Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 20, 2024

Senate appears poised to pass legislation that would eliminate the long-established WEP and GPO provisions and increase the Social Security benefits of many state and local workers in the process From there, we have several articles on investment planning: While index funds are often viewed as 'passive' investments, advisors can add value for their (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Certification CFP Education 246

Calculated Risk

MARCH 14, 2025

Note: The FDIC reports the dollar value and not the total number of REOs. There is much more in the article. The dollar value of 1-4 family residential Real Estate Owned (REOs, foreclosure houses) was increased 6% YOY from $747 million in Q4 2023 to $790 million in Q4 2024. This is still historically extremely low.

Insurance 191

Insurance Banking Numbers 191

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 18, 2024

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Single Family Starts Up Year-over-year in December; Near Record Number of Multi-Family Housing Units Under Construction A brief excerpt: The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2022 (blue) and 2023 (red). There is much more in the article.

Numbers 293

Numbers 293

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 21, 2023

from Peak in June 2022 • December Housing Starts: Record Number of Housing Units Under Construction • 4th Look at Local Housing Markets in December California Home Sales down 44% YoY in December; Prices Down 2.8% At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week: • NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.02

Numbers 270

Numbers Sales Marketing Marketing 270

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

Important: There were the same number of working days in January 2025 (21) as compared to January 2024 (21). There is much more in the article. So, the year-over-year change in the headline SA data will be similar to the NSA data (there are other seasonal factors). This was just several early reporting markets.

Marketing 261

Marketing Marketing Sales Numbers 261

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

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 updates to the CFP Board's investigation and disciplinary processes, among many other changes.

Financial Planner 241

Financial Planner CFP Financial Planning Retirement 241

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 27, 2024

Also in industry news this week: According to a recent survey, advisors are putting an increasing share of client assets into model portfolios, allowing for customization and time savings that advisors appear to be using to provide more comprehensive planning services RIA M&A deal volume saw an annual record in 2024 as a lower cost of capital, (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Insurance Coverage Insurance Valuation 246

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Also in industry news this week: NASAA has proposed an amendment to its broker-dealer conduct model rule that would restrict the use of the terms “advisor” and “adviser” for broker-dealers and their registered representatives who are not also investment advisers or investment adviser representatives A recent study suggests that (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Taxes Tax Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 31, 2025

Also in industry news this week: While RIA M&A deal flow hit record levels in 2024 (both in terms of volume and the speed of completing them), firm valuations saw relatively modest gains In its latest annual regulatory oversight report, FINRA joined the SEC in flagging the potential risks to firm and client data from the use of third-party vendors (..)

Financial Planner 245

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Compliance Taxes 245

The Big Picture

DECEMBER 18, 2024

To prove their point, a number of friendly commentators, academics, and hired guns all wrote endless white papers, Op-Eds and commentaries. But they made one super-sized mistake: they cheated with the numbers. Its numbers are fake (June 12, 2024) Can Stanford tell the difference between scientific fact and fiction?

Food 306

Food Math Numbers Economics 306

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 25, 2023

Each week in Weekend Reading For Financial Planners, we seek to bring you synopses and commentaries on 12 articles covering news for financial advisors including topics covering technical planning, practice management, advisor marketing, career development, and more.

Financial Advisor 246

Financial Advisor Insurance Financial Planner Clients 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Also in industry news this week: The financial advice industry is facing a potential shortage of 100,000 advisors in the coming decade, according to a recent study, though this is due in part to (the good news) of greater consumer demand for human-provided financial advice Charles Schwab is planning to raise the fees on its custodial referral program, (..)

Financial Planner 202

Financial Planner Financial Advice Estate Planning Clients 202

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 10, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A survey indicates that nearly 71% of new financial advisors drop out in the first 5 years, with firms offering better training and mentorship opportunities (as well as entry-level positions that don't come with business development targets) seeing higher employee retention rates How broker-dealer self-regulatory organization (..)

Financial Planner 189

Financial Planner Clients Financial Advice Numbers 189

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 24, 2025

Nonetheless, given the scale and brand awareness of the wirehouses, and as their own use of fee-based models increases (as opposed to primarily relying on commissions from selling products), competition for clients (and advisors) will likely remain stiff going forward, even amidst the favorable trends for RIAs Also in industry news this week: A recent (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Clients Commission 246

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

It took a number of years following the housing bust for new home inventory to return to the pre-bubble percent of total inventory. There is much more in the article. Then, with the pandemic, existing home inventory collapsed and now the percent of new homes is 25.1% of the total for sale inventory, down from a peak of 27.2%

Marketing 214

Marketing Marketing Numbers Sales 214

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 17, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A recent survey indicates that members of Generation X are struggling more with retirement planning compared to older Baby Boomers and younger Millennials, potentially offering opportunities for financial advisors to help Gen Xers create a plan to 'catch up' when it comes to both their retirement savings and their financial (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Retirement Financial Advisor 246

Calculated Risk

MAY 19, 2023

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Similar Number of Housing Units started in Q1 as 'Built-for-Rent' as 'Built-for-Sale' A brief excerpt: Along with the monthly housing starts report for January last week, the Census Bureau released Housing Units Started by Purpose and Design through Q1 2023. You can subscribe at [link]

Numbers 225

Numbers Sales 225

Calculated Risk

MARCH 27, 2025

Typically, after a sharp increase in prices, it takes a number of years for real prices to reach new highs (see House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory ) There is much more in the article! It has now been 32 months since the real peak in house prices.

