You Have Some Options for Dealing With Rising Property Taxes
Property taxes rose 3% in 2025, pushing the average single‑family home bill above $4,400. The increase reflects higher home values and, in many jurisdictions, higher tax rates as local governments grapple with inflation‑driven costs and reduced federal aid. The Northeast posted the steepest bills, with New Jersey averaging $10,499 and Westchester County, NY, reaching $18,386. Experts advise homeowners to explore exemptions, appeals, and homestead credits to mitigate the burden.
Bipartisan Retirement Reform Should Now Address Investment Access
Bipartisan retirement reforms, anchored by SECURE 1.0 and 2.0, have expanded plan access and automatic enrollment, but investment choices remain narrow. A 2023 executive order aims to democratize alternative assets—especially private equity and crypto—within 401(k) accounts by easing regulatory burdens. The...
“Clients Are Philanthropic” An Advisor’s Guide to DAFs
Wealth advisor Mike Flux launched his own donor‑advised fund (DAF) with a $35,000 CAD (≈$26,000 USD) in‑kind donation, using the vehicle to illustrate its low entry barrier and tax efficiency. He argues DAFs let clients pursue strategic philanthropy without the administrative...
Ask the Tax Editor, April 17: Questions on Tax Refunds and Penalties
The article answers four frequent taxpayer questions: how to correct a wrong bank account for a refund, why paper‑check refunds are delayed as the IRS phases them out, the mechanics behind the underpayment penalty, and eligibility for first‑time penalty abatement....
3 Questions to Ask Before Deciding if a Roth Conversion Is Right for You
Roth conversions let retirees shift tax liability from future withdrawals to today, but the decision hinges on three core questions. Taxpayers must assess whether their future tax rate will exceed the current rate, ensure they can cover the conversion tax...
How Much Money Should Gerry, in His 70s, Have in Equities, Bonds and Cash?
Gerry, a Canadian retiree in his late 70s, wonders whether to shift his blue‑chip equity portfolio into risk‑free GICs despite higher taxes. The Financial Post advice stresses a hybrid approach: keep a cash/GIC buffer for three‑to‑five years of income, then...
How Football and Annuities Can Defend Against Risk in Retirement
The article warns that the S&P 500’s CAPE ratio of 39.59 – the highest since the dot‑com era – signals elevated market valuations and likely muted equity returns. It draws parallels between football defensive tactics and retirement investing, urging investors to...
Where a Trump Account Might Fit in Your Financial Strategy for Your Newborn (Agree With Him or Not, Your Child...
The Treasury is introducing a new "Trump Account" that functions like a low‑cost, tax‑deferred retirement vehicle for children born between 2025 and 2028. Eligible newborns can receive a $1,000 federal grant when parents file IRS Form 4547 with their 2025 return....
4 Retirement Risks Business Owners Often Overlook
Business owners often assume their company will fund retirement, but four blind spots can jeopardize a smooth transition. First, tying net worth to a single illiquid asset creates concentration risk, requiring diversified retirement accounts. Second, tax planning is frequently postponed...
Akshaya Tritiya 2026: How Should You Allocate Gold and Silver in Your Portfolio?
Akshaya Tritiya 2026 finds gold trading around ₹1,54,650 per 10 g (≈$1,860), up more than 63% since last year’s celebration, while silver has jumped 165% to roughly ₹2,54,650 per kg (≈$3,070). Analysts advise keeping gold at 8‑15% of a portfolio and allocating 5‑25%...
Exit Wounds: The Succession Tax Nobody Planned For
The UK Treasury’s April 6, 2026 budget eliminated the 10 % Business Asset Disposal Relief rate, raising it to 18% and imposing an $228,000 tax on the first £1 m of qualifying gain. A new £2.5 m ($3.2 m) cap on Business and Agricultural Property Relief...
ETFs Vs. Mutual Funds: Key Differences for Investors>
ETFs and mutual funds both provide diversified exposure, but they differ fundamentally in trading, pricing, and tax treatment. ETFs trade on exchanges throughout the day, offering real‑time pricing, lower expense ratios, and greater tax efficiency. Mutual funds price once daily...
Gold ETFs Deliver up to 61% Gains Since Last Akshaya Tritiya. Time to Exit Now?
