This month, Vista’s Chief Investment Officer Dougal Williams sat on an expert panel for the CFA Society Portland’s 13th Annual Investment Strategy Dinner. From 2018’s biggest market surprises to what’s ahead in 2019, here are select excerpts from his conversation.

This year’s buffet of market predictions appears appetizing at first, but our year-end retrospective shows that guesswork disguised as portfolio advice generally turns out to be wrong.

Phishing has been around for more than 20 years now, and it’s not about to go anywhere soon. Human error remains the number one cause of security breaches—but there are steps you can take to protect your assets.

With the clock running down on 2019, you might be contemplating special gifts for your family. Whether you’d like to contribute to a 529 or establish a trust fund, you’ll want to keep a few tax guidelines in mind to maximize the joy of giving.

End-of-year fund distributions (and associated taxes) can sneak up on the most vigilant of investors. Not to worry—Vista’s approach seeks to keep a lid on taxes and ensure the lion’s share of returns end up in your pocket.