Allspring Global Investments, spun out of Wells Fargo in 2021, now manages roughly $630 billion across a broad mutual‑fund platform. The firm highlights three Zacks Rank #1 funds—Disciplined US Core, Disciplined Small Cap, and Real Return—each offering strong three‑year returns and sub‑1% expense ratios. These funds target large‑cap equity, small‑cap equity, and a mixed debt‑equity strategy respectively, catering to investors seeking active management amid market volatility. Allspring’s global footprint and expanding ETF suite reinforce its position as a growing asset‑manager.
A 78‑year‑old couple discovered the wife could earn roughly $200 more per month by switching to a spousal benefit. Both retired early—she at 62, he at 63½—so their current payments are permanently reduced. Social Security rules allow a spouse to...
A 59‑year‑old federal employee and his wife bought a Pennsylvania home for $484,000 with a 6.2% mortgage, creating a $3,600 monthly payment that includes taxes and insurance. Their primary residence in New York generates rental income, but the new property does...

The classic 4% retirement withdrawal rule, which prescribes taking 4% of a portfolio in the first year and adjusting for inflation thereafter, is increasingly seen as too rigid. Longer life expectancies, higher inflation, and projected lower equity returns are eroding...

Social media posts claim AI chatbots can boost tax refunds by spotting missed deductions after filing. While tools like ChatGPT or xAI’s Grok can clarify tax rules and flag potential issues, they cannot directly amend a return. To claim additional...

Katelyn Aitcheson, a Sun Life advisor, highlights that Canadian women are set to control about $4 trillion in assets by 2028, driven by entrepreneurship and longer lifespans. She structures each meeting with a "social hour" to learn clients’ personal stories before...

Canadian advisors now have a domestic feeder fund that gives accredited investors access to Bridgewater Associates' flagship Pure Alpha strategy through a Wilshire‑managed account. The vehicle is structured as an Ontario mutual fund trust, with Oak Hill Asset Management acting...

Rob Arnott, founder of Research Affiliates, warns that the S&P 500 will average just 3.1% annual total return over the next ten years – roughly one‑fifth of the 15.5% pace seen since 2016. He attributes the slowdown to a projected 40%...
The advice column explores how a 44‑year‑old wife and her 61‑year‑old husband can fairly allocate their $1.5 million combined net worth as they plan for the future. Both are healthy, the wife has no children, while the husband has two adult...

CPA Anthony Venette advises venture capital general partners to gift a portion of their carried interest early, allowing any subsequent appreciation to grow outside the donor’s estate. By transferring ownership before the assets appreciate, the future increase is excluded from...
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Marginal tax rates represent the percentage applied to each additional dollar of income within a specific tax bracket, not the taxpayer’s entire earnings. The article explains how the U.S. progressive system works, using a 2025 single‑filers example where a $195,000...
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If you hold two unrelated jobs, you can make salary‑deferral contributions to a SIMPLE IRA for each employer. The IRS permits multiple SIMPLE IRAs as long as the employers are not affiliated, but the combined contributions must stay within the...

The “1% more” rule advises increasing retirement contributions or savings by 1% each year or after each raise. Behavioral economists Shlomo Benartzi and Richard Thaler designed the hack to be painless, and modern 401(k) auto‑escalation features stem from this concept....

Asset allocation in defined‑contribution (DC) core menus is shifting markedly. Target‑date funds now command roughly 40% of DC assets and could top 50% by 2030, crowding out traditional core options. Meanwhile, non‑default allocations are increasingly concentrated in U.S. large‑cap equities...

Financial experts emphasize that steady, low‑cost habits often outperform risky, high‑return strategies for retirement. The article outlines seven practices—including automating 401(k) and IRA contributions, conducting regular insurance audits, opting for store brands, negotiating service fees, purging promotional emails, consistently paying...
Late 2025 saw long‑term U.S. Treasury yields climb even as the Fed signaled easing. The divergence stems from stubborn inflation, heightened global bond issuance, and waning central‑bank demand. Active managers now recommend tilting toward intermediate‑term Treasuries, high‑quality corporates, and municipals...

