News and Commentary
Recent Updates
Stay up-to-date and in-the know about every aspect of your financial picture.
August 27, 2025

August Investment Perspectives
In this edition of Investment Perspectives, our Investment Strategy Group explores whether big banks are seeing the full picture, the hidden fees in your bond portfolio, and the key drivers that could move markets in the months ahead.
Research & Insights
Access our latest research and insights covering market news, financial planning topics, and more.

Retirement Planning Consideration for Employees of Publicly Traded Companies
Most employers that are publicly traded companies offer employees the ability to buy company stock within their retirement plan. If this happens to be an option within your company 401(k) and you decide to take advantage of it, beware of your distribution options when you decide to retire. Many soon to be retirees make the mistake of rolling over the entire balance of their 401(k) into an IRA before fully understanding the options available to them. This is often done out of ignorance for the rules or lack of working with a qualified financial planner, and the consequences can be costly.

Tax Diversification Matters
The creation and preservation of wealth go hand in hand with reducing ones tax burden. However, avoiding current taxation in hopes of being in a lower tax bracket in retirement may not work out as many expect. The top federal income tax bracket in 2019 is only 37%. You may believe 37% is not low, but it has been much higher in years past. According to the Bradford Tax Institute, the top federal income tax rate was above 60% from 1932 all the way to 1981. Why worry now? The primary driver of future tax increases will be the escalating federal debt, and that figure is ever increasing due to a mismatch in government spending versus revenues.

August Investment Perspectives
In this issue we discuss whether the big banks are seeing the big picture, the hidden fees lurking in one’s bond basket, and what the factors are that will move the market in the future.