by Brian Jacobs | May 5, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
For over a decade, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) offered little appeal—real yields were near zero, and inflation felt like a distant threat. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed meaningfully. Real yields on TIPS are now above 2%,...
by Brian Jacobs | Apr 28, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
Over the past month, the VIX Index has been making headlines, first spiking, then crashing in dramatic fashion at times just a day apart. While many investors recognize the VIX as “the fear gauge,” far fewer understand what it actually measures and how...
by Brian Jacobs | Apr 17, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
Most discussions about tax efficiency focus on maximizing after tax returns, and for good reason. The math is compelling. Consider a 10% pretax return: at a 33% short term tax rate, it becomes 6.7% after taxes if taxed annually. If held for just over a year and taxed...
by Brian Jacobs | Mar 27, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
Fixed-income investors have faced a brutal reality since bond rates bottomed in August 2020. Long-dated Treasuries (20+ years) remain down 40% from their peaks, requiring nearly nine years of coupon payments just to break even. While short-duration bond investors have...
by Brian Jacobs | Mar 11, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
If you ask most people whether increasing the supply of goods over time helps reduce inflation, the overwhelming answer is “yes.” After all, more supply means less scarcity, which should ease price pressures. Similarly, if you ask whether companies are...
by Brian Jacobs | Feb 18, 2025 | Blog, Investment Concepts
With Treasury yields at multi-year highs, many investors are turning to Treasury-focused ETFs, money market funds, and broad bond index funds to capture attractive returns. However, a common tax reporting issue could cost you: misreported Treasury distributions. If...