MIT Sloan researchers found that many American couples lose an average of $14,000 in retirement wealth because they fail to coordinate 401(k) contributions toward the spouse with the higher employer match. The study, covering 44 million workers from 2003‑2018, shows that...
Target‑date funds (TDFs) are increasingly criticized for a one‑size‑fits‑all, set‑and‑forget structure that can leave participants over‑exposed to risk as they near retirement. Yaqub Ahmed and other industry experts propose a personalized framework that blends academic lifetime‑investing theory with individual risk...

The Wealth Management podcast “Celebrity Estates” featured Lathrop GPM partner Martin Behn discussing the intricacies of cross‑border estate planning. Using actress Catherine O’Hara’s estate as a case study, Behn emphasized the need to locate every asset worldwide and determine which jurisdiction’s laws...
Standard Life chief executive Andy Briggs warned that the UK government’s new £2,000 salary‑sacrifice cap, effective from April 2029, could further depress already low retirement savings. Only one in seven workers are on track for a decent pension, prompting Briggs...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposes slashing the state estate‑tax exemption from over $7 million to $750,000 and raising the top rate to 50%. The measure is part of a suite of revenue ideas to cover a $5.4 billion city‑budget deficit and...

Baron Opportunity Fund, managed by Michael Lippert for 20 years, posted the best 25‑year performance among mutual funds, delivering a 13% annualized return versus the S&P 500's 6.8%. Lippert attributes the outperformance to a disciplined focus on long‑term growth companies with...

In February, actively managed ETFs in the United States attracted $73 billion of new capital, propelled by BlackRock’s recent model‑portfolio adjustments. By March 11, BlackRock’s active ETF suite had swelled to $98 billion, nearly three times its 2024 level, with flagship funds like...

Envestnet announced the first wave of interval funds on its Unified Managed Account (UMA) platform, allowing advisors to embed semi‑liquid private‑credit exposure directly into client portfolios. The firm will manage research, trade execution, rebalancing, tax‑loss harvesting and model updates, keeping...

The article outlines a five‑step Social Security playbook for 2026 retirees, urging them to verify their earnings record, model different claiming ages, coordinate benefits with a spouse, anticipate tax liabilities, and assemble required paperwork before applying. It highlights that the...

The Zephyr podcast featuring U.S. Bank’s Beth Lawlor highlights a "crisis of confidence" revealed in the 2025 Wealth Report, which surveyed 5,000 American adults. While the American Dream remains a cultural touchstone, milestones like marriage and homeownership are being delayed in favor...

The article warns that 2026’s macro landscape is clouded by escalating U.S. foreign‑policy tensions and lingering doubts about Federal Reserve independence, which could pressure equity markets. It proposes laddered autocallable income ETFs as a defensive tool, highlighting Calamos’s CAIE and...

Retirees can dramatically cut living expenses by downsizing to a smaller, lower‑cost home, potentially saving $1,000 or more each month. Savings stem from reduced mortgage or rent, lower property taxes, smaller utility bills, cheaper homeowners insurance, and the ability to...
Nationwide Group recommends three mutual funds—NWFAX, NWHFX, and NWHJX—as long‑term buys, each earning a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of #1. The funds deliver strong three‑ and five‑year annualized returns, ranging from 14.1% to 23.2%, while maintaining expense ratios below their...

WealthAi, an AI-driven operating system for wealth managers, has partnered with Stratiphy to embed its managed portfolio services into the WealthAi platform. The integration delivers Stratiphy’s AI‑built portfolios via bank‑issued synthetic certificates, giving firms a single interface for construction, execution,...

Advisors are adapting to rising client demand for exchange‑traded funds by emphasizing compliance, cost efficiency, and a seamless user experience. The Independent Advisor Alliance (IAA), a hybrid RIA overseeing more than $23 billion for over 140 firms, highlights this shift. Active‑ETF...
Municipal bond mutual funds remain a top choice for risk‑averse investors seeking tax‑free income, trailing only government securities in safety. Zacks highlights three funds—Vanguard Intermediate‑Term Tax‑Exempt (VWITX), Eaton Vance Total Return Bond (EBABX), and American High‑Income Municipal Bond (AMHIX)—each holding...

With the April 15 deadline looming, homeowners must review the tax implications of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that took effect July 2025. The law reinstates a $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions and eliminates key...

