Investment Strategies

Millennial and Gen Z Americans aren't investing in homes the same way as previous generations: The National Association of Realtors found the median age of first-time buyers last year was 40, an all time high. Here's what wealth advisors need to know.

The department worries that some products, including Section 351 conversions and box spread ETFs, could be ripe for abuse. It is actively evaluating tools to address those concerns.

Which private investments will generate income and protect capital after liquidity dries up? Financial advisors can look to fund managers to provide important clues.

A Deloitte analysis shows that alternative allocations — to private equity, private credit and other vehicles — in DC plans could grow quickly.

The firm isn't discussing the news reports suggesting it's for sale. Here's how it has built such a close relationship with so many planners over the years.

Two-thirds of Americans fear running out of money in retirement. Advisors who aren't planning for a 40- to 50-year horizon may not be planning far enough.

Clients with concentrated stock holdings might be better off turning their portfolios into ETFs in a tax deferral transaction called a Section 351 conversion.

As the SEC pushes to widen access to private equity, private credit and other alternative investments, Morgan Stanley and Envestnet are among firms that already have funds no longer aimed exclusively at "accredited investors."

In pitting AI agents against historic 60-40 portfolio results, JPMorgan found AI won every time. But researchers could not rule out the possibility that the systems could have essentially cheated.

On June 30, the SEC asked for public comments on the regulator's proposed amendments to novel ETFs. About a week in, responses tilt to a hard "no thank you."

For financial advisors, the surge in new wealth highlights continued opportunity for those targeting prospects coming into sizable sums of money.

At Morningstar's conference last month, speakers from companies like Blackstone, BlackRock and PIMCO added helpful context to the recent headlines on risk and alternatives.

A survey found that a majority of investors disagreed with requiring scaling back to semiannual reporting for public companies.

A new academic paper finds variable prepaid forwards to be much more effective than options collars with margin loans — even though they're more complex and less accessible.

Although low-cost ETFs remain the most common component of model portfolios built by BlackRock and other third parties, private credit, equity and other alternatives are gaining ground.

Whether advisors choose individual stocks or not, the SEC's proposal to allow semiannual reporting rather than quarterly could impact clients' portfolios.

From Janus Henderson to independent RIAs, the mid-2026 investing consensus is quietly contrarian: diversify, rebalance, ignore the hype.

Financial advisors and their clients must prepare for the possibilities of a stock downturn, unexpected early retirement, long-term care and inflation, experts say.

Portfolio managers from Fidelity, Columbia Threadneedle and JPMorgan said the case for dividend investing remains strong, even if it receives less emphasis than other strategies these days.

A value resurgence will overtake growth-stock dominance — the catalysts are already in motion, says Bernard Horn of Polaris Capital Management.

The U.S. Department of Labor collected public comments on its proposal to give fiduciaries discretion to include alternative investments in 401(k) plans.

Academic researchers commissioned by fund companies closely examined the S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) scorecard, with some striking results.

Amid geopolitical uncertainty and fears of a trade war, family offices also show a preference in investing in developed markets.

Talking about the importance of one type of tax planning or another is far different from implementing all of those strategies across the industry.

Merrill, BMO and Schwab are among many firms helping clients take out security-backed loans against market gains to avoid capital gains tax hits.

At their institutional investor day, Charles Schwab executives say they see a huge opportunity in arranging securities-backed loans for firms in its RIA network.

The hire is part of a BlackRock's plan to strengthen its business with family offices, which it views as a rapidly expanding part of the wealth management business.

The tool to track midsize private companies comes as firms in that category increase, while public firms are on the decline.

The pilot program offers rates better than Coinbase, Robinhood and Charles Schwab and will be rolled out to all of Morgan Stanley's 8.6 million E-Trade users later this year.

Evaluating private equity performance is notoriously difficult due to lack of transparency. Asking these 3 questions makes it easier for financial advisors.

Despite the war in Iran and uncertainty over interest rates, the latest Financial Advisor Confidence Outlook shows that advisor sentiment has turned positive for the first time since January.

Blue Owl has borne the brunt of investor angst around private credit and their non-traded BDCs after a scrutinized and eventually scrapped merger of two of its private credit funds in November led the manager to halt redemptions from the non-traded vehicle.

