This article was originally published in 2021; however, the information is still relevant. Thanks to the internet, holiday shopping is more convenient than ever—not just for consumers, but for cybercriminals…
I have many pet peeves. I don’t like it when pillows in our house are lying on the floor. It irritates me when people talk on speaker phone in public. It drives me crazy when people rush to stand up in the aisle of an airplane once it lands (I’m really not as angry as it might seem).
Every year, we encourage our clients enrolled in a Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription plan to take a few minutes to verify that their existing plan remains the best option for them. For the 2025 plan year, there’s a little more urgency, as some big changes are occurring that have never been a factor before.
Starting in 2025, Medicare is setting a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for those with Part D drug plans. From brokers I have spoken with, this has caused a lot of turmoil in this market as some providers are changing what drugs will be covered under their formularies, co-pays, deductibles, and coverage of brand versus generic. If you were happy with your Part D drug plan in 2024, it could be a different story in 2025.
In the 1950s, Harry Markowitz was one of the creators of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). In summary, he was able to create an “optimal” portfolio of 60% stocks and 40% bonds. Over time, this mix generated most of the returns of stocks with much less downside risk. This was the early introduction of the asset allocation issue that is critical to portfolio construction. However, is this still the optimal way to create a portfolio?
Our team regularly reads articles from industry peers and trusted resources to stay up to date on financial markets. We enjoy reading about topics related to economics, investments, current events,…
Over the last several years, some significant tax law changes have occurred starting with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Going into effect in 2018, the TCJA marked the single largest overhaul of the tax code since the 1980s.
When evaluating an investment portfolio, most people tend to focus on the return it provides. This is certainly understandable, as it is fairly intuitive. “I put in $100; it’s now worth $110. Therefore, my return is 10%.” However, this leaves out a key part of the overall story – taxes.
Broadly speaking, from the standpoint of most investment and tax professionals, investments can generally be classified as either “tax-efficient” or “tax-inefficient.” I’ll loosely define these terms as follows:
We are proud to announce that SWP’s Wealth Advisor, Kathy Klein, received the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Herbert J. Mueller 2024 Outstanding Professional Adviser of the Year award! She was honored…
At the loss of a spouse, particularly one responsible for the family’s cash flow and investments, the emotional turmoil can be significantly magnified by the additional responsibility of financial management.