Innovative Advisory Group has been in the news...
The principals of Innovative Advisory Group have been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg Business Week, The New York Times, Boston Magazine, Boston Globe, The DiWire, Financial Planning Magazine, CNN Money, Structured Products Daily, FOX 24 News, as well as a number of well known finance blogs, radio stations and podcasts. On this page you can review all the media, podcasts, videos, and press releases in one place. If you are interested in a press kit, please contact us .
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Press Releases
Guest Posts
The DiWire (Guest Columnist) - February 2016
In the past four months there have been two announcements of mergers or acquisitions in the financial services industry. The emerging niche of self directed IRA custodians has apparently drawn some interest from firms outside the industry. Is this the sign of a top or a sign of greater interest in alternative investments held in retirement accounts? Read more...
The DiWire (Guest Columnist) - December 2015
A recent study done by Pensco Trust company showed that in a cross section of their clients, 62 percent have increased their allocation to alternative investments, or are planning to in the near future due to recent market volatility. This is not... Read More
Stacking Benjamins - October 2015
“Your home (whether you rent or own it) is a personal expense, not an investment. Many people don’t even consider renting because of the social stigma attached. Unless your home is...”
Stacking Benjamins - October 2015
“If you don’t want to learn anything about investing and want someone else to manage it for you, then find a fee-only financial advisor to provide you with guidance and advice”
The Di Wire (Guest Columnist) - June 2015
The risk of fraud with Self Directed IRAs is a well known problem among industry participants. Self Directed IRA industry participants and regulators have issued a number of press releases, articles, and educational materials to the investing public to educate them about this problem. Here are some of the.... Read more...
The Di Wire (Guest Columnist) - March 2015
Investors should take these pieces of wisdom from Peter Lynch and apply them to their own investing plan. Self Directed IRAs as described in my earlier post The Self Directed IRA 101, are a great way to diversify beyond the stock and bond markets into asset classes that you know.... Read more...
Deposit A Gift (Guest Columnist) - February 2015
Each of the six life cycle stages have certain characteristics attributed to the needs of the person during that period in their life. However, when you start to do your retirement planning, you could easily simplify those stages into three... Read more...
Lazy Man and Money (Guest Columnist) - January 2015
I’ll bet your first thought is that this headline is an exaggeration. In fact, it isn’t. There is at least one person who has accomplished this feat with their IRA and there could be as many as 314... Read more..
The Di Wire (Guest Columnist) - January 2015
In 2008 the global financial system melted down destroying a lot of wealth and investor goodwill in the process. Since the spring of 2009, the stock markets have risen, and with that rise brought a lot of that goodwill back. However many investors are still weary of... Read more...
The Di Wire (Guest Columnist) - December 2014
It is clear that in the past few years, investors have been showing an increased level of interest in learning more about alternative investments. They have also expressed a desire to increase their portfolio allocation into... Read more...
Self Directed IRA 101
The Di Wire (Guest Columnist) - November 2014
Do you have clients who want to startup or buy a private business, and they end up taking money out of their IRA to invest in this venture? Do your clients contribute less than...
Deposit A Gift (Guest Columnist) - November 2014
Just imagine that you are sitting on a beach watching a sunset with your spouse. Or imagine you are spending time with your grandkids without worrying about your next business meeting. These are the types of things people imagine when they think of retirement. In order for these images to become a reality, you need to... Read more...
Greater Portland Industrial Market Survey - January 2014
Did you know you could use your IRA or 401k to invest in physical real estate? Most people who are reading this either own... Read more as PDF.
How To Help Clients Put Real Estate in an IRA
Wall Street Journal (Guest Columnist) - December 2013
After two major stock-market gyrations in one decade—the first in 2000, the second in 2008—many clients have expressed a desire to invest in "real" assets that aren't affected by swings in the market...
Voices: Rajeev Kotyan - On Real Estate In Retirement Accounts
Wall Street Journal (Guest Columnist)- November 2013
Over the past five years, I've seen many clients begin to search for investments that aren't dependent on the gyrations of the market. After two major collapses in one decade--the first in 2000, the second in 2008--many investors want to have more control over their own investments. One option is to invest in real assets. This sentiment has... Read more.
Interviews or Quoted
Forbes - January 2024
"Employers will be very reticent about being the first ones out there to allow this,” said Tim Picciott, a CFP with Lexington, Massachusetts-based Innovative Advisory Group. “I don’t see most HR departments and plan trustees just signing on. I think it’s going to have to be a move from the workers” asking for it... Read more...
Forbes - January 2024
"Some changes on the new form can be confusing for families, and that neither students nor parents get to see the form in its entirety. For example, the flow of the form is very different than in the past since students fill out their section but cannot see the parents section. Parents alo see only see their section, but not the students." Read more...
Yahoo Finance - August 2023
"For federal loans, the interest rate is fixed each year for loans taken for the coming academic year," says Jack Wang, a wealth and financial aid advisor with Innovative Advisory Group. "Once the rate is set on a particular loan, the interest rate is set for the life of that loan." Read more...
