 funds concentrate on the 500 largest companies. Historical data show the S&P 500...
Portfolio Holds Strong; Emphasizing Risk Management
Slice Stock portfolio holding up well given current conditions. 🔥 Winners: +6% and +7% One flat, one at -2% This week’s focus: RISK MANAGEMENT in uncertain conditions Join below to see what we’re holding + how we’re managing it 👇 https://t.co/1Now7uJkND
Wealth Erodes: Lifestyle Creep, Trump Accounts, Family Challenges
💰 Personal finance links: how lifestyle creep happens, how Trump Accounts work, and why wealthy families have a hard time holding onto it. https://t.co/C2xOiQZFv7 image: https://t.co/AbgmorVejO https://t.co/kgSOFPmFxo
Portfolio Construction Shifts Dramatically for the Next Decade
An outstanding catch up today with @APompliano - portfolio construction over the next decade has taken a sharp turn, join us soon, details to come. https://t.co/QShJKvrcKn
Past Winners Rarely Repeat; Avoid Chasing Late Buys
What worked yesterday rarely leads tomorrow. Chasing returns often means buying too late. #InvestorBehaviour #LongTermThinking https://t.co/HenaCHj3hb