Modernize Fixed Income Portfolios With Income Alternatives
Advisors are expanding traditional fixed‑income portfolios by adding specialized income alternatives, with over 80% planning satellite positions in Q2, according to VettaFi data. Options‑based ETFs are being used by 35.8% of advisors to lower volatility and lift yields, while active municipal ETFs like PIMCO's MUNI are gaining favor for tax‑efficient core‑plus exposure. High‑credit CLO ETFs such as RAAA and JAAA provide floating‑rate diversification, and equity‑premium ETFs like JEPI and SPYI act as yield bridges. This blend aims to enhance cash flow, reduce duration risk, and address tax and inflation concerns.
How Dividend Growth Tech ETF TDV Avoids Concentration Risk While Outperforming
The ProShares S&P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF (TDV) blends tech growth with a disciplined dividend‑growth strategy to give investors exposure without over‑weighting the sector’s megacap names. The fund tracks an equal‑weighted index of companies that have raised dividends for at...
Markets Have Felt Shaky for Months, but the Returns Tell a Very Different Story
Despite months of headline volatility, federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) funds have posted solid gains this year. The C Fund swung from a 4.3% loss at the end of Q1 to a 4.5% gain by mid‑April, while the S Fund...
AI Won’t Replace Human Advisors, but Will Revolutionize This Key Part of the Job: Osaic
At Osaic’s 2026 NXT Conference, head of advisor growth Shannon Reid warned that AI‑driven investment research and portfolio selection could arrive faster than expected, automating the heavy‑lifting of ETF and mutual‑fund analysis while still requiring human oversight. She emphasized that...
Amid TIPS Disappointment, This ETF May Be Bond Investors’ Best Friend
Advisors face a fixed‑income dilemma as Treasury Inflation‑Protected Securities (TIPS) underperformed despite rising inflation, while Treasury yields climbed in Q1. The WisdomTree Floating Rate Treasury Fund (USFR) – a $17 billion ETF with a 12‑year history – has outperformed the Bloomberg...
Muni Bond Investors: Let’s Talk TAXF
The American Century Diversified Municipal Bond ETF (TAXF) manages $616.6 million and offers active management of intermediate‑term municipal bonds. With a 6.2‑year option‑adjusted duration and 714 holdings, TAXF aims to outperform the S&P National AMT‑Free Municipal Bond Index. Analysts note tightening...
Wrap-Up From VettaFi’s Q2 Market Outlook Symposium
VettaFi’s Q2 Market Outlook Symposium highlighted a suite of thematic strategies for advisors, from active fixed‑income ETFs to emerging sectors like defense drones and physical AI. Panels showcased the rise of autocallable ETFs, record $6 billion inflows into CLO ETFs, and...
T&E Inner Circle: Expert Sessions
The T&E Inner Circle is launching a series of subscriber‑only webinars that dive deep into current estate‑planning challenges. Sessions run from June through November 2026 and cover portability of estate‑tax exemptions, dual spousal lifetime access trusts, asset‑protection strategies, AI’s role...
Active Tech ETF GTEK Up 25% YTD
Goldman Sachs Future Tech Leaders Equity ETF (GTEK) has delivered a 25% gain year‑to‑date, far outpacing the technology equity category’s 8.5% average. Over the past 12 months the fund posted a 65.5% total return while charging a 75‑basis‑point expense ratio....
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AlphaCore Puts Alternatives at the Heart of Its Strategy
AlphaCore Wealth Advisory, a La Jolla RIA managing $8.6 billion, has placed alternative investments at the core of its portfolios, allocating roughly 20‑25% of assets to private equity, real estate and infrastructure and scaling to about 30% for clients with $10 million-plus balances....
Millions of Americans May Qualify for Covid-Era Tax Refunds – but the Clock Is Ticking
A federal court ruled that the IRS must treat pandemic‑era filing deadlines as automatically extended, meaning penalties and interest assessed during that period may be refundable. Taxpayers have until July 10 to submit Form 843 claims covering tax years 2019‑2022, the last...