Yahoo Finance - July 2023
"There is much anecdotal evidence that when loan payments were paused, people spent that money on other things instead of building savings...Consider strategies such as changing repayment plans or refinancing to lower monthly payments.” Read more...
Aol Finance - July 2023
"If having student loans is causing you emotional distress," Wang says "it’s OK to put retirement contributions on pause while you focus on paying down this debt. Some people just don’t like having loans emotionally,” he said. “Despite what financial advisors might say, it really is about what let's people sleep at night.” Read more...
Go Banking Rates - August 2021
"Without clear expectations, someone ends up crying,” said Jack Wang, a college aid strategist with the Innovative Advisory Group... "Parents must figure out three key numbers: “What the college thinks the family can afford; what the family can actually afford; and what the family is willing to afford." This will help narrow down the options and paint a clearer picture of what is possible... Everyone has different definitions of good, so agreement on that is critical." Read more...
Go Banking Rates - August 2021
"I have worked with hundreds of families and while local State U may be a great school, elite schools are the only ones that elicit ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ from friends and family,” said Jack Wang Read More...
College Covered - June 2021
Should you file early decision for college and what are the pros and cons of doing so? “Filing early decision is more morally and ethically binding than legally binding. " Wang said. " Read More...
Advisors Magazine - May 2020
“There is a huge difference between the older and younger generations of advisors. Many advisors who have been practicing for 11 years or less have not experienced what it is like to manage clients through a recession," Chisholm said. "There is a big problem if they don't know how to manage risk." Read More...
New York Times - March 2020
“If you plan to leave within three to five years, buying a house may not be a good investment, and you could lose money"... Owners generally pay for repairs inside the unit but can be hit by assessments, which pay for large expenses such as a new roof. An assessment, Mr. Chisholm said, “can blow you out of the water if you are not prepared for it.” Read More...
Investopedia - September 2018
"Any time you work one-on-one with your child to teach them about money, investing and saving is time well spent. Compounding works best if it has the most amount of time to work its magic. If you are able to start your child early, it will give them a head start on their financial future.” Read More...
Forbes - July 2018
"I have seen a lot of interesting strategies that investors have used to create enormous gains inside their IRA. In my experience, the most successful strategies involve the investor investing in an asset they know well. Whether it’s a horse, a house, or private company stock, if the investor is an expert in that asset, they have a sizable advantage over other investors in the market.” Read More...
Investment News - March 2018
"The amount of information available to us is increasing every day and people are overwhelmed by it," Mr. Chisholm said. "They need someone to help them navigate this information, not by providing them choices, but providing them guidance.”
Now in 401(k)s: Alternative Investments
The Wall Street Journal - December 2017
When Mr. Chisholm works with investors, he likes to focus the discussion on portfolio outcomes and education. He doesn’t want the conversation to get caught up in how certain asset classes are perceived. “Risky investments,” Mr. Chisholm says, “are the ones where you, the investor, don’t understand what the risks are and what you could lose.”
The Prospect News - November 2017
"I'm not too keen on bank stocks. The yield curve continues to flatten and there's a risk that it may invert at some point, which is bad for bank stocks and bad for the economy." Says Chisholm "If you already have exposure to these stocks, then these notes are a good substitute for your existing holdings."
The Prospect News - November 2017
"Buffers are good, but I'm less concerned about a buffer because I'm bullish. Four years is a long time, and if the index continues on the trend I expect it might, I think you're selling a lot of the upside potential to buy a protection you're probably not going to need."
The New York Times - October 2017
“Every investment has different risks,” said Kirk Chisholm, a wealth manager in Lexington, Mass. “The obvious risk is making a bad investment,” he said. After all, that’s the whole point of investing for retirement — to build a nest egg. “If you’re doing it just to help someone out, that may not be a good investment. You want to make sure it makes your retirement money grow, or why invest at all?"
Boston Voyager Magazine - October 2017
“Accomplishing your goals is never easy or without detours. I have lived through two major bear markets that saw a loss in the S&P 500 index of approximately 45 and 55%. Fortunately, my career started in 2000. One of the quick lessons I learned was proper risk management. Many of my peers worked through the tech boom in the 90s where it was easy to make money in the market. I missed that entire bull market cycle. My career started as the bubble was popping. I learned really quick that being successful in a bear market is not about making money, it’s about not losing it. This powerful lesson is still with me today."
The Prospect News - September 2017
"Anything with principal protection in this market environment is appealing to investors." said Chisholm "I think the overall trend for European stocks will continue to be higher unless we run into a major event, in which case the market could unwind and you would be protected."
The Prospect News - September 2017
"Emerging market tend to be more volatile, can produce bigger returns and bigger crashes just by virtue of their volatility." said Chisholm " So while it looks like the upside and the downside protection are both reasonable, if I'm going to be tied up for three years, I would prefer to have a buffer rather than a barrier."
