Wed.Nov 20, 2024

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MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 1.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 15, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 1.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Sales 302
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Personal finance links: mostly positive markets

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Sam Dogen talks the 4% rule with Bill Bengen. (sites.libsyn.com) Frazer Rice talks with Christine Benz author of "How to Retire" (podcasts.apple.com) Carl Richards talks money and more with journalist Kara Swisher. (50fires.com) Retirement Gray divorce can have a huge effect on your retirement. (nytimes.com) Taxes in retirement only get more complicated.

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Artificial Intelligence Can Be a Superpower for Financial Advisors

Wealth Management

New tools automate the process of personalizing service and communications to improve the advisor-client relationship.

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Three Things I Think I Think – Bitcoin, Bitcoin, Bitcoin

Discipline Funds

Here is one thing I think I am thinking about three times. 1) The money supply as the cost of capital. In a recent interview MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor was criticizing Warren Buffett’s cash management. Buffett has a colossal cash hoard of $325B sitting in T-Bills earning 4.5%. Saylor, on the other hand, invests his cash in Bitcoin. He justifies this “cash management” by arguing that his “cost of capital” is 15%.

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Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

Speaker: Erroll Amacker

As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R

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New Delaware Law Expands Use of Trusts for Well-Being Programs

Wealth Management

Five issues to consider.

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LA Ports: Inbound Traffic Increased Sharply Year-over-year in October

Calculated Risk

Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container).

Retail 182

More Trending

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California Home Sales Up 9.5% SA YoY in October

Calculated Risk

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: California Home Sales Up 9.5% SA YoY in October Excerpt: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is scheduled to release October Existing Home sales on Thursday, Nov 21st at 10:00 AM. The consensus is for 3.88 million SAAR, up from 3.84 million in September. Last year, the NAR reported sales in October 2023 at 3.85 million SAAR.

Sales 162
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401(k) Real Talk Episode 130: November 20, 2024

Wealth Management

Open, honest and candid discussion about auto features, state mandates, RIA aggegators, alts in 401(k) plans and more.

Planning 257
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Thursday: Existing Home Sales, Unemployment Claims, Philly Fed Mfg

Calculated Risk

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Thursday: • At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for 222 thousand initial claims, up from 217 thousand last week. • Also at 8:30 AM, the Philly Fed manufacturing survey for November. The consensus is for a reading of 5.0, down from 10.3. • At 10:00 AM, Existing Home Sales for October from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Sales 147
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Carson Partner Acquires Minneapolis RIA to Create $350M Practice

Wealth Management

MAG Wealth Management has also sold a 30% stake to Carson Group, and it will become the first Carson Wealth branded location in the state of Minnesota.

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.

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When The 4% Rule Isn't 4%

Random Roger's Retirement Planning

Bill Bengen, known for deriving the 4% rule sat for a podcast with Sam Dogen , a well known FIRE proponent and blogger. The 4% rule is generally the accepted standard for a safe withdrawal rate in retirement to ensure the assets last for 30 years. Listen to the podcast. Their conversation was very illuminating. Get ready to be very surprised. Bengen retired as a financial advisor in 2013 but he also considers himself a researcher.

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Life Insurance Planning With Closely Held Companies in a Post-Connelly World

Wealth Management

Five alternative strategies for businesses to consider on a shareholder’s death.

Insurance 245
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What Top Financial Professionals Are Doing to Succeed

Advisor Perspectives

Top financial professionals have a clear understanding of their unique strengths and are able to convey them to clients. To set yourself up for success, distinguish yourself in the market through specialized expertise and tailored client services.

Clients 119
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An Investment Advisor Takes Another Look at Life Insurance

Wealth Management

A sensible move for both the firm and its clients?

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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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4 Ways to Help the Next Gen Turn Aspiration to Impact

Advisor Perspectives

Gen Z and millennials are widely considered to be the most diverse and socially conscious generations yet. They are vocal about their interest in driving social impact. And their values and priorities dictate their actions, all of which are actively shaping the future.

