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In our March Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss a 1-year to retirement checklist and the following topics: Why Do Workers Take Less Paid Time Off Than They Can? Due Date Approaches for 2023 Federal Income Tax Returns, Housing Market Trends: Are They Helping or Hurting the Economy? and Are You Spending Money to Keep Stuff You Don't Need?

"It's the Economy, Stupid" is a phrase coined by James Carville in 1992. If you are looking for clues on who will win this year’s presidential election, keep a close eye on the economy!

Over the past twenty years diversification has been a winning strategy, although it hasn't always felt that way. A well-diversified investment strategy can help you achieve your long-term goals but is likely to limit both the ups and downs in your investment returns. Implementing a diversified portfolio strategy can be more challenging than it seems.

In our February Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss a 3-years to retirement checklist and the following topics: Investors Beware: This Surtax Is Creeping Up on You, Beware of These Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes, Individual Bonds vs. Bond Funds: What's the Difference? and Why Family Businesses Should Have Succession Plans.

In our January Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss a 5-year to retirement checklist and the following topics: Saving Less? You're Not Alone, Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2024, Do You Have These Key Estate Planning Documents? and Small Businesses Could Face Borrowing Challenges.

AWM is not making a recommendation to purchase a position in one of the new Bitcoin ETFs, however, we do want to provide investors with quality information so they can make informed decisions on whether Bitcoin ETFs are right for them. The included article from Morningstar is one of the better write-ups we have seen on the recent decision of the SEC to approve Bitcoin ETFs and is a good place for potential investors to start their research.

In our Q4 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: A Wild and Volatile 2-Year Round Trip, Opportunities Ahead, and Risks in the Year(s) Ahead.

In our December Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss starting the New Year on the right track and the following topics: How Much Income Does Social Security Replace? Much Ado About RMDs, Will You Work Beyond Traditional Retirement Age? and Enriching a Teen with a Roth IRA.

"This Time It May Really Be Different." Anytime I hear these words the hairs on my neck stand up (notice I didn't say head!) and I become highly suspicious. However, a couple of investment icons that I have followed for decades and highly respect recently echoed those sentiments. Since neither of these strategists leans towards hyperbole, it caught my attention. Below I will walk you through their comments and the implications for financial markets.

In our October Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss Digital Estate Plans and the following topics: Workers and Retirees Losing Confidence, Bond Yields Are Up, but What Are the Risks? New Medicare Rules Tackle Prescription Drug Prices, and Enriching a Teen with a Roth IRA.

In our Q3 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: A Closer Look at Valuations and Investment Rules.

Fidelity Viewpoints published a very useful article, "How To Spend From A 529 College Plan: The Right Way Reduces Taxes, Avoids Penalties, and Won't Jeopardize Financial Aid." This article provides a 9-step guide to help you make your 529 savings go as far as possible.

Our October article, published in East End Living Magazine, discusses how confident workers and retirees are in their retirement.

In our September Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) and the following topics: What Real People Think About Artificial Intelligence, New Medicare Rules Tackle Prescription Drug Prices, College Forecast: Skepticism Toward Higher Education Rises, and How to Kill Your Zombie Subscriptions.

We recently provided this presentation to the board of a local endowment. In the presentation, we review recent market performance as of August 31st, 2023, trends in the economy, and our outlook for the major asset classes.

In our September Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets and the role of cash in portfolios including: Some Facts About Cash and What are the Advantages and Risks of Cash?

We have received several questions recently about the outlook for inflation and the bond market and wanted to share some thoughts with you on the topic. Please let us know if you have any questions about the commentary below or would like to schedule a time to review the impact it may have on your portfolio.

In our August Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss using a donor-advised fund to give to charity and the following topics: Employee Access to Roth 401(k) Plans on the Rise, New Life for Your Old Insurance Policy, Four Key Objectives of a Sound Retirement Plan, and Time to Bulk Up Your Emergency Fund.

We often find that investors are unsure about the yield on their bond fund investments, and how much they should expect to receive in income from their investments.  Recently, the research team at Morningstar published an article on how to measure a bond exchange-traded fund‘s (ETF) income.  We thought the article had some helpful insights on how to measure income, so we’ve included some of the highlights.

In our July Retirement Planning Newsletter, we discuss rolling over unused 529 funds to Roth IRA accounts and the following topics: Inflation Gauges Don't Always Paint the Same Picture, Financing Options to Help You Ride the Mortgage Rate Roller Coaster, Give Your Money a Midyear Checkup, and Home Energy Tax Credit.

