CIBC Private Wealth Management Blog

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Firm News

How CIBC Private Wealth’s equity trading desk is navigating the COVID-19 crisis

Frances Boatwright
June 02, 2020

Downtime resulting from any interruption in operations—whether it be from a power failure, IT systems crash, natural disaster or even a pandemic—can have a devastating impact on financial companies. But when faced with the recent COVID-19 shutdowns, CIBC Private Wealth was well-equipped to provide seamless and uninterrupted service to its clients. Having a comprehensive disaster recovery...

Firm News

CIBC U.S. Private Wealth Management Wins Two 2020 Private Asset Management Awards

Dave Donabedian, CFA
February 24, 2020

CIBC U.S. Private Wealth Management is pleased to announce that we received Private Asset Management (PAM) awards for Best High Net-Worth Investment Platform and Best Private Wealth Manager Over $5 billion—Performance. PAM , a leading financial services industry trade publication, announced the award on February 6 at a ceremony in New York. This is the tenth consecutive year that CIBC...

Firm News

Welcoming Lowenhaupt Global Advisors Team

Jack Markwalter
September 03, 2019

We are pleased to announce that Lowenhaupt Global Advisors (LGA), a leading family office with $1.8 billion under management and 17 employees in St. Louis and New York, has joined CIBC Private Wealth Management ( see press release ). The combination of our talented teams further builds on our firm’s ability to address the complex needs of ultra-high net worth, multi-generational families. ...

Firm News

CIBC Brings Together Private Wealth and Commercial Banking Teams in New Office Space in West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida

Jack Markwalter
June 11, 2019

I am pleased to announce that on June 3, our Private Wealth team joined CIBC’s Commercial Banking team and relocated to new office space at 525 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, Florida. The firm is also brings together the Private Wealth and Commercial Banking teams into new office space at 100 North Tampa Street in Tampa, Florida as of today. While both Private Wealth and...

Firm News

CIBC Private Wealth Management Wins Private Asset Management’s Award for Best Investment Platform

Eric Propper, CFA
February 14, 2019

CIBC Private Wealth Management is pleased to announce that we have received Private Asset Management (PAM)’s award for Best Investment Platform—Performance. PAM, a leading financial services industry trade publication, announced the award on February 7 at a ceremony in New York . The PAM Awards recognize the top investment professionals, wealth advisers, legal firms, consultants and other...

Firm News

CIBC Extends Brand Across U.S.

Jack Markwalter
June 25, 2018

Today, we announce that CIBC Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management has become CIBC Private Wealth Management. The same team our clients trust is backed by one of the strongest banks in North America with 150 years of providing exceptional client service. For nearly five years, CIBC has been investing in the U.S. and enabling us to build our private wealth business. Coming together under...

Firm News

CIBC Atlantic Trust Wins Private Asset Management’s Award for Best Investment Platform

Eric B. Propper, CFA
March 06, 2018

Download PDF We are pleased to announce that CIBC Atlantic Trust has received Private Asset Management (PAM)’s award for Best Investment Platform—Performance . The 2018 PAM Awards were announced last month at a ceremony in New York. This award—our sixth investment-related PAM award—is a significant accomplishment and reflects our unwavering commitment to investment...

Firm News

Talking Innovation with Futurist Jack Uldrich

Carolyn Donnelly
December 15, 2017

Download PDF We’ve been honored this year to have Jack Uldrich, a prominent futurist and author, as a keynote speaker for our CIBC Atlantic Trust Speaker Series, which took place in seven cities across the U.S. and attracted more than 700 attendees. Uldrich’s specialty is helping organizations develop the foresight necessary to build a successful future. His central premise is...

Firm News

Expanding Our Chicago Presence—Geneva Advisors Joins CIBC Atlantic Trust

John S. Markwalter Jr.
September 01, 2017

Download PDF We are pleased to announce that CIBC Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management has completed its acquisition of Geneva Advisors , a private wealth management firm headquartered in Chicago. With the addition of Geneva, our firm now has more than 430 employees in 14 markets nationwide and approximately $40 billion in assets entrusted to our care. Together, Geneva...

Firm News

CIBC Announces Agreement to Acquire Geneva Advisors

John S. Markwalter Jr.
July 07, 2017

Download PDF We are pleased to announce today that CIBC will be acquiring Geneva Advisors , a private wealth management firm headquartered in Chicago with US$8.4B in assets under management and a team of approximately 100 client-focused employees ( see press release ). They will join our CIBC Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management team when the transaction closes in the fourth...

Firm News

Expanding Our Firm’s Services

John S. Markwalter Jr.
June 26, 2017

Download PDF We are pleased to announce that CIBC has completed its acquisition of PrivateBancorp, Inc. and its subsidiary, The PrivateBank. Headquartered in Chicago, The PrivateBank is a high-quality, middle-market commercial bank. We expect this acquisition to benefit our clients by offering additional access to a full range of private banking, deposit and lending services. As...

