Our Work
Investment Insights – Keith R. Schicker, CFA, Portfolio Manager
- The Vinfast Illusion: How did a start-up electric vehicle manufacturer based in Vietnam become the world’s third most valuable automaker? [READ MORE]
Ask a Planner – Dana R. Cahan, CPWA, Wealth Advisor
- I contribute to a 403(b) pre-tax retirement account and my employer has offered a Roth contribution as an option for our retirement plan. I am 66 with plans to retire in Jan ’25. How do I decide if I change my contributions from pre-tax to Roth? There are multiple factors to consider when deciding whether to contribute to a pre-tax or Roth 401(k) or 403(b) in an employer-sponsored retirement plan—most commonly discussed is the difference in tax treatment though it is critical to also consider age, projected-life span, spending/lifestyle objectives, composition of other existing accounts (taxable and non-taxable accounts), as well as your legacy objectives. [READ MORE]
Primary Sources
- Review Of The Supervision Of Silvergate Bank: Silvergate Bank’s assets peaked at more than $16 billion in 2021, but in early 2023 its holding company began voluntarily liquidating the bank. [FRB]
News
Financial Markets
- The Long Dry Spell At One Of America’s Most Innovative Companies: 3M investors and scientists worry a shift in R&D strategy is stifling breakthroughs as the company faces billions of dollars in lawsuit payouts. [WSJ]
- Mortgage Rates Hit 7.49%, Highest Since 2000: With rates at their highest in more than two decades, home buyers are looking for any way to lower their monthly payment. [WSJ]
Since 1995, there has been 4,198 US IPOs that have raised more than $25mm. YTD there has only been 15 IPOs over that $25mm mark.
Financial Planning
- Your Will Alone Won’t Guarantee Your Money Goes to Your Heirs: Your Will Alone Won’t Guarantee Your Money Goes to Your Heirs. [WSJ]
- ‘Buyer Beware.’ Anyone Can Call Themselves A Tax Preparer. Here’s How To Find A Qualified Professional: While specialized expertise may be harder to find for tax season, it’s still important to vet tax professionals. [CNBC]
Retirement Planning
- Millions Of Americans Face A Retirement Income Shortfall, Vanguard Research Warns: The gap between need and ability is highlighted in inaugural report. [Investment News]
Business Strategy
- Netflix Plans to Raise Prices After Actors Strike Ends: Company to become the latest streamer to lift fees; Disney weighs launching a new live-sports tier abroad. [WSJ]
- Spotify Gave Subscribers Music and Podcasts. Next, Audiobooks: A year after adding à la carte sales of audiobooks, Spotify is offering paying subscribers 15 hours of books a month. [NYT]
- Disney Is Discounting Child tickets At U.S. Parks As Industry Attendance Lags: Disney is discounting children’s tickets at its domestic theme parks for a limited time early next year. [CNBC]
- The Hollywood Writers Strike Is Over. What’s Next For The Writers?: After 148 days, these writers are looking forward to getting back to work. [NPR]
- MLB Attendance Surpasses 70 Million In 2023, Scoring Its Largest Increase Since 1998: Major League Baseball’s 2023 regular season closed out on Sunday, and the league can now report that its attendance increase shattered expectations. [Forbes]
The above chart displays total MLB attendance since 1980. There were 70,747,365 tickets sold in 2023, a +9.6% increase from 2022. It was the first time the league has exceeded 70 million since 2017.
Life & Work
- Peak TV Is Over. A Different Hollywood Is Coming: The end of the writers’ strike marks a new era. Studios and streamers are likely to order fewer TV shows. Consolidation could follow. [WSJ]
- Americans Are Still Spending Like There’s No Tomorrow: Concerts, trips and designer handbags are taking priority over saving for a home or rainy day. [WSJ]
- Taylor Swift Boosts NFL Ratings, Showing Star’s Halo Effect Has Staying Power: Sunday night NFL contest drew 27 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched matchup this season. [WSJ]
- New Technology Uses Good Old-fashioned Wind To Power Giant Cargo Vessels: Well over a century after the Age of Sail gave way to coal- and oil-burning ships, climate change concerns are prompting a new look at an old technology that could once again harness wind to propel commercial cargo ships — this time with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [NPR]
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