Nobody really like paying taxes. So what would your clients say if you could make it so that they paid no tax on the capital gains of their investment portfolio? Just because something is true does not mean it is right. However, many asset managers and advisers still use the promise of low- or zero-tax…

One of the defining characteristics of US stock market valuation in 2024 has been the outsized impact of some mega-cap stocks on index returns. This trend was reflected in US ETF launches in October 2024. Some of the new ETFs allow investors to double down on this mega-cap tech trend. For example, BlackRock launched the…

The SEC has settled charges with a faith-based robo-advisor tailored to Muslim clients that it broke the commission's marketing rules by including athletes in ads without disclosing they were compensated for the work. New York-based Wahed Invest will pay $250,000 to settle charges with the commission. The fintech firm was launched in 2017 and focuses…

Former head of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management John W. Thiel is launching an independent RIA, Indivisible Partners, in the first quarter of 2025, he announced on LinkedIn.com. “It is with tremendous pride and excitement that I, along with my co-founders, announce the formation of Indivisible Partners, a privately held independent advisory firm,” said Thiel, in…

Aspen Standard Wealth, a holding company that buys wealth management platforms, has acquired a majority stake in Summitry, a San Francisco-based registered investment adviser with $2.8 billion in assets under management. This represents Aspen's first acquisition since its launch in April. Backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors, Aspen was founded by CEO Aly Kassim-Lakha,…

A new report from market research firm Cerulli Associates finds that most financial advisors expect just that give preference to the use of model portfolios on the funds of funds going forward because of the higher level of personalization model portfolio offer. According to the report, 61% of advisors surveyed expect to prioritize model portfolios…

As the election season winds down, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have kept their preferences for financial services regulatory staff close to their vests. But regardless of who enters the Oval Office in 2025, WealthManagement.com interviews with some experts in the space suggest that the US could see a slowdown in…

Aaron Filbeck, managing director and head of UniFi from CAIA, joins Ryan Nauman in this very interesting conversation about the evolution of alternative investments and their democratization. With alternative investments becoming more accessible to investors, Aaron talks about the importance of client communication, the impact alternative ETFs have on liquidity, and when alternatives aren't a…

(Bloomberg) — Apollo Global Management Inc.'s push to target wealthy individuals helped boost the firm's assets under management to $733 billion, a 16% increase over the same period a year ago. The firm reported adjusted net income of $1.13 billion, or $1.85 per share, in a statement announcing third-quarter earnings on Tuesday. That beat analysts'…

The registered investment advisor community saw a surge in M&A activity last month, with 39 transactions, the highest monthly volume on record, according to an analysis by DeVoe & Company. October volume exceeds the previous high of 33 deals recorded in January 2021 and was nearly double the volume in the year-ago period, which saw…