Welcome to Polaris Updates, Powered by Adviser. We’ve launched this monthly newsletter to keep you informed about all the pertinent developments at our organization. From enhanced services and company awards to the latest updates, there’s a lot of exciting news to communicate.
This Month:
- Q&A: Meet Tim Clift
- Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Award
- Recent Market Insights Summary
This year’s tax season will be winding down in no time, but the window to plan for next year is wide open. And with the changes brought on by Secure Act 2.0, it’s important to consider adjustments to your tax, education and retirement savings plans sooner rather than later. For instance, required minimum distributions (RMDs) are being pushed to age 73, offering you more time to consider a Roth conversion. And new rules around 529 plan rollovers provide another potential path for wealth accumulation. Your adviser can work with you to model these new options for tax-saving strategies.
To get the conversation started, we’ve compiled a list of 2023 tax brackets, contribution limits and retirement savings deadlines for you. Our concise reference includes tax rates on capital gains, qualified dividends and gifts, updates on 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plan contributions, the latest standard deductions and more.
Take a look, and in your next meeting with your adviser discuss these changes and any life events or major expenses you are expecting this year that may affect your financial plan.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this edition of Polaris Updates. Let us know what you think! If you have questions or suggestions, reach out to your wealth adviser or email us at info@polariswealth.com.
Q&A: Meet Tim Clift
Tim joined the company late last year as chief investment officer, providing oversight of investment strategy and capabilities at Adviser and Polaris. We thought you’d like to hear from him directly:
You have over 30 years of experience in financial services, most recently as chief investment strategist of an advisory platform serving 100,000 advisers. What brought you to Adviser?
I wanted to join a firm that was nimble enough to grow and innovate but also had the resources to provide comprehensive wealth management solutions and an elevated client experience. Adviser and Polaris have that and more. On top of that, I am enormously excited to be here to lead our exceptional research and portfolio management teams.
Say a bit about our investment management philosophy.
It has become very clear that managing product fees, taxes and risk all have an enormous impact on building and preserving wealth. So, we are leveraging our extensive research capabilities to design and refine investment solutions for our clients with the understanding that every investor has a unique path to financial prosperity, and that the investment solutions we recommend need to satisfy those individual needs.
What do clients have to look forward to this year from the investment side of the firm?
I think you’ll see our investment strategy lineup evolve in the coming months as we introduce new investment products and tools to complement our foundational tax, financial and estate planning services. I am particularly excited to offer clients access to more alternative investments starting this spring. We are distinctive in that we believe a client who is at an earlier stage of accumulating wealth should have access to products often reserved for only the wealthiest investors and institutions.
What else sets our firm apart?
In a word, people. We have great investment professionals and incredibly impressive advisers who truly care about our clients and know how to help them work toward their goals.
Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Award
We’re delighted to announce that Adviser’s Liz Kesselman was awarded the #13 spot on Forbes magazine’s 2023 list of “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State” (Massachusetts). Liz was one of 54 individuals named to the list and one of just a few independent advisers to receive the recognition.
“It’s gratifying to be recognized by Forbes, especially as one of just a few individuals from independent RIAs,” Kesselman commented. “I’m privileged to work with incredible clients and a talented team of professionals at Adviser and Polaris.”
This is not the first time Liz has been recognized as a distinguished leader in our field. She was also named to Forbes’ list of “Top Women Wealth Advisors” in 2022. Liz has been a valued member of our firm for many years and a mentor to our younger employees. We are fortunate to work with such a talented wealth adviser.
Congratulations, Liz!
Recent Market Insights Summary
In case you missed it, below is a quick overview of February’s financial planning and market insights.
Please read our latest quarterly investment letter. You’ll see that our optimism is supported by both historical perspective and facts on the ground.
We rate trusts highly as a tool to pass wealth along to the next generation in a tax-friendly manner. In fact, a trust-based estate plan is often more effective than a will-based estate plan, especially for high-net-worth individuals and families.
We’ve received some questions from you about the rules for inherited IRAs and how they’ve changed with successive rounds of legislation. Here’s a roundup of some of the most common questions and our answers.
We value your opinion and feedback as we remain focused on helping you achieve your goals in the best way possible. Please reach out to your wealth adviser or email us anytime at info@polariswealth.com. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you all good things in the new year and beyond.
This material is distributed for informational purposes only. The investment ideas and opinions contained herein should not be viewed as recommendations or personal investment advice or considered an offer to buy or sell specific securities. Data and statistics contained in this report are obtained from what we believe to be reliable sources; however, their accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.
Purchases and sales of securities listed above represent all securities bought and sold in each strategy during the period stated. Each strategy’s portfolio generally includes more holdings in addition to the transactions listed above and in some cases the securities listed above may only represent a small portion of the particular strategy’s complete portfolio. Further, the securities listed above are not selected for listing based on their investment performance; thus it should not be assumed that any of the securities listed above were profitable or will be profitable, nor should it be assumed that future recommendations will be profitable. Clients and prospective clients should only make judgments about a strategy’s performance after reviewing the strategy’s composite performance information. There is no assurance that each security listed above will remain in the strategy’s portfolio by the time you have received or read this email. Securities are listed for informational purposes and are not intended as recommendations. Existing investor accounts may not participate in all transactions listed above due to each account’s particular circumstances.
Our statements and opinions are subject to change without notice and should be considered only as part of a diversified portfolio. You may request a free copy of the firm’s Form ADV Part 2, which describes, among other items, risk factors, strategies, affiliations, services offered and fees charged.
Past performance is not an indication of future returns. Tax, legal and insurance information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice, or as advice on whether to buy or surrender any insurance products. We do not provide legal advice, nor sell insurance products. Always consult a licensed attorney, tax professional, or licensed insurance professional regarding your specific legal or tax situation, or insurance needs.
Companies mentioned in this article are not necessarily held in client portfolios and our references to them should not be viewed as a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any of them.
Third-party publications referenced in this article (e.g., Citywire, Barron’s, InvestmentNews, CNBC, etc.) are independent of Polaris Wealth Advisory Group. Opinions and statements contained in third-party articles are for informational purposes only; they are not investment recommendations.
The 2023 Forbes “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State” selection process was conducted by SHOOK Research. Candidates were evaluated through an algorithm based on the individual’s revenue production for their firm, client retention data, assets under management by the individual/individual’s team, review of the individual’s compliance record, fee structure, breadth of services offered, professional credentials, years of service, community involvement and an interview (telephone or in-person) with the award evaluators. Minimum eligibility criteria included: (1) at least seven years as a financial adviser; (2) working for current firm for at least one year; (3) individual is recommended by her firm; (4) completion of an online survey; (5) evaluation of business that is conducted with individuals; and (6) an acceptable compliance record as determined by the award’s evaluators. 38,314 nominations were received (10,250 women), and 22,106 resulted in invitations to complete the survey and partake in an interview. 1,697 women were named to the list, of which 54 professionals were named to the Massachusetts list. The award does not consider portfolio performance. Inclusion on the list of “Top Women Wealth Advisors” does not mean that the individual does not have any negative history on their regulatory compliance record. The award is not indicative of client experience or future investment performance. Adviser Investments did not pay a fee to participate in this award. For more information on this award—including eligibility and evaluation criteria, information on the algorithm used to compare and rank participants, and compliance record review methodology—visit Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State 2023.
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