Taxes on Social Security Benefits Vary Depending on Many Factors
The Social Security program now sets full retirement age at 67, and both the timing of benefit claims and any earned income affect taxes and benefit reductions. In 2026 the earnings limit for workers under full retirement age rises to...
Good Financial Reads: The Business Owner’s Financial Operating System
The article guides small business owners through three critical financial pillars: selecting the optimal retirement plan—SEP IRA, Solo 401(k), or SIMPLE IRA—based on income, employee count, and growth goals; avoiding costly bookkeeping errors, especially the failure to reconcile bank accounts;...
The Top Business Succession Questions Trusts and Estates Lawyers Wish You Asked Your Clients
Canada’s aging business owners are asset‑rich but cash‑poor, creating urgent succession challenges. Trusts and estates lawyers warn that without early questions about ownership, control, trusts and AI‑generated documents, families often face costly litigation. The article outlines four practical questions non‑specialist...
View From The Hill: Albanese Sensitive on One Tax Reform that Won’t Be in the Budget
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushed back on calls to index income‑tax brackets in the May 12 budget, saying the reform is not a priority. Economists warn that without indexation, inflation‑driven “bracket creep” could lift the average tax rate from 22.8% to...
Ask the Tax Editor, May 1: 10-Year Rule for Inherited IRAs
The 2019 SECURE Act eliminated the lifetime stretch for most non‑spousal inherited IRAs, imposing a 10‑year distribution window. Beneficiaries must fully withdraw the account by the end of the tenth year, with annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) only if the...
We’re New Yorkers With $3.8M. We Plan to Retire in South Carolina, but My Wife Worries We Will Regret It.
A New York couple with $3.8 million retirement savings is weighing a move to South Carolina, where a $1.3 million home could be sold and a comparable property bought for about $600 k, freeing roughly $700 k in equity. New York’s top income tax...
Did Andrew Make a Mistake in Preventing His Mom From Buying Annuities?
Andrew stopped his 64‑year‑old mother from moving $300,000 into a traditional annuity after learning the product’s drawbacks. The article outlines how annuities lock up capital, provide no inflation protection, and end income at death, while also noting research that guaranteed...
3 Balanced Mutual Funds With Strong Upside Potential
Balanced mutual funds combine equities and bonds to reduce portfolio volatility while aiming for higher returns than pure fixed‑income products. Three Zacks‑ranked funds—Payson Total Return, Virtus Duff & Phelps Real Asset Fund, and Vanguard Wellington Investor—each earned a Strong Buy rating...
‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’: If I Had Invested My Social Security in the S&P 500 I’d Have $4 Million. Is...
An 64‑year‑old retiree calculated that if his Social Security contributions had been invested in the S&P 500, his account would now exceed $4 million, allowing a $30,000‑per‑month withdrawal. The article explains that Social Security funds are instead placed in special‑issue Treasury securities,...
Buy 2 North Square Mutual Funds for Balanced Returns
North Square Investments, a multi‑boutique asset‑management platform, recommends two of its mutual funds for long‑term investors. The Spectrum Alpha Fund (ORIGX) focuses on U.S. small‑cap equities and has posted a 14.5% annualized return over both three‑ and five‑year periods with...
SEI and Carlyle Deepen Partnership to Broaden Private Markets Access in Wealth and Retirement
SEI and The Carlyle Group have deepened their strategic partnership to broaden private‑market access for wealth and retirement investors. The enhanced collaboration will deliver scalable private‑market solutions, including model portfolios and tools tailored for financial advisers and defined‑contribution platforms. By...
New Strategy Aims to Enhance Upside Return Capture Relative to Buffer Funds
GammaRoad Capital Partners has launched the MarketVector‑GammaRoad U.S. Equity Strategy Index, a rules‑based approach that dynamically allocates between the S&P 500 and U.S. Treasury bills. Unlike traditional buffer ETFs that cap upside by selling call options, the strategy can increase equity...
The Evolution of Passive Investing
Passive investing has shifted from simple market‑cap index funds to a sophisticated toolbox of factor‑based and equal‑weight products. Evelyn Partners’ Lead Portfolio Manager Dan Caps describes an "active‑passive" model that layers low‑cost index tracking with tactical asset allocation and style...
