Income and cash flow in retirement planning is a crucial conversation that involves an analysis of different asset classes and a view on the economic cycle. Income is measured in terms of yield, but higher yielding asset classes often come with an elevated level of risk. Therefore, it is critical to pair yield and income needs with an assessment of volatility and client risk tolerance.

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) are charitable gift vehicles, sponsored by public charities that accept tax-deductible donations and invest them in a donor account until the donor requests that grants be made from the account to other IRS qualified charities.

As we move into the final quarter of 2018, the landscape is dotted with both opportunities and challenges, created by a combination of Federal Reserve policy, the Trump Administration, and frankly, time.

By using a disciplined business cycle approach, investors can identify key phases in the economy to achieve active returns from sector allocation.

One of the most challenging aspects of evaluating opportunities at this point in the market cycle is the tendency of the market to be rather binary in its assessments.

As market strategists and pundits attempt to predict the end of this economic cycle, a commonly mentioned indicator is the term spread of U.S. Treasuries – or the difference between short-term yields and long-term yields.