AWM Insights Financial and Investment News

In this episode of AWM Insights, the focus is on the unexpected impacts and implications of the newly imposed tariffs in global trade. Hosted by AWM's Chief Investment Officer and Partner, Justin Dyer, and Portfolio Manager, Mena Hanna, we dissect the nature of tariffs and their immediate reaction in the financial markets. The conversation pivots around how tariffs are escalating tensions with trading partners, leading to ...

Tax has a crucial role in wealth generation and preservation. Professional athletes have very complex tax situations which make tax planning a year-round endeavor, not just a one-time stop during tax filing season. The importance of integrating tax strategies with investment planning can't be stressed enough as we have seen the countless pitfalls of receiving separate tax and investment advice. 

Proactive strategies must be...

Crypto has reemerged in the financial landscape with the recent rally in Bitcoin and the significant role of the SEC's approval of Bitcoin Spot ETFs. With all the hype, a cautious approach to the crypto space is prudent. 

This does not mean that the trend should be ignored. It’s essential to know and understand the ever-evolving investment universe. However, prioritizing investments in businesses with predictable cash flows...

The economy and the stock market are not the same. Usually, the market has a head start and prices in future economic events. The market’s recent rally preceded the positive news that came out in terms of inflation, GDP, and employment rates. 

Making alternative bets has been shown to be counterproductive. Investing with a long-term mindset and avoiding market timing and speculation has been the winning gameplan, and gives ...

Real Estate is one of the most talked about asset classes. The allure of real estate comes from fact, fiction, and fallacy. Tax benefits, inflationary hedges, and income streams come with potential risks that are sometimes neglected, such as leverage, volatility, liquidity, and concentration. 

Incorporating real estate's unique advantages while considering and planning for the challenges is essential to building a well-dive...

What does it take to build a Winning Portfolio? The answer has a significant amount of overlap with how a GM would build a winning team. 

It starts with expertise and knowledge. You need to assemble a group that understands what winning is, what it takes to win, and how to get there. 

Compiling a cohesive team and continuously coaching and improving the team is needed, but also utilizing those players effectively and efficie...

The complexity of predicting market reactions due to events or scenarios playing out can be perfectly proved by looking at elections. There has been no statistically significant data that has shown elections swaying markets in any direction. 

Making investment decisions based on election results is a dangerous game to play. Long-term financial planning can create value while short-term trading strategies influenced by polit...

There are many perceived effects of presidential elections on investment strategies and markets, but the data clearly shows that there is a misconception here. Over the past 100 years, there have only been 4 election years that have had negative returns, all of which were not influenced by presidential elections. Those 4 negative years were 1932 (Great Depression), 1940 (World War II Ramping Up), 2000 (Dot com bubble), and...

Presidential elections and financial markets have a nuanced relationship. All the media coverage and speculation around elections creates a significant panic and worry that can sway investor emotions.

However, the historical data does not support making investment decisions based on the election outcome. Election years have shown no signs of differing performance from normal years.

Financial markets are highly complex, and e...

2023 was a year filled with surprises. It showed us how different predictions are from reality. As we kick off a year that is already starting with a lot of uncertainty and ending with a presidential election, it's critical to keep the lessons we have already learned top of mind.

The key to successful outcomes is to block out the noise and focus on what matters over the long term. Market fluctuations are like the turbulence...

In 2023, financial markets displayed remarkable resilience despite countless global challenges. Contrary to the predictions of a majority of economists, a recession was averted. This year highlighted the unpredictable nature of inflation, interest rates, and ultimately, financial markets. 

The year’s developments and the strong performance of markets underscore the importance of adopting a long-term, systematic approach to ...

Creating a personalized financial structure is an intricate process that isn’t a “set it and forget it” task. As our clients move through their lives, they evolve and so should their financial structure.

Accommodating these updates and protecting new, important priorities is the only way to keep a portfolio relevant to a client's needs. It takes constant and clear communication to establish and reestablish a plan that will ...

Evaluating custom portfolios can be tricky. Unlike off-the-shelf investments, each custom portfolio is unique and tailored to an investor's family, making it hard to compare using the standard benchmarks you see every day.

Private investments further complicate the process as they are valued in different ways and at different time intervals. The key to measuring success with these portfolios isn't just about how much money ...

Figuring out your purpose and intention is the first step to maximizing the impact of your wealth. After your intention is established, time needs to be set aside to execute on that intention and take actions that turn the concept into reality. Figuring out what needs to be done and how it needs to happen is crucial.

We work with our clients to build a game plan that is realistic to execute and advise them along the way to ...

Investing should be centered around you and the plan should evolve as your life develops and changes. This general concept may sound straightforward and logical, but the ideology of setting an intention for the funds in your portfolio and constantly reevaluating and adjusting them is not a common one.

The simple reason for the lack of adoption is that this process is highly sophisticated. Foundations and Endowments manage t...

Brian Cain works with dozens of professional athletes to push them to Mental Performance Mastery. His 4-step formula transcends sports performance and actually has a direct application to managing wealth holistically.

Establishing your goals and envisioning your priorities is Step 1. Creating Intention is followed by Scheduling time to do the work to get there. As time is being spent to get to the target, progress and impro...

Looking back at this past year, there is more to be thankful for than just strong market performance. There have been many improvements and advancements in our industry that will impact all for the better.

Our Industry continues to move away from the transactional business model. Advice and Expertise are dominating, and more businesses are putting their clients first to keep up. This, unfortunately, was not the norm.

This ye...

Markets this week have reacted very positively to easing inflation figures and dropping producer prices. The positive news has changed the sentiment of markets and rewarded investors who took on risk in their portfolios.

It was a great reminder of how Equities reward investors who take on risk in their portfolios. Obviously, risks must be measured and appropriately sized, but when a strong plan is implemented and followed, ...

Interest rates across the board are at or near their highest levels in the last 15 years. While it's more expensive to get a mortgage nowadays, investors are benefiting from these higher rates with their investable assets.

Short-term Treasuries are generating more than 5%, which is significantly higher than the rates we have seen for the last decade. It's important to remember that over the long run, Equity markets have ret...