Indian gold exchange‑traded funds have surged up to 61% since the last Akshaya Tritiya in April 2025, with Tata Gold ETF posting the highest gain of about 60.6%. The rally is driven by safe‑haven demand, central‑bank buying, a softer dollar and inflation‑hedging...
Warren Buffett’s Boring Stock Picks — and Why They Keep Winning
Investor Warren Buffett has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 by avoiding flashy growth stocks and concentrating on fundamentals. His playbook centers on three pillars: companies with durable moats, predictable cash flow that fuels dividends and buybacks, and continuous self‑investment. The...
A Big Refund Feels Good, but Getting More of Your Money Throughout the Year May Feel Better
The interview with Mike Meese, president of Armed Forces Mutual, emphasizes that large tax refunds often signal over‑withholding and should be treated as missed cash flow rather than a windfall. He advises using refunds to eliminate high‑interest credit‑card debt, build...
The ’24-Hour Rule’ That Keeps Retirees From Blowing Their Savings on Impulse Buys
Impulse buying remains a pervasive habit, with 89% of shoppers admitting to spur‑of‑the‑moment purchases and the average consumer spending $282 per month on such items in 2024. Retirees, who rely on fixed incomes and savings, are especially vulnerable; a modest...
Boost Your Portfolio with Stocks Offering Sustainable Dividends, Bank of America Says
Bank of America advises investors to chase sustainable dividend yields above the S&P 500’s modest 1.1% to improve total‑return performance amid stagflation risks. Using a Russell 1000 screen focused on the second quintile of trailing yields, the bank highlighted PepsiCo (3.6% yield)...
Adding Bitcoin Alongside Gold to Your Portfolio Juiced Returns and Didn't Raise Risk, Study Shows
Citi’s ten‑year study finds that adding both gold and bitcoin to a traditional bond‑and‑equity mix lifts portfolio efficiency without adding measurable risk. A modest 5% exposure to gold already improves returns, and splitting that slice between gold and bitcoin generates...
J.P. Morgan AISS’ Pulkit Sharma on How REITs Play Complementary Role in Diversified Portfolios
Pulkit Sharma, head of J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Alternatives Investment Strategy and Solutions, highlighted how public REITs and private real‑estate assets can be combined to boost portfolio performance. He cited a data‑driven framework, co‑authored with GIC Singapore, that recommends 20‑40%...
The Overlooked Truth: Estate Planning Is a Family Law Issue
Estate planning is fundamentally a family law matter, intertwining asset distribution with marriage, divorce, remarriage, and child guardianship. Major life events require timely updates to wills, trusts, and power‑of‑attorney documents to reflect new priorities. Clear, legally‑verified instructions prevent probate disputes,...
35% of Gen Z Homebuyers Are Single Women, Research Shows. Here’s Why They Need an Estate Plan
A National Association of Realtors report shows 35% of Gen Z homebuyers are single women, up from 30% a year earlier and the highest share among age groups. These buyers, aged 18‑26, often purchase their largest asset without an estate plan—60%...
How the Wealthy Are Planning to Cut Their 2026 Tax Bills
Wealthy Americans are reshaping their 2026 tax strategies after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made many 2025 provisions permanent. With the estate‑tax exemption now $15 million, advisors are focusing on capital‑gains mitigation through long‑short tax‑loss harvesting and renewed bonus depreciation. Clients are also...
Damian Stancombe: Why IFAs Need a New Framework for Retirement Advice
Defined‑contribution pensions in the UK have reached a tipping point, with nearly half of 55‑64‑year‑olds holding only a DC pot built for accumulation rather than drawdown. The 2015 Pension Freedoms amplified the mismatch, leaving retirees uncertain about how long their...
4 Reasons UK Homeowners Over 60 Are Choosing Lifetime Mortgages in 2026 (and 3 Reasons Others Are Walking Away)
In 2026 UK homeowners aged over 60 are increasingly turning to lifetime mortgages, a form of equity release that provides tax‑free cash without mandatory monthly repayments. Uptake has risen as interest rates have steadied around 3.3% and traditional refinancing options...
Navigate the New Financial Landscape With BCFN
Baron Capital’s Baron Financials ETF (BCFN) offers an actively managed, high‑conviction portfolio of roughly 40 technology‑focused financial companies. Managed by Josh Saltman, the fund seeks firms that leverage data, digital payments and AI to capture growth beyond traditional banking. BCFN...