Firm News

Linda Beerman Resumes Role as Head of CIBC Atlantic Trust’s Wealth Strategies Group

Eric B. Propper CFA
May 31, 2017

Download PDF We are pleased to announce that Linda Beerman has resumed her role as head of the CIBC Atlantic Trust Wealth Strategies Group . Linda has served 16 years with the firm as a leader in various roles, including chief fiduciary officer and as a member of the firmwide Operating Committee, in addition to her service as head of the Wealth Strategies Group, which she...

Firm News

2017 and Beyond: Oil & Gas Outlook Event Speaker Series

John Winslow
May 05, 2017

Texas has long been at the epicenter of all things energy-related, and the past several years have been challenging and volatile. With this in mind, CIBC Atlantic Trust held three events last week in Houston (the energy capital of the U.S.) and Dallas . These interactive, dynamic sessions involved more than 100 highly engaged participants. Speaking first was CIBC Atlantic Trust...

Firm News

Family Wealth Report Recognizes CIBC Atlantic Trust with Private Client Investment Platform Award

Eric B. Propper CFA
March 17, 2017

Kishore Setty, Paulina Mejia, Kyle Edmonds, and I attended the fourth annual Family Wealth Report (FWR) awards ceremony in New York on March 2 and proudly accepted the Private Client Investment Platform award on behalf of CIBC Atlantic Trust and our investment Team. This is the third consecutive year that CIBC Atlantic Trust has been recognized by FWR , a leading trade publication...

Firm News

CIBC Atlantic Trust Receives National Recognition at Private Asset Management Awards

Eric B. Propper CFA
March 09, 2017

My colleagues and I were pleased to accept two awards from Private Asset Management (PAM) magazine on February 13 at their annual ceremony in New York: Best Investment Platform – Performance Best Trusts and Estates Division This is the seventh consecutive year that CIBC Atlantic Trust has been recognized by PAM, a financial services industry trade publication. The...

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G2G Impact

Why Insurance is Your Safety Net, Not an Investment

Jordan Sheiner
December 19, 2018

Our four-part series about setting and achieving your financial goals concludes with an in-depth look at insurance: how to get it and how to use it effectively. When you think of insurance, the words “health” or “car” are probably closely associated. For most young professionals, these are generally the first and only types of insurance that are needed for now. However, as objectives...

G2G Impact

G2G Impact: How to Control Your Credit So It Doesn’t Control You

Jordan Sheiner
December 11, 2018

Welcome to Part III of our four-part series about some of the strategies you can use to achieve your financial goals—both today and in the future. More than ever before, debt has found a way to creep into nearly all of our lives. Today, 70 percent of college students graduate with significant student loan debt, and the average American has a credit card balance of $6,375...

G2G Impact

G2G Impact Planning Foundations: Savings and Investments

Jordan Sheiner
December 04, 2018

Welcome to Part II of our four-part series about some of the strategies you can use to achieve your financial goals—both today and in the future. When it comes to building your financial roadmap, both savings and investments are core components of a sound path to retirement. The good news is that the Millennial generation is already great at saving —a result of having the importance of...

G2G Impact

G2G Impact Planning Foundations: Planning For Your Future

Jordan Sheiner
November 28, 2018

Welcome to Part I of our four-part series about some of the strategies you can use to achieve your financial goals—both today and in the future. Millennial this, millennial that. News outlets love to cover them, and brands have struggled to understand them, but the fact remains that millennials are finally starting to come into their own. In fact, millennials are now the largest...

G2G Impact

In Partnership: Using Two Strategies to Target Sweet Spots in the Market

Dave Donabedian, CFA
September 25, 2018

Mid-cap stocks are often referred to as the market’s sweet spot—they are typically less volatile than small-cap stocks but offer more growth potential than large caps. This combination has resulted in favorable risk-adjusted returns over time, which investors tend to seek. Yet, historically, mid-cap stocks have been largely overlooked. In the early 1990s, two investment teams began to...

G2G Impact

How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Child?

Shady Jadali
November 16, 2017

Download PDF The average cost of raising a child born in 2015 from birth to age 17 is projected to be $233,610, according to a recent study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture . That number varies based on the region of the country and each parent’s income level, but regardless, the point stands that having children comes with serious long-term financial obligations. Here’s a...

G2G Impact

Communication is the Key to a Healthy Family Wealth Culture

Ryan Christine Coulson
August 24, 2017

Download PDF Communication is the most vital component in any relationship, whether personal or professional because communication serves as the foundation of trust. However, achieving effective and constructive communication can be a challenge. As playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ...

