Stableford Capital Insights

We’re never happy with negative returns but we are happy when we are able to preserve your capital. On a relative basis, that is what we have done. The losses in our strategies are a fraction of the overall equities markets and a 60/40 mix of equities and fixed income. This is why we are proponents of the active approach to investing. It’s times like these when being prudent and risk-averse matters.

The S&P 500 declined 8.4% during February to close down 8% year-to-date and remains at similar levels through March 6. The US-Sino trade-détente and global-growth euphoria that began last September peaked during February and has been replaced with global contagion fears (double entendre).

Health Savings Accounts’ triple-tax benefits make them appealing to high-net-worth investors and others who want to pay for healthcare expenses, save on taxes, and have an additional way to help fund retirement. HSAs should be part of your insurance planning discussions with your financial advisor.

The S&P 500 declined 1.9% during January, though it hit an all-time high on January 22 and has bounced to similar levels as of February 5. The run-up to all-time highs is largely explained by the Fed’s stealth Quantitative Easing (QE) program, as well as anticipation of better economic conditions following the détente in the US-Sino trade war.

While the benefits and risks must be weighed with caution, it is clear that artificial intelligence has paved the way for some interesting opportunities and implementation can be leveraged to the benefit of financial professionals and investors. The artificial intelligence disruption benefits financial professionals and investors by providing more accurate numbers while saving time and money.

The recently-passed Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act may change the way people save, and use, retirement funds. The Act comes with some changes that are worth taking advantage of—and some that are worth being aware of. As this took effect January 1, 2020, be sure to discuss possible impacts to your retirement planning with your tax professional soon.

The S&P 500 increased 6.4% during December, driven by the US – China preliminary trade deal and continued Fed stealth Quantitative Easing. While some of the details still need to be worked out with China, there seems to be a détente for now. This break allows markets to view the world order through rose colored glasses.

Big news for small business—if you have shares of stock in a company valued at less than $50 million, you might be eligible to exclude over $10 million in taxes when sold. Qualified small business stock, or Section 1202 stock, can save you millions on your personal tax return. If you suspect you have left millions of dollars on the table at tax time, talk to an experienced accountant about using this exclusion next year or pursuing an amendment for a refund. Among our many integrated advisory services, Stableford Tax offers Tax Planning to help evaluate potential exclusions such as this on personal tax returns.

Not all investment strategies are created equal, or yield the desired high returns with low risk. While an index fund investing strategy may be appealing in its ease of use and promised diversification, there are often hidden downsides. Index funds alone may not be the most efficient way to grow your wealth. Here we evaluate the different benefits of investing in index funds versus single stocks, as well as the often unforeseen pitfalls of mutual funds.

When it comes to how to find a financial advisor (or financial advisory firm) that’s right for you, it’s important to ask the right questions and do your homework. This article includes three key questions you can ask that can help find a financial advisor for you, while introducing you to the dirty secrets from Wall Street insider Ed Butowsky that will help you protect your portfolio.