Wealth Planning

Trump Accounts: What They Are, What They Aren’t, and Where They Fit Your Plan

Most families we work with don’t need more accounts; they need the right ones, used in the right way. You may have noticed recent headlines about Trump Accounts, a new federal savings program launching on July 5, 2026, designed to help children build long‑term financial security. Whenever something new like this appears, clients naturally wonder […]

Wealth Planning

Trump Accounts: What They Are, What They Aren’t, and Where They Fit Your Plan

Most families we work with don’t need more accounts; they need the right ones, used in the right way. You may have noticed recent headlines about Trump Accounts, a new federal savings program launching on July 5, 2026, designed to help children build long‑term financial security. Whenever something new like this appears, clients naturally wonder […]

Congratulations and Welcome

We recently thanked Jim Brown and Dianne Barrios for their years of dedicated service and welcomed David Nelson and Diane Riveros. After over two decades at Clifford Swan, Jim Brown retired on December 31, 2022. Jim joined the firm in 1999 and served as Chief Operating Officer. Through his leadership, the firm’s day-to-day operations ran […]

Peter J. Boyle, CFA

The Head and the Heart

In life, few things put us at the mercy of our emotions the way investing can. The last three years in the markets have been especially unnerving, exhibiting the plot elements of a Shakespeare play. We witnessed drama as the world locked down during Covid, a supernatural-like intervention by Congress and the Federal Reserve to […]

David Y. Lin, CFA

Tax and Retirement Updates

Updated March 2, 2023 to reflect the updated California tax deadline.  NEW BEGINNING AGES FOR RMDS The SECURE Act that was signed into law at the end of 2019 changed key rules around Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Notably, the age to begin taking required minimum distributions increased from 70.5 to 72. The Act also eliminated […]

Clifford Swan

Update: Charitable Gift Annuities More Attractive As Payout Rates Rise Again

Now is a good time for those wanting to give to consider establishing a charitable gift annuity. At its core, a CGA is an arrangement whereby assets are given to a charity in return for the charity’s promise to make lifetime payments of a fixed amount to a beneficiary, who is often the donor. This […]

Lloyd K. Wong, CFA
Jennifer I. Maqueda

Quarterly Insights: January 2023

As we welcome a new calendar year, we pause to reflect upon the one which has concluded and consider what 2023 might offer investors. 2022 was a tumultuous year in the financial markets, with double-digit losses for both stocks and bonds. A rapid rise in inflation and interest rates served as the catalyst for the […]

Clifford Swan

Faith Seeking Understanding

“The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable world, nor that it is a reasonable one. The commonest kind of trouble is that it is nearly reasonable, but not quite. Life is not an illogicality; yet it is a trap for logicians. It looks just a little more […]

Kevin J. Cavanaugh

Message from the CEO – November 2022

In some ways, Clifford Swan Investment Counselors has been undergoing a period of transformation, which started seven years ago when we became a 100% employee-owned firm. While we have always focused the firm’s direction on providing valuable guidance, taking the step to being fully independent allowed us more control over how we shape the firm […]

Peter J. Boyle, CFA

Quarterly Insights: October 2022

After dropping borrowing rates to zero during the pandemic, the Federal Reserve has dramatically changed course in a bid to fight inflation. As we’ve written about before, higher rates have two key effects: a psychological one – weighing on risk appetite – and a mathematical one, as higher rates reduce the value of future cash […]

Clifford Swan

Summer Internship Program Successfully Completes Seventh Year

Clifford Swan’s summer internship program has successfully – and happily – been reinstated following a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. The internship provides undergraduate students considering a career in investment and wealth management a fundamental educational experience and opportunity to develop skills in multiple components of an investment advisory firm, while at the same time […]

Clifford Swan

How to Invest in a Changing Fixed Income Environment

In last quarter’s newsletter, equity analyst Dan Mintz considered equity investment in an inflationary environment. Today, we will discuss how the fixed income landscape is changing and share our resultant investment strategy. <br>   INFLATION, RECESSION, AND YIELD CURVE SIGNALS With prices for everyday purchases like food and gas remaining high, inflation continues to be […]

Murcy Huang, CFA

Gift Annuity Payout Rates Are Increasing

There are many ways to support charitable causes financially. There are outright cash donations, bequests in an estate, different types of charitable trusts, as well as charitable gift annuities. Today, we will focus on the latter. “The promise of a reliable income stream is often attractive to donors.” Charitable gift annuities, or CGAs for short, […]

Lloyd K. Wong, CFA

Clifford Swan Recognized by Financial Advisor Magazine

Financial Advisor magazine recognizes Clifford Swan in their sixteenth annual ranking of independent advisory firms around the country, ranking Clifford Swan as the 15th largest RIA in California.  RIA firms applied for consideration. To be eligible for the ranking, firms must be independent registered investment advisers, file their own ADV statement with the SEC, and provide financial […]

Clifford Swan

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