Trending Articles

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Optimism Among Gamblers & Investors?

The Big Picture

You might have been bored by the not-so-Superbowl last night (at least the better team won this year). Several non-football fans went to see the Becoming Led Zeppelin documentary (they raved). But neither the game nor Zep’s origin story was the biggest story last night. Rather, the most intriguing aspect of last night was the gambling. Sports betting on Super Bowl LIX (2025) was estimated at more than $1.5 billion — a 15% increase compared to 2024.

Taxes 219
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How To Determine The ‘Best’ CFP Education Program (For You): 2025 Update

Nerd's Eye View

To earn the CFP marks, candidates must fulfill four key requirements: Education (holding a bachelor's degree and completing the required coursework through a CFP Board registered program), Exam (passing the 170-question CFP exam), Experience (gaining hands-on experience providing financial advice to the public), and Ethics (acting as a fiduciary). Among these, the Education component offers the greatest flexibility in how it can be completed.

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Tulipmania!

The Big Picture

Previously : 1 2 3 See also : Is This a Bubble? (Ben Carlson, January 31, 2025) Tulipomania! (The Paris Review, February 3, 2014) The post Tulipmania! appeared first on The Big Picture.

Marketing 290
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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (February 8–9)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller this week announced his plans to retire and step down from his position at the end of April next year. During his nearly two-decade tenure, Keller oversaw a near-doubling of the number of CFP professionals, the establishment of a new 501(c)(6) professional organization to promote the benefits of financial advice and planning careers, and up

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Stop Falling Short When It Matters Most—The Elite Advisor’s Playbook to Success

Like being inches from the end zone, many advisors are frustratingly close to their next level of success. You work hard. You put in the hours. But if your closing rate is stuck or your pipeline feels like a revolving door… something has to change. Most advisors are just one small shift away from dramatically increasing their revenue. The difference?

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Saturday links: the 70% rule

Abnormal Returns

Autos Honda ($HMC) is planning to launch two new EVs. (thecooldown.com) A first-hand experience with Super Cruise on I-95. (wapo.st) ATC Air traffic control failures may now be a bigger risk than mechanical malfunctions. (theatlantic.com) Why it's so hard to hire and retain air traffic controllers. (barrons.com) Energy Amazon ($AMZN) keeps buying renewable energy.

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Celebrities and Wealth Series: Q&A with NFLer Arik Armstead

Wealth Management

Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead would "rather live like a prince forever than live like a king for a little bit.

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Monday links: a cult of personality

Abnormal Returns

Markets Too many people confusing speculating for investing. (ritholtz.com) The end of ZIRP did not kill off speculation. (ft.com) Big tech Callie Cox, "History is littered with the tombstones of once-dominant companies who couldnt pivot to the next big thing." (optimisticallie.com) The scale of capital expenditures by the Mag Seven is unprecedented.

Media 173
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Empower’s Wealth Unit Grows Assets 29% on 401(k) Rollover Capture

Wealth Management

Empower Personal Wealth, which staffs about 1,000 advisors, reported 29% asset growth in 2024.

Assets 110
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1st Look at Local Housing Markets in January

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 1st Look at Local Housing Markets in January A brief excerpt: NOTE: The tables for active listings, new listings and closed sales all include a comparison to January 2019 for each local market (some 2019 data is not available). This is the first look at several early reporting local markets in January.

Marketing 104
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MiB: Sahil Bloom on Understanding ‘The 5 Types of Wealth’ 

The Big Picture

This week, I speak with Sahil Bloom, founder and managing partner of SRB Ventures , a Venture Capital focused on accelerating compelling startups. Sahil spent seven years in high finance, serving as Vice President of a private equity fund with $3.5 billion in assets under management. He holds multiple degrees from Stanford University, where he also played Division 1 baseball.

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Fall In Love With the Month-End Close

It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.

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“How Much More Will I Get?”: Calculating The Impact Of WEP And GPO’s Repeal On Social Security Benefits

Nerd's Eye View

When the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, it came as a relief to many recipients of state or local government pensions whose Social Security benefits had been, up until now, reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) for individuals claiming retirement benefits under their own name, or the Government Pension Offset (GPO) for those claiming spousal or survivor benefits under a current or former spouse's name.

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Podcast links: thinking long term

Abnormal Returns

Spotify Spotify ($SPOT) reported its first full year of profitability. (axios.com) Spotify ($SPOT) CEO Daniel Ek is selling a lot of stock. (honest-broker.com) Economy Patrick Collison talks with Noah Smith about the energy transition, falling fertility and thoughts on longer term growth. (noahpinion.blog) Stephen Dubner talks with Rebecca Allensworth about the state of professional licensing in the U.S.

License 147
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The WealthStack Podcast: How Agentic AI is Revolutionizing Wealth Management with John Connell

Wealth Management

Focal's John Connell explores the transformative power of agentic AI in the financial advisory space.

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Consumer Sentiment Index Drops to 7-Month Low Amid Inflation Concerns

Advisor Perspectives

Consumer sentiment declined for the second consecutive month, reaching its lowest level since July, according to the preliminary February report for the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. The index fell by 3.3 points (-4.6%), dropping to 67.8 from January's final reading of 71.1, and is down 11.8% from a year ago. The latest reading also came in below the forecasted 71.9.

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Next-Level Fraud Prevention: Strategies for Today’s Threat Landscape

Speaker: Sierre Lindgren

Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.

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10 Friday AM Reads

The Big Picture

My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: 20 IRA Mistakes to Avoid : From contributions to conversions to distributions, dont fall into these traps. ( Morningstar ) Lets Talk About Tariffs : So. Tariff Man is back and apparently more serious than ever. At least for now. Lets talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. I hope this doesnt sound political, but thats probably unavoidable.

