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, protect minor children, and preserve familial bonds. Partnering with a family‑law‑focused firm simplifies these complexities and ensures the plan remains aligned with evolving personal circumstances.
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...
Testimony: The Impact of the 2025 Reconciliation Law’s Tax Changes on Small Businesses and Lessons for Future Tax Reform
The 2025 reconciliation law cemented key TCJA provisions, making the 20% Section 199A deduction, permanent lower individual tax brackets, 100% bonus depreciation, and full R&D expensing permanent for small businesses. It also doubled the Section 179 expensing limit to $2.5 million and restored...
How Innovation Is Unlocking Hidden Value in Traditional Financial Assets
Innovation is turning traditional financial assets—policies, loans, and life insurance—into liquid, income‑generating tools through tokenization, private‑credit platforms, AI, and data‑driven valuation. Tokenization enables fractional ownership and faster settlement, while private‑credit platforms use real‑time analytics to reprice loans. AI accelerates research...
Can a 179-Year-Old Solution Help with Contemporary Volatility?
Vikram Malik, senior vice‑president at Canada Life, argues that participating life insurance—available in Canada since 1847—offers a proven way to smooth volatility through guaranteed benefits and annual dividends. The insurer has refreshed its par product suite, adding niche options for...
We're 68 With $6.8 Million. I Give Our 'Kids' $1K a Month, Though They Earn a Good Living. My Husband...
A 68‑year‑old couple with $6.8 million in retirement assets is giving each adult child $1,000 per month. The gifts fall well below the $19,000 annual federal gift‑tax exclusion, so they require no IRS reporting and preserve the couple’s estate‑tax exemption. Financial...
Three Compelling Reasons for Investors to Consider Private Assets
Retail investors typically lack exposure to private assets, often holding less than 10% of their portfolios, while pension funds allocate roughly half of their assets to private offerings. Private assets can enhance diversification because they exhibit lower correlation with public...
I’m Selling My Law Practice and Retiring. Do I Pay Off the $2 Million Loan on My Office Building —...
A 64‑year‑old attorney is retiring and must decide whether to pay off the $2 million mortgage on his office building or keep the loan. The building, valued at $3.5 million, generates $26,000 a month in rent under a 10‑year triple‑net lease. With...
Financial Success Is No Longer Only About Returns: Protection Is the New Performance Measure
The investment landscape is moving beyond pure return metrics, treating protection as an equally vital performance indicator. Wealth managers now emphasize clear role definitions for growth assets versus safety assets, using tools like indexed annuities and cash‑value life insurance to...
Event Voice: Your Questions Answered by SMD-AM
SMD‑AM has launched a UCITS version of its Japan High Conviction fund, a 30‑stock, active strategy managed by veteran Hideyuki Taniuchi. Since its 2024 debut the fund has posted a 5.26% annualised excess return versus TOPIX, with a low 4.58%...
Investor Intentions: Alpine AM Family Office Plans to Scale up Its Portfolio in 2026
Taiwanese family office Alpine AM announced plans to scale its investment portfolio, targeting up to $4 billion in new allocations over the next five to eight years, beginning in 2026. The fund aims to diversify across private equity and other alternative...
Saurabh Mukherjea Has Moved Half His Personal Portfolio Out of India; Here's Why
Saurabh Mukherjea, founder of Marcellus Investment Managers, has reduced his personal Indian equity exposure from 70 % to a 50‑50 split with global assets, reflecting a broader shift among wealthy investors toward diversification. Marcellus’s GIFT City global fund now holds roughly...
Event Voice: Your Questions Answered by Antipodes Global Value
Antipodes Global Value positions itself as a "fund to watch" by targeting mis‑priced businesses that benefit from structural shifts such as AI adoption, energy transition, and demographic aging. Since its 2015 launch, the strategy has delivered risk‑adjusted outperformance by steering...
How to Spot a Good Investment From a Mile Away
The article offers a practical checklist for spotting solid investments, focusing on clear business models, realistic returns, consistent performance, strong leadership, and transparent finances. It illustrates pitfalls through the $199 Rabbit R1 flop, the NFT market’s 68% cap decline, and...
Targeting ‘Attitudes’ Key to Closing Advice Gap
Research by TISA and the University of Nottingham, in partnership with Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Vanguard, shows the newly launched Targeted Support framework boosts investment by at least 30% when it tailors advice to consumer attitudes rather than demographics....
Advisors Rethink Retirement Playbook as Focus Shifts From Saving to Spending
Research from Guardian Wealth reveals a fundamental shift in retirement planning, moving the focus from hitting accumulation targets to securing reliable income streams. Longer lifespans, market volatility and financial complexity are prompting advisors to adopt income‑floor strategies that guarantee essential...
Betterment Widens Solo 401(k) Push Through Osaic and HUB Advisors
Betterment Advisor Solutions is launching its all‑digital solo 401(k) product through the Osaic and Hub International advisor networks, giving roughly 10,000 advisors access to a market of about 9 million self‑employed Americans who currently lack such retirement plans. Federal Reserve data...
Best Value Stocks to Buy Now in April
Zacks Investment Research highlighted a value‑focused stock screen as the market rallied on early Q1 earnings from JPMorgan and other banks. The screen isolates Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) equities that trade below industry median P/E and P/S...
Augusta Precious Metals Review: What to Know in 2026
Augusta Precious Metals, operating since 2012, specializes in gold and silver self‑directed IRAs for retirement savings. The firm requires a $50,000 minimum investment and offers more than 40 IRS‑approved bullion products, though live pricing is only available by phone. It...
5 Little-Known Rules That Can Increase Your Social Security Payments
The article outlines five lesser‑known Social Security rules that can materially boost retirement income. It explains that the earnings test disappears at full retirement age, allowing previously reduced benefits to be restored. It also highlights the ability to pause benefits...
‘Own the Haystack, Not the Needle.’ Jack Bogle’s Investing Rules Everyone Over 50 Should Follow
Jack Bogle’s investing philosophy urges investors over 50 to favor broad market exposure over individual stock picking. By using low‑cost index funds that track the S&P 500, retirees can capture the index’s roughly 10 % historical return while minimizing fees. Bogle also...