Wealth Management News and Headlines
Wealth Management News and Headlines
Buy-to-let properties generate rental income but are subject to ordinary income tax, requiring annual reporting on Schedule E. Investors can offset taxable income with deductions for mortgage interest, property taxes, maintenance, insurance, management fees, and especially depreciation, which spreads the building’s cost over 27.5 years. When the property is sold, capital gains tax applies, and any prior depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, though a 1031 like‑kind exchange can defer these taxes. Passive‑activity loss rules may limit how rental losses offset other income, especially for high‑earning owners.
Senator Chris Van Hollen introduced a bill to eliminate federal income tax for individuals earning up to $46,000 and married couples earning up to $92,000, potentially covering nearly half of U.S. workers. The measure would raise the number of taxpayers...
Wholesale prices surged in January, with the producer price index rising 0.5% month‑over‑month and core PPI up 0.8%, keeping inflation well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. The Fed left rates unchanged at 3.25%‑3.5%, but the data dampens expectations for...
Washington is poised to enact a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million, projected to generate about $4 billion annually. Governor Bob Ferguson announced he will sign the revised bill, which allocates 5% of proceeds to child‑care and early‑learning accounts and...
Royal London reported that 80% of its actively managed funds outperformed three‑year benchmarks on an equally weighted basis, and 51% beat benchmarks when weighted by assets under management. Operating profit rose 18% in 2025, driven by strong performance in pensions,...
The article highlights the imminent multitrillion‑dollar wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to younger generations and warns that wealth managers risk losing assets under management (AUM) if they fail to engage heirs. Kidbrooke proposes a "kids saver" framework that turns a...
Lyn Alden, a macroeconomist, predicts Bitcoin will outperform gold through 2029, despite gold’s recent all‑time high and euphoric sentiment. She characterizes gold’s rally as not a bubble and notes Bitcoin’s price is down 44% from its October peak, facing extreme...
The debt snowball and debt avalanche are two common repayment strategies for credit‑card debt. Snowball focuses on eliminating the smallest balances first, while avalanche targets the highest‑interest balances. The article illustrates both methods with a $20,000 three‑card example, showing that...
February 2026 saw over 50 new ETF launches, highlighted by three niche funds. VanEck introduced the Communication Services TruSector ETF (TRUC) with a 14‑basis‑point fee, actively selecting leading media and telecom firms. ALPS launched the SMR, Nuclear & Technology ETF...
Chris Davis warned advisors that soaring valuations and mega‑cap concentration mask hidden risk, urging a shift from short‑term market calls to durable working assumptions. He outlined a five‑category AI framework—platform winners, enablers, users, indifferent firms, and the walking dead—to guide...
Suze Orman advises cutting up all credit cards when you’re in debt to force reliance on cash and stop accruing high‑interest balances. The article argues that this blanket rule can backfire, as eliminating cards may damage credit scores, erase rewards,...
Broadcom posted a fiscal Q1 earnings beat with $2.05 EPS and $19.31 billion revenue, then raised Q2 guidance to about $22 billion, surpassing analyst forecasts. Nvidia announced a $30 billion investment in OpenAI, likely its last pre‑IPO funding, reinforcing its hardware dominance in...
The IRS and Treasury have issued proposed regulations allowing cryptocurrency brokers to deliver the new Form 1099‑DA electronically starting Jan. 1, 2027. Brokers would need customer consent and must meet enhanced electronic notice and access requirements, but they would no longer have to...
Vibe coding lets financial advisors generate custom applications by prompting AI models, bypassing traditional programming. Tim Witham’s $100‑per‑month Claude subscription produced a portfolio‑analysis tool that replaces YCharts and adds thousands of dollars in value. Advisors like Shaun Melby are building...
The Credit for Other Dependents (ODC) provides a $500 nonrefundable tax credit for each qualifying dependent age 17 or older, including adult children, elderly parents, and other relatives who meet IRS support and residency tests. The credit is claimed on...
The escalating conflict in Iran has jolted markets, prompting a sharp S&P 500 swing and renewed inflation worries. Financial advisors warn that while long‑term investors can stay the course, those approaching retirement should treat the volatility as a signal to review...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Fidelity introduced two new model‑portfolio suites that embed private equity, private credit and private real‑estate assets, targeting RIAs and broker‑dealers. The portfolios, available through Envestnet, require a $100,000 minimum and combine active, passive and ETF strategies with third‑party managers. Alongside...
Rachel Reeves’s spring statement reaffirmed a commitment to fiscal discipline, citing OBR projections that borrowing will fall and fiscal headroom has increased. The editorial warns that the UK’s exposure to soaring oil and gas prices from the Gulf conflict could...
Market volatility driven by Middle‑East tensions has pushed equities lower across regions, but the pullback has created attractive entry points for high‑quality mega‑cap tech. The author highlights Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Amazon as the most compelling opportunities within the Magnificent...
Automated bank account verification protects AP departments from payment fraud. Fraudsters now use AI‑generated emails and deep‑fake audio to hijack bank‑change requests, leading to costly losses. Real‑time verification confirms account ownership, status, and matches supplier data while creating an immutable...
