Certain clients have some concerns, and others are super supportive. Most clients are somewhat agnostic to it all. And that’s because we make sure our clients understand that capital markets are generally agnostic to whoever’s in the White House. I like to say that a president gets too much credit when things go well from a capital-markets perspective and too much blame when things don’t go well. We make sure clients understand that their financial plan is their bedrock, and investments are a means to fund those goals. So long as we keep them centered on that, our clients are generally pretty good in terms of managing the day-to-day noise. -Craig Robson, Founding Partner and Managing Director

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With tax season underway, now is the time for investors to assess their 2024 charitable contributions and to plan ahead for 2025 giving to maximize tax benefits.

Consider strategic giving, including how individuals can:

• Evaluate whether the standard deduction or itemizing contributions provides the greatest tax benefit
• Consolidate donations into a single tax year to surpass the itemization threshold
• Leverage donor-advised funds (DAFs) for immediate tax benefits while maintaining flexibility in charitable giving.

Read the article HERE

With the recent release of December’s CPI data, our AWA Nick Fazio provided insights into inflation trends, why both annual and month-over-month figures matter for a fuller picture, as well as how investors should account for inflation in their financial plans:

"As life expectancies continue to increase, you’re going to want to have a financial plan that anticipates the impact of inflation over multiple decades,” said Nick. “It can feel odd to plan on spending amounts that are significantly higher than what you spend today, but it’s imperative to plan on future increases in price levels to be able to live the great life you envision down the road.”

Read the article HERE

We believe in a smart growth strategy, which allows us to build our team in a manner that aligns with the anticipated needs of the firm, prevents reaching capacity and protects the well-being of our employees.

In line with this strategy, our COO Emily Raymond pointed Gregg Greenberg toward our 2025 expansion plans, where we’re looking to create a business development role and a “hybrid” position that supports our client service associates, associate wealth advisors and planning team.

“You can’t have one without the other to produce quality, efficient, top-notch service to our clients,” Emily noted.

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"Make sure you know what you own and why you own it."

In a recent conversation our Founding Principal and Managing Director Craig Robson reminds investors of this principle when evaluating new investment opportunities, especially as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to rise in popularity.

For investors who are looking to diversify with digital assets and determine crypto is a suitable addition to their portfolio, small allocations to crypto ETFs, for example, can help manage risk while gaining exposure to this asset class.

Read the article HERE

As we launch into the first edition of our latest newsletter, “Charting the Ascent,” I’m going to share some knowledge with you, grammar police be damned: Once you know it, you can’t un-know it. The meaning of the phrase “begging the question” is a controversial topic, and I’m one of many who will silently judge you when you use it incorrectly. Miriam Webster has a great article “Beg the Question: It’s not begging at all” (Link below) on the idea.

Most will recognize the phrase to mean “prompting the question” on the heels of a statement or supposition that inspires the need for more information. However, the original phrase comes from a 16th century translation of Aristotle’s “petitio principii,” pointing out a logical fallacy, which is better known as “assuming the conclusion.”

Aristotle’s translated version of “begging the question” is the idea that your argument or thesis is correct on the assumption that the thing you are trying to prove is already correct. Most uses of this version are found in philosophy—a example is “black cats are bad luck and therefore would make a bad pet,” begging the question that black cats are unlucky. So-called mainstream financial “gurus” are constantly guilty of this fallacy, because the future is so uncertain.

With Bitcoin’s recent performance surge and a strong year for digital assets overall, Craig outlined why advisors and investors alike may be more amenable to digital assets in 2025:

• Congress continues to embrace digital assets, creating a more favorable regulatory environment
• Volatile digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum offer tax-loss harvesting opportunities for those with direct ownership
• Cold storage solutions reduce the risk of predators accessing and stealing crypto assets
• The use cases for digital assets, such as blockchain-powered internet and digital currency, continue to evolve

Read the article HERE

Financial goals evolve as life circumstances change, and it's important to reassess how you invest. Our CIO Nathan Hoyt shares more signs it may be time to shift your investing approach.

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Active management is gaining traction within the ETF space, with active ETFs expected to surpass $4 trillion by 2030. Our CIO Nathan Hoyt weighed in on the rising appeal of active ETFs, their benefits for investors and the importance of understanding the underlying investments of these funds.

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Unfortunately, our clients and their loved ones are not immune to the sophisticated fraud schemes that are so prevalent today, making these conversations a constant reality. Fraud does not discriminate; it targets everyone, regardless of background or financial status. We have witnessed a range of scams, from criminals impersonating government officials or local authorities to fraudulent Bitcoin investment managers, some with heartbreaking results. It is imperative to be proactive about these discussions before it’s too late by taking the appropriate actions.