The firms' collaboration shines a light on how the wealth management business works today and how it is evolving, as advisors weigh independence against the risks of "poking the bear" when they leave.

Matthew Pallai said he has no doubt wealth managers explained the risks of private credit when recommending it to clients, but the recent rush to withdraw money from credit funds suggests "they probably should have said it more often and said it louder."

Schwab limits the proportion of assets that its advisory partners can hold in risky long-short SMAs to 30% of the total.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said that opacity of the private credit market and a flurry of redemption requests are raising concerns about defaults.

Exchange funds could help address some wealthy clients' concentration risks and tax quandaries at the same time.

One of the asset management firms also took home the independent research firm's overall award for "exemplary stewardship."

The intersection between HNW clients and private markets is no longer about distribution, but integration.

Rare book collectors can sometimes see a healthy return on an investment, but advisors and other experts say the market is illiquid, and volatile — and books require careful storage and preservation.

A recent downturn has highlighted the external factors weighing on the price, but experts say the fundamentals haven't changed.

Investors are looking to pull private investments, but strict withdrawal limits are causing angst.

Women often feel talked down to when it comes to financial matters. Advisors with experience serving women clients say the industry has a lot of work to do to change this.

There's "no free lunch investing in private assets," the research firm said in its latest study of semiliquid assets — released a week before Blue Owl permanently shut the gate of a closely watched private credit fund.

The sales pitch that private equity funds outperform publicly available investments is drawing much more skepticism. Here are the murky signals in the sector.

The dispute highlights how control over assets in increasingly popular DAFs can become contested — and what that could mean for advisors and their clients.

An increasing number of warning signs point to a potential dot-com-level correction. So, how can advisors adjust client portfolios now?

Private equity in 401(k)s may face significant liquidity strains, reducing returns and complicating plan management, according to new Morningstar research.

A few weeks ago, analysts at UBS laid out a worst-case scenario for defaults in the private credit sector. Their outlook just became more grim.

The 6-3 Supreme Court ruling against one of President Donald Trump's signature economic policies was consequential, but experts say volatility is unlikely to be over.

Retail investors increased their allocations to private equity, private credit by a whopping 36% last year as advisors look for diversification and strong returns.

Betterment is further encroaching on Charles Schwab and Fidelity's turf with a new referral program and portfolio options.

A solid sixth man for the Milwaukee Bucks built his family's wealth after his playing days. Here's what financial advisors and investors can learn from his example.

SyntheticFi co-founder Joseph Wang says his firm's investment and trading technology makes an options strategy long embraced by hedge funds more accessible to advisors and their clients.

Given recent renewed interest in the medium, top enthusiasts' collections can be worth six figures. But quality generally beats quantity, and it pays to be informed about which rare pressings are most sought-after.

Rich Guerrini said the bank plans to expand its advisor ranks by about 50% as it targets mass affluent and other new clients with personalized branch-based service.

The focus of retirement planning is shifting, according to Morningstar experts, moving away from simple saving toward bespoke decumulation strategies and guaranteed lifetime income solutions.

The "sticker shock" of tax rates and IRS reporting rules may place the recent record highs and falls in a different context for investors, one expert says.

Financial advisors say they are increasing client portfolio allocations to international stocks in the latest Financial Planning survey.

Virtually every major firm on Wall Street has joined the push into private markets, with many trying to get in early on the biggest "next big thing" to hit financial services since the exchange-traded fund.

A federal judge rejects arguments that U.S. Bank has a fiduciary duty toward uninvested cash sitting in clients' brokerage accounts.

None of the findings in a new working academic paper will likely surprise financial advisors. But they could provide some helpful data for conversations with investors.

Artificial intelligence tops the investment priority list for family offices globally, a survey from JPMorgan's private bank shows, though allocations lag and remain concentrated in public equities.

With more than $12 trillion in assets, the company led by CEO Salim Ramji is pressing its advantages of scale in a rapidly consolidating, commodified industry.

Red flags may abound, but so do arguments for an extended equities streak. Keeping clients on an even keel is crucial.