Family business owners are increasingly bypassing Generation X, handing leadership directly to grandchildren. The trend is driven by founders staying active longer and treating succession as a decade‑spanning transition, aiming for 30‑40 year stewardship. While younger successors bring technology fluency and a...

The divorce rate among couples over 50 has doubled since 1990, with “grey divorces” now representing 36% of all splits. For women in their 50s, divorce becomes a high‑stakes financial transition focused on assets, housing, and long‑term security. Traditional financial...

Private equity firm Bain Capital has agreed to acquire the wealth‑management division of Australia’s Perpetual for an upfront A$500 million, with potential earn‑out payments of up to A$50 million. The business, Perpetual Wealth, oversees A$20‑22 billion in assets for high‑net‑worth families and will...

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) released a report urging the UK government to scrap its 40% inheritance tax, which applies to estates above £325,000 (or £500,000 when a home is passed to children). The tax costs the Treasury roughly...

Paying off a mortgage early offers peace of mind and interest savings, but it isn’t universally optimal. The article outlines four drawbacks: missed higher‑return investments, loss of mortgage‑interest tax deductions, reduced emergency liquidity, and possible pre‑payment penalties. It also notes...

New Zealanders watching their KiwiSaver balances see declines as oil prices jump above $100 per barrel following the US‑Israeli attack on Iran. Higher oil costs drive inflation, interest‑rate hikes and reduced corporate profits, pushing global equity markets lower, including the...
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Traditional IRAs let individuals defer taxes on investment earnings until withdrawal, while many contributions are tax‑deductible, providing immediate tax relief. The accounts support a broad range of assets, from equities and bonds to real‑estate, but prohibit certain items like collectibles....
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The CAC 40 index represents France’s 40 largest, most liquid stocks, including L'Oréal, LVMH, and Sanofi. Investors can access this benchmark through three primary ETFs—BNP Paribas Easy CAC 40, Amundi CAC 40, and Xtrackers CAC 40—each charging roughly 0.20‑0.25% in fees. As of April 2024, the funds hold between €122 million...
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Bond exchange‑traded funds are reshaping fixed‑income investing by delivering stock‑like liquidity and transparent pricing to a market traditionally dominated by opaque over‑the‑counter trades. By tracking bond indices through representative sampling, ETFs give retail investors instant diversification and daily price discovery...
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The Pension Protection Act of 2006 overhauled U.S. retirement law by making key contribution limits permanent and expanding rollover options to Roth IRAs. It introduced stricter funding standards for defined‑benefit plans and raised PBGC premiums for underfunded pensions. The act...

The article highlights how U.S. billionaires legally sidestep income and payroll taxes, often paying little or nothing despite massive fortunes. It cites Boston College tax expert Ray Madoff, who likens the ultra‑wealthy to a modern aristocracy protected by loopholes. The...

Schwab’s research highlights that brokered certificates of deposit (CDs) can deliver higher yields than traditional bank CDs by aggregating offers from dozens of FDIC‑insured banks. As of March 2026, brokered CD rates range from 3.5% to 4.3% APY, outpacing many...

Senators Cory Booker and Chris Van Hollen introduced separate bills that would essentially erase federal income tax for households earning under $75,000, expanding the tax‑free income shield to as much as $92,000 for married couples. Van Hollen’s Working Americans’ Tax...
The BSE’s Sensex and Nifty suffered a steep sell‑off in March, erasing roughly Rs 34 lakh crore of market capitalisation amid the Iran‑Israel conflict. Investors are turning to tax‑loss and tax‑gains harvesting to mitigate the fiscal impact of the downturn. Tax‑loss harvesting lets...

Retired couple earning $8,000 monthly faces tension over a 10% tithe to their church. Financial experts recommend tax‑efficient routes such as qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from IRAs and donor‑advised funds. They also suggest calculating donations as a percentage of net...

The article warns women over 45 that long‑standing financial conservatism can become a liability. It highlights how excessive cash holdings and outdated asset allocations erode purchasing power and limit growth. The concept of "opportunity risk" is introduced, showing that excessive...
Parents are proving that the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement can work even with children when they start saving aggressively in their 20s and 30s. Andy Hill and his wife cut spending to invest roughly 50% of a $130,000...