Author: Arabian Media staff

Characteristics ETFs Mutual funds Trading and Pricing Traded throughout the day like stocks; prices go up and down based on market conditions Traded at the end of the day; priced once daily at net asset value (NAV) Tax Efficiency Generally more tax-efficient due to fewer taxable events May incur more capital gains taxes from asset balancing Transparency Most disclose holdings daily Disclose on monthly or quarterly basis Cost Fees tend to be lower due to less management Fees tend to be higher Liquidity and Minimums Can be bought in low quantities, even fractional shares Mutual funds may have minimums to…

Read More

Diversification is as essential to portfolios today as it has ever been. Sound investing requires that a portfolio be sufficiently diverse to ensure that instability in one area can be balanced out in another. For financial advisors, a key part of the job is to help clients ensure their clients are properly diversified, regardless of the size of their accounts. When it comes to real-world portfolio construction, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can make broad diversification across asset classes, sectors, geographies, and strategies both accessible and cost-effective. Still, many clients may need support from their advisors to include ETFs in their portfolios…

Read More

When Hurricane Ida hit New Jersey in 2021, Maureen Black’s sump pump failed and her basement filled with water. She immediately called her insurer, expecting to use her $5,000 coverage for sump pump failures. But while Black maintained that the sump pump failed, she noticed the adjuster kept repeating that the basement had flooded. “I felt like she was trying to trick me,” said Black, a paralegal manager and director of legal operations for People Inc. “I got the sense she was trying to get me to say ‘flood’ so she wouldn’t have to cover it.” She was right to…

Read More

Tax-loss harvesting with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is a valuable tool that can benefit clients, potentially produce tax alpha (or increased after-tax returns), and support them through higher-income tax years.   Key Takeaways Tax-loss harvesting with ETFs can create tax alpha by offsetting capital gains and reducing tax drag.ETFs are ideal for tax-loss harvesting due to their low turnover, intraday trading, and flexibility in finding similar yet nonidentical replacements that maintain market exposure.The most impactful tax-loss harvesting occurs in years when clients plan to sell highly appreciated investments, helping to reduce tax consequences and support diversification goals.Systematizing tax-loss harvesting through workflows, client…

Read More

Suddenly being laid off from a job is a shock to your life and to your finances. But there are key things you can do to protect yourself. “Being laid off is never easy. The loss of income, daily structure, and sense of stability can be deeply unsettling. And yet, there are several immediate steps people can take to regain control and protect their financial future during this difficult transition,” said Trevor Ausen, a certified financial planner and founder of Authentic Life Financial Planning. Here are seven things to do to protect your finances after a layoff. Review a Severance…

Read More