G2G Impact

5 Financial Priorities to Pass on to Your Kids

Halsey Schreier
July 18, 2017

Download PDF Helping your children make financial decisions is a good thing—you can point them in the right direction when they’re wondering if they can afford that car, which credit card to open or whether it’s a good idea to take out that loan. Helping them with decisions like these will teach them good financial practices— an undeniably necessary skill. However, it is even...

G2G Impact

How To Financially Prepare For A Job Transition This Year

John Switchenko
June 15, 2017

Download PDF Leaving a thankless job to pursue a better opportunity can be rewarding, but it can also be financially scary. Money is one of the main reasons people stay at jobs they don’t like, even if they could potentially earn more elsewhere. The comforts of benefits, a guaranteed paycheck, and familiarity are understandably hard to give up. Going through any job...

G2G Impact

What Does This "Me Generation" Really Want?

J. Kent Nossaman
May 18, 2017

Millennials (aka Gen Yers), as a group, don’t have the best reputation. They’ve been referred to as egotistical, shallow and lazy. But, let’s be honest—throughout time, hasn’t the younger generation typically been discredited? We’ve all heard the “When I was your age…” stories and the question, “What’s with kids these days?” Perhaps the generalizations about millennials is similar to...

G2G Impact

9 Important Financial Habits To Learn In Your 20s

Joe Waldvogel, CFP®, CAIA®
May 12, 2017

The 20s are the first truly formative decade of your financial life. Of course, you learn from examples around you growing up, and some people end up on their own financially at an earlier age. However, for the most part, your 20s are when you’re managing your money and making financial decisions independently for the first time. In this decade, not only is it important to gain confidence...

G2G Impact

6 Signs 2017 Is the Year to Monetize Your Hobby

Duncan Edwards CFP
March 15, 2017

Taking the leap from working at your hobby when it fits into your schedule to making money from that hobby is a significant commitment. However, if you have always wondered if your passion project could actually be lucrative, now may be the time to find out. If you’ve always had creative projects outside of work, but never made it into a career, or if you have made a certain product...

G2G Impact

Faith. Family. Friends. How a Family's Values Come to Life

Linda S. Beerman
March 01, 2017

While working with our client families, we have learned that families who are successful at transferring wealth to the next generations adhere to our G2G Impact 3 Principles: they integrate their family wealth planning, they evolve a healthy culture around wealth and they develop the rising generation family members. Central to all of these principles is a desire to transmit...

G2G Impact

7 Conversations You Should Have with Your Financial Advisor

Rogelio Duran
February 22, 2017

It’s difficult to know where to start with a new financial advisor. How do you get started, and what do you tackle first? Even if you’ve had a relationship with your advisor for 20 or more years, it’s entirely possible that there are financial topics you haven’t covered yet. For us, it’s important that you get the most out of your relationship with your advisor. We are here to give advice...

G2G Impact

Once Upon a Time: The Importance of Sharing Your Family Story

Cathy Schnaubelt
February 16, 2017

We all have a story. It evolves daily and grows along with our family. It becomes part of our personal history, and it is important to not only relive those moments for ourselves, but also to share those memories with our children and grandchildren. Communicating these experiences—whether positive or otherwise—connects the past to the future and provides the next generation with insights...

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Investments

Election implications for the healthcare and tech sectors

Patricia Bannan, CFA
September 29, 2020

The views expressed in the blog and podcasts reflect the assessments of the applicable professionals based on current market conditions and other circumstances and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIBC Private Wealth Management. The views expressed here are for informational purposes only and are not intended to endorse, recommend, or favor either political party or any particular...

Investments

FOMC Update

Gary Pzegeo, CFA
September 21, 2020

Last Wednesday, September 16th, the Federal Reserve held its first scheduled meeting since the adoption of a new policy framework. The framework had been under review for several quarters and a change was expected. Changes of note Making maximum employment a broad-based goal rather than having policy guided by deviations from maximum employment. In other words, the Fed...

Investments

Are you sure that you’re maxing out your 401(k)? Consider a mega-backdoor Roth conversion

Shawn Leist
September 08, 2020

Big savers who think they are maxing out their 401(k) contributions each year may have a powerful way to contribute even more if their plans offer mega-backdoor Roth options. In 2020, as an account owner, you may be limited to contributing $19,500 to your 401(k) ($26,000 for those age 50 and older) through elective deferrals. However, current regulations generally permit a total of $57,000...

Investments

September Investment Bulletin

Bill Norris
September 04, 2020

August key drivers Although COVID-19 is still very much impacting the global economy, markets are forward looking and are pricing in a return to growth in 2021. The S&P 500 posted a gain of more than 7% in August, while the MSCI EAFE and MSCI EM indices gained over 5% and 2%, respectively. With interest rates stuck close to 0%, risk assets continue to attract investor capital. ...

