Blog

If you are a parent of a teen or young adult, how do you teach them to make confident money decisions before the stakes are high? Teaching teens and young adults about money is less about formal instruction and more about repeated...

Key TakeawaysHere are some questions this blog aims to answer:How can parents or grandparents help with a down payment for adult children?What are ways to gift a down payment, and how do the annual gift tax exclusion and lifetime...

Investors are still weighing the impacts from AI tools on markets and the economy, but only time will tell what the ultimate impacts will be.

Key TakeawaysHow much wealth are women on track to control in the next decade, and why does that matter?What does the life expectancy gap between women and men mean for how long money needs to last?How common is it for women to be...

Key TakeawaysTreat tax strategy as a continuous process, not a once-a-year filing exercise.Coordinate with financial and tax professionals throughout the year to identify opportunities for efficiency.Review contribution limits,...

Investor worries about the software industry have grown as OpenAI, Anthropic, and others have released new AI tools for coding and software development. Software companies are adapting by changing their business models.

Key TakeawaysEmotions and biases might influence financial choices more often than most people realize.Behavioral patterns, such as loss aversion, familiarity bias, and herd mentality, can impact long-term results.Recognizing emotional...

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be the most revolutionary technology of our time, with industries scrambling to embrace its possibilities. AI’s early influence seems similar to the positive disruptions brought about by past...

Global Markets Report – 4th Quarter 2025

Annette A.Vanderlinde, MBA, CWS®, AIF®

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

As we turn the page on 2025 and step into a new year, we want to take a moment to reflect, express our gratitude, and look ahead together.

The labor market improved slightly after the government shutdown ended, but jobs growth remains weak and unemployment continues to rise. The market is anticipating more rate cuts in 2026 than the FOMC has indicated that they expect.

Key Takeaways and Suggestions for Successful Goal Setting Use SMART Goals for Clarity and FocusSet goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This proven method helps break big ambitions into manageable...

Small caps outperformed large caps in November. While U.S. stocks outperformed emerging markets, developed market equities outperformed U.S. equities in November.

Year-end giving isn’t just about generosity. It’s also about using your wealth to reflect your values while making the most of potential tax benefits.

The Fed continued to cut rates. Treasuries rose slightly and the dollar strengthened despite the government shutdown.

Global Markets Report – 3rd Quarter 2025

Annette A.Vanderlinde, MBA, CWS®, AIF®

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

This fall, our entire team at Liberty Wealth Advisors assembled for a few days in our Stamford, CT office.  

A great financial plan isn’t static. It grows and evolves with your life. What matters in your 30s looks very different from the priorities in your 50s or 70s.

 Fed rate cuts have started with more anticipated amid labor market weakness despite a resilient consumer and elevated inflation.

Slow hiring, slightly higher unemployment, and mixed manufacturing data likely mean a Fed cut in September, but accelerating inflation makes it risky.

As everyone heads back to school and college campuses come alive, it’s not just students and parents getting busy; scammers are too.

For many young adults, turning 18 and heading off to college marks an exciting new chapter.

The Fed continued to maintain its policy rate at its July meeting. Consumers spent more during the month and consumer sentiment readings improved.

In an era where data creation is skyrocketing and reported losses to fraud jumped to $12.5 billion in 2024[, the proper handling of physical documents is more critical than ever.

The Fed continued to maintain its policy rate in place at the June meeting and reduced estimates for GDP growth while increasing its inflation forecast. Consumers cut back in May while inflation remained unchanged.

When it comes to managing your money, there’s one concept that can either be your greatest ally or your worst enemy if you let it—compound interest.

As the Executive Director of a nonprofit, your day starts early and ends late. You’re balancing budget reviews with donor meetings, answering board questions between staff check-ins.

Job growth remained strong in April while consumer sentiment improved on temporary trade policy easing, but uncertainty remains in the economy around how trade policy and negotiations with trade partners will impact the economy.

Preparing for the future of your business often begins with a single, sobering realization: succession is inevitable, and the stakes are high.

Unemployment remains low and job creation remains resilient, but consumer and business sentiment is weakening as tariff policy changes continue to reduce visibility through the end of the year and into 2026.

