The Risk of Concentrated Stock vs. The Power of Diversification
by: Theodore Schneider, CFA and Anthony Rosetti, CFA Introduction: Understanding Investment Risk and Diversification "To the moon!” This has been the battle cry for speculative investors in recent years as they watched the vast array of cryptocurrency, meme stocks, and shares of fortune 500 companies continually push [...]
Understanding Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA)
by: Mariella Foley, CFP®, ADPA®, CDFA® Employees of publicly traded companies often have the option of purchasing company stock in their 401(k) accounts. Over the years, these scheduled stock purchases can result in accumulating a significant amount of company stock in a 401(k) account that could also [...]
A Time For Bonds? Mid-Year 2022 Fixed Income Assessment: A Turbulent Transition
by: Steven P. Saunders, CFA, CAIA Market Summary As we enter the second half of 2022, investors are hard pressed to see any clearing in the preverbal storm to hit markets. Stubbornly high inflation initially triggered by the pandemic has yet to improve as the war in [...]
Time for the Contrarian?
We all may know someone, maybe ourselves, that believe the key to investment success is being able to “jump out” of the market when it starts to go down and get “back in” when the market starts to go up. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really.
Successfully Timing the Markets: Often Attempted, Seldom Achieved
We all may know someone, maybe ourselves, that believe the key to investment success is being able to “jump out” of the market when it starts to go down and get “back in” when the market starts to go up. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really.
Cash Balance Plans
A new concept is evolving in the pension world that combines both features of a traditional defined contribution and defined plan. A cash balance plan is sometimes referred to as a “hybrid” plan as it allows for the high contributions of a defined benefit plan, but with the look, feel and portability of a defined contribution plan.
3Q 2022 Investment Outlook & Positioning
A discussion on the current state of capital markets, the macroeconomic environment, and the top concerns facing markets today. The team will also outline their outlook across asset classes and address how the firm is positioning client portfolios for the months ahead.
The Behavior and Performance of Today’s Economy. A discussion with Chief Economist Mickey D. Levy, PhD
Dr. Mickey Levy of Berenberg Capital Markets. Dr. Levy will share timely insights on the behavior of today’s economy and performance outcomes.
2Q 2022 Investment Outlook & Positioning
A discussion on the current state of capital markets, the macroeconomic environment, and the top concerns facing markets today. The team will also outline their outlook across asset classes and address how the firm is positioning client portfolios for the months ahead.
Webinar: U.S. Expat Investing and Financial Planning
American expats around the world face many obstacles to successfully growing their wealth. These cross-border financial planning issues are complex, but do not have to be overwhelming.
Webinar: U.S. Expat Investing and Financial Planning
American expats around the world face many obstacles to successfully growing their wealth. These cross-border financial planning issues are complex, but do not have to be overwhelming.
The Great Retirement: What Is Your Plan? 6 Important Factors You Need To Consider
This webinar will discuss the Great Resignation phenomenon and the decisions that many face as they consider retirement.
Dividing Retirement Assets in Divorce with a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)
Retirement assets are an important issue in any divorce proceeding. After the marital home, retirement assets often represent the largest category of marital assets to be divided in a divorce settlement. These assets can include 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs and pension benefits provided by an employer’s defined [...]
The Importance of U.S. Listed, UK Reporting Funds for U.S. Taxpayers in the UK
U.S. taxpayers living in the United Kingdom must carefully understand the impact of U.S. and UK tax laws on their investment portfolio. From a U.S. tax perspective, it is essential to invest using U.S. listed investments to avoid the complicated and tax costly U.S. passive foreign investment company (PFIC) tax regime. On the UK tax side, the HMRC reporting fund regulations further restricts tax-efficient options for U.S. taxpayers who are also UK tax residents.
Using Mortgage Interest to Fund Investments: The Interest Tracing Rules
Finding the capital to make investments, whether into your business or other traditional investments, can often be challenging. The more stringent lending rules emanating from the latest economic downturn have made it even more difficult. For many investors, the equity in their home represents a significant source of untapped [...]
Broker Vs. Investment Advisor: What Are the Differences? Why Is It Important to You?
Both brokers and investment advisors are licensed professionals who assist investors with their financial goals and objectives. Brokers are regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) while investment advisors are regulated by either the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or their home state regulatory body, depending on the advisor’s [...]
Rising Rates: A Blessing in Disguise for Bond Holders
With the recent increases in interest rates, many investors begin to question their allocations to fixed income. These questions and doubts are not without reason: bond values move in the opposite direction as interest rates, so if rates continue to increase, it is only natural to assume that bond [...]
The Shortfalls of ETF Investing
Despite gaining widespread popularity, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are not an all-encompassing solution; they are just another “tool in the toolbox.” For the do-it-yourself investor, ETF investing has a variety of shortcomings and presents unique challenges: ETFs cannot help an investor determine the proper asset allocation The sheer size [...]
Quarterly Review – Second Quarter 2022
The confluence of global economic and geopolitical issues culminated into a particularly challenging environment for capital markets during the first half of 2022. Inflation, interest rates, and the growing threat of a recession, not to mention ongoing war in Ukraine, have increased risk premiums across both equity and fixed income [...]
Quarterly Review – First Quarter 2022
Capital markets retreated in the first quarter, not at an alarming rate, but certainly a deviation from the pattern of positive quarters investors have grown to appreciate. Of the last 50 quarters since the Great Financial Crisis, only 8 quarters generated a negative return and nearly all these quarterly [...]
Quarterly Review – Fourth Quarter 2021
Once again, equity markets had a great year with the S&P 500 posting a 29% return and a 3-year annualized return of 26%! The equity market returns are even more impressive in light of inflation concerns throughout the year, labor shortages, supply bottlenecks and the mutating COVID-19 virus. As [...]
Quarterly Review – Third Quarter 2021
As the world emerged for summer vacations, capital markets were relatively calm. However, issues brewing under the surface for much of the year including inflation, a Federal debt limit impasse, supply shortages, shipping logistics and labor shortages all drew increased scrutiny in investors’ minds during September, contributing to heightened [...]
Quarterly Review – Second Quarter 2021
We hope you are enjoying summer! The “dog days of summer” were not discouraging the markets as they continued their upward trajectory with all major equity and fixed income indices generating positive performance for the quarter. As inflation concerns waned, growth equities rebounded and outperformed value-style investments by 6.7% [...]
Quarterly Review – First Quarter 2021
Capital markets provided mixed returns during the first quarter as value-style indices advanced, growth-style indices lagged and fixed income markets declined. A confluence of factors is creating both tailwinds and headwinds in the markets: Approved stimulus measures and proposed infrastructure spending combined with expanding COVID-19 vaccine deployments and easing [...]
