With the recent bank failures, we have received inquiries as to the strength of the financial firms holding the assets of our clients. As a fiduciary advisor, we have maintained an arms-length approach to the selection of a client’s custodian, preferring to remain impartial and allowing the client to decide. Since there is a wide variety of options: banks, brokerage firms, discount brokerage firms, etc., there is also great variance in the quality and cost of services. We have historically suggested using Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, or Fidelity due to their size, low cost, service teams and independence. While clients still choose to use US Bank, Raymond James, PNC and others, with the preponderance of the assets we manage at Schwab and Fidelity, we will focus on these two custodians for this discussion. (Charles Schwab bought controlling interest in TD Ameritrade in November of 2019 and will transition accounts to Schwab by October of this year.) 

While many outlets have reported on the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and more news will continue to trickle in, it is our understanding that these episodes do not reflect the systemic risks experienced during the financial crisis of ’08-’09. The Treasury and the Federal Reserve are providing full backing for customers’ deposits in banks of all sizes. Affected customers are being made whole from a pool of emergency cash that receives its funding from a 2010-era banking legislation (Dodd-Frank) that mandated special fees on banks.

No one likes to think about falling victim to a scam or suffering a medical emergency, but the sobering truth is that these situations do occur. If this type of trouble arises, you may need someone to advocate for you or serve as your liaison. Having a trusted contact is extremely important when it pertains to the management and protection of your finances. 

Here’s how to begin the process of adding a trusted contact to your financial advisor account to prevent any disconnect.

Storing important documents, like financial statements from your financial advisor, isn’t just a matter of organization: It’s key to keeping your information safe and limiting the risk of identity theft. Here’s everything you need to know about storing important documents at home or online.

Mobile payment apps, such as Venmo and PayPal have gained in popularity, but is the cost of convenience the security of your money? As financial planners, we want you to understand the risks and benefits. If you’re wondering, are payment apps safe? Here are useful facts you need to know.

When it comes to years when both stocks and bonds see poor performance, investors may begin to wonder if it’s better to have their money in liquid assets such as cash, as opposed to investments such as bonds and stocks. In other words, is cash king? Let’s see.

When you’re looking at your overall financial picture, the role of trustee is an important position that comes with a lot of responsibility, but what exactly does the position entail?

Fed Chairman Powell has spoken unreservedly for a year now that he was serious about fighting inflation and will do ‘whatever it takes.’ Hardly anyone can question that resolve given the unprecedented 4.25% rate increases in the last nine months (see first Image below). The pace of hikes, however, makes the case that the lack of rate action till March of this year was the wrong decision, with the benefit of hindsight.

Fifty years ago, a woman couldn’t open a credit card without her husband co-signing. While we’ve come a long way since then, women still face certain financial challenges. Financial planning for women must account for these challenges in order to avoid the issues they might create. Here are three of the biggest pitfalls women must consider when creating their financial plan and tips for how to avoid them.

When you own shares of a company, whether it’s a single share or thousands of shares, two things you must deal with are proxy voting and corporate class action lawsuits. Both are often quite tedious, but the good news is that when you work with a Carnegie advisor, we can handle them for you. Here’s everything you need to know about proxy voting, corporate class action lawsuits and how Carnegie handles them.