Asset Management
Written by Dani, May 03rd, 2013
Strategies are very important to us and we think that every investor should have one – particularly when it comes to the issue of legacy.
How do you want to be remembered, and what’s most important to you? Most people want to make sure that their loved ones, favorite causes and estates are taken care of. It’s very important to have a living trust, in order to avoid a long, painful and expensive experience for your family in probate court.
You want to pass on your assets to your children and grandchildren, and you want to avoid NIGO – a financial insider’s acronym for “Not In Good Order”. If something is messed up – a signature missing, a plan out of alignment, a trust written in order to keep your legacy intact and in good standing for your heirs and loved ones.
If you’ve built up a sizable portfolio, you owe it to yourself, your loved ones and your values to have clarity about your legacy and your expected tax burdens and concerns for the future. Call us today to discuss your needs, legacy, charitable wishes and hopes for your future, at 1-800-391-1118.
This is a podcast summary. For more information, please listen to the entire broadcast here.
Written by Dani, April 11th, 2013
ETF Quick Facts:
- ETFs globally hold about 1.7 Trillion dollars in assets.
- Over 1400 ETFs available for U.S. investors
- Pros of ETFs: low cost, low trading fees, liquidity and transparency
- Most ETfs are index-based
We believe that ETFs are excellent vehicles and we use them for the majority of our client portfolios.
However, there are some very good mutual funds out there, as well, and we encourage you to not get locked into only one investment style. If there’s a mutual fund that manages risk and implements a strategy that cant be duplicated with an ETF, we will definitely use it if it’s reasonably priced.
So, don’t get sucked into a ETF vs. Mutual Fund debate. Both can be used effectively with the right education, goals and portfolio outlook.
This is a podcast summary. For more information, please listen to the entire broadcast here.
Written by Dani, April 10th, 2013
Wealth taxes are taxes on successful people. In the U.S., the only stated wealth tax is estate taxes. However, we think that there are some disturbing trends on the horizon for the wealthy or those who wish to be wealthy.
For example, here in California, we have a wealth tax, Proposition 30, which was voted in November. This was a retroactive tax on anyone whom the state of California deems as wealthy, and it was a significant amount. Also, as we saw in the country of Cyprus recently, depositors of banks were taxed - which is a significant wealth tax.
We are also hearing that annual asset taxes are currently being considered in Europe, meaning that you would have to round up all of your assets and be taxed on the value of those every year. In the U.S., an IRA tax was proposed by President Obama recently, on anyone who has an IRA in excess of three million dollars. That is a serious wealth tax and something that investors need to be aware of.
These wealth tax trends are disturbing to us, and this is something that high-net-worth investors must start strategizing about in the months and years to come, unfortunately.
This is a podcast summary. For more information, please listen to the entire broadcast here.
Written by Dani, March 14th, 2013
(For more information on this topic, check out our April issue of Successful Investing.)
This week, we got an email from a client, asking about taking on more risk in their portfolio. We believe that this is not the right time to be taking on more risk. The markets are risky right now and there is a lot of uncertainty out there.
However, this email got us thinking. Investors have a tendency to get into the market too late. For instance, many people got into real estate market too late in the recent boom a few years ago, which had unfortunate consequences in their portfolio. Here are some other common “unprepared investor” problems: They don’t know when to sell, they try to commit to an investment for the long-term and they sell at worst possible time when they get scared. In short, most unprepared investors get in too late and out too soon.
Don’t allow your portfolio to be another statistic of unprepared investing. This is not when you want to make a serious commitment to risk assets. Be careful out there, be safe and be prepared.
As always, email any investment questions or concerns to askdoug(at)dougfabian(dot)com. We want to help you make the best possible decision for your portfolio. This is a podcast summary. For more information, please listen to the entire broadcast here.
Written by Dani, February 08th, 2013
Continuing in our “Success in Investing in 2013″ series, today we’re discussing taking inventory of your assets. In previous weeks, we’ve also discussed:
So, the question when we start taking inventory seems obvious, but is essential: where are your assets? Where are they invested? More importantly, how much risk do you have in your portfolio?
We still believe that there will be a correction in risk assets, and that we might see a panic in the market in the next few months. That panic can be a great opportunity for smart investors, so don’t get swept away by the sentiment of the masses. Stay alert, pay attention, and be educated about both your portfolio and what is happening in the markets.
Key takeaway: manage risk in your portfolio.
