Thought Leadership Resource Center
Clearwater Capital Partners has recently adopted a new fintech platform, Pontera, which offers a secure system specifically designed for financial advisors to oversee 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other external retirement plan assets. Utilizing Pontera's platform, your advisor can assess fund options, establish fund allocations in accordance with the client’s investment strategies and adjust over time.
Read MoreEstablishing and maintaining an economic outlook is an essential discipline for serious investors. A well-researched and rational outlook provides insights on the current environment and will inform critical decisions going forward. Clearwater Capital Partners is pleased to announce that our Outlook 2024: “Bulls, Bears, and Blurred Horizons” has been published. You may access it now on our CCP Thought Leadership page.
How will this cycle play out? No one knows for sure, but all eyes are on the Fed and expectations for a soft landing now represent the consensus view. Our base case has been that a mild recession was more likely than not, so the fundamental question as we head into a new year is: were we wrong, or just early.
For a deeper discussion of our expectations for the coming year, please read our Outlook 2024 report. As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call.
Read MoreAs 2023 draws to a close, I am encouraged to observe that the year has turned out much better than many, including myself, had expected. The economic slowdown, signaled by several traditional indicators such as the Leading Economic Index (LEI), has not yet materialized. In fact, the third quarter growth in GDP far exceeded expectations and an increasing number of market strategists are shifting their perspectives to a “soft-landing scenario” in which the Federal Reserve’s aggressive and historic tightening cycle will succeed in reducing inflation without crushing the economy.
Read MoreAt the end of every year, advisors receive many questions on how to complete/maximize retirement contributions. The following article will serve as a basic guide for year-end contributions and some of the rules associated with them.
Read MoreYear-end marks several critical financial deadlines and cut-offs you can’t afford to miss. Here’s a year-end financial checklist to help you maximize savings, minimize taxes, and ensure your financial goals are on track.
Read MoreThe investing world mourns the loss of a true legend as Charlie Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, passed away on Nov. 28 at the age of 99. Munger had been known as Warren Buffet’s closest business partner and right-hand man since he joined Berkshire in 1978.
Read MoreIn late October both the Nasdaq and S&P 500 entered correction territory following a weak third quarter for equity prices. The reasons behind falling stock prices have been higher interest rates and weak earnings guidance from corporate executives worried about the threat of an escalation to the war in the Middle East. By the end of the month, the S&P 500 closed about 10% below its recent peak in late July.
Read MoreIn the ever-evolving landscape of wealth management services, ensuring that our clients have easy access to their financial documents and sensitive information is paramount. That's where the Clearwater Capital Portal’s secure digital vault comes into play. Integrated into your client portal, this digital vault offers clients a streamlined way to manage and safeguard your important documents. Here's how clients can utilize it and why they should seriously consider doing so.
Read MoreThe U.S. government continues to spend more than it makes as detailed in the final budget results for fiscal year 2023 (ending 9/30/2023). To quickly set the stage, the government makes money through taxes (income, corporate, social security, etc.) and spends money on various programs/services (social security, healthcare, Medicare, defense, etc.) For fiscal year 2023, government receipts totaled $4.4 trillion, government outlays totaled $6.1 trillion, resulting in a $1.7 trillion deficit, roughly 6% of GDP. Out of the last 50 years, we’ve only had 5 years in which we had a budget surplus.
Read MoreAs I wrote in a 2019 post, the potential impact of future taxes is often an important consideration for retirees when choosing to move to another state. Besides moving to an area with a warmer climate or closer to family and friends, the goal of minimizing expenses, including taxes, is often at the top of the priority list.
Read MoreOver the past several months I have warned of potential weakness in equities following a rally earlier in the year that saw the S&P 500 rise by as much as 20% from the beginning of the year. It appeared that valuations were being stretched as the market breadth narrowed. In other words, equity prices were rising faster than corporate earnings and the gains had become dominated by only a handful of mega cap names in the communication and information technology sectors.
