• Bio

Grant Blindbury

Grant Blindbury has been working in the Investment Advisory industry since 2003 managing assets of affluent individuals and pension plans. Grant earned his bachelor's degree in Business & Economics at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2001. Grant specializes in working with clients approaching or entering retirement and positions them for success by coordinating their most important financial affairs. Grant's goal, as his client’s personal CFO, is to deliver both the financial outcome and experience necessary to accomplish their most important goals. In 2007, Grant earned the professional credential CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). He is president of his local Estate Planning Council and participates in multiple professional learning groups. He is on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County as well as being a “Big” himself. From the outset he was drawn to the client-centric model that fee-based advisory services provided and joined forces with Fields Financial Associates, Inc. He would later partner with the founders of Fields Financial Associates to form FMB Wealth Management. He has been a licensed Investment Advisor since 2003.

President Trump and his administration have proposed several changes to tax law, including reductions to income tax, capital gains tax (for some tax brackets), and business taxes. Amidst these impending tax law changes, it is important to adapt your investment strategy accordingly.

What changes are in store?

President Trump’s tax plan proposes the following changes:

• A lower marginal income tax rate

• Removal of the 3.8% investment income tax

• Lowering the effective tax for long-term capital gains from 23.8% to 20% for taxpayers in the top tax brackets

Despite taxes lowering for most Americans, tax efficient strategies will continue to play an important role in investors’ portfolios. Historically, even over periods when tax rates were lower, tax-managed equity strategies remained an important tool in one’s investment portfolio.

Take advantage of market volatility and lower tax rates to refine your portfolio

Capitalize on market dips: Tax-managed accounts typically benefit in markets with lower returns and higher volatility. With change being a fundamental talking point in Trump’s campaign, uncertainty and market volatility may be in store. A short-lived market dip may be advantageous if a tax loss-harvesting strategy is used.

Restructure your portfolio: Also, with lower capital gains tax rates for higher tax brackets, there may be opportunities to recalibrate your portfolio in order to benefit your long-term investment strategy.  For example, investors with high concentrations of a single stock or asset class can take advantage of lower tax rates to diversify their portfolio at a lower cost. Similarly, investors holding appreciated securities that no longer support their overall plan can take advantage of the lower tax cost to transition to more appropriate investments. There are several financial calculations your financial advisor can help you with to determine the cost-benefit of such a transition.

Customize your picks: Lower tax rates on stock market gains may also provide you with the opportunity to align your portfolio with your values. The rapid advancements in Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) investing has delivered a number of new investment vehicles for folks who are so inclined.

Impending changes in tax law and the market environment as a whole provides investors with a perfect window to reevaluate and reassess their long-term investment plan by taking advantage of short-term shifts. If you are unsure about how these new tax law and market changes will affect you, work with your financial advisor to reset your goals, recalibrate your portfolio, if needed, and align your investments to meet your values or interests.