Tariff-Related Trauma and Your Portfolio
April 16, 2025  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

When the headlines scream tariffs, investors flinch—and markets tend to lurch. That’s exactly what happened recently as new tariff announcements triggered a sharp decline in the U.S. stock market. But what’s really going on? Let’s unpack it. Who Actually Pays…Read More

An Alternative Stock Market Story
April 4, 2025  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

Imagine you’re baking a cake, but instead of carefully measuring the ingredients, you you overdo it on sugar to appeal to your inner child. The cake might taste okay at first, but it’s not balanced—and eventually, it could collapse or…Read More

Matt on Markets: Palpable Concerns
March 31, 2025  | By Matt Pierce, CFA

It is generally an exercise in futility to ascribe a single issue to a decline in market prices, particularly on a day-to-day basis. The raft of policy measures being proposed and the speed with which they’re being implemented by the…Read More

Market Forecasts, Mega Stocks, and the Year Ahead
January 25, 2025  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

The image below reflects what I imagine the world’s greatest stock market forecaster envisions when she closes her eyes. All of the millions of variables perfectly connected into a beautiful coherent understanding of how it all works: Imagine a formula…Read More

Important Numbers for 2025
December 10, 2024  | By David Lowe, CFP®

Below are key changes for 2025 recently released by the IRS. Please contact your AWM advisor if you have questions or need clarifying information for your particular situation. SOCIAL SECURITY 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, effective with benefits payable in January 2025…Read More

The Post-Election Markets
November 23, 2024  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

The elections are over. Some of you are distraught and some are elated – we know because we have both types of conversations every day. It was stressful for everyone because of the uncertainty, but the sun rises again and…Read More

Tax Planning Strategies Before Year End
September 12, 2024  | By David Lowe, CFP®

It’s almost the last quarter of 2024. Can you believe it? Now is an ideal time to review your tax planning with your financial advisor and tax preparer or CPA so you can implement appropriate strategies for 2024. If you…Read More

Dealing With The Dips
September 1, 2024  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

Employees get paid for doing work. Investors get paid for taking risk. Risk is the chance of losing value between the time of purchase and sale. We experience risk when the value of an asset falls while we own it….Read More

Using Dollar-Cost Averaging to Reduce Risk
May 15, 2024  | By Kevin Smith, CFA

Investing a large sum of money can be daunting, especially with the uncertainty of market fluctuations. Enter dollar-cost averaging (DCA), a strategy designed to help investors manage risk by spreading their investments over time. By consistently investing a fixed amount,…Read More

2023 Increases for Social Security Income, Retirement Plans, HSAs & IRAs
November 30, 2022  | By David Lowe, CFP®

There are some bright spots amid inflation news. Social Security benefits are set to increase, and workers will be able to contribute more to their retirement accounts in 2023 than in 2022. The following details are important considerations for open…Read More