A&I Financial Services

Last year, our best performing investments were neither equities (stocks) nor bonds. They were alternative investments, including managed futures. We believe the right way to invest is to diversify by strategy. This strategy zigs when equities zag, and last year did quite well. Click here to learn more about our alternative investments and hedging strategies....Read More

The photo in today’s Periscope shows two tents on the side of Mt. Whitney. In the yellow tent, I am sitting. In the red tent, sits a friend of mine. We had just climbed to the summit and back again safely. It was April, 2023. We enjoyed sunny skies overhead and a lot of snow...Read More

Equities, by and large, had a good start to 2023. So did bonds. As we talked about recently, things may be better than they appear. However, our investment research teams remain short-term cautious. We are as conservative, in the vast majority of our portfolios, as we have been since the great financial crisis of 2008....Read More

If you have not already read this month’s letter regarding the incredible growth of dividends over our investment lifetime, please click this link. And if you are not yet subscribed to the email Periscope, please do so so that you can see the link! Dividends: The Tortoise Breaks into a Trot Last year’s S&P 500...Read More

Leaving a Legacy that Lasts Generations The cure for the entitlement illness is gratitude. For affluent families, raising kids without spoiling them is a huge challenge. Here are some practical bits of advice, and some questions you can talk about with your wealth manager. You may have heard the saying, “shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves...Read More

Learn from Nick Arndt, a tax expert from Transamerica, about how to find tax saving opportunities and other advice. One of the questions we had was about inherited IRAs. If you inherited your IRA before the year 2022, you can continue with the current withdrawal schedule. However, any inherited IRA since 2022 is subject to...Read More

When it comes to spending and saving, there are many different philosophies of thought for how much to allocate where. Broadly speaking, many people tend to break up their budgets into necessities / personal spending / savings. However, “savings” can feel ambiguous, especially when you factor in the many ways that savings can be used...Read More

Budgeting tips for generation Z and millennials.Read More

Ever wonder what the tax limits are around charitable giving? Read on to get answers to some of the most common questions. For even more information, visit our Charitable Planning web page. How much can I give? You can give away as much as you want to anyone you want at any time you want....Read More

Karl Frank, CFP and Nathan Merrill discuss the tax law changes that are most likely to affect business owners and other employers. At the end of 2022, Congress passed more than 90 changes to the tax laws and many of these affect employers, especially with retirement plans.Roth-a-mania, many new rules around after-tax retirement plans, most...Read More