Mind The [Tax] Gap

Over the next ten years, roughly $7 trillion in unpaid taxes will go uncollected. In that regard, the Inflation Reduction Act seems rather conservative in its estimate of being able to close that tax gap by $124 billion, right? One can only hope that $80 billion in new funding will help fix the IRS’ inefficiencies, but there’s still a real, and large, economic cost borne by taxpayers.

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Investing & Self-Worth

When evaluating our investments, behavioral finance offers insight into why we often stick with the status quo. Even when underperforming, many investors, including sophisticated ones, tend to stick with strategies that are too risky, too expensive, or too often try to time the market. Read our latest blog post about how the Endowment Effect and self-efficacy affect everyday investment decisions.

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Tale of the (Ticker) Tape: March Madness & Investing

The behavioral biases that cause us to ignore overwhelming odds and fill out March Madness brackets are innate. They’re also the same traits that lead to illogical investment decisions. Learn more about how the Affect Heuristic and the Illusion of Validity influence our investment decisions in the same way they make us cheer on underdogs, and root for teams we may have never followed before.

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2021 Recap: All-Weather Core

We’re not in the business of making forecasts at SineCera Capital. Rather, we’re focused on building a risk-balanced portfolio that we think serves our clients well without relying upon any market predictions. Understandably, we were quite happy with how our All-Weather Core portfolio performed in 2020, but knew that the law of averages could come into play in 2021. So how to our risk-balanced portfolio do? Better than we initially expected.

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Taper Temper

Why has the market’s reaction to the Fed’s plan to reduce its current bond buying program been so different than the “taper tantrum” of 2013? It’s odd to recall that following the Financial Crisis many viewed the Fed’s balance sheet as too large. Oh, if they could see it now! The power of hindsight may have tempered investors’ concerns, but don’t get complacent.

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Commitment Issues: Managing Target Allocations for Alts

“What percentage of my portfolio should be allocated to alternative investments?” To answer this, many allocators turn to the “Endowment Model” as a guide. Unfortunately, for the high-net-worth investor with unique needs and preferences, the Endowment Model isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. And unlike public market investments where you can quickly deploy capital, alternative investments require an active liquidity management strategy to balance target allocations. This article talks about a few key points to consider when committing to illiquid private market investments.

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Sending Your Child Off to College

You’ve been through it all – admissions counselling, college nights, test prep, campus visits, applications – and now the big day is fast approaching. Are you ready? No matter how much you prepare, this is a time fraught with emotions and wondering if you’ve done enough to prepare. Here are a few tips for families about to send their child off to college.

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