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.
International Dividend ETF IDOG Crosses $500M Milestone
ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF (IDOG) broke the $500 million AUM barrier, reaching $506 million, as international equities rally. Over the past year the fund delivered a 42.71% total return and attracted $99.47 million of net inflows, reflecting heightened appetite for overseas dividend stocks. IDOG’s methodology selects the five highest‑yielding stocks in each of ten developed‑market sectors, equally weighting them and limiting any sector to 10% of the portfolio. The ETF offers a 4.27% trailing‑12‑month yield with a 0.50% expense ratio.
Still Unsure About Retirement Savings? Suze Orman’s Playbook for Catching Up Without Panicking
Suze Orman’s latest guide outlines a four‑step framework for late‑stage retirement savers. First, readers are urged to inventory income, expenses, and debt to gauge how much they can set aside. Second, she recommends building an emergency fund of at least...
Collar Options Strategies: Pros, Cons and Examples
A collar option strategy combines a protective put with a covered call to limit downside while capping upside. Investors own the underlying stock, buy an out‑of‑the‑money put and sell an out‑of‑the‑money call with the same expiration, often resulting in a...
Truist Offers Crypto Trading to Private Wealth Clients
Truist’s private‑wealth division is now offering spot Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds from Fidelity and BlackRock, both SEC‑registered. The ETFs give high‑net‑worth clients regulated crypto exposure through advisors or the self‑directed Truist Trade platform. The launch follows regulatory clarity from the GENIUS...
How to Buy Marijuana Stocks: A Beginner’s Guide
Investors are eyeing a rapidly expanding U.S. cannabis market projected at $47 billion in 2026, with 24 states legalizing recreational use and 42 permitting medical consumption. A pivotal regulatory change—Executive Order 14370—re‑classified marijuana to Schedule III in late 2025, removing the 280E...
Best 12-Month CD Rates for February 25, 2026: Up to 4.05%
The College Investor lists the top 12‑month certificates of deposit as of February 25, 2026, with yields topping 4.05% APY. Credit One Bank leads with a 4.05% jumbo CD requiring a $100,000 minimum, while Bank of Utah, Live Oak, Navy Federal and...
DUSA Crosses $1 Billion Milestone as Value Resurgence Gains Steam
The Davis Select U.S. Equity ETF (DUSA) has surpassed the $1 billion AUM threshold, marking a milestone for the nine‑year‑old active fund. The ETF follows a high‑conviction, benchmark‑agnostic strategy, holding just 25 large‑cap names that trade at a price‑to‑earnings multiple roughly...
Critique My Investment Strategy or Lack Thereof
An 82‑year‑old retiree with pension and Social Security holds a mixed portfolio of domestic equities, a single‑stock position, foreign stocks, municipal bonds, and cash, aiming to preserve wealth for heirs and provide survivor income. The current allocation is 55% domestic...
Morgan on the Road to Exchange
Morgan on the Road to Exchange featured an interview with Jennifer Morgan, founder and CEO of Connective Communications. Morgan discussed her innovative “Storyselling” methodology, which blends storytelling techniques with sales strategies. She announced that the workshop will debut at the...
Out With the Old: 5 Reasons Wealthy People Should Outsource Financial Administration
The article outlines five compelling reasons why ultra‑wealthy individuals should outsource their financial administration. It argues that the sheer complexity of diversified assets, tax regimes, and regulatory obligations exceeds the capacity of most personal staff. By delegating to specialist firms,...
The Hidden Cost of Sounding Too Prepared
Advisors who appear overly prepared can unintentionally make client meetings feel pre‑scripted, prompting clients to limit their input. When answers arrive before questions fully form, clients adapt by staying on the surface rather than sharing deeper concerns. Shifting from delivering...
BNY’s Eric Hundahl Talks 2026 Market Opportunities & More
BNY Mellon’s senior strategist Eric Hundahl outlined the investment landscape for 2026, emphasizing opportunities across emerging markets, technology, and sustainable assets. He highlighted that easing inflation and stabilizing fixed‑income yields are creating a more favorable risk‑adjusted environment. Hundahl also warned...
Navigating the Unusual Twist in S&P 500 Factor Correlation
At the start of 2026 the S&P 500’s traditional factor seesaw has tilted, with high‑beta and low‑volatility stocks moving in tandem rather than opposite directions. Historically, these two factors exhibit strong negative correlation, providing a natural hedge for investors. Recent...
US Mortgage Rates Reach Lowest Since 2022, Spurs Refinancing
U.S. mortgage rates slipped last week to roughly 6.5%, the lowest level recorded since 2022, igniting a wave of refinancing activity. The decline aligns with the Federal Reserve’s recent pause on interest‑rate hikes and softer inflation readings that have eased...
