Speculative Assets in Retirement Plans: A Prudent Perspective

photo credit: Ideogram In our prior article, we examined the growing interest in private equity in 401(k) plans. That discussion, centered around illiquidity and fiduciary responsibility, provides important context for the next frontier: speculative assets. Recently, the Administration asked the Department of Labor (DOL) to further review their use in retirement plans. For plan sponsors,…

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Roth Catch-Up Contributions: The Long-Awaited Rules Have Finally Landed

photo credit: Ideogram After months of circling the regulatory runway, the IRS has released final regulations under the SECURE 2.0 Act, including long-anticipated guidance on Roth catch-up contributions. These rules provide much-needed clarity for employers preparing to implement the Roth catch-up provision in 2026. While the regulations officially apply to tax years beginning after December…

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Is Your 401(k) Ready for Private Assets? A Look Beyond the Promise

photo credit: Ideogram As the landscape of retirement savings continues to evolve, new proposals and potential opportunities emerge, promising enhanced returns and greater diversification for plan participants. Recently, discussions in Washington, D.C. have centered on the possibility of allowing private assets to become a more accessible component of 401(k) plan lineups, either as standalone options…

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Sip and Savor: Enhancing Your Financial Strategy

In June, our Highland Family Wealth clients joined us for a delightful wine tasting at Gervasi Vineyard in Canton. The sun shined brightly over a beautiful day. After enjoying lunch, games, and a stroll through the property’s lush greenery, we walked into the Wine Cave for an educational tasting hosted by Gervasi’s team of sommeliers….

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The E&F Advocate: Now a Law – The One Big Beautiful Bill Implications for Endowments & Foundations

  The recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) represents the most consequential legislative package for U.S. endowments and foundations in over a decade. While sweeping in scope, its most significant implications for our community fall into three categories: tax reform, climate and infrastructure capital, and university governance provisions. Tax Code Overhaul: Pressures on Investment…

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The E&F Advocate: Endowment Turbulence – A Crisis at the Crosswinds of Politics, Policy, and Portfolio Strategy

photo credit: ideogram.ai Back in calmer times, larger endowments operated with seeming invisibility—quietly compounding capital over decades, shielded from public glare. Fast forward to today, these capital pools sit squarely in the eye of a brewing political and financial storm. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia—once synonymous with strategic patience and long-termism—are now recalibrating rapidly. The…

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