Aspen Q4 Newsletter: Economy, Taxes, Elections, & More

Why you shouldn't worry about the elections from an investment stand point -

OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER We hope this finds you in great spirits! As the markets continue to keep us on our toes, we are here to help you cut through the noise and keep your portfolio on track. This month, we've packed your update with insights to make the end of the year as rewarding as possible. Inside, you'll find: What's Next for the Economy: Top economists are weighing in on where things may be headed, and our team has pulled together the highlights for you. Tax Advantages of Real Estate: Why not keep more of what you earn? We'll cover some key tax benefits that real estate investments bring to the table. Our Latest Moves: A few exciting updates from our team as we wrap up Q4. Election Impact: Our take on what will happen to the investment landscape after the presidential election We're excited to share this with you, and as always, we are here if you have questions or want to discuss your investment strategies ahead. Happy reading! What Are Economists Saying About Where the Economy is Headed?  📈   The Wall Street Journal recently published the results from a survey of 66 economists on where they believe the economy is headed. Let's enjoy a bit of good news, shall we? They are "increasingly upbeat about the economy's prospect."    Some highlights: Unemployment – Economists predict the unemployment rate to hit right around 4.2% by the end of the year and expect the US to add ~130,000 jobs per month over the next 12 months. These forecasts show they see the labor market continuing to cool off a bit, as it has been all year, but they're not expecting any big spikes in unemployment. Inflation – Inflation has been on a downward trajectory in 2024, and economists remain optimistic that inflation will continue to come down next year. Interest Rates – Compared to the last survey in July, October's survey showed economics lowered their projections for where interest rates will land at the end of the year from 4.9% to 4.4%. This would mean 2 more quarter-point reductions. They are also predicting rates to come down more quickly in the coming years. Read the full article Tax Advantages of Investing in Real Estate 💰 As we approach the end of the year, it's a good time to be thinking about maximizing your 2024 tax savings. If you have real estate, and especially industrial properties, in your portfolio, you have some significant advantages at your fingertips. If you're not sure you're taking advantage of all your tax opportunities, here are some good resources to dive into: Article: The Tax Advantages of Investing in Real Estate and Industrial Properties: What High-Net-Worth Investors Need to Know Podcast Episode: 179. How to Maximize Real Estate Tax Benefits feat. Ryan Carriere Lastly, as the year winds down, consider optimizing your 1031 exchange with Aspen Funds. Fill out this form to learn more. Aspen News 📣 Our team is excited to have added two new members this past month! You will likely speak with Ellis and Phillip at one of our upcoming events or when you talk with our Investor Relations team, so we thought we'd do some intros… Ellis Hammond Ellis is the new Vice President of Capital for Aspen Funds. He has an extensive background in real estate and as an entrepreneur, having acquired over $100 million of multifamily RE and managed tens of millions of dollars of investor capital, alongside building his own suite of successful businesses.   Phillip Ko Phillip is joining our IR team as Investor Relations Associate, bringing a wealth of experience from his tenure at Google, where he beat sales goals with a deep understanding of complex capital markets. He will be dedicated to enhancing the investor experience for new and longstanding investors, ensuring the highest standards of service and engagement. Elections Hot Take 💡 In light of the elections: I understand the tension that the elections always bring about, especially for investors. Most people tend to over-weight the impact that an administration will have on investments, which tends to cause fear. Fear is never a driver of good decision-making.     Here is why you shouldn't be too worried about who gets elected from an investing stand point: Firstly, we're in a 3-party government. The President can't unilaterally make decisions, right? They have to go through Congress and they are held in check with the judicial system. Most changes made are not monumental–they're incremental. Understanding who is in the presidency should only be one small part of the overall bigger decision matrix that you're using to make decisions when you are investing. The bigger piece of your investing decisions should be the economic fundamentals–what's behind the asset classes you're investing in? What's the supply and the demand? The long-term economic fundamentals don't change with whoever gets elected. A great example of this is the housing shortage. If you're investing in real estate, you understand there is a structural supply problem of housing in our country. This is not going to change dramatically whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican. The shortage is still going to be an issue and will impact prices, and supply and demand in the market. Who's in the presidential seat is not really a big part of our calculus. And I don't think it should be a big part of your calculus either. So you may disagree with me, you may agree with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, Ben Fraser & the Aspen Funds Team AspenFunds.us Aspen Funds, 5700 112th St., Overland Park, KS 66211, 800-940-1510 Unsubscribe Manage preferences