Earn $100k+? Cut Debt with 17 2026 Changes
If you're making over $100k/yr but are still in debt... Stop what you're doing. Here are 17 changes you need to make to get ahead in 2026:
JPMorgan, BofA Favor Venezuela Bonds With More Unpaid Interest
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America are urging clients to buy Venezuelan global bonds that carry large amounts of unpaid interest, known as accrued coupons. The banks argue that these distressed securities could deliver outsized returns if Venezuela...
AI Threat Signals Investors Should Shift Bets to Builders — Not Coders, UBS Wealth CIO Says
Ubis Wealth Management’s CIO Ulrike Hoffmann‑Burchardi warns that artificial intelligence is eroding the moat of software‑centric businesses. She argues that AI‑driven automation will compress margins for firms reliant on code, while physical‑world operators—miners, power producers and industrial manufacturers—stand to gain...
Wealth Isn't Punished—Lack of Asset Protection Is
We don’t actually punish wealth. We punish people who don’t know how to ring-fence it. And this is why asset protection becomes so important when you pass a certain level of wealth.
April Launches New Platform for Wealth Management
April has introduced an AI‑driven tax platform aimed at wealth managers and financial advisors, usable as a standalone solution or embedded within existing systems. The platform delivers a real‑time dashboard that surfaces client tax workflows, documents, and financial insights, while...
Invest Early, Skip Fancy Cars, Learn Finance Now
I asked 50 year olds for their best advice for people in their 20s: 1. Buy less alcohol, invest instead 2. Stop buying fancy cars. It's a terrible financial decision. 3. Become financially literate asap. Retirement will be easier. Anything to add?
Practice Profile: Giving Everyone a Piece of the PE Pie
Citrin Cooperman, after private‑equity backing from New Mountain in 2021 and a Blackstone stake in 2025, rolled out a firm‑wide "P unit" program that gives every employee a share of the firm’s equity growth. The participation units vest based on...
Inside the Programs Reshaping Financial Planning's Talent Pipeline
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board is expanding its influence in higher education, with more than 360 registered programs and a 16% growth in offerings since 2020. Universities from Michigan State to Wisconsin‑Madison are launching minors, certificates, and even doctoral...
White House Unveils $1,000 Federal Retirement Match For Workers Left Out of 401(k)s
The White House announced a new federal retirement savings option that would automatically enroll workers without employer‑sponsored plans and provide a taxpayer‑funded match of up to $1,000 per year. The proposal targets the roughly 45 million Americans who lack access to...
B.C. Widow Worried About Retirement Income with OAS Clawbacks
A 68‑year‑old British Columbia widow faces reduced Old Age Security benefits and worries about funding a $600,000 home renovation while maintaining an $80,000 after‑tax annual income. Her current income comes from a modest employer pension, CPP, OAS, and withdrawals from...
02.25.26 Buying & Selling Gold / Why Simple Appliances Win
In this episode, Clark Howard tackles two hot topics: when and how to buy or sell gold and silver as a hedge, and why simple, non‑brand‑name appliances often offer better value than pricey name‑brand models. He explains that precious metals...
Healthcare Before Medicare: Creating Your Own Action Plan
Roger Whitney concludes his four-part series on pre‑Medicare health care by introducing the OODA Loop—observe, orient, decide, act—as a practical decision framework. He walks listeners through building a five‑year cash‑flow plan, estimating MAGI, and assessing ACA subsidy eligibility alongside COBRA...
529 Plan And College Savings Calculator
The College Investor offers a free 529 plan calculator that lets parents model college savings growth by adjusting a child’s age, current balance, monthly contributions, and expected rate of return. The tool uses a conservative 7% annual return, reflecting post‑fee...
One Planning Session Prevents Post‑Death Financial Chaos
I've been a financial consultant to millionaires in Singapore and across Southeast Asia for nearly a decade. Here's what I've learned: the most painful financial conversations happen after someone passes away. The ones that could have been prevented by a single...
Games and Graphics Boost Client Engagement, Understanding
Financial advisors often struggle to convey intricate retirement rules. A recent working paper compared infographic‑style visual explanations with a gamified, scenario‑based tool, finding both improve client understanding, with infographics excelling at technical knowledge and games driving behavioral awareness. Participants receiving...
What AI Stock Selloffs May Be Getting Wrong in Wealth Management
Wealth‑management firms such as Ameriprise, LPL, Raymond James, Charles Schwab and Stifel posted record client‑asset levels while boosting net revenue 17% and pretax earnings 21% in 2025, according to Fitch. Despite recent AI‑related sell‑offs and broader macro volatility, the sector’s fundamentals remain...
Ask an Advisor: What Mistake Made You a Better Advisor?
The "Ask an Advisor" column gathers six seasoned financial planners who each recount a pivotal mistake that reshaped their practice—from undervaluing fees and missing non‑verbal client signals to dominating conversations, overpromising service, scrambling for quick answers, and trying to handle...
US Taxpayers to See a Nearly $2,300 Average Tax Cut in 2026 Under the Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), enacted in July 2025, makes the individual‑tax provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and adds new deductions for tipped and overtime income, an expanded child tax credit, and lasting...
