As major tech stocks like Meta and Microsoft face challenges from rising costs and AI investment, dividend stocks are gaining attention for their potential stability amid election-related uncertainty. 

For beginner investors, choosing effective dividend stocks and ETFs remains an essential consideration as dividend growth has historically outpaced inflation over the long term. In one case, a dividend investor on Reddit turned an initial $60,000 retirement account into $1.2 million over 27 years through a disciplined investment approach, later shifting his focus to high-yield dividend ETFs. 

His portfolio, which generated around $9,495 monthly, included holdings like JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF and Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF, along with tech-focused funds like Invesco QQQ Trust. With investments like the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust and Ares Capital Corporation, the portfolio reflected a mix of income-generating ETFs and steady-growth investments.

Finsum: If rates stall out look to dividends to supplement income streams particularly with ETFs.

Several Western and Midwestern cities, including Boise, Idaho, and Stockton, California, are projected to join the "million-dollar club" in median home prices over the next decade. 

Realtor.com's forecast estimates Boise’s median price will rise from about $464,000 to $1.2 million by 2033, following a strong growth trend seen in previous years. Other cities expected to cross the million-dollar mark include Salt Lake City, Portland, and Colorado Springs. Stockton’s proximity to costly Bay Area markets is driving its prices, with an anticipated median of $1.4 million by 2033. 

Denver and Sacramento are also projected for substantial gains, reaching approximately $1.3 million and $1.1 million, respectively. These forecasts hinge on continued demand and limited supply, but a surge in new construction could temper these projected gains.

Finsum: One key aspect of this to watch is how fast wages are growing in these cities as this is a strong indicator of future home price growth

National brokerage firms are now sharing updates to financial advisors' compensation plans for 2025, a yearly event that often brings new requirements for earning bonuses or changes to how firms prioritize client segments. 

Merrill Lynch's 2025 plan, announced Wednesday, surprised many by largely maintaining the current structure, which has been rewarding advisors for onboarding new clients and encouraging existing ones to use Bank of America banking services. Merrill reported 5,500 new client relationships in the third quarter, with client assets reaching $3.5 trillion, an 18% increase from last year. 

The only notable adjustment for 2025 is a reduced banking growth award threshold, dropping from 55% to 35% for advisors operating without a nearby Bank of America branch. Other large brokerages, also introduced modest 2025 updates, such as reduced pay on smaller accounts and increased incentives for internal referrals, respectively. 

Finsum: These incremental changes reflect the industry's focus on stability while selectively encouraging growth and broader client relationships.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management has partnered with GeoWealth to deliver customizable, open-architecture investment models for registered investment advisors (RIAs). These models, accessible through GeoWealth’s unified managed accounts (UMA) platform, include SMAs, ETFs, direct indexing, mutual funds, and alternatives, allowing RIAs to tailor them to clients’ unique goals and tax considerations. 

Starting with mutual fund and ETF models, Goldman plans to expand offerings to include equity SMAs, fixed-income solutions, and direct indexing in the coming months. Responding to demand from RIAs for scalable, personalized portfolio solutions, the partnership aims to streamline account management, simplify paperwork, and boost operational efficiency. 

Goldman’s multi-asset solutions team will power these custom models, leveraging the firm’s capabilities with API integrations across 42 tech vendors. 

Finsum: These solutions can increase flexibility greatly for RIAs and provide a streamlined process for clientele. 

Vanguard's ETFs offer excellent options for investors seeking both passive income and diversification. The Vanguard Value ETF, one of the largest value-oriented funds, holds mainly large-cap stocks with solid dividend payouts, keeping its top 10 holdings at around 21% of the portfolio. 

For a more concentrated approach, the Vanguard Mega Cap Value ETF focuses on mega-cap companies, leaning toward value-heavy sectors like healthcare and energy, which tend to fare well in economic downturns. Investors aiming for higher yield might consider the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, which offers broad exposure to 537 holdings and a nearly 3% yield without overemphasizing any single sector. 

Although these funds have lagged the tech-driven S&P 500 recently, they have shown significant long-term growth, nearly tripling in value over the last decade. 

Finsum: These ETFs suit different needs, whether one prefers a focus on industry giants or broader diversification for consistent passive income.