Investments

Elections & markets: The state of the race

Dave Donabedian, CFA
August 27, 2020

As the Republican convention winds up, the two parties are presenting a divergent assessment of the current state of the nation, and an even more different vision for the future. With barely two months to go before the election, we assess the state of the race. Former Vice President Joe Biden has a significant, but not insurmountable, lead in national polls (Exhibit 1). Prior to COVID-19...

Investments

How Utilities Are Capitalizing On Clean Energy

Jerimiah Booream, CFA
August 14, 2020

Wind, solar, battery storage and other emerging electrification technologies have been growing rapidly for years, and we believe should have several more decades of steady growth ahead. Several companies and industries will capitalize on this trend. However, we view regulated electric utilities as particularly well-positioned to take advantage of this structural shift over the long term....

Investments

While You Were Sleeping: CIBC’s Foreign Exchange Team Works 24/7 for Clients

Art Graper, CFP®
August 11, 2020

Buying a house in another country can be a complicated process with many additional considerations and moving parts that can be difficult to navigate. It is not uncommon for wealth advisors to assist clients with real estate purchases—whether it is to invest in commercial real estate or purchase a second home. More rare, however, is when a client calls and needs help purchasing and closing...

Investments

August Investment Bulletin

Bill Norris
August 06, 2020

July key drivers Despite near-term concerns over a spike in COVID-19 cases in the U.S., equity markets continued to rally with the S&P 500 posting gains of over 5% in July, while emerging markets continued to outpace the U.S. gaining nearly 9%, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. High-yield corporate bonds gained as well in the month as the search for yield kicked...

Investments

Q2 2020 Equity Strategy Performance

Patricia Bannan, CFA
July 30, 2020

Second quarter market overview: U.S. and international equities Following the largest quarterly decline in U.S. markets in twelve years and a brutal first quarter internationally, markets rapidly reversed course in the second quarter. Gains were prompted by massive stimulus packages from central banks around the world, signs that Coronavirus growth was slowing and optimism surrounding...

Investments

FOMC Meeting Update

Gary Pzegeo, CFA
July 29, 2020

The Fed restated a message of accommodation with very few changes from the one delivered on June 10. Policy Very little was expected from the Fed and not much was delivered. The target range for federal funds was maintained at 0 to 0.25% and balance sheet expansion will continue at least at the current pace over the coming months. There was an outside chance that the Fed...

Investments

An Introduction to Impact Investing

John Tennaro, CIMA®, CSRIC™
July 23, 2020

What is impact investing? Impact investing provides money and investment to companies, organizations and projects that address social or environmental challenges—such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, conservation, microfinance, and access to affordable basic services, including housing, health care and education. Impact investments Impact investments come in many...

Investments

REIT Update From CIBC Private Wealth’s Equity Income Team

Gordon Scott, CFA
July 14, 2020

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have been in the press a lot lately as they lagged the market during the sell-off in March. This was surprising to many, as real estate is often viewed as a more defensive sector of the market. Given the recent underperformance, a few clients are wary of REITs and recently asked for our views on the real estate market today.Our view is more nuanced. ...

Investments

July Investment Bulletin

Bill Norris
July 09, 2020

June key drivers In spite of recent evidence of a surge in new COVID-19 cases across various states, equity markets were mostly higher in June. The S&P 500 gained 1.9%, while the Russell 3000 Growth Index was up over 4%. Non-U.S. equity markets posted strong results with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index gaining more than 7% in June. Evidence of increased economic activity emerged...

Investments

ECONOMIES, START YOUR ENGINES! But watch for yellow flags

Avery Shenfeld
June 29, 2020

An NBA shutdown just before a scheduled tipoff told Americans that their world had radically changed; the restart of auto racing was among the first signs of an economic renewal. But the revving of the engines was picked up only on TV, with nobody in the stands, a reminder that life isn’t yet back to normal. Similarly, what may sound like a full-throated restart of economic engines this spring...

Investments

Investing Fundamentals: Understanding ESG Investing

John Tennaro, CIMA®, CSRIC™
June 25, 2020

We live in a complicated and rapidly changing world. Thanks to technology, we now have greater access to information. And because we are better informed, we can hold companies accountable to a higher standard in terms of their business practices—especially in relation to the environment and society. ESG investing ESG is an acronym for environmental, social and governance. ESG...

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Uncategorized

Volatility Returns

Dave Donabedian, CFA
October 12, 2018

Download PDF The S&P 500 has dropped over six consecutive trading sessions and is now 7% below the all-time high reached on September 20, 2018. This follows a strong third quarter (+7.2%)—the best in more than four years. Here is where U.S. equity returns stand on a year-to-date basis as of the market close on October 11, 2018: Factors Behind the Selloff While a...