Is the 4% Rule Too Frugal for Doctors?
A physician who began saving at 26 leveraged a Navy Reserve pension, Tri‑Care, and a debt‑free mortgage to retire comfortably at 70. By working minimal hours in his final years and taking required minimum distributions that exceeded his needs, he...
James Choi of Yale Investment Formula Says You Need More Stocks
James Choi, a Yale finance professor, introduced a formula that tailors asset allocation to age, income, savings, and risk tolerance. The Wall Street Journal highlighted that the model often recommends a more aggressive, stock‑heavy mix than conventional rules such as...
Can't Spend Home Equity or Pre‑Tax Gains in Retirement
Two things you can’t buy things with in retirement…. A primary residence and pre-tax returns.
Tax Treatment of the Pass-Through Business Sector: A Primer
The U.S. pass‑through business sector—partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships—now employs most private‑sector workers and accounts for roughly half of business income. Its growth stems from long‑standing tax advantages, especially the Section 199A deduction that lowers effective rates compared with C...
Here's Why Mortgage Renewals May Be the Banks' Biggest Rip-Off
Big Canadian banks often send mortgage renewal forms just weeks before the due date, offering rates that can be two percentage points higher than competing offers. In a recent example, a borrower faced a 6.09% fixed rate versus a 4.04%...
Aspen Standard Names Former Beacon Pointe Exec As President
New York‑based Aspen Standard Wealth, a rapidly expanding registered investment adviser (RIA) aggregator, announced the appointment of industry veteran Kevin DiSano as its president. DiSano joins the firm after more than two decades leading wealth‑management and distribution operations at firms...
Is It Wise to Gift My Children Money While I'm Alive? Ep#294
In this episode Ryan Morrissey explores the pros and cons of gifting money or assets to adult children while the parents are still alive. He emphasizes assessing one’s own financial health, long‑term care needs, and the purpose of the gift—whether...
Taxes Are a Year‑Round Game, Not a One‑Time Event
Treating taxes as a one time event is a middle class move. It’s why you overpay in taxes every year. It’s a year round game for the wealthy.
State Tax Wars: Diverging Paths or Converging Trend?
Over the past few decades, this has largely played out along the lines of the states' predominant political ideologies, but I wonder how long this trend can continue. At some point, do states raising their taxes see enough of an...
Stifel Mismanaged Employees' 401(k), Lawsuit Says
Stifel Financial Corp. is being sued in a class‑action case alleging that the firm mismanaged its employee 401(k) plan for years. The lawsuit claims thousands of workers lost tens of millions of dollars in retirement savings due to the alleged...
Permanent Insurance Rarely Worth It, Except Special‑Needs Cases
Ehh. This one is a bit too far. About ~5-10% of the time, a permanent insurance policy can be a good fit, and NO, I do not sell them. For example, if you have a business that has a partner...
Stop Maximizing, Start Optimizing for Sustainable Success
High achievers rarely struggle with discipline. They struggle with knowing when to stop maximizing. Trying to win every financial decision can quietly erode both wealth and well-being. For two years, our savings rate dropped to 5%. We were building a marriage across two countries. No...
Supreme Court Tariff Ruling in Learning Resources, Inc. V. Trump: What Corporate Tax and Trade Teams Need to Know
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give the President authority to impose tariffs, invalidating both the targeted fentanyl duties and broader reciprocal tariffs. The decision could unlock up to $175 billion in...
T‑Bills Yield Over 3%—Skip Low‑Rate Savings
The national average savings account interest is 0.39%. Yet T-bills are paying ~3.6% and no state/local taxes. Can buy them from TreasuryDirect or your broker. Or Treasury ETF (e.g $VBIL) or Treasury MMF (e.g $VUSXX) pay ~3.64%. Don't let your savings earn pennies.
Married Couples Can Withdraw $100K Tax‑Free Strategically
Being strategic with pulling money out of your portfolio is key to paying $0 in tax. If you are married, you can pull: > $32,200 from your pre-tax 401k > $57,800 of long-term capital gains from brokerage account > $10,000 from your Roth IRA =...
When Lower Inflation Hurts
In this episode of the Dividend Cafe, host David Bonson examines the current U.S. economic landscape, focusing on the paradox of disinflation that may arrive in 2026 but could be economically painful. He breaks down recent data—including a weaker-than-expected GDP...
Most People Can DIY Investing; Choose Flat‑Fee Advisors
I'm an award-winning financial advisor. Here’s what you actually need to know here. 1) It is TRUE. Not everyone “needs” an advisor. There are some things most people can handle on their own if they have the time and will to...
Avoid Unnecessary State Tax on 2025 Money Market ETFs
If you held money market funds or Treasury ETFs in 2025, you may be paying state tax you don’t owe. And majority of people report this wrong. Here's how to save on taxes: