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Demystifying 351 ETF Exchanges
by Victor Haghani, James White, Jerry Bell, 3/23/26

Thanks to Section 351 of the US tax code, investors can contribute their appreciated assets directly into an ETF structure without realizing gains at the time of transfer. Here, we briefly explain the mechanics, limitations, and potential benefits and risks of a 351 exchange to seed a new ETF with appreciated assets.

Portfolio Rebalancing: Free Lunch or Empty Calories?
by Victor Haghani, James White, Jerry Bell, 4/7/25

As market prices change over time, so will the fraction of your portfolio which is in stocks or bonds. How often should you rebalance your portfolio back to your desired asset allocation? And how much is that rebalancing worth?

The Benefits of Designations for Financial Professionals: A Three Step Approach
by Jerry Schreck, 2/11/25

The professional development journey for financial professionals is best approached through a structured three-step process involving foundational designations, advanced level specializations, and niche market concentrations.

When a Crystal Ball Isn’t Enough to Make You Rich
by Victor Haghani, James White, Jerry Bell, 10/7/24

In the 1989 blockbuster Back to the Future II, time travel enables Michael J. Fox’s nemesis, Biff, to become a gazillionaire by bringing an almanac with sports match outcomes back from the future. We thought it might be instructive, and certainly entertaining, to make a less fanciful version of this dream a reality – for a few lucky people.

From Dreams to Reality: Strategies for Managing “Sudden” Wealth
by Jerry Sneed, 7/29/24

Clearly, managing windfall wealth requires more than financial acumen. It calls for careful planning, emotional resilience, and trusted advice. Engaging an experienced financial advisor is crucial for setting realistic lifestyle and legacy goals, understanding investment strategies, and managing risks.

Value Oriented Bond Management Amid Economic Chaos
by Jerry Paul of ICON Advisers, 6/1/23

While markets are often efficient, the current market environment exposes a number of select areas within the bond market that exhibit less efficient behavior. Investors taking a value-oriented bond management approach may find ways to exploit the inefficiencies.

When High Alpha Met Low Beta
by Max Gelb, Jerry Tsai of PIMCO, 5/19/23

An in-depth analysis of hedge fund performance demonstrates that, over the past 15 years, lower-beta hedge fund styles have generally achieved higher alpha, aligning with investors' objectives of maximizing returns and diversification.

How Can Policymakers Improve the Functioning of the U.S. Treasury Market?
by Libby Cantrill, Tim Crowley, Jerry Woytash, Jerome Schneider, Rick Chan of PIMCO, 9/12/22

Widening participation in the Fed’s standing repo facility and bond buying programs could mitigate another liquidity crisis in the Treasury market.

A Dizzying Summer in D.C. as U.S. Debt Ceiling Looms Again
by Libby Cantrill, Jerome Schneider, Jerry Woytash of PIMCO, 8/31/21

A busy summer on the fiscal front in Washington that’s seen progress on budget and infrastructure legislation could soon give way to another showdown over the U.S. statutory debt ceiling, potentially signaling volatility for investors in the months ahead.

Considerations for Advising Military Veterans
by Jerry Quinn, 11/24/20

Military veterans seeking the guidance of a financial advisor have a background and career that is different from civilian clients.

Salve for a Constrained Repo Market, or Potential Funding Destabilizer?
by Jerome Schneider, Kate Lehrkind, William Martinez, Jerry Woytash of PIMCO, 12/10/19

The recent repo squall shined a spotlight on “sponsored repo” transactions, a growing segment of the U.S. overnight funding market.

Repo Rate Spike: A ‘Tail’ Of Low Liquidity
by Jerome Schneider, William Martinez, Jerry Woytash of PIMCO, 9/19/19

Markets can prove interesting when the price of liquidity abruptly increases and high yield is no longer the highest-yielding investment.

Battle of the Share Classes: What’s Better for a Client After Taxes?
by Jerry Szilagyi of Catalyst Funds, 5/16/19

Another year of tax filings is now in the books. It’s the first official annual filing under Trump’s new tax law, which went into effect on January 1, 2018. Governed by new legislation, many individuals were impacted differently.

Real Interest Rates: The Mystery of Low to Non-Existent Real Returns
by Jerry Paul of ICON Advisers, 1/29/18

This paper explores why real returns have stayed persistently low in recent years and why they may continue to stay low for the foreseeable future.

China's Consumer Industry: Find the Innovators, Don't Just Play the Trend
by Jerry Zhang, Ph.D., CFA, and Derrick Irwin, CFA of Wells Fargo Asset Management, 6/17/16
China’s shift toward consumer-facing industries might be capturing the market’s imagination. But to capture the right opportunities, you need to know which Chinese companies are reimagining themselves to meet the shifting behaviors and preferences of the country’s consumers.

Mom and Investment Underdogs
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 10/7/15
I was talking with a friend the other day about troubles in his family. At one point he remarked, “A mother is only as happy as her saddest child.” It’s a saying that has been attributed to Jackie Kennedy (and that is certainly understandable), but I think it goes much further back in time. My wife said her mother used to say it when she was growing up.

Playing the Odds or Trying to Beat the Odds?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 9/30/15
Our firm is built around the core principle of always seeking to put the odds on the side of our clients’ investment success. And yet ...

Does a Quarter Point Really Matter?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 9/23/15
Actually, on at least one aspect of the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) seemingly inevitable move to hike interest rates, there is considerable agreement: The first 0.25%, or 0.50%, or even 0.75% move(s) in the federal funds rate will not make a material difference to US and global economies.

Stock Market Indicator Alert
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 9/16/15
On Friday our Classic strategy’s timing signal switched to a sell. This is the first time in two years that both its high risk and timing components have aligned to create a sell signal.

Did you miss it?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 9/10/15
As kids in Michigan head back to school today, I’m sure many students are asking, “What happened to summer? Did I miss it?” When I was that age, it always seemed like the school year was so long and that summer just flew by. Because the last week before Labor Day is one of the most popular vacation weeks, many investors were probably only vaguely aware of the financial market actions last week. With the extreme market swings of the previous week, they doubtless just wanted to lie down on a sandy beach, soak up some end-of-summer rays, and read some diverting summer fiction.

China Sets its Sights on Life Sciences
by Jerry C. Shih of Matthews Asia, 9/4/15
China is a market too large to be ignored—this has long been a saying among those considering doing business in the country. But increasingly, multinational corporations see China as a hub of nascent innovation. China’s evolving pharmaceutical landscape and the government’s pro-innovation policies are driving indigenous innovation in its life sciences. Asia Insight explores China’s path in this arena.

Is "New Normal" Enough to Grow China's Economy?
by Jerry Zhang of Wells Fargo Asset Management, 9/2/15
Jerry Zhang, Ph.D., CFA, explores the economic underpinnings that can spark growth in China—and, in turn, present investing opportunities for growth seekers.

Risk Is Like the Air We Breathe
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 9/1/15
A couple of months ago I wrote an article about how risk, like death and taxes, is always with us. That was written as the market made new all-time highs, and I wanted to make it clear that such highs did not mean that risk was absent. Risk is always with us—like the air we breathe.

Why a 500-Point Sell-off Isn’t “Massive”
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 8/26/15
While I was training early this morning, I was forced to endure two hours of CNBC’s seemingly permanent headline across the bottom of the screen that screamed that the markets were heading for a “massive sell off.” At the time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down about 500 points. When the markets opened at 9:30, the Dow did open down about 500 points (thereafter it actually was down about 1,000 points) before bouncing back to its opening levels.

One man’s weed...
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 8/19/15
I spent time at the Woodward Dream Cruise this week in my brother Charlie’s 1985 Ford Mustang convertible (his first new car which he bought and has maintained since that year). I think the Cruise is the largest annual assemblage of classic cars on the planet. What a great time for anyone who enjoys historical vehicles and the memories they bring back, especially here in the Motor City.

