There are two types of tax-advantaged accounts for saving for college expenses: A Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) account and a 529 Plan. While both plans have their differences and advantages, consider both as viable options.
The US market for ESG-related products is less than half the size previously reported, according to the main umbrella organization for sustainable investing.
The US Supreme Court expanded a planned showdown over President Joe Biden’s student-loan relief plan, saying it will hear arguments from two borrowers who contend they are being unfairly excluded from the full scope of the program.
Things are looking up for people who are close to retirement, according to a Morningstar report published Monday.
Professional speculators with billions in bearish trades on the line endured a rough ride after Tuesday’s report on US consumer prices brought the latest sign that the Federal Reserve is making progress in its battle against inflation.
The world’s biggest bond market got the ammo it needed from a below-forecast consumer price figure to fully lock in a Federal Reserve downshift in their policy-rate tightening pace, though not enough to wave an all clear sign for Treasuries.
The battle against inflation is far from over, but markets can’t be blamed for rushing to judgment after an unequivocally positive consumer price index report Tuesday.
One of the most emotional topics I discuss with advisors – male or female – is about appropriate dress. This was evident in a recent conversation with an advisor who tried to look “cool.”
The client had been with us for more than 15 years. When she left, I called her to ask if there was anything we could have done differently or better.
One thing to consider when opening a 529 plan is whether it should be a custodial or individual account. While both allow you to save for college costs and enjoy some tax breaks, they differ in terms of who has control of the account and the assets in it.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., UBS Group AG and Deutsche Bank AG are among banks profiting as the growth of Brazilian hedge funds forces them to look overseas to fuel returns.
With mortgage rates retreating from their highest since 2002 and the US housing market cooling, some buyers are expecting to get a deal next year instead of having to contend with sky-high home prices. Unfortunately, that’s just wishful thinking.
Tesla Inc. shares are trading at their cheapest-ever level, as the electric-car maker’s stock slumps more than 50% this year.
Federal Reserve officials are set to increase their 2023 unemployment projections for a third straight time amid warnings that their inflation-fighting campaign increasingly risks tipping the US economy into a recession.
The chorus of buy calls on government bonds is growing louder but BlackRock Inc. begs to differ.
President Joe Biden’s administration outlined a new rule in October whereby the Department of Energy could buy oil for future delivery — most likely 2024 — at fixed prices to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Here is a structure for the first meeting to make prospects feel understood.
All states and Washington, D.C. sponsor at least one 529 college savings plan. Some states provide additional tax benefits by letting you make tax-deductible contributions up to certain limits.
How do we decide who is genuinely in need? How do we know when our giving is helpful and when it might merely foster dependence or even be a scam?
By any measure, America is failing at that task. For the sake of the economy, society and even the environment, it must do better.
As the US economy veered toward the biggest inflation shock in four decades, investors flocked to the one corner of Wall Street that seemed a sure-fire refuge: Treasuries that provide extra compensation to keep up with rising consumer prices.
The path of US inflation in 2023 may have more surprises in store after a year in which consumers suffered the biggest cost-of-living hit in 40 years, spurring steep interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and spooking investors.
Asset managers are trying to digest new regulatory proposals that have the potential to upend Europe’s biggest ESG fund category.
Ahead of this week’s Federal Reserve meeting — and in a year when many didn’t make the right calls — professional investors and do-it-yourselfers are sharply divided over the best way to position ahead of the central bank’s rate decision on Dec. 14.
Rather than feudalism, we are headed toward hyper-capitalism, where each person is an entrepreneur constantly selling his or her services to the highest bidder.
“Verb sales” in retirement income, or in liability minimization, needs regulatory support immediately. By “verbs,” I mean selling services – such as financial planning – rather than “nouns” – such as investment products like annuities.
We’ve broken down nine of the best 529 plans.
More balanced risk strategies in PLIBs are likely to be optimal (e.g., 40-50% equities), although the ability to personalize the risk level is important based on the household situation and preferences.
When I heard that the investment management firm GMO had created a retirement planning tool to mitigate “sequence of returns” risk I looked forward to learning about it. After setting aside a stumbling block or two in its white papers, I found it to be the best platform for financial advisors I have ever seen.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has history on his side as he and colleagues split with Wall Street over how long interest rates will stay high in 2023.
It has been my tradition to informally rate the investment-related books I read in the past year.
For a long time, one acronym reigned supreme on Wall Street — TINA, or “there is no alternative,” which was used to talk about the allure of stocks in a low interest-rate environment. But now, BARB — or “bonds are back” — is the new queen.
A near-total ban on imports of Russian crude into the European Union is finally hitting Russia’s oil revenue. Concerns that it would provide the Kremlin with a windfall to fund its war in Ukraine have been confounded — for now.
For some investors, this year’s rout in high-flying technology stocks is more than a bear market: It’s the end of an era for a handful of giant companies such as Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
The steady drumbeat of warnings that the American economy is careening toward a recession finally struck a nerve on Wall Street.
That question is likely top of mind for anyone who has seen or played around with ChatGPT, the AI-powered chat tool from OpenAI, the $20 billion AI research organization.
The pay negotiation season is looking increasingly fraught this year as workers fret about 8% inflation — and their job security.
Mixed news on US inflation reinforced the precariousness of the bond market’s recent gains ahead of next week’s consumer prices gauge and the Federal Reserve’s last rate decision of the year.
As the debate heats up over ESG investing, fixed-income professionals say they need more data than what’s currently out there.
The Federal Reserve is set to disappoint Wall Street as it keeps rates at their peak throughout 2023, dashing hopes markets have priced in for rate cuts in the second half and making a recession very likely.
Investment portfolios belonging to retail traders suffered a $350 billion blow this year as big bets on risky stocks and former high-fliers like Tesla Inc. backfired for the mom-and-pop set.
A rush of regulation and investor pressure is forcing companies to do a better job of tallying up the environmental impact of their operations and the products they sell. That’s stirring demand for software that helps businesses measure carbon emissions.
US short-term inflation expectations unexpectedly declined to the lowest level in more than a year and consumer sentiment picked up, helped by falling gasoline prices.
From homeowners renting out spare rooms to publicly traded real estate investment trusts, landlords in colder areas of the US are bracing for their heating costs to soar this winter.
Some of the world's biggest investors predict that stocks will see low double-digit gains next year, which would bring relief after global equities suffered their worst loss since 2008.
Here are four questions independent financial advisors should ask before choosing a TAMP.
Stop being reactionary, waiting to get inbound opportunities, rather than systematically and proactively putting in place a system to target specific ideal clients (i.e., higher net worth) that you want to engage.
Staying invested over the long term and deploying more capital when consumer sentiment is pessimistic can lead to better outcomes over full market cycles.
The Federal Reserve hasn’t had much success so far in wrestling down sky-high inflation, but its monetary tightening campaign is having a major impact in deflating asset bubbles that swelled during the pandemic.
At a time when virtually all of Wall Street is on guard against a recession, Jim Paulsen of The Leuthold Group said stocks are about to rally at least 25% in the next year.