The Prospect News - June 2017
"If the market continues to act the same, then its a reasonable way to invest. However, I don't think it's going to play out like that. We may have a little more upside in the very short term... but we're long overdue for a recession. There is a high likelihood we will have one in the next five years." said Chisholm
The Prospect News - June 2017
"It's pretty straight forward. You're getting a normal, one-to-one downside while your upside is 1.36 times. I like the "no-cap", and I like the leverage. But I don't like giving up the dividends." said Chisholm
The Prospect News - May 2017
"This is overly complicated, and it would be extremely challenging to explain to any client who is not a professional investor, You would need a doctorate in portfolio management just to understand all the aspects of this complex investment." said Chisholm
The Prospect News - April 2017
"With this note you're really opting for a flat to slightly down scenario for the worst of these two indexes. If the market is down 30% or less, you'll do fine. But again if the market does well, you'll get called." said Chisholm
The Prospect News - March 2017
"This bull market is one of the longest in recent history. One of the risks is that the recent rally was built around expectations of many positive changes. If those changes fail to happen, the market could take a different turn." said Chisholm
The Prospect News - March 2017
"I'm not particularly impressed by the notes because of the arbitrages that are going on between those two markets based on political events," said Chisholm. " There are other ways to speculate on the outcome of Brexit or the future elections to be held in some European countries."
The Prospect News - February 2017
"I have a serious reservation on this note when it comes to the risk at maturity. Even though 40% is a big drop, anything can happen in 10 years," said Chisholm. "To me, it is a huge deterrent. It's one thing to assess the risk of not getting your coupon, it's another to lose your money or a big chunk of it at maturity."
The Prospect News - January 2017
"In general, I'm not a big fan of of the "worst of" notes. It puts a negative tone on the investment," said Chisholm, Wealth Manager and Principal at Innovative Advisory Group. It's hard for investors to get excited about investing in the worst performing index."
The Prospect News - January 2017
"If the market goes up, it's certainly a more conservative way to play it. You're getting leverage, which makes up for the low volatility. All you are losing is the income and the opportunity cost for being tied up for 5 years, which in my opinion is a long time," said Chisholm.
The Prospect News - November 2016
"When you look at three different positions, it's very hard to predict", said Chisholm, "The others are not even close. If I wrote an out-of-the money Put on Marathon for that length, I'd have a better probability of success than with the notes."
The Prospect News - November 2016
"This is effectively a six-year covered call on the S&P 500," said Chisholm, "Six years is way too long to be considering that strategy... There's much less liquidity with the note. An exchange-listed option, particularly on the S&P 500 is liquid. You can always find a buyer."
The Prospect News - November 2016
"I don't have the exposure to the credit risk of the issuer when I deal with a publicly traded option... And I don't have the liquidity risk. I can trade the put any time and buy it back. I don't have to wait for the contract to expire." said Chisholm.
The Prospect News - October 2016
"This trade involves too many unknown factors, such as the implementation of the Brexit vote, the movement of the British Pound, and the relationship between the pound and equity prices....You don't have to invest everywhere. This particular market is a place I would ignore." said Chisholm.
The Prospect News - September 2016
"Statistically, the stock market is goes two-thirds of the time and down one-third of the time, so from that statistical standpoint, it is better to be bullish... This is one of the reasons that people tend to go long in the market... Also, the S&P 500 is not going to go to zero while it can go up in excess of 100%.” said Chisholm.
5 Things You Don't Know About Interest Rates
Trust Advisor - September 2016
"Interest rates will stay lower longer than most people would imagine..." Chisholm points out that there is not much room to raise positive interest rates. “It is highly improbable that 10-year Treasury interest rates will rise above 3% in the near future,” said Chisholm.
Investopedia - August 2016
"If you have a 401(k) plan with the ability to take out a loan, you can withdraw the funds tax-free... Of course, you will have to pay them back, but this allows you to borrow from your 401(k) account and pay yourself back the interest and principal over time."
What To Do When a Company Buys Back Stock
US News & World Report - July 2016
"Share buybacks are a tax-efficient method of returning cash to shareholders," says Kirk Chisholm, wealth manager at Innovative Advisory Group in Lexington, Massachusetts. "While this is not always the reason companies repurchase shares, it is the reason that great capital allocators do it."
US News & World Report - July 2016
"He goes on to say how risk management is one of the most important things an investor needs to learn. Fortunately, Chisholm says it’s easy to learn about risk management while using small amounts of money..." Read More
GoBankingRates - January 2016
"While traditional advice is to subtract your age from a hundred and use this value as the percentage of bonds in your portfolio, Chisholm and others recommend a more cautious approach...." Read More
Domain Name Wire - December 2015
"While there are some strict rules that the investor would have to follow, a number of investors have successfully used domain names as their choice of investment for their retirement funds..." Read More