News from the Home Team

As year-end nears, we think about all the things we are grateful for in our lives, and our partnership with you is one thing we sincerely treasure. Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you – it is both an honor and a pleasure to share in your growth and success.  

When I joined Cantella 25 years ago, it was supposed to be a very short-term stay. It was not my intended career path. However, I immediately grew to love working with you. Your knowledge, your drive to help your clients, your personalities (most of the time – ha!), and the friendships that grew out of it.  

A handful of you recently participated in creating a video sharing your experience working with our team over the years. It brought tears to my eyes. I'm truly proud to be part of this organization and associated with people – home office and financial advisors – like you. We will be proudly publishing it on our website soon.  

We are excited for 2026 and will be sharing more about our 2026 initiatives in January! Sheelagh and I are looking forward to doing a number of in-person visits this year as well. One of our goals this year is to proactively reach out to ensure we know what your top priorities are so we can help you achieve them.  

Tech Tips 

NFS Alerts: Delivering real-time clearing firm updates to your inbox

At Cantella, efficiency is a core value. Historically, keeping stakeholders informed about the status of work items and business in progress requires manual updates from the Cambridge Operations Team. In 2024, Cambridge introduced a home office processing efficiency initiative aimed at minimizing redundant efforts and enhancing communication.

A key improvement was the removal of the need for Operations to manually transfer status updates from NFS to the Cambridge workflow system, Paperwork Status Monitor (PSM). This change enables the Operations Team to focus more on processing business items rather than feedback data entry, which leads to quicker turnaround times for new business and service tasks.

It is important to note that Operations remains actively involved. If Cambridge determines that a submission is Not In Good Order (NIGO), notification will continue to be provided through PSM. Likewise, if NFS identifies an issue, the item will be returned to Cambridge, reviewed, and subsequently updated in PSM for your attention. 

Utilizing alerts will give you real-time updates on business processing and you will find a much greater efficiency on timing of notification on any issues or completion of work.

To get started on using alerts, follow these steps below:

1. Click the Menu button in the upper right of Wealthscape
2. Scroll down to the Intelligence, Reports & Alerts section and click the Alert Manager NEW link to open the modern alert management system

3. Check your email delivery preferences to ensure you, and if applicable, desired support staff emails are present and checked off to receive the alerts. You can add up to 3 email addresses. Save your changes once complete.

4. Click on the Subscriptions > All Subscriptions dropdown menu link

5. You can toggle between alerts you are subscribed to, not subscribed to, or all alerts

6. Select the desired alerts and Subscribe
   1. Note: BPM is a workflow application not used by Cambridge. It is not necessary to select any falling in the BPM category.

The following chart of alerts is included as a guide to help you find what is most meaningful.

Contact Cambridge Brokerage Tech for navigation support and the Cantella team for alert recommendations.

Ascensus Retirement Consulting

We would like to remind our team of a valuable resource regarding the complex regulations associated with retirement accounts. In 2024, Cambridge established a direct partnership with the Ascensus Advanced Sales Call Center (ASCC), making this service accessible to all Cambridge financial professionals.

The ASCC enables Cambridge financial professionals to consult with Ascensus’ team of experts about specific client situations, retirement, and savings plan business strategies. ASCC consultants provide support on a range of topics, including Traditional and Roth IRAs, SEP and SIMPLE IRA plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and employer-sponsored retirement plans. Areas of assistance include:

• Trends in the retirement and savings plan industry
• Updates on new rules and regulations
• Strategic solutions for unique retirement and savings scenarios
• Retirement income planning and IRA rollover options
• Inherited IRA requirements post- and pre-SECURE ACT 
• Strategies for asset acquisition and retention
• Handling objections from plan administrators
• Assistance with plan selection and assessment

We have a dedicated hotline at 800-417-3126 and provide the organization code 111010. The ASCC operates Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Please note that Ascensus does not communicate directly with clients.

For additional information, please contact the Cambridge Retirement Center at retirementcenter@cir2.com.

Compliance Corner

Don’t Miss These Important To-Dos!

2026 Renewals
As a reminder, your 2026 Annual Registration Renewal Invoices are now available in the Registration Renewal section of CLIC®. Please review your invoice carefully to confirm its accuracy and to verify the states in which you wish to maintain or add registration.

As a best practice, compare your current client list with any states you plan to discontinue before requesting termination in those state(s). All invoice reviews and requested changes must be completed no later than December 16, 2025. Please click here to review important dates and additional information related to this process.

Firm Element and Compliance Training
Cambridge’s annual compliance training requirements for both registered and non-registered individuals were due on October 31. We are now well past that deadline, so if you or any non-registered person in your office has not yet completed the required training, please do so as soon as possible. Please click here to review those requirements. If in doubt, please reach out! 

FINRA Regulatory CE
FINRA requires all registered individuals to complete their mandatory CE courses through the FINPRO website by December 31, 2024.

Failure to complete FINRA’s required Regulatory CE by the deadline will result in your registration becoming CE Inactive. If this occurs, you will be unable to receive compensation, will lose access to all Cambridge systems, and will be prohibited from meeting with or speaking to clients.