Also, don’t forget to listen to recent teleconference for some of our latest investment advice for achieving your goals, and if you have questions about your specific financial plan or portfolio, please call us at 800-391-1118 or email askdoug(at)dougfabian(dot)com.
(If you read this blog and enjoyed it, listen to Doug’s podcast this week for even more details on this topic, and please share this information with others who might benefit from our perspective.)
Written by David, March 24th, 2010
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) has been all over the media lately with his plans to impose new regulation on the financial industry. One of the proposed changes to the current body of regulatory law includes the potential of designating brokers and other financial advisers as fiduciaries.
Now, you may have already thought that your broker or advisor was a fiduciary, which means just means they are required by law required to act in your best financial interest. Well, if you thought that, you’d be wrong. Most brokers and financial advisors are not bound by a fiduciary responsibility to protect your money.
The only kinds of advisors that are bound by fiduciary rules are registered investment advisers, or RIAs, and certified financial planners.
My firm, Fabian Wealth Strategies, is a registered investment adviser that knows and respects the fiduciary relationship we have with our clients. In fact, the requirement that we steward your money with the utmost caution and care fits eminently well with our personal charter to preserve and protect your capital.
I don’t think Sen. Dodd’s proposal to make all brokers and financial advisors fiduciaries will end up in the final version of financial regulatory reform. The Wall Street lobby is too powerful to let that happen. You see, the big brokerage firms really don’t want to be responsible for your money the way a RIA firm is.
I’ll leave it up to you to judge which type of advisory relationship you’d prefer, but let’s just say I know the one I prefer, and that’s the fiduciary responsibility of the RIA.
NOTE: Fabian Wealth Strategies is a SEC registered investment adviser.
Written by David, June 24th, 2009
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck—then it’s probably a duck.
We’ve all heard this little common-sense gem, yet when it comes to investing, many people have a hard time telling the ducks from the swans. Nowhere is this case of mistaken identity more pronounced than when it comes to recognizing what most so-called “active” investment advisors are doing with their clients’ money.
The way I see it, most investment advisors claiming to be “active” managers are just buy-and-hold sheep in Armani clothing.
What do I mean by this? Well, I explain it all in detail in my new special report, The 7 Dirty Little Secrets of Asset Management.
This report shows you why so many common investment strategies that purport to be active management are basically just different twists on the same old worn out—and thanks to the recent bear market—now thoroughly discredited investment philosophy.
If you want to find out if your portfolio is being put in jeopardy by buy-and-hold pretenders, click here.
Written by David, April 16th, 2009
We are now in history-making economic times. In the last 18 months, most investors large and small have suffered catastrophic losses. The recent rebound in the equity markets has given some relief and hope that the future may be improving but there is still great concern for our economy.
HOW your money is being managed going forward will be critically important to avoid repeating the same mistakes of the recent past.
No matter where you are invested, you owe it to yourself to make the best decision possible. Click on my photo below to watch a brief video on the 5 Keys to Your Investment Success. Now more than ever, you need to determine if your advisor is prepared and your assets are positioned for the difficult road ahead.
Written by David, April 15th, 2009
Have you lost faith in your financial advisor? Does his or her insistence on “staying the course” make you feel like they don’t have your best interest at heart? If so, then it’s time for you to get a second opinion.
If you find yourself holding a bull market portfolio in the midst of the worst bear market since the Great Depression, then Fabian Wealth Strategies can help.
At Fabian Wealth Strategies we have our clients defensively positioned for the difficult times ahead. If you have a portfolio valued at $250,000 or more and would like a second opinion on how to handle this bear market, call us at (800) 391-1118 or visit us at www.fabianwealth.com.
Written by David, March 31st, 2009
Today’s stock market beast is not the same animal it was a decade ago. In fact, the pace of change has been relentless in recent years, and even the most conscientious individual investor has had a tough time keeping up with the all of the financial market upheaval.
If you’re managing your own money, are you getting the results you think you should?
Or, is your money being managed by a stockbroker or investment advisor who insists
you “buy and hold” stocks even while Wall Street—and your portfolio—get savaged by
a malicious bear?
Now more than ever, individual investors need expert guidance and continuous “eyes
on” monitoring of all of their positions, not just occasionally, but every trading day. The
simple fact is that in today’s market environment, you’ve got to have an experienced
ally on your team if you want to successfully navigate these treacherous market seas.
At Fabian Wealth Strategies, we believe that innovation is at the forefront of each
client’s success.
Click here to learn more about how Fabian Wealth Strategies can help you manage your assets according to your goals in a simpler, easier and more cost-efficient way than ever before.
