Articles, Market Commentary
& More

Why should employers care about having a retirement plan as a part of their benefits package? Two answers and several options.

A recent surge in assets ($29B in 2000 to $3.6T in 2018)1 held in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has sparked debate about whether mutual funds or ETFs should be used when constructing investment portfolios. Although the product decision (ETF or mutual fund) is important, research has shown that asset allocation is the main driver of portfolio performance […]

Savant’s vision is to help build ideal futures for our clients, our team, and the communities we serve. As a part of that vision, our Women’s Wealth Initiative was created to inspire, inform, and empower women to pursue their best financial futures. Through educational events, networking opportunities, and resources on financial topics specific to women, we hope to […]

Mutual fund capital gains distributions are often misunderstood and can be an unpleasant surprise for investors with taxable accounts. No investor sets out to pay more taxes than necessary when selecting mutual funds. However, capital gains distributions can catch you off guard if you are not familiar with what they are and how they work. […]

You have been thinking about, saving, and planning for your retirement for decades. Retirement can mean freedom from the demands of a job, but will only be true freedom if you are prepared both financially and mentally for the shift. As you reach the final years before retirement – ensure you are ready by following this […]

Brent Brodeksi was quoted in the article, “Why Building a Multibillion Dollar Firm is Not for the Faint of Heart” on Financial-Planning.com. The article discussed some of the challenges that principals face when growing their RIA into an enterprise firm.

Recently, my family and I watched home videos until 11 PM; these were old snippets of tapes (about an hour and a half’s worth) that we had converted over to DVDs a few years ago. This particular DVD was a block of time in which we watched my youngest son (I have three sons) as he […]

10 Basic and Advanced Tactics to Employ During Market Declines : These ten strategies have similar themes — an estate freeze, the leveraged gift, and the concept of selling bad investments and buying good investments at low prices. Tax considerations are an important part of the plan too.

October 1st brought changes to the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) which defines sectors of the economy commonly used for grouping and comparing public companies. The changes are meant to reflect the ongoing integration of communications, media, and technology companies. The updated classifications should provide more relevant groupings based on how these companies operate and […]

Global stocks were slightly positive for the month as both U.S. and International large cap stocks rose while small caps stocks were down both domestically and internationally. Bond returns were negative across the board with the exception of short‐term bonds which were up 0.1% in September. Global REITs and managed futures were down while commodities […]

When people think of retirement, obvious things come to mind: Did I save enough to be able to achieve my goals in retirement?  How much am I able to spend?  What happens if we experience another recession?  Although those are very important considerations, few take the time to examine their emotional well-being and how it […]

Headlines during August were focused on U.S. trade talks. Stock market returns were bifurcated as U.S. stocks rose and international stocks fell. Although not a big factor last month, international stock returns for U.S. investors in 2018 have been negatively impacted by the strengthening U.S. dollar, especially in emerging markets. Bond returns were positive in […]