Uncategorized

Investing in China

Ohm Srinivasan, CFA
September 26, 2018

Emerging markets have become volatile in recent months due to the conflict over global trade, especially as it becomes a showdown between the U.S. and China. Both rhetoric and action on this front have been and may continue to be highly unpredictable. The trade war could also have a ripple effect on global growth. At the same time, waiting for all of these macro issues to resolve themselves...

Uncategorized

Emerging Markets: Looking Through the Storm

Dave Donabedian, CFA
August 21, 2018

Download PDF Most headlines related to emerging markets (EM) have been decidedly negative this year. The growing U.S. trade conflict with China (by far the biggest emerging economy) helped spark a bear-market-sized decline in the Shanghai Composite Stock Market Index over the last seven months. 1 More recently, the economic and financial travails of Turkey have rippled through...

Uncategorized

Private Equity: Too Much Demand?

Kyle Leavitt
May 22, 2018

Download PDF This past year saw record levels of capital being raised by Private Equity (PE) funds. This was the result of more firms coming to market to raise funds and a seemingly universal increase in the size of each fund raised. The graphic below shows how substantial the increase has been in both fund size and the number of funds being raised. This influx of capital has been...

Uncategorized

Co-Investments: A Closer Look

Lester P. Duke, CFA
September 20, 2017

Download PDF Co-investing, also referred to as direct investing, is becoming a larger and more dynamic element of private market investing in recent years, and we believe the trend will accelerate over time. Here we provide a brief overview of what co-investing is, how it’s different from investing in a traditional private equity fund, its key advantages and special considerations...

Uncategorized

Is Inflation Whipped?

David L. Donabedian CFA
August 24, 2017

Download PDF In 1974, President Gerald Ford encouraged all Americans to wear "WIN" buttons (Whip Inflation Now) as a way to rally the country against the inflationary spiral that was causing major economic dislocations and rapidly rising interest rates. Fast forward to 2017, and today’s WIN button could stand for “Where’s Inflation Now?” Despite a long economic expansion, a...

Uncategorized

Investors Beware…Of Investors

Scott M. Burg, CFA, CAIA
June 29, 2017

Download PDF Last month’s investment article highlighted the debate surrounding active vs. passive investment, framed by the notion that most professionally managed funds have struggled to keep up with indices in recent years. This month, we continue our discussion, but with a different dimension of active management, looking at whether individual investors are successful in...

Uncategorized

It’s Never Too Early to Plan

Judith A. Saxe AEP®
June 29, 2017

Download PDF Summer is here, and your adult children may now be home from college, your child may be getting ready for his or her first post-college job or you may be helping a child prepare to leave for college for the first time. As a parent, you can use these opportunities to discuss some important estate and financial planning issues that develop as your child becomes an adult....

Uncategorized

Asset Allocation Committee Update

David L. Donabedian CFA
May 24, 2017

Download PDF At its May meeting, the CIBC Atlantic Trust Asset Allocation Committee (AAC) determined that a higher relative allocation to developed international equity markets is appropriate under current market conditions. Developed international markets consist primarily of equities in Europe and Japan, which comprise over 85% of the MSCI Europe, Australia, Far East Index...

Uncategorized

An Active Debate on Passive Investing

John Tennaro
May 24, 2017

Download PDF There have been many existential debates about the “optimal” way to invest: growth stocks vs. value stocks, international vs. U.S.-only portfolios, and the list goes on. This type of discussion tends to crop up after one type of investment outperforms another type for a period of time, which leads some to declare that today’s winner will remain superior for years to...

Uncategorized

What Is Artificial Intelligence and Why Should Investors Care?

Jigar Patel
March 30, 2017

We believe artificial intelligence is one of the most exciting and transformative opportunities on the horizon. The foundation of computing was built upon the idea of people instructing a computer regarding the processes it should perform. Computers behaved like calculators, crunching data without having the ability to make decisions. In recent years, however, technology has made...

Uncategorized

What’s the Deal with Private Equity? Understanding Private Equity Returns

Daniel Criscuolo
February 23, 2017

For some investors, private equity (PE) may be a bit of a mystery. Their only exposure might be a story in The Wall Street Journal, likely titled, “Is this the end of private equity?” While it seems that this article comes out every year, the asset class has been generating attractive long-term performance over multiple investment cycles, and we believe performance will be attractive for years...

Uncategorized

Surprise, Surprise

David L. Donabedian CFA
December 01, 2016

Both the Election and Market Reaction Confound the Consensus At its November meeting, the Atlantic Trust Asset Allocation Committee (AAC) focused on the economic and investment implications of the election results. We believe the unique nature of the incoming administration, along with the Republican Congress and “one-party rule” in Washington, will bring significant change to the policy...