So far in 2023, market performance has been the inverse of what happened in 2022. In 2022, we saw significant outperformance from quality, divided, foreign, and value stocks, as well as commodity/real return investments, while growth and technology stocks lagged by a wide margin. In 2023 the market has been led by growth and a handful of technology stocks, while other parts of the market have lagged by a wide margin.

In our Q2 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Déjà vu (all over again!) and Values Abound.

In our June retirement planning newsletter, we discuss Qualified 529 Expenses and the following topics: Education and Earnings, SECURE 2.0 Act Expands Early Withdrawal Exceptions, Why Buy Life Insurance During Unsettled Economic Times?, and As Your Parents Age, Help Them Protect Their Finances.

In our recently published article, featured in the East End Living Magazine, we discuss some timeless tax-wise practices we regularly share with our clients.

In our May retirement planning newsletter, we discuss what a Health Savings Account is and the following topics: Education and Earnings, Secure 2.0 Act Expands Early Withdrawal Exceptions, How Taxes Impact Your Retirement-Income Strategy, and As Your Parents Age, Help Them Protect Their Finances.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a major topic of conversation this year and we have received several questions from our clients about its impact. In response, we thought it would be helpful to share our thoughts on AI and address some of the questions we’ve been receiving.

Global stock markets have performed well this year, with most major indices generating high single-digit to low teens returns. However, if you look ‘under the hood’ of those returns you will see that only a small group of stocks are generating most of the returns, especially in the U.S.

In our May Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Bank Failures and Market Thoughts.

In our April retirement planning newsletter, we discuss essential estate planning and the following topics: Reasons to Roll, How Taxes Impact Your Retirement-Income Strategy, Social Security Offers Benefits from Birth Through Old Age, and A Mortgage Recast Is an Alternative to Refinancing.

In our Q1 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Economic Outlook and Financial Markets Outlook.

In our March retirement planning newsletter, we discuss when to begin Social Security and the following topics: Where Does Your Income Fit? Are You Eligible for Any of These College-Related Federal Tax Benefits? Time for a Spring Cleanup: Organizing Your Financial Records and 50 and Older? Here's Your Chance to Catch Up on Retirement Saving.

Recent problems in the banking industry have increased uncertainty in the financial markets. In this post, we summarize the circumstances at Silicon Valley Bank that led to its failure and provide comments on the broader investment implications.

In our March Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: What Happens When a Bubble Bursts and the Housing Outlook.

Our recently published article featured in the East End Living Magazine discusses retirement spending strategies.

Each year we look forward to Warren Buffet's annual letter to shareholders. His latest letter was published this weekend and as usual, was packed with lots of wisdom.

In our February retirement planning newsletter, we discuss what a Roth 401(k) is and the following topics: Honey, They Shrunk the Groceries, Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2023, Creating Your Own Operation London Bridge, and Double Up with a Spousal IRA.

Sometimes the simplest explanations get overlooked. Is it possible the recent rally in the stock market that started last year is a by-product of the repeating Presidential Cycle?

Our January retirement planning newsletter discusses the need for an umbrella policy and the following topics: Retirement Age Expectations vs. Reality, Fixed for Life: What Can an Annuity Do for You?, Debt Optimization Strategies, and The Inflation Experience Is Painful and Personal.

In our Q4 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: 2022: The Highlights and Lowlights and Themes That Will Impact Our Investment Decisions In 2023 and Beyond.

In our December retirement planning newsletter, we discuss getting financially organized and the following topics: Spending Higher Than Expected for More Retirees in 2022, Donor-Advised Funds Combine Charitable Impact with Tax Benefits, A 529 Plan Can Help Jump-Start Your College Fund, and Tips for Safe Online Shopping.

We have written several times over the past few years warning about the speculative nature of crypto assets. We continue to track the evolution of the crypto space and a recent paper from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) caught our attention.

We recently read an article from Morningstar that highlighted 12 lessons on money and more from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. We thought it was a great summary of the wisdom offered by Warren and Charlie over the years and was worth passing along.

As we approach the year-end holidays and giving season, your charitable strategy can be a powerful force to make a difference for the causes you care about and potentially minimize some of your tax burden.  We highlight four strategies to consider if you are making year-end gifts.

2022 has been a tough year for financial assets, which has left many feeling cautious about the markets and concerned about the future. While it is impossible to predict where the market will be in the coming weeks and months, there are strategies to optimize your taxes and set you up for 2023. Use this checklist to guide your year-end tax planning.

In our October retirement planning newsletter, we discuss Qualified Charitable Distributions and the following topics: Wedding Bonanza: How Much Will the Party Cost? Retirement Savings in a Volatile Market, and Famous People Who Died Without Proper Planning.

