Karen DeMasters

4 days ago | fa-mag.com | Karen DeMasters

For the first time in three years, total charitable giving outpaced inflation and reached record highs, according to a report by the Giving USA Foundation. A strong stock market and GDP growth helped fuel the increase in total giving, which was led by individual and corporate gifts. The slowdown in inflation helped push the totals over the rate of inflation, the report said. Giving totals for 2024 were estimated at $592.5 billion, a 6.3% increase over 2023.

5 days ago | fa-mag.com | Karen DeMasters

Cash often is the forgotten asset, but it should be valued and protected like any other investment, according to Kelly A. Brown, founder and CEO of Ampersand, a cash management firm based in Waukesha, Wis. A well-managed cash deposit can earn a meaningful interest rate and should be included in a well-rounded portfolio, she said. “Investors should look at cash as an asset that needs to be protected,” Brown said in an interview.

1 week ago | fa-mag.com | Karen DeMasters

A former executive with LPL Financial has been named president of the Wealth Consulting Group, a hybrid RIA and wealth management platform based in Las Vegas, the company announced today. Andy Kalbaugh came out of retirement to take on the new role. In the new position, Kalbaugh will help lead the firm’s efforts to scale its advisor platform and enhance value for its partner firms.

3 weeks ago | fa-mag.com | Karen DeMasters

As market swings continue to put investors on edge, financial industry leaders are looking for new strategies and products to soothe their clients’ nerves. Financial professionals are looking to AI advances that allow them to make portfolios more client-specific, and to products like registered index-linked annuities (RILAs) to reassurance clients about their investments, financial industry executives said in interviews and email exchanges.

4 weeks ago | fa-mag.com | Karen DeMasters

As concerns mount about the future of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the face of federal budget cuts, some people are making poor decisions based on fear, according to Martha Shedden, president of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts. Instead of acting on fear, people who want the Social Security maximum benefits should reach out to financial professionals for help, Shedden said.