Americans are expected to spend $97.1B on technology gifts this year — Houston expert shares financial advice for shoppers

Guest column

From online shopping to gifting devices, technology plays a huge role in the holidays, this Houston expert says. Getty Images

Like clockwork, the holidays are here again. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday have all successfully come and gone, but yet, many of us are still left with presents to purchase and to-do lists to complete. Houstonians are expected to spend $1,562 this holiday season completing their holiday shopping. That is up three percent from last year.

While Houstonians expect to spend over $500 on gifts for loved ones, a whopping $606 will be spent on "experiences" and $421 on non-gift items such as clothing and home furnishings as they gear up for the holiday season with parties and houseguests.

What are Americans planning to buy this holiday season? Nationwide, 74 percent of Americans are expected to spend $97.1 billion on technology gifts this holiday season. According to a survey, the number one technology gift for this year is content-related gifts such as video games or streaming services. The days of buying discs or consulting the TV Guide are long gone. Americans are looking for ways to stream music, movies, and TV shows.

Other hot technology gadgets include smart speakers, smart phones, TVs, laptops, tablets, and wearables. Smart camera doorbells, which allow residents to see who is at their door, and smart lightbulbs, which enable lighting to be controlled remotely through the internet, continue to climb the gift-giving lists.

Technology is playing a significant role in how we make our purchases. Fifty-six percent of Americans are planning to buy their holiday items online, with only 36 percent obtaining gifts and other seasonal items in brick and mortar locations. Many of us are ordering gifts right from our smart phones.

All this spending on others, while thoughtful, is bound to get some of us in financial hot water. The key is to budget. Set a budget for each person you plan to shop for, such as family members, colleagues, friends, even for service providers such as your hairstylist. Once your budget is set, stick to it. I have found that using a spreadsheet to track expenses is helpful, or good old-fashioned pen and paper works well, too. You may be surprised how quickly your expenditures add up, even the small ones. Tracking is an excellent way to stay accountable to your budget.

Last year, the average consumer racked up over $1,000 in debt as part of their holiday shopping. By budgeting wisely, you can avoid debt. While credit cards are convenient, sometimes they make it a little too easy to spend more than planned. Not staying within your budget can give you quite a spending hangover in January. To combat credit card overuse, use cash whenever possible.

Additionally, limit your shopping days. The less you visit stores or malls, the less likely you are to be tempted. Moreover, purchasing online can help you stick to your budget, just be careful not to spend more than your budget allows. Another smart strategy to cut costs is to select items with free shipping over fast shipping.

With the holidays quickly approaching, ensure you are smart about your holiday spending. Technology is a fantastic and convenient avenue for shopping. And, our smart phones have provided us another avenue in which to compare prices and look for deals. Whichever channel you choose to shop — bricks and mortar or cybershopping — ensure you stick to smart spending.

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Dominic Cellitti is a financial adviser with the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Houston.

It's National Retirement Security Week — and to celebrate, you need to start thinking about saving. Getty Images

Young professionals should focus on saving for retirement today, advises this Houston expert

Guest Column

National Retirement Security Week is upon us. In 2006, the United States Senate passed a resolution establishing the third week of October as a time to raise awareness about the importance of retirement savings and to encourage Americans to contribute to their retirement plans. The sponsors of the resolution hoped Americans would think about their retirement goals and assess their progress.

The Senate had good advice. Consider this: less than half of Americans have calculated how much money they will need to have in retirement. Additionally, the average person will spend a whopping 20 years in retirement. This data means you need to be proactive in your retirement planning, especially if you plan to retire early. Experts project that the average American will need 70 – 90 percent of their pre-retirement income to continue to live in their current standard of living. Even with well-funded savings, retirees will face challenges such as high costs of healthcare and the future of Medicare and Social Security.

For young investors

Research has shown that younger Americans, approximately ages 18 to 35, say the ideal time to retire is 60 years old. However, young professionals need to remember that the full retirement age for social security benefits is 67 years of age. Therefore, saving early in their career is key to attaining a livable retirement income.

Additionally, many young Americans are simply not saving for retirement at all. Data has demonstrated that two-thirds of Millennials have nothing saved. A rule of thumb is to continually save 10 to 15 percent of your income throughout your career for retirement. If you would like to retire at 60 years of age, you should be saving 20 percent or more.

First step: Start saving

Therefore, your first step should be starting to save today, and it should be a priority. By beginning to save as soon as possible, you benefit from the power of compound interest. Each year's investment gains build on the next year's gains. Ideally, you should begin saving for retirement in your early twenties at the beginning of your career. Saving early can reap big rewards later. However, if you are further along in your career and have not been saving, start now.