Read MoreIn July, I had the opportunity to attend the Family Wealth Alliance’s (FWA) Women’s Summit held in Boston—an event dedicated to "Elevating Women in Family Wealth”. The atmosphere was charged with energy and enthusiasm as women from the Multi Family Office industry gathered to collaborate, exchange ideas, and celebrate the achievements of women advisors.
Read MoreBy 2030, women will likely be in control of $30 Trillion (with a T) according to a recent McKinsey study1. To put this in perspective, the US GDP hit $26.84 Trillion at the end of the 2nd quarter of 2023 (US Bureau of Economic Analysis).
To prepare for this transfer of wealth, it’s critical every woman has a financial plan in place that incorporates these five components.
Read MoreWith another summer winding down and kids heading back to school, we are entering the month of September with a bit of trepidation. Not only have U.S. equities rallied this year against the backdrop of declining earnings, but September has also historically been the worst month of the year for stocks. If investors could choose to skip past any month based on the historical action, September would be it.
Read MoreWith the kids going back to school, many parents are coming down from the summer fun and realizing they are one year closer to paying for college.
Read MoreBack in March, we published a list of legislative changes the Secure Act 2.0 brought. The IRS has since released some clarifications that will impact savers.
Read MoreDeciding on your retirement date can be one of the most important decisions in your lifetime. Here are three steps to take the guesswork out of choosing a date that is right for you and your retirement plan.
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago Clearwater Capital released our full Mid-Year Update report of our Outlook 2023. Even as the U.S. equity markets continue to rally, we remain cautious. Our base case calls for a short and shallow recession to develop later this year, or early in 2024.
Read MoreFirst, it must be recognized that there is no way to truly be prepared for the death of a spouse or partner. In addition to the emotional toll, the financial decisions about what to do when our loved one dies can be overwhelming.
Read MoreMaking informed decisions about when to claim Social Security benefits is crucial for couples to maximize their retirement income. The optimal claiming strategy depends on various factors, including each spouse's earned benefit, ages, and their ability to invest excess Social Security income. This case study explores three scenarios to show how and when the math changes on benefit maximization.
Read MoreDisclosures:
THIS COMMENTARY HAS BEEN PREPARED BY CLEARWATER CAPITAL PARTNERS. THE OPINIONS VOICED IN THIS MATERIAL ARE FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE OR BE CONSTRUED AS PROVIDING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR SPECIFIC INVESTMENT ADVICE OR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL. ALL ECONOMIC DATA IS DERIVED FROM PUBLIC SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE. TO DETERMINE WHICH INVESTMENTS MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR YOU, PLEASE CONSULT WITH US PRIOR TO INVESTING. INVESTING INVOLVES RISK WHICH MAY INCLUDE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.
This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities, insurance products, or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of the date of writing and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by Clearwater Capital Partners to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Investment involves risks. International investing involves additional risks, including risks related to foreign currency, limited liquidity, less government regulation and the possibility of substantial volatility due to adverse political, economic or other developments. Index performance is shown for illustrative purposes only. You cannot invest directly in an index. S&P 500 is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, a division of S&P Global (“S&P”) DOW JONES, DJ, DJIA and DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE are registered trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings (“Dow Jones”). FTSE Russell® is a trading name of FTSE, Russell, FTSE Canada, FTSE FI, FTSE FI Europe, WOFE, RBSL, RL, and BR. “FTSE®” “Russell®”, “FTSE Russell®”, “FTSE4Good®”, “ICB®”, “Refinitiv”, “Beyond Ratings®”, “WMRTM”, “FRTM” and all other trademarks and service marks used herein are trademarks and/or service marks owned or licensed by the applicable member of LSEG or their respective licensors and are owned, or used under license, by FTSE, Russell, FTSE Canada, FTSE FI, FTSE FI Europe, WOFE, RBSL, RL or BR. The two main risks related to fixed-income investing are interest rate risk and credit risk. Typically, when interest rates rise, there is a corresponding decline in the market value of bonds. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the bond will not be able to make principal and interest payments.
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