Walls are Not Perfect
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 8/12/15
I spent part of this summer on a family vacation in four of the six nations that were once republics of the socialist state of Yugoslavia. Many have asked me “Why,” and I simply replied that I had heard it was beautiful and had always wanted to go there. It didn’t hurt that my barber of 40 years and my employer during law school, Marv Esch, a congressman from Ann Arbor, MI, were both of Yugoslavian heritage.

Investors Traveling a Mountainous Road?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 8/5/15
Now’s the time when many of us are off enjoying a well-earned summer vacation. This week I was remembering one of my favorites that occurred a few years ago. It was great; we hosted a family reunion in a large, rented house on Big Bear Lake in Southern California with spectacular weather and scenery.

Selling (and buying) the Invisible
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 7/22/15
No matter what profession or stage of your career you may be in, everyone is ultimately “selling something.” Whether a teacher, a lawyer, a physician, a plumber, or a high school student applying to colleges, we are all salespeople in one way or the other.

Sometimes Waterfalls Aren’t Beautiful
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 7/16/15
Over 25 years ago I took my family (my wife, Pat, and two sons, Michael and David) to the big island of Hawaii. It was a dream comes true. We’d been to Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui, but not to the Big Island. Our family spent two weeks in a car circumnavigating the isle on our own. It was a joy not to be forgotten. Early on in our trip, it became apparent that the major island attractions (after the live volcano that is) were the waterfalls. We seemed to race from one waterfall to another as we circled the island.

Are You Really Keeping Your Eye on the Ball?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 7/7/15
I was playing catch with my great-nephew, Bryson, over the weekend. He is just two years old and is a charmer. As we tossed the ball back and forth, he caught it and threw it back on target more times than he missed.

Stuck in the Middle with You
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 7/1/15
I’ve always loved music and have tried to work it into my columns every once in a while. After writing an article centered on Passenger’s Let her go last week, I was not looking to do another one so soon. Still, when I saw the following chart on the State of the Markets blog this morning, the song title just popped into my head.

In Investing, Have You Learned How to Let Her Go?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 6/23/15
Whenever I’m in the car nowadays I’m always listening to satellite radio. I, like probably you, vowed I’d never pay for radio … but the constant barrage of commercials on free radio, plus the fact that Sirius comes free the first year I own my car, helped to overcome my resistance.

Double Trouble for Investors?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 6/17/15
When I think of doubles, on the positive side I think of my years of playing doubles tennis, Miguel Cabrera winning a Tigers game with one, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble band, and even those commercial spots that started in 1959. You know the ones I’m talking about – the Doublemint® gum commercials.

Are You a Carousel or Coaster Investor?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 6/3/15
Historically, in the Midwest and Northeast, Memorial Day weekend has been the kickoff for amusement park re-openings. From rollercoasters to merry-go-rounds, the plunges and whirls begin in earnest with the unofficial beginning of summer.

Investing Without a Goal is Like Racing Without a Finish Line.
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 5/28/15
In investing, there is no actual finish line, unless you subscribe to the old line that, “He who dies with the most money wins.” But investing, like most activities in life, is improved by having goals.

When is “in” not the opposite of “out”?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 5/13/15
When you ask someone what is the opposite of “in,” they automatically say “out.” But when you ask them “What’s the opposite of income?”, some might immediately start to say “outcome”, but that’s never their final guess.

Are You Financially Literate?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 4/28/15
That is the question being asked throughout the month of April, which is designated as National Financial Literacy Month. This effort highlights the importance of financial literacy and supports teaching Americans on how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits.

Can Lumber Be Worth It's Weight in Gold?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 4/21/15
Well, maybe not literally. But figuratively-speaking, one can make the case. And two very bright, young investment advisors have done just that.

Where's the Remote?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 4/14/15
The panic would set in as soon as Dad would bellow “Where’s the clicker?” Everyone had to move. Cushions on chairs and sofas would be quickly tossed aside. Hands would stretch and scramble among the stale crumbs in the creases underneath in search of the elusive foe. Failure was not an option. There would be no TV that night until Dad’s hands grasp the clicker once more.