Uncategorized

Year-End Tax Planning Checklist: What to Know

Ryan Christine Coulson
December 01, 2016

Every year we advise our clients to engage in routine, year-end tax planning. This planning is needed now, especially as we take President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tax policies into consideration. With the new year quickly approaching, our Wealth Strategies Group has created the following checklist that may serve as a starting point for your year-end tax planning: ...

Uncategorized

Winners and Losers: Potential Election Impact on Market Sectors

W. Brant Houston CFA
September 27, 2016

In this very political season, investors are increasingly focused on how the November election will impact the investment environment for 2017. In the upcoming issue of The Advisor , our quarterly newsletter, we cover potential consequences for the tax code as well as the economic implications for trade policy. Aside from these major macro issues, there could be industry-specific policy...

Uncategorized

"Is It Over Yet?" Thoughts on the Election and Markets

David L. Donabedian CFA
August 30, 2016

More than a year after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman Donald Trump entered the presidential race, we still have over two months to go before Election Day. The “campaign season” has turned into a near-permanent state of affairs. A baby born on the day Clinton announced her candidacy will most likely be walking and talking by the election date, and a Major League...

Uncategorized

Creating Flexible Trusts in Uncertain Times

Judith A. Saxe AEP®
June 29, 2016

Attorneys and other advisors often recommend trusts to help manage and protect assets for the long term or to help achieve a certain tax benefit. If a trust is designed to be irrevocable, whether during life or after death, it is critical to consider whether it makes sense to add provisions that may enable trust modifications if necessary to adapt to changing times and circumstances....

Uncategorized

Negative Interest Rates: Paying to Save

Gary E. Pzegeo CFA
June 29, 2016

Exorbitant pricing has returned to markets, and not just in Silicon Valley or biotech stocks. Over the last several months, central banks in Europe and Japan have begun charging member financial institutions to store bank reserves anywhere from 0.1% to 0.4% of the value of those reserves. This has been called Negative Interest Rate Policy, or NIRP. The numbers are small, but the...

Uncategorized

3 Questions to Ask When Helping Aging Parents with Estate Planning

Carly Howard
May 25, 2016

What can you do to help your parents with their estate planning? It’s difficult to know what kind of “help” your parents may need—or when it’s the right time to step in—especially if your parents are reluctant to share information about their finances. Coordinating with your parents’ advisors is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of your parents’ estate planning needs. ...

Uncategorized

Brexit: Will They Stay or Will They Go?

David L. Donabedian CFA
May 25, 2016

"Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" This is the question that British voters will answer in a June 23rd national referendum. As the vote approaches, this could be a source of volatility in global equity, fixed income and currency markets. ...

Wealth Strategies

Personal Finance for Young Adults: Stocks vs. Bonds

Halsey Schreier
September 16, 2020

You’ve probably heard of stocks and bonds. Both are essential building blocks of most investment portfolios and are often mentioned in the same breath. Stocks and bonds are two types of investments that can help you grow your money—but how they do it and the returns they offer can be very different. Listen to the podcast What exactly is a stock? A stock is a unit that...

Wealth Strategies

Financial Planning for Young Adults: Saving for Retirement With Your First 401(k)

Halsey Schreier
September 01, 2020

If you just started a new job or are evaluating multiple offers, you shouldn’t focus solely on the salary. You should also consider everything a company has to offer—including whether the benefits package allows you to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k). Listen to the podcast What is a 401(k)? A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored, tax-advantaged...

Wealth Strategies

Personal Finance for Young Adults: Strategic Philanthropy

Halsey Schreier
August 18, 2020

By making charitable donations to support the organizations and causes we care about, the hope is that we can make the world a better place and potentially build a legacy that reflects our values for future generations. If you feel compelled to support charitable causes, as many of us do, strategic giving should be part of your overall financial plan. Strategic philanthropy involves...

Wealth Strategies

Personal Finance for Young Adults: Estate Planning

Halsey Schreier
August 04, 2020

A common misconception is that you have to be either old or rich to have an estate plan, which is why a lot of young people avoid it. But the reality is that estate planning is important regardless of your age or wealth—even if you are young and have modest assets. Listen to the podcast What is estate planning? Estate planning is more than just deciding how you want to divvy up your...

Wealth Strategies

Personal Finance for Young Adults: Savings Basics and the Power of Compounding

Halsey Schreier
July 21, 2020

Saving money can be challenging, especially if you’re just getting started in your career. If you are like a lot of young professionals, you may discover that there’s not much left over from your paycheck once the rent and bills have been paid, and it is easy to neglect saving for the future. But if you can start saving now while you’re young, no matter how small the amount, it could be one of...

Wealth Strategies

Personal Finance for Young Adults: Understanding Credit

Halsey Schreier
July 07, 2020

Establishing and building good credit is often essential to achieving financial success in life, but a solid credit rating can be difficult to attain. With credit, there are a lot of potential pitfalls, especially for those new to the concept. It is important to understand what credit is, how it works and how to use it wisely. Listen to the podcast What is credit? ...

