Wealth Insights

A growing number of women are not simply participating in wealth creation. They are leading it. New research on high-net-worth Millennials highlights the rising influence of women as founders, executives, and equity owners, raising important questions about how families and financial institutions understand wealth, stewardship, and financial decision-making differently today.

LPL Research is pleased to present Midyear Outlook 2026: Policy, Buildouts, & Bottlenecks. This semi-annual update offers a comprehensive analysis of the economic and market environment and highlights potential implications for investors and their portfolios. In our 2026 Outlook: The Policy Engine, we spent considerable time talking about how policy is increasingly a driver of capital markets.

Every family has a system for making financial decisions, whether formally defined or not. Effective family governance brings shared values, roles, communication, and decision-making into focus. By making expectations explicit, families can strengthen trust, prepare future generations, and navigate meaningful transitions with greater clarity, continuity, and shared purpose over time.

Predictions of a market crash can create anxiety, but forecasts without timing or magnitude offer little direction. A more constructive response is to revisit your goals, time horizon, allocation, income needs, and exposure to risk. Preparation can help you make thoughtful decisions rather than reacting to headlines or fear alone.

A successful business transition involves far more than valuation and deal terms. Owners also need time to consider personal financial independence, tax and estate strategies, succession, family readiness, and life after the business. Coordinated planning can help align the transaction with the owner’s values, relationships, and long-term vision for wealth.

Regular family meetings can create space for honest communication, financial education, and shared decision-making across generations. With a thoughtful agenda, age-appropriate participation, and consistent structure, these conversations may help families clarify values, prepare younger members, address difficult topics, and build the trust and continuity that support stewardship of family wealth.

An executive offer is the beginning of a broader conversation about leadership value, expectations, and long-term opportunity. Women leaders can evaluate more than salary, including incentives, equity, vesting, severance, and transition protections. Thoughtful preparation can help align compensation with the role’s responsibilities, risks, and potential impact over time more confidently.

Tax documents may be revised when issuers provide updated information, creating the possibility of an amended return. Before filing your 2025 taxes, review the timing of your consolidated 1099 and discuss your circumstances with a qualified tax professional. Our team can coordinate approved LPL Financial documents with your tax advisor.

For founders, entity decisions may shape future eligibility for the Section 1202 Qualified Small Business Stock exclusion. This article examines C corporation requirements, holding periods, conversion considerations, and rule changes, emphasizing why founders should coordinate early with qualified tax and legal professionals before capital raises or liquidity events.

LPL Research is pleased to present Outlook 2026: The Policy Engine. Their annual update offers a thorough analysis of the economy and markets, highlighting potential implications for you. I’m pleased to bring you a few of the key highlights today. The year 2025 offered a clear illustration of today’s prevailing market regime — one that