Figuring out when to claim Social Security is no simple task, and it's one of the most important decisions financial advisors can help clients with. Optimal timing depends on personal circumstances, savings goals, and the needs of one's spouse, retirement expert Mike Lynch writes. Life expectancy, postretirement work, alternate income, and one's spouse's benefits all play a role in the decision, according to Lynch.

Among other most-read wealth management articles this week:

Schwab's earnings rise. The stock doesn't . Charles Schwab's second-quarter earnings topped Wall Street's estimates, and its revenue set a record. The financial services giant also increased its revenue guidance for 2026. However, the stock fell that day before regaining some lost ground as the week progressed. The company benefited in the quarter from robust trading activity among clients and strong growth in net interest revenue.

Vanguard's fixed-income opportunities . As the yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbs above 4.7% longer term bonds should become more attractive to income-seeking investors. Yet many investors still crave the security of cash. Rebecca Venter, a senior fixed-income client portfolio manager at Vanguard, explains why advisors should avoid the mistake of having too short a duration in the bond portfolios they oversee. She also discusses actively managed Vanguard bond funds that can help clients meet additional goals.

More equity SMAs from Fidelity . Fidelity Investments is expanding its lineup of investment strategies available to advisors as custom separately managed accounts, or SMAs. With these actively managed accounts, clients directly own the underlying securities, rather than investing in a pooled structure in which they own shares of a fund. That can help with tax-loss harvesting and strategies for minimizing portfolio concentration. The six new custom SMAs offer exposure to large-cap core, growth, and value strategies and are offered within the Fidelity Tax-Managed Enhanced SMA and the Fidelity Institutional Tax-Managed Fundamental groups.

A long-term plan for Trump accounts . Trump Accounts are here, and they offer some significant advantages for long-term saving, including a one-time $1,000 seed deposit from the government for children between 2025 and 2028. For young parents, they can be a great way to kick-start their children's nest egg -- and not just for college. The fact that the accounts can be converted to a Roth IRA at age 18 makes them worth considering for saving for retirement.

New public-private funds are here . Vanguard, Blackstone, and Wellington Management launched their first two funds Wednesday as part of the "alliance" they established last year to provide investors with easier access to private markets. The companies' WVB All Markets Fund provides investors with access to multiple asset classes and both passive and active strategies from all three partners in a single fund. The WVB Blackstone All Privates Fund offers access to private equity, private infrastructure, private real estate, and private credit. The two new funds will initially be available only to clients of Bank of America's Merrill and private bank units.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2026 14:37 ET (18:37 GMT)

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