Many employers offer 401(k) plans, allowing employees to save for retirement before taxes are taken out of their paycheck. If your company offers a 401(k) plan, ensure you are enrolled and contributing at least enough to receive the maximum matching contribution. In 2019, the IRS allows you to contribute up to $19,000, and for those 50 and over, you may contribute $25,000. While 401(k)s have many benefits, there are some restrictions. For example, the plan may require you to leave the money in for a minimum amount of time before you are entitled to your employer's matching contributions. To ensure you understand your employer's plan, consult the plan administrator.

Not all employers offer retirement plans. If that is your case, or you are self-employed, look into an IRA. These accounts are another smart way to save for retirement. IRAs are controlled by you, not your employer. You can choose either a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA. The difference between the two varies on issues such as age restrictions, income limits, and tax breaks. For an IRA in 2019, you may contribute $6,000 per person, or $7,000 for those 50 and over. Similar to 401(k)s, IRAs can be set up by automatic deduction if you so choose.

No matter your industry or the season of your life, take the time this National Retirement Security Week to educate yourself on your saving options, focus on your retirement goals, and begin the action steps necessary to be able to retire securely.

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Marcellus Davis is a financial adviser with the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Houston.

September is self care awareness month, and there are ways to encourage wellness in the workplace — no matter the size of the company. Tom Merton/Getty Images

How you can encourage wellness in the workplace ahead of self care month

guest column

September is self-care awareness month. The purpose of the awareness campaign is to remind Americans that it is necessary to mindfully and purposefully care for yourself. Not only can individuals take steps toward self-care, but employers can play a role, too. Many employers are focusing on employee wellness, including financial wellness, realizing that when their workforce is happy and healthy, productivity rises, and their business grows.

Many innovative companies today offer wellness benefits, such as in-office yoga, massages, and acupuncture. Additionally, some companies encourage outside fitness by reimbursing gym memberships, organizing sports leagues, and coordinating classes at boutique studios.

While physical fitness is key to a healthy workforce, so is mental health. Employers have been known to provide meditation and napping rooms within the office, team trips, and flexible PTO. A wise employer will insist their employees use their PTO to refresh and decompress before returning to work with a new vigor. Several tech companies have even made confidential health assessments available and made gaining access to mental professionals easier.

As part of their wellness benefits offerings, companies should encourage financial wellness for their employees. One common contributor to our physical and mental stress is our finances. An American Psychological Association survey found that 62 percent of Americans count money as a stressor. Additionally, a Morgan Stanley study found that 78 percent of employees who report high financial stress say that their financial stress is a distraction at work.

Financial self-care involves assessing a person's financial situation and how their money is fitting into their life. As an employer, you can help your employees find the right balance in their financial life and provide them with the tools to help with their financial wellness.

Start with reviewing the retirement plan available to your employees. If you do not have a retirement plan instituted already, you will find that setting up a 401(k) is relatively easy and relatively low cost. Plus, it provides your employees with the power of saving for their retirement. This year, the IRS allows employees to contribute up to $19,000 in pre-tax dollars, $25,000 if they are 50 or over.

In addition to offering them a savings vehicle, consider providing 401(k) matching funds. For example, you may match 50 cents for every dollar they contribute. Even if an employee is not contributing to their retirement plan, an employer can still contribute money to their employees' retirement funds as a benefit of employment. Generally speaking, the limit on total employer and employee contributions for 2019 is $56,000, or 100 percent of employee compensation, whichever is lower. What better way to help your employees mind their financial self-care than to actively help them save for a secure future?

As an employer, you may go beyond retirement plans and offer other financial self-care benefits such as help with emergency savings, financial coaching, and student loan repayment. Currently, only four percent of employers offer student loan repayment programs, but that number is growing as a popular benefit for recruitment and retainment. Under this benefit, an employer may pay down a portion of the employee's student debt over a period of time. Of note, there is no tax benefit for a debt repayment benefit, and the money is taxed as income.

This September, take the time to assess the benefits you are offering to employees. Do not forget to include financial wellness as part of your overall plan, benefiting your employees and your business.

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Claudia Mollerup-Madsen is vice president and a financial adviser with the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Houston.

First thing's first: Don't tell everyone. Jonathan Kitchen/Getty Images

What you need to know for when your startup hits the big time, according to this Houston expert

Money matters

If you have a successful tech startup, you may be working towards an exit plan where your vision and innovation is turned into liquidity. When a unique, innovative idea hits the big time, investors and other tech companies take notice, and some founders of startups discover themselves with sudden wealth.