In our Q3 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: From TINA to TARA, Investing Through Tough Times, and Can US Outperformance Persist?

In our recent article, published in East End Living Magazine, we discuss how your brain may be hurting your investment returns.

This month we are sharing a presentation we prepared earlier in September that looks at financial market performance, current financial conditions, and the long-term outlook for markets.

In our August retirement planning newsletter, we discuss how the sequence of returns can affect your retirements and the following topics: Paying for College: Pieces of the Funding Puzzle, Dividends for Income and Total Returns, What's Your Retirement Dream Elevator Pitch? What the Red-Hot Job Market Means for Workers.

One of our research providers forwarded an article with the indelicate title, “On Bullshit In Investing”. The author of the article, Benn Eifert, is a managing partner of a California-based hedge fund. We thought this was worth sharing.

The Secure Act of 2019 made several changes to how beneficiaries of retirement plans must distribute their inheritance. Here we discuss these changes and some things to consider as you make your beneficiary designation.

In our July Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Behavioral Mistakes and Lessons Learned.

Here are a couple of quotes that we periodically review to help guide us through difficult investment environments and remind us what matters in the market. Enjoy.

Here is an article, published in East End Living Magazine, about five risks to retirement income and how to avoid them.

In our July retirement planning newsletter, we discuss using the down market to consider a Roth conversion and the following topics: New Vehicle Shortages Drove Up Used Vehicle Prices, Life Insurance Living Benefits, Three Things to Consider Before Buying a Vacation Home, and Potential Benefits of Roth IRAs for Children.

In our June retirement planning newsletter, we discuss What If This is a Terrible Time to Retire and the following topics: Cost Is a Big Factor in College Decisions, Diversifying Your Portfolio with International Flair, Inflation Protection for Investment Dollars, and Naming a Trusted Contact.

Here is an article, published in East End Living Magazine, about the key three questions to ask yourself that can help to determine your quality of life in retirement.

The IRS has released the 2023 contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs), as well as the 2023 minimum deductible and maximum out-of-pocket amounts for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs).

Here is an article, published in East End Living Magazine, about the most common elements of a great retirement.

One of our favorite research providers, GMO, recently published a research report on the long-term outlook for commodity prices and resource stocks. We thought the case they made was compelling enough to share their executive summary and some highlights from the report.

In our May retirement planning newsletter, we discuss the 1 Year Checklist and the following topics: Cost Is a Big Factor in College Decisions, Preparing for a Natural Disaster, Should You Consider Tapping the Equity in Your Home? and Naming a Trusted Contact.

In our April retirement planning newsletter, we discuss the 3 Year Checklist and the following topics: Closing the Social Security Funding Gap, What's Your Retirement Dream Elevator Pitch? Food Inflation: What's Behind It and How to Cope, and Avoid Probate.

In our April Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: What Could Go Right; What Could Go Wrong and What's Next?

Here is an article published in East End Living Magazine about evaluating early retirement offers.

Here is an article published in East End Living Magazine about smart strategies for giving to charity.

In our Q1 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: How to Read Yield Curve Signals and Visit Our Blog.

Last year we recommended energy transition as a secular theme we wanted to have exposure to in our portfolios. As part of our research, we identified GMO as the best investment manager in the energy transition space and started a position in the GMO Climate Change fund.

Recent geopolitical turmoil, rising commodity prices, and monetary tightening have increased US recessions risks. Goldman Sachs recently did a study on the impact of commodity price shocks and recessions, here are some of the highlights from their findings.

In our March retirement planning newsletter, we discuss the 5 Year Checklist and the following topics: Inflation Cuts into Wage Gains, ETFs Are Gaining on Mutual Funds: Here's Why, Key Retirement and Tax Numbers for 2022, Splurge or Save? Making the Most of Your Income Tax Refund.

Amid the ongoing tragedy happening in Ukraine we wanted to share some thoughts. First, our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine and the hardships they are facing, which are heartbreaking and senseless. It seems callous to focus on the financial impacts, however, it’s our role and responsibility as advisors to think through how these events can impact our client's financial well being, so here goes:

Mark Twain famously said, “History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”  From our perspective, we couldn't agree more with this quote. We don't expect history to repeat in the same fashion but do believe that it can provide insightful clues as to what may happen in the future. 

In our February Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including topics: Corrections Are Normal and Avoid the Speculative S*&%!