The accounts give wealthy investors more opportunities to place alternative vehicles in a tax-advantaged retirement nest egg. But mistakes can be costly.

The Wall Street giant still is often associated with deposits, lending and checking and savings accounts. But it's among the throng of firms seeking to give clients easy access to both banking and investing services online.

Fixed-income ETFs are rapidly gaining popularity among advisors, driven by growing familiarity, diverse offerings and strong asset flows, new Cerulli research shows.

The results of Morningstar's latest study tracking fees and performance finds accelerating consolidation and commodification that makes advice more valuable.

Even as crypto prices slide, a growing share of financial advisors are adding digital assets to client portfolios, with firm policies slowly catching up.

As adoption of the dual-wrapper products accelerates, so will questions about timing, pricing and residual balances.

A new Morningstar study suggests managed accounts can significantly boost retirement wealth, particularly for younger workers and those currently managing their own portfolios.

Regulators officially approved 30 more funds last month, with more expected authorizations in 2026. Will financial advisors and their clients bite?

Once rare, the same kind of permissive terms that are widespread on leveraged loans are becoming increasingly common in the $1.7 trillion private credit market.

Spot bitcoin ETFs simplify custody, but they cost clients a major tax advantage. Here is why direct ownership still wins for HNW and UHNW clients.

Starting in 2026, the starting age limit for those with significant disabilities to take advantage of these tax-advantaged savings accounts has been raised by 20 years.

It's no surprise that AI saw big gains, but some longstanding winners saw their fortune flag.

Fixed-income represented a surprising bright spot in 2025, despite the warnings of "bond vigilantes" and inflation pressure. Here's the outlook for 2026.

Even as markets sometimes touched all-time highs, there was a general feeling of uncertainty among advisors and clients. Experts say that's why several tried-and-true strategies became more attractive this year.

The recent fall in the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is likely to blame, experts say, but don't expect that decrease to continue forever.

Independent research firm Morningstar's latest study of the value of financial advice examines tax-efficient IRA asset location during the decumulation phase.

FINRA identifies new ways firms and investors are using technology like AI to spot changes in market sentiment and asks the industry to chime in on how finfluencers and others are using social media.

An industry lawyer warns that RIAs often don't do enough to delineate their responsibilities and shield themselves from liability when they add tax preparation to their service offerings.

From crypto to private markets to AI and beyond, here are the investing trends and themes to watch in the new year.

An increasingly popular form of lending enables financial advisors and their clients to offset capital gains and find other tax savings.

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering moving cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance. Experts say this could go a long way toward establishing the industry's legitimacy.

Morningstar's study of this growing area of asset management suggests that 529 plan quality is rising, despite the research firm's lackluster grades for it.

Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, growing in popularity, allow users to essentially bet on nearly everything. If your clients have questions, here's what experts say you should tell them.

Current market conditions and declining interest rates make small-cap ETFs an attractive option for diversification, but choosing the right one requires a hard look at the details.

When it comes to retirement planning, financial advisors are always looking for an edge. Could these strategies get them there?

Private allocations can give retirees on a glide path a modest lift in returns, new Morningstar research shows — though the impact isn't uniform across savers.

Funds that primarily hold select cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, XRP and solana will be allowed.

Innovator Capital Management, which Goldman will acquire next year, was a pioneer with ETFs that hedge risk by offsetting investors' exposure to equity losses by also capping their ability to realize gains.

After the newly crypto-friendly Donald Trump won reelection, bitcoin jumped over $100,000. Many advisors and even more clients remain skeptical, though.

A new Cerulli report finds that advisors who outsource investment management spend more time in direct dealings with clients.

Concerns grows that the the $1.7 trillion private credit industry could be adding hard-to-detect risks to the U.S. financial system.

Falling client risk tolerance and domestic turmoil may mean that these international equity funds could be more attractive to investors looking for diversification.

A hedging product tied to bitcoin offers investors enhanced gains and downside protection — as long as an underlying ETF doesn't lose more than 25% of its value.

After years of strong market returns, concern over stretched equity valuations is rising. Could a long-overlooked options strategy be the right tool for the moment?

Findings from iterations of Financial Planning's Financial Advisory Confidence Outlook show which assets have stood the test of time.