Large-cap companies often have massive reach, but that scale can make sustained growth harder to come by, which is why identifying those with strong competitive advantages is key. Cadence Design Systems (CDNS), for example, has built a dominant position in semiconductor design software, achieving an 85.9% gross margin and 24% billings growth, signaling strong customer demand and profitability. 

Vertiv (VRT), a critical supplier of data center infrastructure, has demonstrated consistent organic growth and improving free cash flow margins, setting it up for long-term operational success without relying on acquisitions. Ingersoll Rand (IR), known for its industrial flow solutions, has significantly improved its efficiency and cash generation, with earnings per share growing faster than revenue, reflecting rising profitability. 

All three companies benefit from strong flywheel effects, where success breeds more success by enabling reinvestment and customer loyalty. With forward P/E ratios ranging from the mid-20s to the low-30s, each stock presents a different value proposition depending on investor preference for growth versus valuation. 

Finsum: These large-cap names offer compelling upside potential regardless of broader market uncertainty.

Financial advice has long been seen as a luxury for the wealthy, but with new technology, that’s rapidly changing. Artificial intelligence is making high-quality financial guidance more accessible, helping advisors serve more people and empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures.

Today, only about 35% of Americans have a financial plan—a gap caused by high costs, limited access, and discomfort around discussing money. Traditional retirement strategies like the 4% withdrawal rule and fixed retirement ages are becoming outdated as lifespans lengthen and economic uncertainty grows. Many people rely on fragmented resources, such as online tools or informal advice, which often fail to create cohesive, personalized strategies.

Here’s where AI steps in:

• It delivers dynamic, real-time guidance tailored to individual life stages, financial goals, and challenges, far beyond what a static plan or annual review can offer.
• It democratizes access to planning tools, enabling younger investors, women, and middle-income families to build strong, personalized financial plans.
• It enhances professional advice by helping wealth managers streamline portfolio management, forecast needs, and deliver hyper-personalized service.

Finsum: For advisors helping clients plan for retirement, the right technology can help anyone make confident, informed decisions about their financial journey.

So far in 2025, silver has climbed over 20%, breaking through $36 per ounce in early June for its highest price in 13 years, while gold has also soared, reaching a record $3,500 in April and gaining nearly 28% year to date. Both metals have attracted investors seeking safety amid global uncertainty, with gold up 47% from June 2024 to June 2025 and silver rising 23% in the same period. 

Analysts see reasons for silver to potentially outperform gold later this year, pointing to strong industrial demand, ongoing supply deficits, and its status as a leveraged monetary hedge. 

Bank of America forecasts silver reaching $40 and gold $4,000 by year-end, while other experts predict silver could even break $49 per ounce by 2025. However, risks remain, including a possible global recession reducing industrial demand, a stronger dollar, and the impact of high interest rates that could hurt all precious metals. 

Finsum: While gold’s rally might be priced in, silver’s combination of industrial and monetary appeal could help it close the gap in the coming months.

The SEC’s Office of the Investor Advocate announced it will examine the increasing use of private equity and other alternatives in retirement accounts as part of its fiscal 2026 objectives. The office has warned that adding private market products to 401(k)s and 403(b)s can pose risks for retail savers, especially in target-date funds and managed accounts. 

Concerns include limited liquidity, incomplete disclosures, and a higher risk of fraud or losses, which the agency will evaluate in relation to fiduciary duties under ERISA. This move follows Senator Elizabeth Warren’s letter to Empower Retirement questioning its plans to offer private equity in its 401(k) products. 

Beyond private equity, the investor advocate’s 2026 agenda will also prioritize improving retail investor disclosures, analyzing China-based VIE structures, collaborating with the SEC’s crypto task force, and using investor research to support rulemaking. 

Finsum: Advisors should aim to ensure retirement plan participants understand the trade-offs of these complex and often opaque investments.

Capital Group and BlackRock both launched new active ETFs this week, reflecting how demand from advisors and asset allocators is pushing active ETF innovation into fresh territory. 

Capital Group unveiled three funds — a large-cap growth ETF, a large-cap value ETF, and a high-yield bond ETF — as it expands beyond its traditional mutual fund business and deepens ties with RIAs seeking tax-efficient, actively managed building blocks for their model portfolios. These new ETFs build on Capital Group’s push to support advisors with tools like its RIA Insider platform and its recent rollout of active ETF model portfolios. 

Meanwhile, BlackRock introduced the iShares Global Government Bond USD Hedged Active ETF, managed by its Global Tactical Asset Allocation team, to help diversify global bond exposure while protecting against currency swings. BlackRock’s new offering taps into growing advisor concerns over concentrated U.S. Treasury allocations and fits within its broader suite of institutional-grade active ETFs. 

Finsum: These launches highlight the shift in advisor priorities toward portfolio construction and model-based solutions, with active ETFs increasingly serving as the core tools for delivering customized, fee-based client strategies.