Currencies Are a 2-Way Street
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 4/7/15
Humans are funny animals. There are many events, experiences, environments, and data points in the world shaping our perception. There is a psychological phenomenon called the recency effect, although it is known in the investment world as recency bias. Without delving into the psychological science as to why this happens, I think you will agree that most people tend to place a greater emphasis on more recent events.

Lack Of Oxygen Causing a Feeding Frenzy?
by Jerry of Flexible Plan Investments, 4/4/15
Yesterday I awoke to a scene right out of a WWI or WWII aviation epic. The sky was filled with hundreds of flying objects, circling, swerving, and maneuvering for the best position. No human airport could possibly have dealt with the number of minute-by-minute, repeated takeoffs and landings, stretched in a panorama before me. Adding to the chaos, every few seconds one of the white-and-grey projectiles would crash into the lake with a vengeance.

Five Reasons Why Interest Rates Will Stay Low
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 3/25/15
Last week we focused on investors’ waiting game with the Federal Reserve. Would their policy statement following last Wednesday’s meeting, like last month’s Groundhog Day sighting, suggest more weeks of winter in the form of rising interest rates?

Waiting for the Squirrel
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 3/17/15
Spring has finally begun to show itself here in Michigan. It has been a brutal winter. Molly, our six-year-old, loveable mutt (of “Where’s Molly” fame), loves the new freedom that warmer weather brings. She bounds from the door each chance she gets and instead of the quick return that the winter’s cold elicited, she is gone for hours. Where does she go? First there is a quick reconnaissance of the property, carefully sniffing every square inch it seems. Then, she’s caught the scent. A flash of movement catches her eye. It’s her arch nemesis - the squirrel.

Will Dow Jones Become the Last Buyer of Apple?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 3/10/15
Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere this month. Its appearance holds various connotations to different people, although my unscientific poll of a few random individuals leads me to believe the majority of the population has a positive bias toward its arrival. Daylight Savings Time has already kicked in, and soon winter’s frozen landscapes thaw, daylight hours lengthen, flowers bloom, and the frequency of outdoor activities increases. Ah, spring time!

The Millennial Obsession
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 3/4/15
You cannot pick up a business publication, tune into a financial news program, or glance at any news website without confronting yet another story on Millennials.

Value Oriented Bond Management
by Jerry Paul, Zach Jonson of ICON Advisers, 3/2/15
Equity investors can be categorized into a broad range of equity strategies, including valuation-based approaches, whereas bond investors generally think in terms of interest rates and duration management. Professional investment managers have been taught that the market is efficient and while this may often be true, we believe there are a number of select areas within the bond market that exhibit less efficient behavior. This paper will discuss these potential inefficiencies and how “value oriented” bond management looks to exploit the inefficiencies. First we need to define “traditi

Finally, At Least One Financial Media Person Gets It
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 2/24/15
I spent the last two weeks on a Caribbean island (as I always say: Timing is everything!). We rented a house and had lots of visitors from “Up North” (my wife will be there a month and during that time we will have had seventeen people staying in the house!).

A World of Uncertainty
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 2/18/15
After spending over 32 years working in and around the financial services industry, I have come to a realization about one of the most important attributes for investors.

Investing Lessons from the Super Bowl
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 2/11/15
Super Bowl losing teams are usually quickly forgotten—consigned, as the expression goes, to history’s dustbin. In fact, some NFL historians and coaches have said that the losers of the semi-finals (conference title game) have often received more long-term recognition than the Super Bowl losers, for the simple reason they may have played the Super Bowl winner much tougher in the earlier round.

Is the stock market sliding off an icy road?
by Jerry Wagner of Flexible Plan Investments, 2/5/15
As declines were registered in the major stock market indexes in December, the fear index certainly also increased among investors. Now with January, again, ending in the negative column, I imagine even more investors are beginning to fear that the bull market surge that began in 2009 may be coming to an end.
Results 1–50 of 132 found.