WrapManager's Wealth Management Blog

Dividend money manager Federated Investors’ commentary discusses why they believe the economy is poised to grow even further this year, driving equities to new highs. “2014 hardly could have started worse, with a brutal and seemingly never-ending winter bringing activity to a halt and keeping shoppers at home in much of the country. The final first-quarter estimate told the story, with real gross domestic product (GDP) contracting a much worse-than-expected 2.1%. But there’s a reason the equity market shook off the number. It was, after all, so yesterday. What today and the rest of the year look like are much different, as manufacturing and jobs appear to be accelerating, auto and retail sales are on the upswing and even housing is showing some signs of pulling out of its funk. The government’s estimate of second-quarter growth was a well-above-consensus 4.2%, in line with our view that the economy is settling onto a higher growth plane that will drive equities to new highs this year and into 2015.” Download Federated's Full Commentary Here Get Free Research Reports on Federated Investors [+] Read More

You’ve arrived at (or are fast approaching) retirement and you’ve worked hard to get here. Congratulations! We’ve prepared a list of items to consider and take care of to start your retirement with confidence. Think about this new stage in two ways: 1) Defining your goals and establishing all the great things you want to do; and, 2) Structuring your financial life so you can make it all happen Just a little bit of time and planning can help make your retirement even more enjoyable and smooth. Retirement Planning Strategy: 13 Steps for Success 1) Build an Investment Plan with Your Financial Advisor An investment plan is your ultimate guidebook for retirement – the roadmap you can reference to see where you are on your retirement journey and to help you navigate issues that arise along the way. A comprehensive investment plan should include the following features: [+] Read More

In response to the 2008 global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to near zero in an effort to save the economy. As the US economy strengthens, it becomes more likely the Fed will reverse course,1 and the possibility of rising interest rates has some investors worried. Higher rates imply the cost of doing business (or buying a home, for instance) could become more costly, which could hurt the economy. Does this mean that rising interest rates could mean poor stock performance ahead? If so, are adjustments to your portfolio warranted? [+] Read More

“Phishing” attacks have been on a steady rise since 2005 and are used to steal sensitive information like Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and passwords. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), over 70% of the phishing scams detected this year involved hackers pretending to be banks.1 Cybercrime is an unfortunate byproduct of the digital world, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and lower your chance of falling victim to online scams, which we’ll walk through for you below. [+] Read More

Your life is busy and full. You have your family and friends, your business, your hobbies and more. These fill up your days, leaving precious little time for other important cares like your finances. That's why you find a financial advisor, an expert who can steer you through the confusing world of investments, planning, and legal and tax ramifications while you focus on the other significant things in life. While you're taking care of these, your financial advisor can pay attention to the issues surrounding your investments and retirement plan. They can keep tabs on the markets, changes in legislation, investment pitfalls and opportunities, and more. That's the way it should be. Unfortunately there are financial advisors who neglect to tell you the whole story, including their fees, their shortcomings, and their loyalties. [+] Read More

WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee highlights certain money manager strategies each quarter for investors to consider. Download the report to learn more about: Risk-Managed - Newfound Research LLC Dividend Equity - Brookmont Capital Management Multi-Cap Growth - ClearBridge Investments Small Cap Growth - Granite Investment Partners International Equity – Cambiar Investors [+] Read More

Often times your fixed sources of income like Social Security and pensions will not fully meet your retirement income needs. This likely means you’ll need to tap into your investment accounts to increase your income. But which accounts should you draw from first, and when is the right time to take distributions? Here’s a general guide for choosing which accounts to draw down first and why. Remember, which approach you take depends on your unique situation and goals. [+] Read More

Midterm elections are just a few months away, prompting many investors to explore the often-asked questions: how do political outcomes affect the stock market? Is it worth making any adjustments to your portfolio? We can look to past midterm elections for what may lie ahead for the markets and your investment portfolio. Why Do Midterms Affect the Market? 1. Less Legislating, More Campaigning This can be a net positive for the markets, given the lowered near-term possibility of new laws affecting the markets and the business community. [+] Read More

Each quarter WrapManager's Investment Policy Committee highlights 4 money manager strategies that have been ranked in the Top 1% of Performance in their respective categories since inception by Informa Investment Solutions. Dividend Equity – Brookmont Capital Management Multi-Cap Growth – ClearBridge Investments Tactical - F-Squared Investments AlphaSector® Premium Composite International Equity – WHV Investments You’ll find brief descriptions of the strategies and can request more in depth information for each. One of our Wealth Managers will reach out to you with the information, and can also show you how they would fit into your current portfolio. [+] Read More