Whether you take your company public or are eventually acquired by a much larger organization, you may find yourself looking at millions or billions of dollars one day. If this happens to you, there are crucial steps you should consider to help ensure you stay financially healthy for the long-term.

Keep your head down and do your homework.

First, be as quiet as possible about your new windfall. While selling your company may be public knowledge, keep conversations about your finances and situation minimal and confidential until you have a plan. The more hushed you keep your new financial situation, the less pressure you may have from others asking for favors and handouts.

Additionally, do your research before making any decisions. While you are coming to terms with your new wealth, search for the right team, including a financial adviser, attorney, and accountant, to help you set your goals, both long and short term. This may include tax efficiency and structure, such as trusts and family limited partnerships.

Research a potential advisers' philosophy, fees, and expertise. Have a background check run on anyone you hire, including their financial situation. Review your engagement letter and understand the small print. Be patient as you search for the right team — they are extremely important to your future.

Find an adviser you trust.

Part of your team should include a financial adviser who can be an invaluable resource during this time and into the future for many reasons.

First, he or she can help you identify potential present and future financial goals, plan for the next generation, and structure an income stream, which will ultimately help guide your money to survive you. You might find yourself in the unique position to make donations you have only dreamed of, and that, too, requires guidance.

A financial adviser can also help when friends and organizations are looking for financial contributions from you. Sudden wealth often leads to many changes which are hard to anticipate. Do not let your guard down. Family and friends can come out of the woodwork. Also, be aware of frivolous lawsuits and threats. Keep you and your family safe.

Don't go crazy.

Be disciplined in your spending. Some pro-athletes and lottery winners have filed for bankruptcy after blowing all of their wealth. Do not fall into this trap.

With the help of your financial adviser, you may decide to put your money where you cannot access it easily, such as a house or a 529 savings plan for your children's college. Or, you may decide to have your financial adviser help establish a salary for you each month so you can control your cash better.

After working hard to build a product or platform and the success of selling it for top dollar, ensure you are just as wise with your proceeds. Follow trusted advice from a well-vetted financial adviser and take your time to make major decisions. Trust your gut and enjoy the ride!

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Gail Stalarow is vice president and financial adviser with The Clarity Group in the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Houston.

The Bayou City knows energy. Silicon Valley knows tech. But each can't only invest in what they know. Getty Images

Houston and Silicon Valley experts advise investing outside the box

Diversify or die

There's an adage in investing that you should only invest in what you know. Generally speaking, this is a good rule — if you do not understand a company product or have no experience with its industry, then investing in a specific company could be risky. Yet, there are times when it's necessary to get out of your comfort zone and try something new and adventurous. The challenge is determining how to do that.

We are financial advisors from Houston and San Francisco, and we frequently do just that — encourage our clients to explore investments out of their comfort zones.

In Houston, we understand energy. As of 2017, Texas accounted for 37 percent of the nation's crude oil production and 24 percent of its natural gas production. And as of January 2018, Texan oil refineries accounted for 31 percent of the nation's refining capacity — and that is just oil. In 2017, Texas lead the country in wind-generated electricity and generated a quarter of all wind power in the US. It is safe to say, we feel comfortable talking the language and investing in the energy industry. Whether it is machinery fabrication for upstream, construction of pipes for midstream, or refining downstream, some Texans are comfortable investing in these areas.

In San Francisco, we understand tech, whether it involves social media, silicon, or apps. We have five of the top 10 most prominent tech companies in the world. In 2018, the technology industry accounted for around 62 percent of all office leasing activity in San Francisco. The Bay Area also dominates venture capital investment, accounting for 45 percent of all capital investment in the U.S, in large part because of tech startups in the area.

Naturally, we see that some investors in our hometowns feel comfortable investing extensively in these two industries. Sometimes, these investments take the form of venture capital, other times they are individual stocks.

For Houstonians, allocating all of their investments to the energy industry carries too much risk should the energy industry falter. The same is true for San Francisco with venture capital and technology.

Therefore, we encourage investors to diversify their portfolios by placing funds in multiple vehicles and equities with the knowledge that different industries will react differently to market ups and downs. While there is never a guarantee of the outcome, diversification is one of many factors critical to long-term investment success.