Read the article HERE

Since Regent Peak Wealth Advisors became independent in 2019, we've strategically grown by refining how we serve and connect with our clients. In this article, Craig reflects on how client relocations and connections with centers of influence have fueled our national growth. We've developed innovative services - like consulting on illiquid assets and preparing our business-owner clients for tax-efficient sales - allowing us to go beyond traditional wealth management offerings.

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As IPOs and private company exits are increasing, our Founding Principal and Managing Director Craig Robson recently spoke with Gregg Greenberg on why we view venture capital as a favorable asset class heading into 2025.

The Regent Peak Wealth Advisors investment committee recommends venture capital as a subset of our private investment allocation, which also includes private equity, digital assets, private credit, commodities, and private real estate, as is deemed suitable for your portfolio.

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The Fed cuts rates again, what does that mean for investors? Our Chief Investment Officer Nathan Hoyt suggests taking a long-term view.

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Our Founding Principal and Managing Director joined Ed O’Farrell for a “Hot Minute” to discuss how offering clients interesting alternative investment opportunities can foster a sense of excitement and engagement, our founding story and more on Craig’s background, including his alma mater, first job and the book that’s shaped his investing philosophy.

Check out the podcast HERE

It was an Autumn Friday evening, approximately one year ago, that I received a text message from a good friend stating he needed to speak with me. I was in Tampa attending my younger son's hockey tournament and told him I would call him within an hour. I suspected something was wrong, yet I kept a positive mindset prior to our conversation. My suspicions were unfortunately correct, as he later told me he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and the prognosis was not good – in May of this year he passed away to God’s Kingdom at the age of 63. My friend lived a healthy lifestyle, he had a passion for life, he was a successful entrepreneur, and was a professional mentor who helped encourage me to start my own firm. He taught me to take both professional and personal risks, to live my life to the fullest - acknowledging that is a personal decision for each of us. He will be missed by so many, including yours truly.

Excluding that “stopped me in my tracks” conversation last October, I look forward to the fall season as historically the markets perform best during this period. Since 1950, the S&P 500 has averaged over 4% in the final quarter and is up 80% of the time [1]. In a previous Craig's Corner, I have provided various catalysts which may be direct contributors to these positive results, yet please recall these are not guaranteed returns, (otherwise the proverbial Financial Santa Clause would be coming early every year), so be balanced and consistent in your investing timeframes.

Bitcoin’s recent surge has renewed investors' interest in cryptocurrency. However, as our CIO Nathan Hoyt shared with InvestmentNews, this performance likely stems from the U.S. government’s continued stance on cutting interest rates amid rising debt and deficits, fueling inflation and currency devaluation.

Read the article HERE

The threat of financial fraud is becoming a bigger threat as we enter an ever-evolving digital world. That leaves a looming question: how can advisors help combat this? In his piece, Elias offers fraud prevention strategies such as complex passwords, enabling dual-factor authentication, freezing credit and more. These are proactive measures that advisors can provide to their clients annually to reduce the risk of cybercriminal activity.

Read the article HERE

Craig Robson, Founding Principal and Managing Director at Regent Peak Wealth Advisors, notes that while this Friday’s September jobs report won’t specifically illuminate the wealth management industry, the financial advisory business continues to add professionals across various roles.

“Each firm’s respective growth and resource strategy will drive these new employment opportunities,” said Robson. “Within Regent Peak Wealth Advisors, we maintain a smart growth strategy which translates to hiring new talent before we are capacity constrained. Our next hires will be within the business development, advisory, or client services roles as these will allow us to continue being ‘laser-focused’ on growth initiatives.”

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The promise of AI is to help advisors improve efficiency and automate routine tasks, but what does that mean for advisors?

In this piece Craig delves in to his thoughts: AI taking his job any time soon. He believes that the value of the human element cannot be replaced. Clients consistently seek advisors who offer competencies, knowledge, experience, personality, relational connections, willingness to serve and strong ethics–qualities that AI cannot fully replicate. While AI tools can be valuable in an advisor’s toolbox, the human connection remains indispensable.

Read the article HERE

We’re getting a head-start on year-end planning. Whether it be discussing charitable giving strategies, Roth conversations, or working to maximize after-tax returns, it’s important that we’re proactively looking forward to the coming year.

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Nathan Hoyt, Chief Investment Officer at Regent Peak Wealth Advisors, does not look to seasonality as a core investment thesis because he is no market timer. “In essence, market timing is based on the hope that you are smarter than the market or that you are convinced the future will behave like the past. I prefer an investment strategy that I can stick to regardless of the calendar, rather than one that depends on the calendar,” said Hoyt.

Read the article HERE