The Quiet Reality Many Families Face when Parents Age
UHNW families traditionally focus on wealth, estate and succession planning, often overlooking live‑in care for aging parents. Access Care, a UK‑based concierge agency founded in 1994, helps households proactively match self‑employed carers with families, ensuring support integrates discreetly into the...
Looking for Best Equity MFs to Invest for 3 Years? Check These 6 Funds with over 27% Returns
ET Online highlights six Indian equity mutual funds that have delivered over 27% cumulative returns in the past three years. Bandhan Small Cap Fund tops the list with a 30.72% gain, managing roughly ₹20,129 crore (≈ $2.4 billion) and a five‑star rating. The other...
The Universal Worry: Can We Afford Our Children’s Future?
Parents across Canada are increasingly worried about affording their children’s post‑secondary education. While 73% have opened a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and 74% know about the Canada Education Savings Grant, only 33% feel confident they can fully fund tuition,...
RI Allocations Poised to Climb as Investor Demand Outpaces Advisor Action
The Responsible Investment Association’s 2026 Investor Opinion Survey shows that 47% of Canadian investors who already hold responsible investments intend to increase their allocations, while another 47% will maintain current levels. Overall interest remains steady at 67%, with a notable...
Better Access, Better Quality for Individual Investors, Says StepStone Group
StepStone Group announced that its Private Wealth division is extending institutional‑quality private‑market access to individual investors, particularly high‑net‑worth clients. The firm highlighted new due‑diligence tools, lower minimum commitments and a streamlined onboarding process. Executives Brett Schlemovitz and Miguel Sosa said...
Saving for Retirement when You Make Less than $35,000 Won’t Be Much Easie...
President Trump’s administration issued an executive order to enhance the Saver’s Match, slated for Jan. 1, 2027, aiming to boost retirement savings for low‑income earners. However, experts warn it will not substantially help the roughly 56 million Americans without workplace retirement plans, whose...
Orange County to Institute Hybrid Asset Allocation Strategy
The Orange County Employees' Retirement System (OCERS) will shift to a hybrid asset‑allocation model that blends strategic long‑term targets with tactical short‑term adjustments. The plan will apply a “total portfolio approach,” treating all asset classes as a single, integrated portfolio...
Now Is the Time to Rebalance Your Portfolio and Snap up These Bonds, UBS Says
UBS’s chief investment officer for the Americas, Ulrike Hoffmann‑Burchardi, says the S&P 500’s record highs create a strategic moment to rebalance portfolios toward high‑quality government bonds. Recent spikes in Treasury yields, especially on two‑year, five‑year and 10‑year notes, provide a “compelling...
3 Large-Cap Value Funds to Buy Amid Record Low Consumer Sentiment
Consumer sentiment hit an all‑time low of 49.8 in April as the U.S.–Iran conflict and surging oil prices stoked uncertainty. Inflation rose to a 3.3% annual rate, the highest since May 2024, keeping the Federal Reserve on hold. In this environment,...
Trump to Sign Order to Expand Access to Retirement Plans
President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order that directs the Treasury Department to launch a new website, TrumpIRA.gov, helping workers locate private‑sector retirement plans. The move dovetails with the bipartisan Saver’s Match program, which would provide a...
Here's How and when You Have to Pay Tax in Instalments to the CRA
The Canada Revenue Agency mandates quarterly tax instalments when a taxpayer’s balance due exceeds $3,000 (or $1,800 in Quebec) in two of the past three years. Taxpayers can choose among three calculation methods—the no‑calculation, prior‑year, or current‑year option—to determine each...
Should You Act on These Investing Rules of Thumb?
The article critiques common investing adages, testing them against today’s volatile market marked by geopolitical tensions, inflation and record equity highs. It argues that selling after a 100% gain often forfeits larger upside, especially in mega‑caps like Nvidia, and warns...
The 'Wait-to-Win' Rule of Retirement Spending
The article explains the “Wait‑to‑Win” rule, urging retirees to delay Social Security claims to boost monthly benefits. Claiming at age 70 can increase payments by $1,125 compared with claiming at 62, potentially adding $500,000 over a 90‑year lifespan for maximum...