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#FASuccess Ep 424: Executing A Successful Internal Succession Plan In The Private Equity Era Of Advisor M&A, With David Grau Jr.

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 424th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is David Grau, Jr. David is the President of Succession Resource Group, an advisory consulting and valuation business based in Portland, Oregon that serves independent financial advisors with RIAs and broker-dealers. What's unique about David, though, is how his two decades of experience supporting financial advisory firms has helped him uncover best practices for founders and su

Planning 130
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Wednesday links: the broken market excuse

Abnormal Returns

Markets The big multi-decade trends driving the U.S. stock market. (awealthofcommonsense.com) The stock market is getting pricey, but that doesn't necessarily mean sell. (brklyninvestor.com) Crypto Bitcoin strategic reserve, or not, Bitcoin has gone mainstream. (ig.ft.com) Solana ETFs are queued up at the SEC. (sherwood.news) More altcoin ETFs are coming down the pike.

Marketing 147
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Q&A: Public REITs Can Weather Higher Interest Rates

Wealth Management

A new analysis from Nariet shows REITs have performed well in both high and low interest rate environments.

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The Future Of Finance: How To Manage Spend The Right Way

Speaker: Aaron Berson

Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g

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Unemployment Claims and the CLF as a Recession Indicator: January 2025

Advisor Perspectives

What does the ratio of unemployment claims to the civilian labor force tell us about where we are in the business cycle and recession risk?

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Who Are More Degenerate Gamblers, Sports Investors or Investors?

The Big Picture

Fun conversation with Tom Keene, David Gura chatting about the Knicks, LeBron, and the degenerate gamblers who have taken over American Sports. Stick around until my voice gives out… The post Who Are More Degenerate Gamblers, Sports Investors or Investors? appeared first on The Big Picture.

Media 129
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Kitces & Carl Ep 157: Reducing The Fears Of Prospective Clients By Communicating Clear Expectations Before The First Meeting

Nerd's Eye View

The introductory meeting is a high-stakes moment for both advisors and prospects, often nerve-wracking for both sides. Advisors must decide how to present themselves, respond to questions, explain complex issues in an engaging way, and propose and explain their long-term proposition. And at the same time, prospects are likely to feel vulnerable and equally nervous with their own set of concerns – how to present themselves to the advisor, what questions to ask, and how to explain their issu

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Longform links: built not born

Abnormal Returns

Books An excerpt from Yoni Appelbaums new book, "Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity." (theatlantic.com) An excerpt from "Humans: A Monstrous History" by Surekha Davies. (lithub.com) An excerpt from "The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West" by Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W.

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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Wealth Enhancement Acquires $619M RIA Serving Pacific Northwest

Wealth Management

Capstone Wealth Advisors, an independent advisory team of six advisors and four support staff led by Ryan Skogstad, represents Wealth Enhancement's first acquisition of the year.

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How To Succeed At A Low Buy Year And Transform Your Finances

Clever Girl Finance

Do you ever feel like your money disappears the moment you get paid? Maybe you have mounting credit card debt or an emergency fund thats dangerously low. If you want to take control of your finances, break the cycle of overspending, and build lasting financial stability, then a low-buy year could be the perfect reset. Table of contents No-buy year vs low-buy year?

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The U.S. Housing Market vs. The Australian Housing Market

A Wealth of Common Sense

Bill Sweet joined me on the show this week to discuss questions about the tax benefits of owning rental properties, the tax implications of an inheritance, retirement planning for military service members and how tariffs work. Further Reading: The U.S. Housing Market vs. The Canadian Housing Market The post The U.S. Housing Market vs. The Australian Housing Market appeared first on A Wealth of Common Sense.

Marketing 111
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Gasoline Prices Jump to 3.5-Month High

Advisor Perspectives

Gas prices jumped to their highest level in 3.5 months this week. As of February 10th, the price of regular and premium gas were up 5 and 6 cents from the previous week, respectively. The WTIC end-of-day spot price for crude oil closed at $72.32, down 1.1% from last week.

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Avoiding Lease Accounting Pitfalls in 2025: Lessons Learned from Spreadsheet Errors

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

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Personal finance links: the immense role of luck

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Peter Lazaroff on the continued case for global diversification. (peterlazaroff.com) Khe Hy talks with Elle Griffin about the death of the 40-hour workweek. (youtube.com) Sahil Bloom Barry Ritholtz talks with Sahil Bloom author of the new book "The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life." (ritholtz.com) Derek Thompson talks with Sahil Bloom author of the new book "The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

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Broker Uses Recent Supreme Court Decisions In Case Against FINRA

Wealth Management

An attorney representing Frank Black in his case against FINRA believes the issue of whether the self-regulatory organizations enforcement proceedings are constitutional could hit the Supreme Court within the next several years.

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Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-February 2025

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-February 2025 A brief excerpt: This 2-part overview for mid-February provides a snapshot of the current housing market. I always focus first on inventory, since inventory usually tells the tale ! Im watching months-of-supply closely. New home inventory, as a percentage of total inventory, is still very high.

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17 Of The Best Cash Envelope Wallets

Clever Girl Finance

If you’re thinking about using the cash envelope system to budget effectively, having the right cash envelope wallet is key. A well-organized wallet makes it easy to divide, access, and track your cash, helping you stay committed to your budgeting goals. Without one, managing your envelopes can feel chaotic, making it harder to stick to your plan.

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Confronting the Change Challenge

Change is difficult, whether in our private or work life. However, without change, growth and learning are difficult not to mention keeping up with the market and staying competitive. We have all worked for or ourselves are the bosses that prefer to keep the status quo. We will discuss how to address the "change challenge" to enable you to be a changemaker and a graceful recipient of change.