Making the Most of Year-End Opportunities
As autumn leaves fall and we head into the holiday season, we find ourselves reflecting on another eventful year in the markets. While financial headlines continue their daily drumbeat of predictions and indicators, we wanted to take a moment to share our thoughts on the opportunities we’re seeing as we approach year-end.
October Market Recap
October brought continued market volatility, though with less dramatic swings than we saw in September. While various economic indicators and headlines continue to create day-to-day market movements, our systematic approach to investment management remains unchanged.
In line with our disciplined investment strategy, we maintained our base allocation across all asset classes throughout October. However, we did conduct a tactical rebalancing of portfolios during the month. This rebalancing was necessary as stock market performance had created some drift from our target allocations. In the current environment, maintaining precise allocation targets is particularly important for managing risk appropriately.
This steady approach reflects our commitment to systematic, disciplined investment management rather than reactive decision-making based on short-term market movements or headlines. While markets may continue to experience volatility in the coming months, our investment strategy is designed to weather various market conditions while maintaining focus on long-term objectives.
Timely Opportunities Worth Discussing
The year-end often brings unique planning opportunities, and this year is no exception. We’re seeing some interesting possibilities for tax-loss harvesting in many portfolios. Given this year’s market movements, we may be able to capture some investment losses to help reduce your tax burden while keeping your long-term investment strategy intact. If we spot opportunities specific to your portfolio, we’ll reach out to discuss them directly with you.
For those of you taking required minimum distributions, we know this is top of mind. Rest assured, we’re tracking these requirements carefully. If you haven’t taken your full RMD for 2024, we’ll help ensure you meet the deadline in the most tax-efficient way possible. Many of our clients have found that qualified charitable distributions can be an excellent way to satisfy these requirements while supporting causes they care about.
Speaking of charitable giving, we know many of you are thinking about your year-end contributions. The strong market performance in recent years has created some interesting opportunities, particularly around donating appreciated securities. We’ve helped many clients maximize their charitable impact while managing tax implications through various strategies. If you’re planning any significant giving before year-end, let’s talk about how to make those dollars go further.
Looking Ahead to 2025
While we’re focused on these year-end opportunities, we’re also thinking ahead about your needs for the coming year. We want to ensure your portfolio remains well-positioned for whatever 2025 might bring, whether that’s planned expenses, life changes, or new opportunities you’d like to pursue.
Behind every portfolio we manage are real people with real goals, dreams, and concerns. Our role isn’t just to manage investments – it’s to help you use your wealth to live the life you envision. Whether that’s supporting family, funding education, leaving a legacy, or simply enjoying the fruits of your hard work, we’re here to help make that happen.
Some of the most valuable conversations we have with clients don’t center on market performance or investment strategies, but rather on your hopes, concerns, and plans for the future. As year-end approaches, we encourage you to think about what matters most to you and how we can help you achieve it.
Staying Connected
As always, we’re here if you need us. Whether you want to discuss your year-end planning, recent market events, or simply check in about your overall strategy, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The relationship we share with you is the foundation of everything we do, and we’re grateful for the trust you place in us.