Wealth Strategies

Investing Fundamentals for Young Adults: Mutual Funds Basics

Halsey Schreier
June 11, 2020

There are a number of reasons that may prompt younger people to want to learn about mutual funds. Investing is a key component to building wealth, and mutual funds are a great place to start—especially for those new to investing. Listen to the podcast What is a mutual fund? A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools the money of many investors who share a similar...

Wealth Strategies

Investing Fundamentals For Young Adults: Understanding Risk

Halsey Schreier
May 29, 2020

By taking the time to understand the full scope of the potential risks and rewards of an investment, you can save money, potentially make money, and possibly avoid some of the disappointment and surprise that can happen when things don’t go as planned. Listen to the podcast Understanding Risk Risk is a fact of life. We encounter it every day—even during life’s most mundane...

Wealth Strategies

Investing Fundamentals For Young Adults: Asset Allocation

Halsey Schreier
May 22, 2020

When you’re in your early 20s, financial planning isn’t the first item you tend to think about. Yet for parents, it can be nerve-racking to take an unfamiliar seat on the sidelines as children graduate from college and navigate careers on their own. While it is an exciting, new chapter in life, it is only natural for parents to want the best for their children and to help them get off to a...

Wealth Strategies

Proactive planning with low market values using gifts

Theresa Marx
May 06, 2020

This is the sixth article in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. As the world economy trudges through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many investment and financial plans are on hold. However, these challenging times may present an opportunity to focus on how best to preserve wealth for the benefit of future generations. With...

Wealth Strategies

Proactive planning with low interest rates using intra-family loans

Theresa Marx
April 29, 2020

This is the fifth in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. The current economic conditions and market volatility have left many lacking confidence about the future. Yet it is important, perhaps now more than ever, to continue to look for wealth planning opportunities and not lose sight of the things that matter most in life—which for...

Wealth Strategies

Proactive planning with low market values using a sale to a Grantor Trust

Theresa Marx
April 20, 2020

This is the fourth in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. Despite the current uncertainty and continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there still may be opportunities for wealth planning. The current unfortunate circumstances have created a prime environment for certain wealth transfer strategies—such as sales to grantor trusts—which...

Wealth Strategies

Proactive Planning With Low Market Values Using Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts

Theresa Marx
April 13, 2020

This is the third blog in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. Much has been written about how market volatility and low asset valuations create an opportunity to efficiently move wealth to children and grandchildren.While those explanations might resonate, not everyone is ready to give away a significant amount of wealth.After all, what if...

Wealth Strategies

Proactive Planning in Volatile Markets with Roth Conversions

Theresa Marx
April 08, 2020

This is the second in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. Do you have a traditional IRA that will produce ordinary income on distributions? Would you like to possibly mitigate income taxes on those distributions for yourself as well as your heirs? Financial markets have declined over recent weeks, as investors digested evidence of a...

Wealth Strategies

The CARES Act: Key issues for individuals and businesses

Becky Milliman
April 01, 2020

On March 27, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). This $2 trillion aid package is designed to provide financial relief and stability to individuals and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act includes relief for individuals in a number of ways including: changes to the treatment of retirement plan accounts,...

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Women's CIRCLE

Benefits of a GRAT when market values are low

Theresa Marx
March 26, 2020

This is the first in a six-part series that focuses on proactive planning strategies in a volatile market. Global pandemic fears, plunging stocks, the Fed’s emergency interest rate cut and a steep decline in 10-year Treasury yields wreaked havoc on many investment portfolios in recent weeks. Regardless of how bleak the situation may appear, low stock prices and rock-bottom interest...

Women's CIRCLE

Proactive Planning During a Time of Uncertainty and Volatility

Theresa Marx
March 22, 2020

While COVID-19 spreads in our world, our country and our communities, many may feel that they are only reacting to the news and circumstances surrounding them. But, there are ways to be proactive during this time as we socially distance ourselves and worry about our health and the health of those around us, as well as the volatility in the markets. From a planning perspective now is a good...

Women's CIRCLE

Cybersecurity – The Conversation that Is Missing from the Presidential Debates

Amanda Regnier
March 04, 2020

There is no doubt that advancements in technology are making the world we live in increasingly interconnected. Today, just about every aspect of how we live our lives—from how we communicate, store and transmit personal information, to the production systems and supply chains that are the backbone of our economy, and how we carry out geopolitical and national security—is dependent on the...

Women's CIRCLE

Choosing the Right Fiduciary

Kimberly Dwan Bernatz
February 19, 2020

Over the next 25 years, 45 million U.S. households are expected to transfer $68 trillion to the next generation, according to Cerulli Associates. Given the wide use of trusts for estate planning purposes, it’s not surprising that the largest generational wealth transfer in history has resulted in increased trust litigation particularly surrounding the role of successor trustees. A successor...