Numbers 191

Numbers 191

Calculated Risk

MAY 20, 2023

YoY • Similar Number of Housing Units started in Q1 as 'Built-for-Rent' as 'Built-for-Sale' • 4th Look at Local Markets in April • Lawler: Early Read on Existing Home Sales in April This is usually published 4 to 6 times a week and provides more in-depth analysis of the housing market. million SAAR in April; Median Prices Declined 1.7%

Sales 225

Sales Numbers Marketing Marketing 225

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 14, 2025

Also in industry news this week: A recent survey finds that while advisors are increasingly using passive investment vehicles, many are taking the time to look beneath the hood to examine the makeup of different indexes in order to choose the best option for their clients A survey of advisors working at enterprise firms shows a significant increase (..)

Financial Planner 154

Financial Planner Compliance Commission Retirement 154

Calculated Risk

DECEMBER 24, 2022

At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week: • NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.09

Sales 227

Sales Numbers Marketing Marketing 227

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Typically, after a sharp increase in prices, it takes a number of years for real prices to reach new highs (see House Prices: 7 Years in Purgatory ) There is much more in the article! It has now been 31 months since the real peak in house prices.

Numbers 162

Numbers 162

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

The first graph shows the number of single family and multi-family units started with the intent to rent. In 2023, that number almost doubled to 85,000 units. There is much more in the article. This data is quarterly and Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA).

Numbers 294

Numbers 294

Calculated Risk

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Q3 Update: Delinquencies, Foreclosures and REO A brief excerpt: Last year, I pointed out that with the end of the foreclosure moratoriums, combined with the expiration of a large number of forbearance plans, we would see an increase in REOs in late 2022 and into 2023.

Numbers 317

Numbers Insurance Sales Planning 317

Calculated Risk

MAY 21, 2024

The first graph shows the number of single family and multi-family units started with the intent to rent. In 2023, that number almost doubled to 85,000 units. There is much more in the article. This data is quarterly and Not Seasonally Adjusted (NSA).

Numbers 267

Numbers 267

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 14, 2023

Also in industry news this week: The SEC this week finalized a series of rules designed to discourage future runs on money-market funds, potentially reducing their liquidity risk A recent study suggests that advisor marketing messages that address prospective clients' emotional concerns, in addition to their technical questions, could be particularly (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Compliance Media Retirement 246

Calculated Risk

APRIL 10, 2024

From Realtor.com: However, providing a boost to overall inventory, sellers turned out in higher numbers this March as newly listed homes were 15.5% And there are homeowners who want to sell for a number of reasons: upsizing (more babies), downsizing, moving for a new job, or moving to a nicer home or location (move-up buyers).

Marketing 290

Marketing Marketing Numbers 290

Calculated Risk

AUGUST 13, 2024

From Realtor.com: Sellers continued to list their homes in higher numbers this July as newly listed homes were 3.6% And there are homeowners who want to sell for a number of reasons: upsizing (more babies), downsizing, moving for a new job, or moving to a nicer home or location (move-up buyers). There is much more in the article.

Marketing 289

Marketing Marketing Numbers 289

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 26, 2024

The study also identified attributes of "top performing" firms across a range of metrics, finding that they are more likely than other firms to have a clear ideal client persona, client value proposition, and marketing plan.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Communication Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” – this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the SEC’s proposed “Safeguarding Rule” would significantly increase the number of investment advisers deemed to have custody of client assets and increase paperwork requirements for advisers (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Tax Planning Taxes Numbers 246

Nerd's Eye View

DECEMBER 13, 2024

Also in industry news this week: While the SEC has had the power to restrict mandatory arbitration clauses in RIA client agreements for more than a decade, an advisory committee meeting this week suggests support for such a measure isn't unanimous CFP Board saw a record number of exam-takers during 2024, reflecting recognition of the professional and (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Retirement Certification 246

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 26, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the Department of Labor released the final version of its Retirement Security Rule (a.k.a.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Commission Communication Financial Advisor 246

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

From there, we have several articles on retirement planning: A survey indicates that while pre-retirees largely understand the benefits of delaying Social Security benefits, only 11% plan to wait until age 70 to claim them, suggesting that advisors can play an important role in influencing clients’ retirement income decision making.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Retirement Retirement Planning Numbers 246

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 20, 2023

While it remains to be seen whether the measures will actually be enacted, proposed measures include raising income and capital gains tax rates, instituting wealth taxes, and reducing the state estate tax exemption, potentially creating future planning opportunities for advisors with clients in those states.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Financial Advice Fee Only Financial Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 31, 2023

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that, according to a recent survey, RIAs are considering metrics for growth other than assets under management, from the number of clients to diversifying the services they offer.

Financial Planner 243

Financial Planner Numbers Clients Retirement 243

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 19, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that CFP Board announced that it has crossed the milestone of 100,000 CFP professionals in the United States, and despite having just celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, just set a record high in the number of advisors sitting (..)

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Financial Advisor Retirement Planning 246

Nerd's Eye View

AUGUST 30, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent benchmarking study suggests that a number of RIAs are looking to move 'upmarket' and work with wealthier clients by expanding their service menu to include family office services, investment banking, and/or trust (..)

Financial Planner 241

Financial Planner Financial Advisor Retirement Clients 241