The wealth management industry is undergoing a radical transformation. Traditionalmodels, built around in-house investment strategies and proprietary technology, arebeing challenged by a demand for more accessible, scalable, and tech-driven solutions.Today’s clients—especially digital-native, younger investors—expect seamless, highlypersonalized experiences, while firms face mounting pressure to reduce costs, increaseefficiency, and expand their service offerings. This is where Wealth as a Service (WaaS) comes in. By leveraging WaaS, wealth management firms can integrate cutting-edge financial technology, streamline operations, and enhance client services—without having to build everything from scratch. By doing this, they become more agile, cost-effective, and competitive—and ready for the future. Why Now?…

Earnings season is nearing the finish line, with over three-quarters of the fourth-quarter earnings season complete. The pace of earnings releases eases to 45 S&P 500 companies scheduled to report. 76% of S&P 500 firms reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter. Only one of the Magnificent 7, NVIDIA (NVDA), is left to release earnings on February 26. The Magnificent 7 consists of Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Amazon.com (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), NVIDIA (NVDA), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Tesla (TSLA). The S&P 500 rose 1.5% for the week, with the Magnificent 7 outperforming with a 2.1% gain. Markets were pleasantly surprised with…

Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK/A, BRK/B) fourth-quarter 13F was filed after the market closed on Valentine’s Day, February 14. This regulatory filing gives us a quarterly opportunity to observe what Warren Buffett and his investment team of Todd Combs and Ted Weschler are doing within Berkshire’s publicly traded equity portfolio. Berkshire has a large stable of wholly-owned entities, but this report provides us with the details of the U.S. publicly traded stock portion of their investments. Berkshire’s fourth-quarter earnings report, containing Warren Buffett’s annual letter and information about the extensive portfolio of wholly-owned operating companies, is expected on Saturday, February 22. Berkshire…

Below book value stocks are not thought of by Wall Street analysts as having much to do (if anything) with growth, this era’s most sought after quality. A company that trades for a share price less than current assets minus current liabilities is just not as much fun as a company that mentions “artificial intelligence” at least a dozen times in a quarterly report. Nevertheless, value stocks continue to be pursued by those few money managers who took notes while studying the Benjamin Graham classics The Intelligent Investor and Security Analysis. Other key metrics are definitely worth considering besides just…

Bad: stubborn prices increases. Surprisingly good these days: Your ability to outrun them. By William Baldwin, Senior Contributor Ugly truth about inflation: Once it gets started, it’s hard to stop. But there’s an auspicious element of what’s going on in the financial markets: Investors are much better equipped than they used to be to combat the erosion of their savings. The 3% gain reported February 12 in consumer prices over the past 12 months came in a bit higher than expected and contrasts with the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target. On February 13 the Producer Price Index, a measure of…

As America stands on the cusp of the largest wealth transfer in history, with an estimated $84 trillion expected to change hands over the next two decades, both inheritors and wealth creators are increasingly turning to trusts as their preferred vehicle for wealth preservation and transfer, both during their lifetime and after their death. This shift represents more than just a technical change in how assets are passed down – it marks a fundamental transformation in how Americans think about inheritance and investment management. The New Face of Inheritance The traditional image of inheritance – a simple transfer of assets…

Planning for retirement can feel like a daunting task, and when you’re doing it as a couple, it becomes even more important to get on the same page. Retirement isn’t just about reaching a financial milestone; it’s about creating a shared vision for your future together. Whether you’ve been together for decades or are recently married, building a retirement plan as a team requires open communication, thoughtful planning, and a strong financial strategy. Here’s how to prepare for this exciting chapter of life as a couple. 1. Align on Your Vision for Retirement Before you dive into the numbers, take…

Name: Diane Hart Firm: UBS Wealth Management Location: Pasadena, CA Team Custodied Assets: $1 billion Background: Diane Hart grew up in Taiwan in a traditional Chinese family where she says she didn’t initially have much hope of having a career. Her big break came when she was 20-years-old and got a job as a secretary at a branch of Security Pacific bank in Taiwan. She saved up and eventually moved to the United States to get her finance degree from Golden Gate University, where she graduated in 1994. She was recruited by Bank of America in 1997 to help with…

Forbes’ top advisor rankings, developed by SHOOK Research, are the only advisor rankings with a focus on quality, including interviewing advisors in-person, virtually and by telephone. Unlike other advisor rankings, SHOOK is not a “robo-ranker.” Numbers such as production and assets don’t tell the whole story, especially when much of the data is self-reported. SHOOK Research creates rankings of role models—advisors that are leading the way in offering best practices and providing a high-quality experience for clients. A focus on both qualitative and quantitative factors is imperative. How We Rank The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors and…

Tech startups are often overlooked as a potential investment vehicle, yet they can serve as a valuable component of a diversified wealth strategy. While index funds typically offer predictable returns and real estate syndications provide middle-ground risk and returns, tech startups—similar to cryptocurrency—occupy the far end of the risk spectrum, offering significantly higher risks but with the potential for tremendous rewards. Some individuals who initially earned $100,000 to $200,000 annually have experienced sudden nine-figure windfalls, achievements that were not realized through passive real estate or index funds. How Tech Startup Investments Work Over the past decade, tech startup investments have…