Women's CIRCLE

4 Gifting Strategies That May Work for You and Your Family

Judy Saxe, AEP®, CAP®
February 18, 2020

This is the third blog in a three-part series that focuses on effective philanthropy. Part 1: 3 Steps to Begin (or Continue) Philanthropy Part 2: 4 Steps to Create a Plan for your Philanthropy With a multitrillion-dollar intergenerational wealth transfer set to take place over the next few decades—and a significant portion of that wealth earmarked for philanthropic...

Women's CIRCLE

Financial Planning Challenges & IPOs

Brad Craig
February 12, 2020

This is part 2 of a two-part blog series on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Read part 1: IPO Markets IPOs of common stock have generated enormous wealth for founders, investors and employees of emerging startup companies. Identifying an experienced wealth management team (Tax Accountant, Financial Planner, Investment Strategist, Trust & Estate Attorney) is critical to manage...

Women's CIRCLE

4 Steps to Create a Plan for your Philanthropy

Judy Saxe, AEP®, CAP®
February 11, 2020

This is the second blog in a three-part series that focuses on effective philanthropy. Read Part 1: 3 Steps to Begin (or Continue) Philanthropy Developing a path to achieving a philanthropic goal can be challenging. The approach must be clear enough to be actionable, yet flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances. To determine your philanthropic path, it’s important for...

Women's CIRCLE

3 Steps to Begin (or Continue) Philanthropy

Judy Saxe, AEP®, CAP®
February 04, 2020

This is the first blog in a three-part series that focuses on effective philanthropy. Part 2: 4 Steps to Create a Plan for your Philanthropy Part 3: 4 Gifting Strategies That May Work for You and Your Family Philanthropic giving can be an expression of your beliefs and values, a way to connect with others in the community or with family, and an opportunity to create a...

Women's CIRCLE

The SECURE Act: An Overview of What You Should Know

Theresa Marx
January 23, 2020

While the SECURE Act reforms are supposed to make saving for retirement more accessible for a greater number of Americans, there could be unintended consequences, especially for beneficiaries of inherited retirement assets. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) now start at age 72 Americans are living longer and working longer, and now they no longer have to start taking...

Women's CIRCLE

Healthcare and Wealth Management—Two Sides of the Same Coin

Becky Milliman
October 22, 2019

Advances in modern medicine have made it possible for people to live much longer than ever before. Of course, this is great news. However, a longer life also heightens the risk of running out of money in retirement. This, combined with ever-increasing healthcare costs, paints a potentially dismal picture for many retirees. Indeed, healthcare spending has reached over $3.5 billion in the...

Women's CIRCLE

In a Divorce, Equitable Doesn’t Always Mean Equal

Beth McRae Mayfield
October 15, 2019

No one goes into marriage thinking about splitting. Yet, statistics repeatedly show that roughly half of marriages end in divorce. For many divorcing couples, the signs of financial inequity present themselves well in advance of the divorce proceedings. Still, it’s natural to overlook them, especially when you’re not searching for trouble. Few divorce cases result in an even 50/50 split of...

Women's CIRCLE

3 Considerations for Building Flexibility into Your Trusts

Theresa Marx
October 01, 2019

This is the fourth blog in a four-part series that focuses on estate planning strategies. When the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) was passed, it included a doubling of the federal estate, gift, and GST tax exemption amounts to $10 million, adjusted for inflation. As a result, in 2019, those exemptions are $11.4 million per individual. While the increased exemptions...

Women's CIRCLE

3 Real Estate Transfer Strategies That May Be Right for You

Theresa Marx
September 26, 2019

This is the third blog in a four-part series that focuses on estate planning strategies. The estate and gift tax exemption is $11.4 million per person ($22.8 million for a married couple) in 2019. Depending on your circumstances, gift planning with real estate can be an effective way to take advantage of a large exemption amount without hurting your liquidity. Of course, there are many...

Women's CIRCLE

2 Reasons Why a Dynasty Trust May be an Attractive Strategy

Theresa Marx
September 17, 2019

This is the second blog in a four-part series that focuses on estate planning strategies. There are many reasons to make gifts to younger family members in trust for their benefit rather than outright. Some of the benefits include asset protection, tax planning, and family control. When creating a trust for many generations, one common strategy is a dynasty trust. A dynasty trust is...

Women's CIRCLE

5 Gifting Strategies That May Work for You and Your Family

Theresa Marx
September 12, 2019

This is the first blog in a four-part series that focuses on estate planning strategies. The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 has provided a valuable incentive to review existing estate plans and implement new family wealth transfer plans. When planning for the transfer of your wealth, you’ll likely be faced with an array of options. Whether you are leaving a treasured asset to a loved one or...

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