Antoine Williams & Associates Wealth Management, LLC

09/07/2026

If you think about it, almost every major holiday centers on gratitude.

Mother's and Father's Day, gratitude for our parents. Memorial Day, gratitude for those who gave their lives for our country. Independence Day, gratitude for our country itself. Thanksgiving, gratitude for everything. You get the idea.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Labor Day is also about gratitude. In this case, gratitude for many of the rights and privileges we enjoy today that came about thanks to the efforts of the labor movement. For example:

8-hour days & 40-hour work weeks. For much of our country's history, Americans performed backbreaking labor for 12 hours per day or more. Thanks to the labor movement, 40-hour work weeks became standardized and eventually codified into law. The time we have to see our families, engage in hobbies, read a good book, or even just enjoy a beautiful sunset is thanks to the labor movement.

Weekends. As you know, Labor Day is the first Monday of September. That means we get to enjoy a three-day weekend. But the very concept of a weekend is thanks to the labor movement! Huge, nationwide campaigns and marches around the turn of the 20th century gained Americans the right to a shorter workweek. TGIF? Workers had to fight for those letters to mean anything.

Sick leave. Without paid sick leave, most Americans wouldn't have the means to heal from their illnesses, injuries, and accidents. Nowadays, we consider this a basic human right – a right we wouldn't have without the Labor Movement.

Safe working conditions. On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. The factory's owners escaped. Most of the factory's workers, mainly women, did not. Due to locked doors, blocked fire escapes, and flammable surroundings, 146 laborers never returned home that day.

In the 21st century, none of us would want to work in a place that was fundamentally unsafe. None of us would want to work where disease and disaster were rampant.

In the 19th century, most workers had no choice. Thanks to their sacrifice, we do.

Just as we give thanks to the Founders for our country, soldiers for our safety, and parents for our lives, so too should we thank the workers and laborers who came before us. The men and women who, thanks to their efforts, made life more worth living.

Happy Labor Day!

09/03/2026

Alternative investments.

It's a term many investors hear about, but not one most investors have much experience with.

What are alternative investments?

There's no single definition, but basically they consist of everything but stocks, bonds, or cash.

For example, commodities (think gold, silver or oil) are alternative investments.

So are interest-rates, foreign currencies, and derivatives (like stock options, swaps or warrants).

Collectible items can be alternative investments, too.

And this isn't an exhaustive list – there are many, many other types.

Here is an infographic that breaks down the basics of what alternative investments are, how some of them work, as well as their pros and cons.

08/26/2026

August 26th is Women’s Equality Day

Today we celebrate the monumental progress women have made throughout history.

A few milestones include:

1851: Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech was delivered during the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention on May 29th.

1869: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association.

1920: After a 72-year fight, the 19th Amendment passed and on August 18th went into effect in the United States of America, women win the right to vote!

1963: On June 10th, John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act prohibiting discrimination on account of s*x in the payment of wages by employers.

1971: The Women’s Political Caucus was founded on July 10th, by Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mildred Jeffery, Florynce Kennedy, Jill Ruckelshaus, Ruth E. Shinn and Betty Friedan among others. Their goal was to support, recruit, and train women who were seeking space in public office. Gloria Steinem also started Ms. Magazine this same year – who’s focus was on openly addressing and discussing women’s issues.

1981: On September 25th, Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman appointed to the US Supreme Court.

2020: Kamala Harris becomes the first female Vice President of the United States on November 3rd.

08/25/2026

What does it mean to be human? It’s a question our society has wrestled a lot with recently, especially in this age of AI and with all the questions it brings about everything from art to employment to sheer consciousness. Of course,...

What does it mean to be human? It’s a question our society has wrestled a lot with recently, especially in this age of AI and with all the questions it brings about everything from art to employment to sheer consciousness. Of course, there are scientific definitions involving...

08/24/2026

For many young adults (19-25), planning for retirement is not a priority and the thought of investing can be daunting.

However, investing at an early age is how you can help pave the way to a successful financial future.

The younger you start, the more the compounding effect of money over time works in your favor.

“Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” – Albert Einstein

08/21/2026

Over the course of my career, I’ve gotten more questions about retirement than I can count. All are good questions; some are unusual. But some, I tend to get asked more often than others.

Over the next few months, I’m going to share the answers to some of these most frequently asked questions. This week, let’s start with the question: “Will my Social Security benefits be subject to income taxes?”

08/18/2026

For many, part of the “American Dream” is owning real property. In retirement, that dream can often become a reality. Whether it’s finally paying off the house you’ve owned for decades, purchasing a second “vacation” home, building a...

08/17/2026

No matter how much you’ve saved, it can be surprisingly scary to realize you will need to start living off your savings in retirement. Of course, your Social Security benefits will play a major role in covering your monthly expenses, and there are plenty of ways to generate income in retirement. But still, realizing that your principal must now be earmarked for the present as much as the future can be a sobering thought.

Every retiree should have a strategy for WHEN they will withdraw money from their accounts, WHICH accounts they will draw from first, and HOW MUCH they should withdraw every month, quarter, and year.

There are many potential strategies to choose from, and a near-infinite number of ways to customize each strategy for you. And while the strategy you choose should be carefully crafted based on your own personal needs and goals, here are a few basic approaches to get you thinking.

08/13/2026

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “For age and want, save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day.”

While there are hundreds of financial strategies out there, none are more powerful than the most basic: Save what you can, as early as you can, as often as you can.

But even though the concept of saving is basic, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways we can maximize our savings. I’ve put together a few tips and suggestions on how we can help ourselves and our families save more consistently while also preventing money from slipping through the cracks.

08/11/2026

As a financial advisor, people often ask me: “How can I get the most out of my 401(k) before I retire?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but there are some basic best practices that everyone can follow. Here are five simple suggestions to get you started.