For Houstonians and San Franciscans, there are other industries we understand in which we can invest. For example, Houston boasts the largest medical center in the world with roughly 361,000 people employed in the healthcare industry. While San Francisco employs roughly 277,500 in tourism. If you're looking to diversify your portfolio, look around to see the opportunities in which other people are investing. You may be surprised about what you learn, and ultimately how comfortable you can become investing in industries you may be unfamiliar.

We do not recommend ever investing in a product or industry that you have no understanding of at all. However, if you have excitement about an investment opportunity and feel there is potential for growth to your portfolio, your investment may prove fruitful in the future. Still, please seek out a financial advisor to help.

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Joseph Radzwill is senior vice president and financial adviser with the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Houston. Victoria Bailey is a financial adviser with the Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in San Francisco.

Think about the power of impact investing this Earth Day. Getty Images

Impact investing is shaping the future of the world, says this Houston expert

Earth day

For almost 50 years, Earth Day has been recognized as the largest civic-focused day of action in the world. Since April 22, 1970, Americans have sought out ways to be stewards of the environment through planting trees, riding a bike to work, or cleaning up a community garden. While these actions are admirable, other strategies and tools are also available that can have a positive impact on the environment.

Investors are getting behind companies that put environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as priorities in their operations. According to a 2018 survey by the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, 84 percent of respondents are considering or currently pursuing ESG investing.

ESG policies may include issues such as safety policies, human rights, and climate change. These policies may not be part of the traditional financial analysis but can still have financial applications. Investors have the opportunity to financially support and affect change in companies that are taking the lead on ESG policies. This is impact investing. With impact investing, companies and individuals can shape the future with money that is already slated to be invested.

According to the Morgan Stanley survey mentioned above, more than $22.8 trillion is invested sustainably. As the impact investing movement continues to grow, we are seeing an increase in funds dedicated to social and environmental change. According to the 2018 survey, 77 percent of asset owners believe they have a responsibility to address sustainability through investing. And, 31 percent of the respondents said climate change is their leading focus.

If you are interested in incorporating impact investing into your portfolio, the first step is to choose your social and environmental investment criteria. In honor of Earth Day, you may be interested in focusing on green investing in industries or causes such as clean water and alternative energy. Or, you may be interested in investing in corporations that have made strides in environmental sustainability and clean technology.

Next, determine the best way for you to invest. Whether by debt, equity, or assets, impact investing can involve making the kinds of investment decisions that regular investors are generally making anyway, such as buying stocks and bonds in Fortune 500 companies or broadly diversified mutual funds. According to respondents in the Morgan Stanley survey, public equities and real assets, such as infrastructure and real estate, are the most attractive asset classes for sustainable investing.

A common concern with impact investing is whether investing with a strong focus on ESG will give investors a rate of return needed to meet their investment goals (i.e. retirement, college savings). According to a study by the Global Impact Investing Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping break down barriers to impact investing, 82 percent of respondents said their investments made an impact and 76 percent were pleased with the financial performance. Additionally, another 15 percent reported outperformance across each of these dimensions.

As investors are pursuing ESG practices and investments, a large number of companies are continuing to incorporate measures such as water and energy conservation into their ESG policies. Corporate boards and investors are incentivizing their CEOs to provide high-quality, diverse workplaces that lead to greater employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity while having a social and environmental impact. Whether investing in organizations or corporations, impact investing provides a way for investors to tackle big problems with their money. This Earth Day, on Monday, April 22, you can identify investments that can help you achieve your financial goals as well as satisfying your desire to have an impact.

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Dominic Cellitti is a financial adviser with the wealth management division of Morgan Stanley in Houston.

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Meta to bring $115 million AI data center training initiative to Houston

ai workforce

Meta and Associated Builders and Contractors have entered into a partnership to invest $115 million in training programs for the construction of AI data centers, with a portion of the project launching in Houston.

The companies announced June 8 that they would open America’s Workforce Academies at ABC chapter training centers in Houston; Indianapolis; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Columbus, Ohio.

The academies will offer career readiness and safety training, plus five weeks of hands-on education. Participants who complete the program will be granted a job offer from contractors working on Meta projects.

“The AI revolution is bringing change but also historic opportunities,” Dina Powell McCormick, Meta president and vice-chairman, said in a news release. “Skilled workers electrified rural America one pole at a time. They manned the factories that built the arsenal that won World War II. Now a new generation will pour the foundations and lay the fiber that secures American strength in this new age.”

Overall, the Meta and ABC aim for the academies to build a more sustainable pipeline of skilled construction workers and ensure safety and job readiness for the surging number of data center projects underway.

