The Path to Philanthropist: Building a Strategic Giving Plan
Discover how to give strategically by aligning your philanthropy with your key values, setting a budget, and focusing your impact where it matters most.
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Blended Families and Estate Planning: Protecting Both Your Spouse and Your Children
Blended families are now a defining feature of modern life. As remarriage and later-in-life family formation become more common, many individuals find themselves balancing deep commitments to a current spouse while also feeling a lifelong responsibility to children from a prior relationship. Estate planning in this context is not just a legal exercise, it is…
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2026 Mid-Year Review and Outlook: Delivering Results in a Complex Market Environment
As we move into the second half of 2026, the economic landscape continues to evolve amid shifting market dynamics, policy changes, and global uncertainty. Our mid-year outlook examines key trends shaping growth, inflation, and investment behavior across sectors. From interest rate expectations to consumer resilience, our report highlights both emerging risks and strategic opportunities. Together,…
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What Happens When You Die Without a Will?
Estate planning is one of the most important but often overlooked steps in protecting your legacy and providing clarity for your loved ones. Without the proper documents in place, such as a will, state law dictates how your assets are distributed and who administers your estate, which may not reflect your intentions. Proactive planning can…
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Integrating a Marketable Secured Line of Credit (MSLOC) into Your Financial Strategy
As the year progresses, many clients reassess liquidity needs, tax positioning, and overall portfolio strategy. A Marketable Secured Line of Credit (MSLOC) can be a powerful tool in that mix when used prudently. Below is a practical look at when and why MSLOCs can be utilized strategically, along with key considerations around timing and risk. What Is…
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From Kindergarten to College: Building a Tax-Efficient Education Fund
The cost of education continues to outpace general inflation, and with student debt still lingering in the news cycle, families today are taking a closer view of the cost of college.
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The Crummey Trust: How to Give Tax-Free Using an Obscure Trust Strategy
For many families, gifting assets to children or grandchildren is an important part of long‑term financial planning. While annual cash gifts can be made, beneficiaries may use them immediately. Alternatively, trusts can be funded to provide oversight and protection, but gift and estate taxes can make those transfers more costly than expected. Fortunately, there is…
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Your Mortgage Should Do More: Turn Home Financing into a Wealth‑Building Strategy
For many homeowners, a mortgage is viewed as a necessary step in buying or refinancing a home. But when approached thoughtfully, it can also play a meaningful role in your broader financial strategy. At WSFS Private Banking, clients may be *eligible for discounted mortgage interest rates by establishing a new wealth management relationship. This opportunity…
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Special Needs Trusts: A Strategic Guide to Protecting Your Loved One’s Future
Estate planning for a loved one with special needs requires thoughtful consideration and specialized tools to ensure long‑term financial protection and continued access to essential state and federal benefits. In the past, families often left assets to another sibling with the understanding they would manage funds on behalf of the family member. Today, there are…
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Plan With Purpose: Build the Financial Independence You Want and the Legacy That Lasts
More than 11,000 Americans reach age 65 every day according to Social Security Administration,1 continuing the “Silver Tsunami.” Amid this shift, financial planning has never felt more urgent or more complex. The number one question for those approaching retirement remains the same: “Will I have enough?” Going into retirement without a financial plan is like…
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Flexibility at Your Fingertips: How Lines of Credit Help You Move Quickly and Confidently
In a world where financial decisions are increasingly fast‑paced and interconnected, having access to flexible liquidity has become essential for individuals and families at every stage of wealth building. Opportunities can arise quickly, unexpected expenses can surface without warning, and market conditions can shift in ways that challenge even the best‑laid plans. A thoughtful liquidity…
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The Rise of the “Gray Divorce” and Financial Moves to Make — and How It Impacts Retirement
Divorces are always financially disruptive, but a divorce late-in-life can create unique financial challenges, especially for those already nearing or in retirement. The term “Gray Divorce” was first coined by the AARP in 2004. It describes the separation of couples typically over 50, frequently after many years of marriage. While divorce rates have fallen in…
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Protecting Your Partnership: Why Unmarried Couples Need a Cohabitation Plan
A cohabitation agreement helps fill these gaps by defining expectations, documenting contributions, and protecting both partners through clarity and enforceability.
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The Biggest Blind Spots Business Owners Face When Planning an Exit
Exit planning requires time, reflection, and coordinated expertise to execute well. According to the Exit Planning Institute’s (EPI) State of Business Owner Readiness survey, 69% of business owners say exit planning is a priority, yet fewer than half have a formal plan or transition team.1 With statistics like that, it’s worth asking: What are the…
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Women Are Defining the Future of Retirement Confidence
The retirement landscape is changing, and women are helping redefine what retirement confidence looks like. While wealth accumulation remains essential to retirement security, confidence is shaped by more than financial assets alone. Research shows retirement confidence is influenced by financial awareness, planning, behavioral engagement, and psychological readiness.1 Wealth provides stability and flexibility, but consistent participation,…
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Purpose Trusts: A Modern Tool for Wealth Planning
Wealth planning strategies are rarely about numbers alone, and traditional structures may not meet the complex long-term goals individuals seek to achieve. One planning concept that has gained increased attention in recent years is the purpose trust, designed to carry-out a defined objective rather than simply distributing assets to beneficiaries. Purpose trusts are not new, but their…
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Winter 2026 Newsletter
Our winter newsletter offers timely insights to help you plan for the year ahead.
