Market Commentary

The Warsh Era: Less Fed, More Market Volatility

A lot has changed in the financial markets over the last seven months, including the transition to the Warsh Federal Reserve era. When President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair at the beginning of the year, there was wide anticipation that Warsh would be hawkish and narrowly focused, prioritizing […]

Market Commentary

The Warsh Era: Less Fed, More Market Volatility

A lot has changed in the financial markets over the last seven months, including the transition to the Warsh Federal Reserve era. When President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair at the beginning of the year, there was wide anticipation that Warsh would be hawkish and narrowly focused, prioritizing […]

Perspectives Blog, Market Commentary Category

Quarterly Insights: October 2023

The U.S. economy has withstood the effects of higher interest rates better than expected, as what feels like the most anticipated recession of all time has not yet materialized. Leading economic indicators, which predict a change in the business cycle, have been flashing red for nearly a year and a half. These include an inverted […]

Clifford Swan
Clifford Swan 2024 Summer Interns, Cyrus Gaylord and Sophia Wilson

Summer Internship Program Successfully Completes Eighth Year

Rising college juniors Cyrus Gaylord and Sophia Wilson participated in the firm’s eighth summer internship program. Over the course of six weeks, they completed several projects and learned about portfolio management, securities analysis and research, trading and execution, client service, compliance, marketing, and operations. Sophia majors in Economics and Dance at Scripps College, where she […]

Clifford Swan
Perspectives Blog, Market Commentary Category

Staying the Course

Financial markets can catch investors off guard. This year has been a case study of how market rallies can occur in the face of seemingly bad news. Domestic equities roared higher in the first seven months of 2023, with the S&P 500 up more than 19% from the start of the year, while the tech-heavy […]

Clifford Swan
Perspectives Blog, Wealth Planning Category

Tax Benefits of “Bunching” Charitable Giving

Every year income taxpayers need to decide between taking the standard deduction or itemizing. For those that itemize deductions, a strategy to combine two years’ worth of charitable giving into one year has been a financial planning consideration for years. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 made this strategy even more relevant. […]

Maxwell R. Pray, CFA
Perspectives Blog, Wealth Planning Category

Still Waiting for Final RMD Regulations for Inherited IRAs

The Internal Revenue Service has again postponed releasing final rules on required minimum distributions for inherited individual retirement accounts. Because of the delay, some beneficiaries of IRAs inherited after 2019 won’t be penalized for not taking required minimum distributions in 2023. <br> BACKGROUND There have been many important legislative changes for retirement accounts over the past few […]

Clifford Swan
Company News, Featured In

Clifford Swan Named a 2023 Top RIA Firm by Financial Advisor Magazine

Clifford Swan is honored to be recognized by Financial Advisor Magazine in its annual ranking of independent advisory firms around the country.  Financial Advisor Magazine is a publication targeted at financial professionals that aims to deliver essential market information and strategies to help advisors better serve their clients and grow their firms. RIA firms applied for consideration. To be […]

Clifford Swan
A hand placing coins into a transparent piggy bank to save money.

Quarterly Insights: July 2023

Financial markets can be full of surprises. Some provide valuable information by which we might adjust our investment strategies. Other times, surprises can be a kind of noise that is best ignored. The U.S. stock market threw a party in the first half of 2023. Surprise! It was, however, a rather exclusive party. The tech-heavy […]

Clifford Swan
A customer hands a gold Visa credit card to a merchant over a handheld POS terminal.

Market Update: Short-Term Pessimism, Long-Term Optimism

Around the time of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), a guest comedian on Late Night With Conan O’Brien poked fun at airline passengers who complained about boarding difficulties and tarmac delays. The comedian pointed out that if these passengers would just focus on what happened next – participating in the “miracle of human flight” – they might […]

Daniel J. Mintz
Perspectives Blog, Wealth Planning Category

Opportunities for Maximizing Education and Retirement Accounts

The cost of education has never been higher. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the cost of education has increased by two times the inflation rate since 2000. Despite the increase in education costs, tax-advantaged 529 savings plans, which are the primary savings vehicle for education, have been underfunded by most Americans. Concerns […]

George E. Hasbun, CFP®
Perspectives Blog, Market Commentary Category

Quarterly Insights: April 2023

It’s been a little over a year since the Federal Reserve began their aggressive tightening cycle to combat persistent inflation, increasing short-term interest rates from 0% to 5%. The central bank’s actions have resulted in higher long-term interest rates, lower stock prices, and lower real estate values. The sharp increase in interest rates and subsequent […]

Clifford Swan
Audience seated in a ballroom listening to an author panel at the 2023 Pasadena Festival of Women Authors.

Clifford Swan Supports the Pasadena Festival of Women Authors

Clifford Swan served as the lead sponsor of the Pasadena Festival of Women Authors held this past Saturday at the Pasadena Hilton. The volunteer-run Pasadena Literary Alliance hosts the annual event. The Festival celebrates the accomplishments of authors while raising funds for literary programs at community nonprofits. Kathleen Gilmore and Lloyd Wong attended from Clifford Swan […]

Clifford Swan
David J. Nelson, CPA, Chief Operating Officer, Principal

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

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