IAR CE
As a reminder, if you have a physical presence (residence and/or a branch location) in any of the states listed below, you must complete the required IAR CE by December 31, 2024. Applicable states: AR, CA, CO, FL, HI, KY, MD, MI, MS, NV, ND, OK, OR, SC, TN, VT, DC, and WI.

• IAR CE requirements consist of two components:
  Products & Practices – 6 credits
• Ethics – 6 credits
  

Once you complete your required FINRA Regulatory CE, you will receive a 6-hour credit toward the Products & Practices component. In this case, you will only need to complete the Ethics portion.

As a reminder, registration in these states will be suspended for failure to complete the IAR CE prior to December 31, 2024. You will not be paid on business in these states and will not be able to meet with clients residing in any of these states.

You should complete these courses as soon as possible to allow for completion reporting to the states prior to year-end. It is also strongly encouraged that you keep a record of your completion certificates.

Keep Track of Gifts
All gifts given and received (except de minimis items) must be recorded in your gift log. Gifts are valued at cost, not including tax or delivery. For tickets, please be sure to use the higher price between cost and face value. Please click here to review Cambridge’s gifting limits.

Holiday Card Reminders
The holiday season is upon us and it’s a wonderful time to spread joy! Before sending out cards or greetings, please take a moment to review Cambridge’s policy so your festive messages stay heartfelt and compliant.

Opportunity of the Month

The Final Stretch

As we close out 2025, it’s a great time to help clients complete key financial tasks and set themselves up for a strong start to 2026, as well as benefit you by creating new business opportunities and increasing the efficiency of your practice.

• Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) - Work with clients to ensure all applicable RMDs have been taken. Consider placing clients on an automated RMD plan to avoid future missed distributions. This can also simplify your future year-ends. 
• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) - This is also an ideal moment to work with clients to evaluate whether QCDs could reduce their taxable income while supporting philanthropic goals
• Inherited IRAs - Review inherited IRA accounts to ensure clients understand required timelines for distribution under current IRS rules
• Bank Instructions on File - If clients do not have bank instructions linked to their accounts, consider adding them. This can streamline RMDs, withdrawals, and contributions throughout the year.
• Retirement Plan Contributions - Proactive conversations with clients about contribution deadlines for their retirement plans can help clients avoid last-minute funding challenges
• Year-End Charitable Giving - For clients who prioritize giving back, encourage strategic philanthropy. Year-end is a good time to evaluate direct gifts, donor-advised funds, or contributions of appreciated securities. These strategies can support charitable objectives while potentially creating meaningful tax advantages.
• Tax-Loss Harvesting Opportunities - Given this year’s market volatility, review portfolios for opportunities to realize losses and offset capital gains
• Beneficiary Review - Ask clients to confirm that all account beneficiaries are up to date. Beneficiary oversight is often overlooked, and outdated designations can create unintended outcomes. This also creates opportunities for multigenerational relationship-building and broader financial planning discussions.

Did You Know?

Some holiday season and financial markets fun facts!

Did you know that Wall Street has a nickname for the market surge that often happens between Christmas and New Year's Day? It’s called the Santa Claus Rally. This historic pattern often sees the stock market finish the year with a strong climb, though reasons for the rally are still debated (tax-loss harvesting, holiday optimism, etc.).

Did you know that the gifts listed in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas" are tracked annually by a major bank? It’s called The Christmas Price Index (CPI). PNC Bank compiles this index every year, using it to demonstrate how inflation affects non-typical goods and services.

Did you know that one of the most tax-efficient ways to give during the holiday season doesn't involve cash? It's donating appreciated stock. Instead of selling appreciated stock (and paying capital gains tax), you can donate the shares directly to charity. The charity receives the full value, and you get a deduction for the fair market value.

Did you know that the total U.S. consumer debt related to holiday shopping usually peaks in January? This surge demonstrates the power of consumer credit and revolving debt. Analysts often watch these January numbers to gauge overall consumer spending habits and credit health entering the new year.

Save the Date

July 14-15 – Cantella’s Annual Conference is back in Boston at the Encore Boston Harbor! We will also be hosting a hands-on financial planning workshop where you will get expert hands-on assistance from logging into CLIC Advisor (powered by eMoney) to entering client information to leaving with a plan for your client.  

Recipe of the Month

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

• 4 cups pretzel sticks
• 1 cup butter (unsalted)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Prepare Your Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure it’s large enough to hold all the pretzels in a single layer.
2. Melt the Butter and Sugars: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Stir continually until it comes to a boil. Let it boil for 3 minutes without stirring.
3. Add the Vanilla: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Be cautious, as the mixture will bubble up.
4. Combine with Pretzels: Pour the pretzel sticks into a large bowl. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the pretzels and gently stir to coat.
5. Spread on Baking Sheet: Transfer the coated pretzels to the prepared baking sheet, spreading them out evenly.
6. Melt Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring between each until fully melted.
7. Drizzle Chocolate: Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the pretzel bark.
8. Sprinkle with Sea Salt: Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate drizzles to enhance the flavor.
9. Let It Set: Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the bark is set.
10. Break into Pieces: Once set, simply break the bark into pieces and enjoy!

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