As I write this cover letter, a mere handful of days after the quarter end, I again find myself reflecting upon the volatile nature of the markets. Tariff news, policy changes and negotiation tactics continue to rock the markets and rattle

Like that pile of laundry you have yet to fold, if you’ve been putting off financial organization, now is the time to take immediate action and spring clean your financial life.

Unemployment remains low and job creation remains at 100K-150K jobs per month despite a recent slowdown in the overall labor market. Tariffs and trade policy uncertainty have contributed to lower consumer sentiment and household spending...

Investing can feel like a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. But have you ever stopped to think about how your emotions might be steering the wheel?

Inflation remaining elevated and policy uncertainty around immigration and tariffs continue to be barriers to interest rate cuts by the Fed. Uncertainty amid slower job growth, deteriorating consumer sentiment, and falling retail sales...

Imagine this: You’re cleaning out an old filing cabinet and stumble upon an outdated 401(k) statement from a job you left years ago. Or maybe you overhear a friend talking about an unexpected check they received from a long-lost insurance p

Inflation remaining elevated and policy uncertainty around immigration and tariffs continue to be barriers to interest rate cuts by the Fed. Meanwhile, the economy continues to see strong job growth, but retail sales and GDP growth were...

Happy New Year to you all! I’m always a bit surprised when another year seems to fly by so quickly – how is it already 2025? Yet, when I stop to do an inventory of this past year, both personally and professionally, I’m always pleased to se

Explore the Must-See Resources Provided by The Federal Trade Commission The premise of the action thriller, The Beekeeper, is that a retired government agent working as a beekeeper on a farm is spurred back into action after his...

Quick Takes Stock Markets Woes. Equity markets fell during a more challenging December after rallying November. A combination of Fed outlook changes, policy uncertainty, global conflict escalation, and other events hurt investors in...

With the year coming to a close, now is the time when advisors should help clients reflect on their investment strategies with a dual perspective – one that encompasses both the strategic and tactical aspects of financial planning.

The holiday shopping season kicks off the day after Thanksgiving with Black Friday. But the next day, Small Business Saturday, lets you strengthen your community with your holiday spending.

Big-box stores may dominate Black Friday with doorbuster deals, but small businesses have their own opportunity to capitalize on the holiday shopping season.

Now is the perfect time to take a hard look at your estate plan. Unless Congress intervenes, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is set to expire at the end of 2025. If you have a significant estate, you could be hit with a much larger tax...

As I write this letter, I’m looking out my window, enjoying the views of a sunny fall afternoon. Fall is harvest-time, where we have the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of the growing season. You might go apple picking...

There’s no denying we are living in the digital age. With increasingly sophisticated and insidious cyber threats, it is more important than ever to understand what you’re up against and to take steps to protect yourself. Here are four...

A financial advisor is much like a navigator in the complex world of investments, education financing, retirement saving and estate planning. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that is hard to match.

The end of 2025 feels so distant. But the time between now and then will pass in the blink of an eye – just ask any tax planner. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), passed in 2017, created a golden opportunity for families to preserve and ma

On Tuesday, the $20 billion RIA announced the promotion of Annette VanderLinde as president of Liberty Wealth Advisors. VanderLinde, who established herself as a driving force within the company, will now oversee the firm’s comprehensive fi

Summertime is in full swing, and so are the graduation parties, gatherings and barbeques with friends and family. At these events, I’m often asked to share my thoughts about the market, investing, and what might happen this election...

Many money mistakes, when corrected early enough, won't have a material impact on your wealth long-term. However, there are certain mistakes that can be hard to recover from. The Financial Advisor Team at Liberty Wealth Advisors®...

Advisor Consolidation Can Improve Your Chances. Investors sometimes think that their investments are better allocated to multiple advisors – you know the saying “Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” right? However,...

Welcome to the Liberty Wealth Advisors® team, Logan Soll! Logan is our newest Client Relationship Manager and brings a Servant Leadership approach to his work with our clients and our teammates. Logan joins our remote service...

In the past decade, the IRS has erroneously paid out tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent tax returns due to identity theft. As a result, the IRS has developed an extra layer of security for tax returns, called an Identity...

Whether planning for business continuation or an exit, the time to plan is well before you need the plan. You’ve spent many years building your business from the ground up, working through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship....

Many older Americans rely on Medicare for their health care needs – in 2019, Medicare covered about 61.5 million Americans, and that number is expected to increase to 75 million by 2027. However, it's not always easy to...