In our February retirement planning newsletter, we discuss a few reasons to file your 2021 tax return early and the following topics: Home Prices Have Risen at Record Pace, When Two Goals Collide: Balancing College and Retirement Preparations, Going Public: How Are Direct Listings Different from IPOs?, and Federal Student Loan Repayment Set to Resume in May.

In our January retirement planning newsletter, we discuss the keys to a happy retirement and the following topics: Big Boost for Social Security Payments, Are You a HENRY? Consider These Wealth-Building Strategies, Annuity Income: Annuitization vs. Lifetime Withdrawal, and How to Correct an Error on Your Credit Report.

In our December retirement planning newsletter, we discuss how to Get Financially Organized and the following topics: Rising Premiums, 401(k) and IRA: A Combined Savings Strategy, Charitable Giving Can Be a Family Affair, Your Social Security Statement: What's In It for You?

In our December Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Global Growth: Slowing but from a High Level, Could the Omicron Variant be a Positive? Has Crypto Gone Hyperbolic? 2022 Investment Strategy and Risks We Are Watching.

It’s not uncommon for people to get anxious as the prospect of retirement gets closer. The new year is a great time to get started on your pre-retirement checklist!

Identifying secular themes that can grow rapidly regardless of the business cycle is a key part of our investment approach. When looking for investable secular themes, we want to see structural change in a sector or industry that creates a wave of new demand that is sustainable and materially higher than the economy’s cyclical growth rate. We believe Cybersecurity is a secular theme that will grow rapidly for many years, if not decades. Here are a few thoughts on the theme of cybersecurity:

In our October retirement planning newsletter, we discuss Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) and the following topics: To Spend or Not to Spend? Women Face Challenges in a Post-Pandemic World, Is a High-Deductible Health Plan Right for You? Net Price Calculators Help Gauge College Affordability.

In our Q3 Investment Commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets including the following topics: Is the Great Moderation Over? Rotation (Again)? Strategy In Pictures.

As the cost of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy continues to drop, they are becoming increasingly competitive with conventional energy sources such as coal or oil. This could provide exceptional investment opportunities.

In our September investment commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for financial markets and the following topics: Are We in The Late Innings? Is It Time To Think Small? Does Valuation Matter? Risks We Are Watching.

In this month's retirement planning newsletter, we discuss the keys to a happy retirement and the following topics: 401(k) Plan Participation Trends. Four Reasons to Review Your Life Insurance Needs. Grandparent 529 Plans Get a Boost Under New FAFSA Rules. A Map for Your Family.

Understanding where we are in the employment cycle can provide significant clues to how bonds and stocks are likely to perform in the future. 

Our August planning commentary discusses how Covid-19 has left the U.S. travel industry reeling and the following topics: Qualified 529 Expenses. Tips for Managing an Inheritance. Child Tax Credit for 2021: Will You Get More. Signs of a scam and How to Resist It.

In our Q2 commentary, we highlighted some of the reasons why the current economic cycle is only at a mid-point and not headed for a recession anytime soon.

In our Q2 investment commentary, we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets, including the following topics: Mid or Late Cycle? Dude, Where's My Income (Return)? Quality Stocks and Inflation.

In our July planning commentary, we discuss how the sequence of returns can affect your retirement and the following topics: Unexpected Surge in Renovation Projects. Don't Let Debt Derail Your retirement. Life Insurance Beneficiary Mistakes to Avoid. Can Creditors Take Your Retirement Savings? It Depends.

Last week's inflation numbers were a surprise to the markets and came in at their highest level in decades.  The spike in inflation had investors worried that the Federal Reserve may start tightening monetary policy sooner than expected, leading to a sell-off in stocks.  Going forward, the big debate will be whether the increase in inflation will prove to be 'transitory' or will it lead to higher long-term inflation.  The Fed has been clear on their position that the r

The performance of growth stocks versus cyclical stocks can vary significantly depending on the stage of the business cycle.

In our March investment commentary we discuss the performance and our outlook for the financial markets, including the following topics: Are We In a New Commodity Supercycle?Are we in a Stock Market Bubble?The S&P 500 Beige Book, which highlights fundamental and thematic trends from the earnings reports of companies. 

Each year Boston College's Center for Retirement Research updates its research on retirement insecurity. Their most recent update shows that retirement insecurity increased in 2020, and that 51% of U.S. households are now at risk of being unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

There are several reasons to be concerned about the stock market: valuations are high; signs of excessive trading and bubble activity (SPACs, Bitcoin, Robinhood trading, etc.); and increased volatility. However, there are several signs that we are in the early stages of an economic recovery and there is more room for financial markets to continue higher.