4 Retirement Planning Lessons I Learned From 'Everesting'
Lincoln Financial’s Tim Seifert draws parallels between "Everesting" climbs and retirement planning, urging advisors to visualize a client’s retirement summit, break the journey into small, repeatable steps, and act as a supportive community. He highlights the looming "Peak 65" wave as...
TaxStatus Expands on Integration with Advice.ai
TaxStatus, an IRS account‑monitoring service, has deepened its partnership with Advice.ai, adding twelve AI‑generated tax‑planning strategies to its platform at no cost. The integration leverages up to 13 years of IRS data and Advice.ai’s knowledge base to automatically generate personalized...
How Bond Optimizers Can Work More Optimally—And Why It Matters
Bond optimizers are evolving from simple allocation tools into fully integrated digital platforms that combine market data, detailed bond analytics, and portfolio managers' research insights. By digitizing core scores, scenario risk ratings, and liquidity metrics, these systems can rank thousands...
Buy 3 Neuberger Berman Mutual Funds for a Strong Portfolio
Neuberger Berman, managing $567 billion, recommends three mutual funds—mid‑cap growth (NMANX), large‑cap value (NPRTX) and intrinsic value (NINAX)—each holding a Zacks #1 Strong Buy rating. The funds deliver 3‑year annualized returns between 11% and 12.1% and feature expense ratios from 0.74% to...
3 Top-Ranked MFS Mutual Funds for Strong Returns
MFS, a Boston‑based asset manager with $645.3 billion AUM, highlighted three of its blended research equity funds that have posted strong three‑year returns. The large‑cap BRUHX returned 12.3% annually, the mid‑cap BMSYX posted 12.2% with a low 0.49% expense ratio, and...
Lifetime Income Seen as ‘Missing Link’ in Retirement Security as Policymakers Face Mounting Pressure
Prudential Financial and the Global Aging Institute released new research highlighting a critical gap in retirement systems: the lack of reliable lifetime‑income options. The study warns that the global shift to defined‑contribution plans leaves retirees exposed to longevity risk and...
Old Annuities Contain Untapped Potential for Clients and Advisers: Here's Why
Recent Federal Reserve rate hikes drove a surge in annuity payouts during 2022‑23, but subsequent rate cuts and the prospect of another rise have left many older contracts underperforming. Advisors are urged to conduct formal annuity reviews every 12‑24 months,...
Tech Has Simplified Direct Indexing, and That's Not the Only Reason Financial Advisers Should Make the Leap
Advances in technology have removed many of the operational hurdles that once limited direct indexing, giving financial advisers a viable alternative to traditional ETFs and mutual funds. Pooled vehicles suffer from opaque holdings, hidden overlap, limited tax‑loss harvesting, portfolio drift,...
Middle East Conflict Driving Wealth Flows Back Toward Europe, Says Pictet
The Iran conflict is prompting high‑net‑worth investors to move capital from Gulf hubs toward Europe, especially Switzerland, seeking political stability and diversification. Pictet managing partner Laurent Ramsey told Bloomberg that clients are spreading custody across multiple jurisdictions to reduce concentration...
I'm Paying 0.75% on a $2M Portfolio. How Can I Tell If It's Worth the Cost?
Paying a 0.75% annual fee on a $2 million portfolio translates to $15,000 per year. The rate sits in the middle of the industry range, with robo‑advisors often charging 0.25%‑0.5% and traditional advisors up to 2% for smaller accounts. Evaluating whether...
Citi and Endowus Expand Partnership with Credit Card Offering
Citi Hong Kong and digital wealth platform Endowus have launched a joint credit‑card promotion, offering eligible Endowus clients a HK$4,000 (≈ $512) cash reward when they obtain a new Citi Prestige Card. The initiative builds on Citi Ventures’ 2023 investment in...
4 Alternative Investments for Accredited Investors
Accredited investors—those meeting SEC income or net‑worth thresholds—can tap into alternative assets such as private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate, and hedge funds. These options promise higher return potential and portfolio diversification but often involve illiquidity, higher fees,...
