By Matt Lewis, President, Western Growers Financial Services 2017 will likely bring sweeping tax changes that could have a significant impact on your financial future. President-elect Trump’s pledge to “reduce taxes across-the-board, especially for working and middle-income Americans” includes a proposal to simplify the tax code by reducing the number of federal income tax brackets…
In my experience as a financial professional, one seemingly simple task often creates significant unintended consequences for individuals with retirement and other investment accounts: the proper designation of beneficiaries. First, a bit of terminology. In a qualified account, such as a 401(k) or traditional IRA, the contributions are pre-tax and grow tax-deferred until withdrawal.…
One of the most difficult conversations I have with my clients nearing retirement age is how much fixed income investments will pay them during the course of their retirement years. The most common question these clients ask me is: “What can I expect to earn on my money without risking too much?” I proceed ...
With more than 10,000 publicly-traded mutual funds and more than 6,000 exchange traded index funds (ETFs), our choices as investors have never been greater. From traditional benchmark index funds like the S&P 500 to sector-specific funds that track individual industries like solar and infrastructure, the abundance of options can make the process of investing feel ...
A decade ago, we saw a significant shift in land ownership, where investors were buying up farmland across the country at a rapid speed. This was especially the case with institutional investors, such as college endowments, hedge funds and pension funds. Why? The year 2008 marked the beginning of the U.S. financial crisis and our ...
Western Growers Retirement Security Plan The diversification, cost efficiencies and robust technology offered by the Western Growers Retirement Security Plan (RSP) gives it a competitive edge in the 401(k) industry. Based on the following three key metrics, Western Growers members may want to compare and contrast their current 401(k) plan with what can be ...
We are all about to enter the next generation of wireless connectivity known as fifth generation or 5G, which will replace the current high speed standard of 4G. 5G is not widely available yet and most carriers are only offering the service in a few select cities. But by 2025, the entire U.S. cellular network ...
Western Growers members take pride in producing the freshest, highest quality produce in the world. Our members also take pride in how their food is grown and harvested, and go to great lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, who are almost universally considered an extension of the families who put their ...
For all the challenges 2020 brought our industry, country, and world, the year was also marked by the 20th anniversary of Western Growers Financial Services (WGFS), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer that currently manages more than $300 million in client and corporate assets. Since it was first established in 2000, WGFS has been driven ...
By Matt Lewis, President, Western Growers Financial Services There has been a lot of hype around the recent change in administrator and custodian for the Western Growers Retirement Security Plan (RSP), and for good reason. With Northwest Plan Services (NWPS) as our new Third Party Administrator and Charles Schwab as the new custodian of our ...
As part of the Trump administration’s trend toward deregulation, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued guidance allowing companies to include certain types of private equity funds in 401(k) plans, investments that have traditionally been reserved for the wealthy few. In a statement announcing the decision, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia argued that private equity ...
On February 12, 2020, all the major U.S. stock market indexes finished at record highs. Since then, we have witnessed an unfathomable run, with global market volatility unlike anything any of us have ever experienced. How exactly should we handle our investments in such uncertain times? Even during times less extraordinary, we hear all of ...
As 2020 quickly approaches, we are going to be faced with significant unknowns that could have a dramatic impact on our financial market. Will the trade war with China still be in full swing? Are we going to see a recession? What effect will the election of a new president have on the market? In ...
Yesterday, the Investment Advisory Committee for the Western Growers Retirement Security Plan (RSP) met to review the performance of the current plan to ensure that WG members are linked in to the most profitable and ideal portfolios and investment strategies. During the meeting, the Committee—which is governed by senior executives from WG member companies and ...