At the start of every new year, we reflect on our hopes and dreams and make some resolutions. Health-related goals are usually at the top of the list, but what about your finances? The health of your accounts, spending habits, and...

When thinking about physical health, it's common for people to take a holistic approach — we think about ways we can practice being healthy overall, like eating a balanced diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise. Keeping...

Approximately 70 million retired Americans collect Social Security benefits. Of those retirees, 8 million also collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But Social Security is more than retirement income. It also provides life...

There's no doubt that it feels great to help someone in need through charitable giving. There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States that range from food banks and disaster relief centers to churches and...

Liberty Wealth Advisors® is pleased to announce the promotion of Kaitlin Gladney to Manager of Trading Operations and Marketing.Kaitlin has served as a member of the Portfolio Management and Marketing teams for the past year and...

A version of this article previously appeared on CNBC.com.The recent upswing in inflation has renewed investors' interest in assets that may help preserve the real (inflation-adjusted) value and purchasing power of their portfolio. The...

Did you know that even if you won't be itemizing your tax deductions on your 2021 federal tax return that you may be eligible to take advantage of a charitable giving deduction?In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic...

The concept of Servant Leadership runs through everything we do at Liberty Wealth Advisors®. Whether it be in our client engagements, giving back to our communities or within our team collaboration, we are consistent in our...

Liberty Wealth Advisors® is pleased to announce the appointment of Dawn Clingan as Client Relationship Manager.Clingan has over 17 years of financial services experience and has been the recipient of numerous awards for her work...

A number of factors can affect your retirement income, and it's important to take them all into account as you plan and save for your retirement. If you don't consider how your retirement income can be impacted by investment risk,...

Like many people, you may be torn between paying off debt and the need to save for retirement. Both are important; both can help give you a more secure future. If you're not sure you can afford to tackle both at the same time, which...

It can be challenging to create secure passwords to protect your accounts. However, you want to ensure that your online accounts—especially your financial accounts—are secure from hackers. You may be asking yourself: how...

In the past decade, the IRS has incorrectly paid out tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent tax returns due to identity theft. As a result, the IRS has developed an extra layer of security for tax returns, called an Identity...

Popular New Year's Resolutions often revolve around health-centric goals. These can include implementing healthier eating habits, pursuing weight loss, getting regular exercise, quitting smoking or other bad habits, or updating one's...

On my computer monitor, I have taped a small piece of paper with the words primum non nocere. It's Latin—a "dead" language that pervades modern life—for "first, do no harm." The underpinnings of the Hippocratic oath, this...

Investment decision-making is rarely easy. The stock market is setting new highs? Maybe we should wait for a pullback before investing further. Stock prices are falling? Maybe we should wait for them to pull back some more before...

The Risk of Market TimingThe slide below shows how important it is to stay fully invested and how missing even a day of large gains can substantially lower overall returns. We've heard it often said that successful long-term investing...

This table shows that stocks generated their greatest returns during the first 12 months of the recovery. Missing even the first month after the market hits bottom can substantially lower returns over time. At Portfolio Solutions®...

As this chart shows, markets have experienced material corrections every ten years or so since 1926, indicated on the chart in red. These tend to be relatively brief (averaging about 16 months) and shallow (averaging approximately 40%...

The recent coronavirus outbreak should remind investors of the importance of remaining disciplined, and that history has shown no reliable way to identify market peaks or bottoms.Sticking to a broadly-diversified portfolio and not...

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) was passed and signed into law by Congress in December 2019, and its provisions went into effect on January 1, 2020. This new law aims to strengthen retirement...

Portfolio Solutions® was honored this month to be invited as a presenter at IMPACT 20191 in San Diego, CA. Our Chairman & CEO James S. Gladney provided keynote remarks, sharing our expertise in creating a better...

The annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) began on October 15 and will end on December 7, 2019. During this period, Medicare beneficiaries (generally people age 65 or older who reside in the United States) have the opportunity...

that commissions have been eliminated on stock and ETF trades!Portfolio Solutions® is excited to announce that commissions have been eliminated on stock and ETF trades.Portfolio Solutions® has some great...

Portfolio Solutions® serves more than 600 clients in 44 states and the District of Columbia1. Working with this large and diverse group of investors provides our team with firsthand experience advising on topics which may also...