How GPs Can Use Carried Interest Derivatives for Estate Planning
Venture‑capital general partners are turning to carried‑interest derivatives as a tool for estate planning. By gifting these synthetic contracts, GPs can lock in future profit participation while transferring value to heirs at a reduced tax cost. The strategy leverages the...
Inheritance Boom Drives Demand for All-in-One Wealth Advice Solutions
Affluent heirs are set to inherit nearly $1 million on average, up from $500,000, driven by a growing cohort of “High Impact” inheritors whose wealth will equal at least half of their current net worth. These heirs face a mix of...
Are Women Getting the Right Advice About RESPs?
A Canadian mother discovered that the default RESP structure gave her husband sole control over more than CAD 100,000 (≈ US 74,000) in education savings, leaving her without access despite being the primary caregiver. The article explains how RESP roles—subscriber, primary caregiver, beneficiary,...
Winning the Next Generation Before the Wealth Transfer Happens
Wealth‑transfer retention hinges on relationships built years before assets change hands. Advisors who involve heirs early—through values‑focused family meetings, charitable giving, and modest financial exposure—create a stewardship mindset that outlasts the transfer event. Expanding the value proposition beyond portfolio management...
These Workers Are Allowed to Save $35,000 a Year in Their 401(k)s. Here’s How Many Actually Do It.
The Secure 2.0 law lets workers aged 60 to 63 add a "super" catch‑up contribution of $3,750 on top of the standard $23,500 limit and the $7,500 catch‑up for those over 50, pushing the total possible 401(k) contribution to $34,750 per...
Life Insurance for Seniors Over 70: Costs, Factors and Tips
Seniors over 70 can still benefit from life insurance to cover funeral costs, settle debts, support dependents, or provide estate‑planning liquidity. Premiums rise sharply with age, with typical monthly costs ranging from $150‑$200 for standard policies and $75‑$100 for modest...
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Understanding REITs: What They Are and Tips for Investing Smartly
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) let investors own shares in income‑producing property without managing assets directly. By law, REITs must distribute at least 90% of taxable earnings as dividends, providing a steady income stream and tax‑advantaged status. The sector includes...
This Free Tax Withholding Tool Makes It Easier to Update Your Paycheck — Who Should Use It
The IRS has released a free tax‑withholding estimator that generates a pre‑filled Form W‑4 (or W‑4P) to help workers adjust their 2026 paycheck withholdings. With 80 % of taxpayers earning W‑2 wages and many having over‑withheld in 2025, the tool is most...
What Can Structured Finance Do for Your Portfolio?
Structured finance, encompassing securitized assets, represents a $17 trillion market that remains under‑weighted in many institutional portfolios. Nearly two decades after the Global Financial Crisis, the sector has matured, featuring tighter regulation and demonstrated resilience. Securitized credit, especially agency mortgage‑backed securities,...
Roth or Traditional IRA at 60: What’s the Smartest Move?
For investors turning 60, the choice between a Roth and a traditional IRA hinges on tax timing, required minimum distributions and income limits. Both accounts share the same annual contribution cap, but a traditional IRA offers a tax deduction now...
How Smart Is Your Gifting Strategy? Take Our Grandparents' Legacy Quiz
The article presents a 10‑question quiz that tests grandparents on sophisticated wealth‑transfer tools such as front‑loaded 529 plans, custodial Roth IRAs, and Crummey trusts. It highlights how strategic gifting—using IRS rules like the annual exclusion and direct tuition payments—can turn...
A Longer Life Can Lead to Financial Concerns, and More Questions
The New York Times highlights how longer lifespans are intensifying worries about outliving retirement savings. Through the story of occupational therapist Cathy Schuh, the piece shows how seniors are rethinking work, health, and estate plans as they watch parents thrive into their...
Last-Minute Pension Investing Could Cost Brits £24,000 – What’s a Better Way to Save?
Penfold’s analysis shows that roughly one‑fifth of UK pension contributions are rushed into in March, the final month of the tax year, with single‑payment amounts 4.4 times higher than the monthly average. This last‑minute behavior can erode long‑term returns because it...