Multi-Asset Funds Offer Consistent Returns if Not Quite the Big Bang
Multi‑asset funds that blend equities, gold, and short‑term bonds have delivered an 11.4% annualised return over the past 16 years, edging out the BSE Sensex’s 10.7% return. The model portfolio—25% Sensex, 45% CRISIL short‑term bond index, 25% gold, and 5% S&P 500—never...
ALPS Electrification ETFs Target AI Energy Demand
ALPS Advisors introduced two thematic ETFs to capture the electrification infrastructure needed for AI‑driven data‑center growth. The ALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETF (ELFY) provides equal‑weighted exposure to utilities, uranium, copper and two additional sectors, preventing any single stock from dominating performance....
Tactical Satellite Positioning: Diversify With a Battery Technology ETF
The Amplify Lithium & Battery Technology ETF (BATT) has surged 18.3% year‑to‑date, starkly outperforming a flat S&P 500. Its outperformance stems from a heavy weighting in upstream battery‑material miners and processors, which have benefited from tightening supply and robust demand. Top...
Tax Day Is Here. How to Pocket More of Your Portfolio's Return, According to Bank of America
Bank of America’s research shows a tax‑aware portfolio (60% stocks, 40% bonds) outperformed a tax‑insensitive counterpart, delivering a 7.4% post‑tax annualized return versus 5.9% over 30 years. The firm recommends three tax‑efficiency levers for investors: favoring share buybacks over qualified...
Financial Advisors, Stop 'Shoulding' All over the Place
Tim Maurer, senior VP at SignatureFP, led a Foundation for Financial Planning webinar urging advisors to replace judgmental "should" language with curiosity and empathy. He highlighted research showing a gap between advisors’ self‑assessment and client perceptions, especially around understanding client...
1 Move Helped Jeff Bezos Save $700 Million
Jeff Bezos moved from Seattle to the ultra‑exclusive Indian Creek Village in Florida in early 2024, buying three properties for about $250 million. After the relocation he sold roughly $13.6 billion of Amazon stock, a timing that allowed him to avoid Washington’s...
4 Closed-End Fund Buys In March 2026
In March 2026 the author increased positions in four closed‑end funds, targeting deep discounts that emerged after a broad market pullback. Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund now trades at a double‑digit discount, while BlackRock Utilities, Infrastructure & Power Opportunities Trust...
Stocks Are the Least Over-Priced Asset in India
Indian equities, with a price‑earnings multiple near 20, remain overvalued but are the least overpriced asset class in the country. Compared with other Indian assets—bank fixed deposits, gold, and real estate—stocks offer relatively higher expected returns despite a 15% market...
3 Large-Cap Value Funds to Grab as Inflation Continues to Surge
Inflation jumped in March, with the CPI rising 0.9% month‑over‑month and the annual rate climbing to 3.3%, the highest level since May 2024. The spike was fueled by a 10.9% surge in energy prices amid heightened U.S.–Iran tensions, prompting the Federal...
Yes, the California Wealth Tax Could Tax Voting Interests
California’s proposed wealth tax could base liability on founders’ voting interests rather than pure economic ownership, sparking alarm over super‑voting shares. The ballot language treats any interest that confers voting or control rights as a valuation floor, meaning founders may...
New Inheritance Tax Rules for Businesses and Farmers Come Into Force – Will Your Family Be Worse Off?
From 6 April 2024 the UK government’s revised inheritance‑tax regime limits business property relief (BPR) and agricultural property relief (APR) to £2.5 million (about $3.2 million) per person, with any value above taxed at 20% after the standard 40% rate. Married couples can...
Nervous About the Market? What Federal Employees Should Be Thinking About Right Now
Federal employees are confronting market volatility as their Thrift Savings Plan shifts from accumulation to a source of retirement income. While a pension and Social Security provide a baseline, the remaining “gap” forces careful withdrawal timing and asset allocation. The...
Near Retirement? Jumbo CDs Can Protect and Grow Your Cash Fast
Jumbo CDs, requiring $50,000‑$100,000 deposits, are offering APYs up to 4.35% for six‑month to one‑year terms, outpacing the 3.3% inflation rate. The products provide FDIC‑insured, low‑risk returns and quicker access than longer‑term bonds, though early‑withdrawal penalties can erode gains. Retirees...