There are critical things that people can do better than computers.After years of development, numerous Robo-advisors have entered the world of investment management. Still, many investors may not fully understand exactly what...

In July of 2019, Capital One Financial Corporation disclosed that it suffered a data breach in which an alleged hacker illegally accessed the personally identifiable information (PII) of over 100 million individuals in the United...

The team at Portfolio Solutions® believes that with age comes responsibility. If you are a young adult in your 20s or 30s, chances are you've been introduced to the realities of adulthood. While you're excited y all the...

At Portfolio Solutions®, the investment philosophy we practice has served our clients for more than 20 years, and it hasn't changed. We are long-term, strategic investment advisors who believe that diversification, asset...

What is Lifetime (Non-Charitable) Gifting?Gifting can be a powerful estate planning tool, allowing you to transfer your wealth to others during your lifetime. Lifetime gifts have many advantages over gifts you might leave in your will...

Help Ensure Your Vacation is Cyber-Secure!Now that it’s officially summer and the kids are out of school, you might be planning to take a family vacation. There are many options and considerations when preparing for a trip....

The chart below demonstrates track records for investment classes during turbulent periods in equity markets. By sorting monthly equity returns into deciles and examining the worst periods, we find that high-quality bonds* have...

If you haven't downloaded the PS Portal app since its release last year, now is the time! Discover the advantages of having instant access to your portfolio, documents, and your team at Portfolio Solutions® wherever you...

Wills allow you to nominate a guardian for your minor childrenIn many states, a will is your only means of stating who you want to act as legal guardian for your minor children if you die. You can name a personal guardian, who takes...

Planning for your own businessAt Portfolio Solutions®, we feel that before you start your own business or buy an existing business, you should do some initial planning.You may have already decided what type of business you want...

Short-term stock market volatility can cause us to lose perspective. In times of market volatility, you may see alarming fluctuations in your account balances, making it tempting to adjust your asset allocation in search of calmer...

Taxes can take a big bite out of your total investment returns, so it's helpful to look for tax-advantaged strategies when building a portfolio. But keep in mind that investment decisions shouldn't be driven solely by tax...

At Portfolio Solutions®, we know caring for your aging parents is something you hope you can handle when the time comes, but it's the last thing you want to think about. Whether the time is now or somewhere down the road, there...

As Servant Leaders, our team at Portfolio Solutions® is passionate about helping clients take control of their financial futures. As a female Advisor here, I take great pride in helping our clients, especially women, focus on...

Portfolio Solutions® CEO, James Gladney and Vanguard CEO, Tim Buckley recently brought their senior management teams together for a full day summit meeting at Vanguard Headquarters in Malvern, PA to develop ways to expand the...

Portfolio Solutions® has continued to expand the information we provide you as well as our services to offer even more value to our clients. Do you have questions regarding your Medicare insurance premiums, deductibles, or...

At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses while at the same time looking after the needs...

What are Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)?Required minimum distributions, often referred to as RMDs or minimum required distributions, are amounts that the federal government requires you to withdraw annually from traditional IRAs...

Although there's no hard-and-fast rule about when you should review your estate plan, the following suggestions may be of some help:You should review your estate plan immediately after a major life eventYou'll probably want to do a...

Your credit report contains information about your past and present credit transactions. It's used primarily by potential lenders to evaluate your creditworthiness. So, if you're about to apply for credit, especially for larger gift...

If you have any questions surrounding your financial goals, we're here to help! Click on the short video below to learn about considerations toward achieving your financial objectives, such as:Your time horizon and appropriate levels...

A Deeper Look at Current Trade TensionsFor some time, trade tensions have dominated headlines, causing concern in investment markets. With no control over the markets and how they will behave, Portfolio Solutions® believes that...

What is a Business Continuation Plan?Portfolio Solutions® provides business succession guidance to our clients who are CEOs, business owners, entrepreneurs, senior management teams, boards and next-generation family business...

Ashley E. HinesClient Relationship ManagerAshley has worked in the Insurance and Financial Services industry since she's graduated Davenport University in 2013, with her Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. Since then, she has obtained her...

When is the Medicare Open Enrollment Period?The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is the time during which people with Medicare can make new choices and pick plans that work best for them. Each year, Medicare plan costs and coverage...