Chairman, Chief Investment Officer, and Co-Founder of Good Harbor, Neil Peplinski, aptly describes the Good Harbor Tactical Core US strategy using a short quote: “Investing in the stock market is important for long-term success…but so is capital preservation during times of market stress.” [+] Read More

Emerging Markets money manager Lazard Asset Management believes emerging market equities are nearing a bottom and valuations represent significant opportunity. “As emerging economies exit a period of China-led growth and cheap credit, attention has turned to the economic imbalances that developed during the boom years. These imbalances and their solutions vary by country. For example, China will probably reduce investment and increase consumption while the reverse is true for Brazil. The announcement and implementation of reforms is a crucial next step, and could result in a strong upside opportunity for emerging equity markets in 2014.” Download Lazard Asset Management's Full Commentary Here Get Free Research Reports on Lazard Asset Management [+] Read More

Newfound’s Tactical, Risk-Managed Strategies Available to Help Investors Achieve Investment Goals San Francisco, CA – May 9, 2014. WrapManager, Inc. (www.wrapmanager.com), an investment advisor specializing in building investment plans and recommending money managers for investors, is pleased to announce that they now offer three risk-managed investment strategies from Newfound Research LLC (www.thinknewfound.com), a quantitative asset management firm focused on tactical, ETF managed portfolios. [+] Read More

Tactical money manager strategies have caught the attention of many investors recently, given their ability to participate in rising markets while also seeking to limit capital losses when the market declines. Newfound Research LLC's Risk Managed Global Sectors is one such strategy, providing investors access to global equities through an embedded risk-management process. The Newfound Global Sectors Strategy offers the following: A tactical risk management approach - the strategy can move into 100% cash in an attempt to limit large losses1 Additional equity exposure for your portfolio, specifically geared towards global stocks Elimination of cognitive biases due to its rules-based nature1 [+] Read More

International money manager Cambiar Investors reviews the past quarter, as well as the performance of their International Equity ADR and Global Select money manager strategies. “Aggregate global equities posted modest gains in the first quarter – a moral victory of sorts, given the broad sell-off in stocks that occurred in January. Buyers stepped in toward the end of the quarter, and many indices needed the last week of March to get back into the black. Stocks remained resilient during the quarter, despite ongoing concerns about Emerging Markets, valuation concerns in the U.S., and the increasing political uncertainty via Russia and their activities in the Ukraine.” Download Cambiar's Full Commentary Here Get Free Research Reports on Cambiar Investors [+] Read More

You control many of the decisions leading into retirement: how much to save, what investments to make, how long you choose to work. But there are other factors – like market returns and policies regarding taxation, savings, and entitlements – that you can’t completely control. Or can you? The key word here is “completely” – with the right kind of investment planning, you can regain control of some of those less predictable aspects of retirement planning. Planning For Things You Can't Control (Click image for larger version) Source: The Importance of Being Earnest, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, 2013. [+] Read More

Does your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) exceed your living expenses this year? Or perhaps your income from rental properties, an investment portfolio, or a pension is generating extra cash flow beyond what you need. Here are three smart ways to keep those assets working for you: 1) Re-Invest Your Assets to Help Them Grow Get more out of your money by investing extra cash in your taxable brokerage account, IRA or other retirement accounts, which you can do if you meet certain requirements. (Your financial advisor can help you determine your eligibility.) If your extra income comes from RMDs, your financial advisor may be able to help you fulfill your required distribution by transferring stocks from your IRA into your taxable account. Instead of taking that money in cash, you can fulfill your RMD and stay invested in the market. Another option may be to transfer cash or stock to a qualified charity, in which case charitable giving rules may apply. [+] Read More

If you’re thinking about moving to a different state, it’s important to consider how your health care costs could change depending on where you end up. The average cost for Medicare, Medigap and nursing homes could become cheaper, or more expensive. The following two maps of the United States illustrate the average cost for each based on state. On one level, the cost of Medicare and comprehensive Medigap plans varies from state to state. Medicare and Medigap Average Annual Cost per State at Age 65 (Click image for larger version) Source: JP Morgan Asset Management. SelectQuote, 2013. Traditional Medicare costs are based on national average cost estimates for Medicare Parts A, B, D and Medigap Plan F. Vision, dental and long-term care expenses are not included. Not shown on the chart: costs for Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage costs may vary from less than $500 per year to more than $10,000 per year. Data for Alaska and Hawaii not available. [+] Read More

If you had a good investment year, perhaps you had to pay a chunk of taxes on capital gains, interest, and dividends earned. Taxes are taxes, but we’re writing to show you a few ways you might be able to get some of that money back. Here are four investment-related expenses that may be tax deductible for you: 1) Financial Advisor Fees These can include investment management fees paid to your money managers or financial advisors, and can also include paid-for services like subscriptions to newsletters. 2) IRA Custodial Fees For annual or maintenance fees associated with holding your IRA at a custodian. One key item to note: these fees may only be tax deductible if you pay them with cash from an account different than your IRA. [+] Read More