November 2023

Are portfolio manager fees “the only reliable predictor of performance”? “The lower the fees, the higher the returns realized by investors.”[1] It depends. In a pooled investment vehicle, where the client is merely a creditor of the real owner of the investment, perhaps. For separately managed accounts made up mostly of individual common stocks, probably not. The difference between an active management fee of 100 basis points on a $1 million account and an average 35-basis-point fee for most passive investment vehicles is substantial. Some passive vehicles have lower fees and some predict we will see 10-basis-point fees or lower as investment firms race to lower fees.

Although high inflation, high interest rates and incessant recession predictions have cast a shadow over the economy the past year, a sudden increase in innovation has provided some much-needed hope and a glimpse into a brighter future. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence and weight-loss pharmaceuticals threaten to shake up their respective industries. While the major players—Microsoft, Alphabet and Eli Lilly—will all likely benefit, these innovations will also provide an opportunity for new, smaller companies that can lead across these technological changes.

The quick rule of thumb about what the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is likely to want to look at or to audit, if so inclined, is the current year plus the prior three years. These are called the “open years.” If fraud may be involved, it is the current year plus six prior years. The timing schedule is called the statute of limitations. It is meant to help compliant taxpayers trying to do the right thing from being subject to audit beyond a reasonable period, hence three open years. However, if items are omitted from a filed return, making the return “false, fraudulent or otherwise represents a willful attempt to defeat or evade tax, the statute of limitations doesn’t start running.”[1] These rules apply to taxes due, interest and penalties.