[The global energy markets are under increasing strain due to the heightened risks from geopolitical actions, supply disruptions, and price volatility. Beyond this current reality, investing in the global energy markets offers great long-term growth potential for an investment portfolio. Capturing this opportunity, though, requires a deeper knowledge of the particular dynamics and complex drivers […]
Most people think estate planning is about money, but it isn’t. What it’s really about is clarity around how the people you love are cared for and that your wishes are understood when you’re no longer here to explain them yourself. For couples coming together mid-story, that clarity matters even more. A stepfamily carries layered […]
[In the wake of the explosive rise of prediction markets and the nearly $2 billion spent annually on U.S. sports betting advertising, the debate over the difference between gambling and investing has returned with force. At the center of that debate is a provocative argument: much of modern investing, especially in individual stocks, has always […]
When a prospect brings me a portfolio to review, one of the first things I look at is how their alternative investments interact with their specific tax situation. The same strategy can produce very different after-tax outcomes depending on whether someone has high W-2 income, significant capital gains, or both. More often than not, that’s […]
[It can be argued that professional investors need and deserve better market intelligence. The statistics from the recent SPIVA scorecard demonstrates that the vast majority of mutual funds globally (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Europe, MENA, S. Africa, Japan, and Australia) underperformed their country’s relevant S&P benchmarks over 1, 3, 5, and 7 years – with one […]
The recent Ultimus 2026 Client Summit provided an informative industry event designed to offer an insightful update on the state of the asset management Industry for both registered and private asset managers and RIA clients. The Summit’s carefully crafted agenda addressed major industry issues and challenges by inviting financial industry experts to share insights and […]
Investing is hard enough. I don’t deal in maybes. If you’re researching 721 DSTs, chances are you’ve already owned real estate, completed a 1031 exchange, or are preparing for one. You may also be encountering conflicting advice about traditional DSTs, optional 721 DSTs, and something newer called an anticipated 721 DST or mandatory 721 DST. This article exists to clear […]
[Organic growth in wealth management has been fundamentally broken. For decades, the industry has built increasingly sophisticated systems to manage, optimize, and scale assets under management — yet comparatively little infrastructure has been built around the systematic acquisition of new client relationships. Documented by a wide cross-section of credible industry research and surveys, the result […]
[A number of investment strategies were born specifically from a desire to solve personal, real-world problems or unmet investor needs. The Crawford Managed Income Strategy is a great example of an investment solution that was engineered for investors that were having a hard time generating income from traditional balanced stock/bond portfolios. To better explore this […]