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The Human Edge: What AI Can’t Replicate in Planning
The Rise of AI in Financial Services Artificial Intelligence (AI) is arguably the most transformative technological advancement since the internet. It enables rapid information retrieval through rule-based engines and parameters, evolving at an unprecedented pace. AI has improved efficiencies across industries — from operations to decision-making to research — and financial services is no exception….
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Is Your Business Prepared? What the 2026 Roth Catch-Up Mandate Means for You
If you have employees earning over $150,000, a significant change to your company’s retirement plan is coming in 2026. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, high earners will be required to make catch-up contributions to Roth 401(k) accounts rather than traditional pre-tax accounts.[1,3] While this may sound like a minor technical adjustment, it could have substantial…
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Making the Most of Bonus Season: Smart Planning for High-Earning Professionals
For many professionals, bonus season is both rewarding and complex. While a year-end payout can represent a substantial portion of total compensation, it also presents an opportunity—and a challenge—for effective financial and tax planning. Thoughtful preparation can help ensure that your bonus works harder for you, aligning short-term windfalls with long-term wealth strategies. Bonuses are…
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Strengthening the CIO Engine: Reflections on 2025 and the Road to 2026
Despite cooling economic growth, persistent inflation, and escalating trade tensions, 2025 delivered impressive results: equities posted strong double-digit gains while fixed income achieved its best performance since 2020.
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Ten Investment Themes Shaping 2026: CIO Perspective
As investors enter 2026, markets are transitioning from a volatile but constructive 2025 into a phase of normalization and recalibration. Economic momentum has moderated, inflation is easing gradually, and central banks are adjusting policy cautiously. In this environment, returns are likely to depend less on broad beta exposure and more on thoughtful positioning, discipline, and…
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From Intern to Analyst: Building a Career of Growth at Bryn Mawr Trust
Internships are an exciting opportunity to learn more about an industry, role, and company. For Colton Steele, that opportunity led to a full-time job and exciting career prospects. While earning dual degrees in finance and economics from La Salle University, Steele joined Bryn Mawr Trust as a Corporate Trust Intern in 2024, where hands-on learning…
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Social Security Updates: Current Changes and Future Outlook
Social Security Takes Center Stage, Again Social Security remains one of the most important and widely discussed topics in retirement planning, especially with a growing wave of retirees and recent developments surrounding the Old-Age, Survivors, & Disability Insurance Program under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.1 As conversations about benefits, claiming strategies, and the sustainability…
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The Hidden Truth: Your Tax Strategy IS Your Cash Flow Strategy
One of the basic tenets of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code is that everything has a cost, even if it’s not immediate. With few exceptions, all income gets taxed at some point. “At some point” is key. Taxpayers have some flexibility in recognizing income and paying tax on it. For example, if you own a…
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Retiring Soon? Why Healthcare Planning Should Be Your Financial Priority
Many retirees underestimate how much healthcare will cost in their golden years. According to Fidelity, a 65-year-old retiring this year will need around $172,500 to cover healthcare expenses throughout retirement. That figure excludes essential services such as vision, dental, or long-term care, which are not covered by Medicare1. Just like employer-sponsored plans, Medicare has gaps…
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Fall 2025 Newsletter
When it comes to wealth management, success isn’t just about beating market benchmarks.
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Smarter Wealth: Where Goals Meet Institutional Discipline
When it comes to wealth management, success isn’t just about beating market benchmarks.
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Tax-Smart Retirement Income Planning Strategies
Retirement is a goal we set with dreams of traveling abroad, playing golf, relaxing on the beach, pursuing a passion project, spending more time with family and friends, or ticking off items on our personal bucket list. As retirement comes into view, the most common question is. “Will you be financially secure when you take…
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October: National Retirement Security Month
October is National Retirement Security Month—a great reminder to pause and check in on your financial security. Retirement planning is more than just numbers; it is about preparing for your life’s unexpected turns, protecting your loved ones and giving yourself the confidence to make choices that align with your values. Research shows individuals who plan…
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Financial Planners Can Bridge the Gap
As you accumulate wealth over a lifetime, complexity follows. Early in your career, financial planning may have consisted of budgeting, cash flow, building an emergency fund, and getting proper insurance in place. You may even engage an advisor for investing, an attorney to draft wills, or a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to do your taxes….
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Resources — 2025-2026 Year-End Tax Planning Guide [PDF]
Staying current on the evolving tax landscape is crucial for effective financial planning. Download our Annual Tax Planning Guide and Year-End Planning Checklist to help keep you informed and on track about current tax and legal regulations.