“This new program is an innovative talent solution that is a critical part of addressing the construction industry’s ongoing workforce shortage and creates an accelerated, new-entrant strategy for job seekers ... The sustained demand for data center construction technicians means the industry needs an all-of-the-above approach to address this shortage and grow the construction talent pool,” Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO, added in the release.

In Texas, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has launched or broken ground on data centers in El Paso, Fort Worth and Temple. The company announced in March that it planned to grow its El Paso Data center by 1 gigawatt, representing more than a $10 billion investment.

Apart from Meta, Texas has attracted data center development to power other giants like Google and Amazon in recent years. In turn, Texas has been predicted to become the biggest data center market. Commercial real estate services provider JLL reported this spring that the state could topple Northern Virginia as the world’s largest data-center market by 2030. Similarly, CBRE predicted that Houston's data center capacity could double by 2028. Read more here.

New Houston biotech co. lands $30M for pulmonary fibrosis drug

drug money

Most of us can claim a scar or two on our bodies. But when scarring develops inside the body, it’s known as a fibrotic disorder. A freshly launched Houston company, Oorja Bio Inc., is working on a treatment that can help to repair cells and reduce the damage wrought by the growth of fibrotic tissue in patients.

Late last month, Oorja Bio hit the scene with a pair of big announcements. Not only has the company raised a $30 million Series A thanks to founding investor California-based Westlake BioPartners, but it has also already paved the way for a Phase 2 study to take place this year.

Oorja Bio received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allowing the company to test its treatment in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a scarring of the lung tissue. IPF affects more than 150,000 adults in the United States and can result in a range of symptoms from shortness of breath to organ failure and death as it progresses.

Oorja Bio’s lead drug candidate, ORJ-001, was shown in a Phase 1 in-human trial to demonstrate “therapeutically relevant exposure and favorable tolerability” in 64 healthy adult volunteers in whom it was administered daily or weekly, according to a news release. Pre-clinical studies of ORJ-001 showed durable target tissue engagement and biomarker activity in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.

Administered subcutaneously, ORJ-001 is intended to improve and even restore function in cells that can reduce the signaling that causes IPF. It stops advancement of IPF and also allows for tissue repair. Currently available treatments for the disease can slow the development of IPF down, but do not address the declining lung function that’s inherent in its progression.

“The clinical and preclinical results from our studies to date give us confidence that ORJ-001 represents a novel treatment approach with the potential to repair and reverse fibrosis and modify disease progression in IPF,” Dr. Janethe Pena, CMO of Oorja Bio, said in the release.

“Our team is energized to deliver on our goal of redefining the future of fibrotic diseases, beginning with ORJ-001,” CEO and founder Sujay Kango added. “As we advance ORJ-001 in the clinic, we are embracing the paradigm shift in our biological understanding of IPF pathology that aligns with the central role of the alveolar epithelium. ORJ-001 was designed with this biology in mind and may provide, for the first time, a therapeutic intervention that repairs and reverses fibrosis and promotes disease modification.”

Most patients live only three to five years following their IPF diagnosis. Soon, ORJ-001 and Oorja Bio could give them a fighting chance.

Axiom Space tops $525M in oversubscribed round, announces Swiss subsidiary

funding boost

Axiom Space tacked on an additional $175 million to a previously announced capital raise, bringing the oversubscribed round to a total of more than $525 million.

Axiom shared in February that it had secured $350 million in a financing round led by Type One Ventures and Qatar Investment Authority. In the latest release from the company, Axiom reports that Japan-based MUFG Bank Ltd. joined the round as a new investor, in addition to continued participation from existing backers.

The funding will go toward developing the company's commercial space station, known as Axiom Station, and the production of its Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) under its NASA spacesuit contract.

“Investor interest in this round outpaced what we set out to raise, which speaks to the moment we’re in,” Jonathan Cirtain, CEO and president of Axiom Space, said in the news release. “Our partners see what is possible in low-Earth orbit, and they see who is positioned to lead it.”

Axiom announced last month that it planned to open a Japanese subsidiary July 1. Earlier this week, it also shared plans to establish Axiom Space Switzerland, a wholly owned subsidiary based in Lucerne that is also expected to begin operations this summer.

The Switzerland subsidiary aims to establish Axiom's presence in Europe and help it partner with the European Space Agency and other space organizations and companies on the continent.

“Europe is a founding leader in the creation of the commercial space economy, and Switzerland is uniquely positioned to convene the government agencies, research institutions, and industrial entities that will shape its next decade,” Cirtain added in a separate release. “Axiom Space Switzerland facilitates the scaling of development and deployment of the infrastructure that will succeed the International Space Station.”

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