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$350M Ohio Firm Joins the Migration from Osaic to LPL

Wealth Management

Strata Financial Group is moving from Ossic to LPL because of its “transparency and robust public presence,” according to one advisor.

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When it is right to take more risk rather than manage or mitigate it

Norman Marks

People are quick to respond to a risk by seeking to “manage or mitigate” it. They shudder at the thought of risk. But there are times when the right thing is not only to take the identified risk (taking risk is a better way of looking at it than accepting risk) but to take more.

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Senate Selects New Leader, Setting Up 2025 Tax Sprint

Wealth Management

John Thune favors pro-growth policies.

Taxes 237
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Demo SkyStem’s Award Winning Month-End Close Solution & Earn $100

Is your finance team bogged down by endless data requests and disorganized spreadsheets during the month-end close? It’s time to consider a better option – automate with ART! SkyStem’s solution works alongside your ERP to transform the close and account reconciliation process and speed up month-end work. Explore SkyStem’s ART - the award-winning account reconciliation automation platform - and receive a $100 Amazon gift card as a thank you for your time.

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The BRICS Currency Charade

Advisor Perspectives

Expressions of dissatisfaction with the global dominance of the dollar go back at least to French finance minister Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 1965. But even today, the euro is no challenger to the greenback, and no one should hold their breath waiting for the BRICS to unveil their own attempt at an alternative currency.

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The Changing Nature of M&A in the RIA Space

Wealth Management

When it comes to selling, taking the highest offer from the biggest firm might not be best for advisors and their clients.

Clients 235
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The Peril of Relying on Incomplete Information

Advisor Perspectives

I think I have all the information I need to provide a view that others can confidently rely on, whether personal or professional advice. There’s just one problem: I’m often wrong. Why is that?

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When Resorting to the Courts Isn’t All Bad

Wealth Management

An added level of protection and clarity may be needed.

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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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AI’s Slowdown Is Everyone Else’s Opportunity

Advisor Perspectives

The multi-trillion-dollar artificial intelligence boom was built on certainty that generative models would keep getting exponentially better. Spoiler alert: they aren’t.

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How to Determine the Governing Law of a Trust

Wealth Management

Examining the three domains of construction, validity and administration.

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Phillies and SEI to Celebrate the Season of Giving with Holiday Charitable Events

SEI

Starting November 26, Phanta Claus and Special Guests to Bring Holiday Cheer During a Dozen Events Aimed at Giving Thanks to Community Heroes

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A Failure to Communicate

Wealth Management

When the fiduciary and the beneficiary don’t engage with each other, it can create discord that leads to litigation.

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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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What Is an Example of Biblical Stewardship?

Cornerstone Financial Advisory

All Bible verses in this article are English Standard Version (ESV). As Christians, we’re called to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. But what does this look like in practice? How can we ensure we’re managing our finances and other resources in a way that honors God? In this blog post, we’ll explore examples of faithful stewards in the Bible, discuss the basic principles of stewardship , and even look at what we can learn from examples of bad stewardshi

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Bill Hwang Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Archegos Crimes

Wealth Management

Hwang was found guilty in July of orchestrating a scheme to mislead his bank counterparties into providing Archegos with billions of dollars in trading capacity that inflated the value of his portfolio until the bubble burst in March 2021.

Banking 217
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A Thanksgiving Reflection: Building Gratitude Into Your Practice

Indigo Marketing Agency

A Thanksgiving Reflection: Building Gratitude Into Your Practice This Thanksgiving season, we want to take a moment to say thank you. Your continued support and engagement mean the world to us at Indigo Marketing Agency. Helping advisors grow and connect with their clients is a privilege, and we’re truly grateful to have you along for the journey. Watch the video below to hear a heartfelt message from Indigo’s Director of Marketing, Elizabeth Reider.

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Bridgewater Partners With State Street For ‘All Weather’ ETF

Wealth Management

State Street Global Advisors plans to create the SPDR Bridgewater All Weather ETF. The fund will be sub-advised by Bridgewater, which will provide a daily model portfolio specific to this product.

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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