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Government Shutdown: Short-Term Disruption, Limited Financial Long-Term Impact
Washington is once again in a government shutdown. Investors may be asking, does this really matter for the economy and markets? History provides a valuable perspective. What History Shows Shutdowns occur when Congress fails to pass appropriation bills or a temporary funding extension. When that happens, federal agencies close, hundreds of thousands of workers are…
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Leveraging Commercial Real Estate Financing through a Private Bank
Commercial real estate (CRE) has long been one of the most attractive avenues for building and preserving wealth. For investors, developers, and business owners, financing is often the key that unlocks opportunities in this space. While traditional banks and public lenders remain common sources of capital, many sophisticated clients turn to private banks for a…
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Protect What You’ve Built: Use Life Insurance in Your Planning
Life insurance can be a powerful tool to incorporate into your estate and broader financial plan, particularly if you are a business owner. This is due, in large part, to the tax-free nature of income tax treatment of life insurance death benefits. Life insurance serves as a tax-efficient tool that allows you to pass wealth…
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The Importance of Updating Your Estate Planning Documents
Consistently updating your estate planning documents is essential to ensure your wishes are accurately reflected and legally enforceable as your life circumstances change. Consider these top eight life situations or events that highlight the importance of regular updates. 1. Life Changes Major life events often require updates to your estate plan. These include: If your documents…
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The Mega-Donor Mindset: Strategies to Maximize Your Philanthropic Impact
While we don’t all have billions of dollars to give away, the mindset and strategies of billionaire philanthropists like Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott can be adopted to make anyone more impactful, intentional, and fulfilled in their giving. Giving requires having the right mindset and a thoughtfully integrated approach. Here are a few things…
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Is Now the Time to Consider Alternative Investments in Your Portfolio?
Most people are familiar with traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds; however, alternative investments may be foreign to many investors. Although alternative investments can be traced back to the 1800s, they gained notoriety in the 1980s to protect assets from market volatility1. What are alternative investments? An alternative investment (also known as Alts) is…
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3D Investing: 2025 Mid-Year Economic and Market Outlook
As Americans celebrated Independence Day, Congress passed President Trump’s sweeping “The One, Big, Beautiful” bill, and the U.S. simultaneously executed a successful strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Equity markets have responded with exuberance, rallying sharply on renewed optimism. This surge follows a volatile first half of 2025, marked by the shock emergence of DeepSeek AI…
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Luxury with Intention: Aligning Lifetime Spending with Long-Term Financial Goals
To quote the lead character in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The same can be true for our finances; it’s easy to lose track of where our money goes. However, lifetime spending with intention…
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Why Understanding Target Date Funds Matters More Than Ever
Most employees in 401(k) retirement plans are not professional investors, and they don’t need to be. However, in a retirement system that increasingly places responsibility on individuals to make informed investment decisions, having a basic understanding of your available options is essential to achieving long-term financial security. One of the most common and impactful tools…
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Caring for Aging Parents and Estate Planning: What the Children Need to Know
As parents age, adult children often find themselves in the dual role of caregiver and financial planner — a balancing act that can be emotionally and financially taxing. This dynamic, frequently referred to as the “sandwich generation,” describes those who support their children while caring for aging parents. One crucial yet often overlooked aspect of…
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Secure Your Wishes: 4 Essential Reasons to Have a Living Will
In today’s fast-paced world, planning for the unexpected is more important than ever, especially when it comes to our health and medical care. A living will serves as a vital safeguard for individuals and their loved ones, articulating one’s preferences for medical treatment in situations where they may be unable to voice those choices. This…
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Smart Foreign Exchange Strategies for Summer Travel: Maximize value and minimize stress with these tips before you take off
As summer travel season approaches, many of our clients are making plans to explore destinations across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Whether your itinerary includes sun-soaked beaches, historic cities, or family adventures abroad, it’s important to think ahead when managing foreign currency needs. Smart foreign exchange (FX) strategies can help you avoid unnecessary fees, reduce risk,…
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Building Resilience: 2025 Mid-Year Economic and Market Outlook
The first half of 2025 will be remembered for two defining events: the onset of reciprocal tariffs, marking an American trade war with the world, and Chinese AI developer DeepSeek’s revelation that shattered the myth of American AI supremacy. Amidst the fierce rivalry between America and China, these occurrences exposed the opposing forces of de-globalization…
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Trusts – an Essential Resource for Family Financial Planning
As families accumulate wealth, trusts offer protection, growth, and efficient transfer from an individual (or grantor) to beneficiaries. While previously thought to be reserved for the ultra-wealthy, trusts are an excellent financial planning resource and are gaining popularity among the broader public. Today, we review how trusts may help families prepare for a multitude of…
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Partner with a Private Banker for Your IOLTA Needs
An Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA) is a type of trust account used by attorneys to hold client funds that are either too small in amount or held for too short a period to generate interest for the individual client. Instead of the interest benefiting the client, the interest is pooled and directed toward…
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Unlocking Your Home’s Hidden Potential: How a HELOC Can Help You Move Beyond ‘Golden Handcuffs’ and Transform Your Living Space
If you’re among the millions of Americans, like my wife and I, who purchased or refinanced their homes during the early years of the pandemic, you were likely fortunate enough to secure a mortgage rate between 2.5% and 4%. Mortgage rates reached an all-time low in January of 2021, but have since more than doubled,…
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