Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 26, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news of a survey indicating that about 90% of financial advisors would switch firms based on bad technology at their current firm, and that 44% have already done so. The survey also suggests that a firm's tech stack can affect its ability to attract and retain clients, with 93% of advisors who said they work with state-of-the-art technology reporting that they have added new c

Financial Planner 223

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Financial Advisor Retirement 223

The Big Picture

JANUARY 26, 2024

This week, we speak with Sarah Kirshbaum Levy , chief executive officer of Betterment , an independent digital investment adviser with $40 billion in assets under management. Before joining Betterment, Kirshbaum Levy was chief operating officer of Viacom Media Networks, where she oversaw global strategy, finance and operations. Previously, Levy served as COO at Nickelodeon, where she spearheaded Nickelodeon’s entry into new segments, including consumer products, resorts, Broadway and them

Wealth Management 167

Wealth Management Media Portfolio Management Retail 167

Abnormal Returns

JANUARY 26, 2024

Markets Bob Seawright, "If you keep making the same wrong call over and over, you don’t get any credit for it when it eventually turns up." (betterletter.substack.com) Dividends are less volatile than stocks themselves. (awealthofcommonsense.com) How to think about the growth in money market fund assets. (spilledcoffee.substack.com) Crypto How the structure of the Bitcoin market has changed with the introduction of the spot ETFs.

Financial Advising 159

Financial Advising Food Economy Media 159

A Wealth of Common Sense

JANUARY 26, 2024

As millennials reach middle age (hand up), prepare yourself for a wave of 1990s nostalgia. Remember MTV? Remember life before smartphones and social media? Remember rap groups? Remember life before everyone was forced to care about politics? Remember Saved by the Bell? Remember going to Blockbuster on a Friday night to pick out a movie? Finance people also have an affinity for the 1990s economy.

Economy 142

Economy Media 142

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, 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.

Accounting

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 26, 2024

From the U.S. Courts: Bankruptcy Filings Rise 16.8 Percent Total bankruptcy filings rose 16.8 percent, with significant increases in both business and non-business bankruptcies, in the twelve-month period ending Dec. 31, 2023. This accelerates a continuing rebound in filings after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals. According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S.

Economy 131

Economy 131

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 26, 2024

Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report and housing from the PCE report this morning, both through December 2023. CPI Shelter was up 6.2% year-over-year in December, down from 6.5% in November, and down from the cycle peak of 8.2% in March 2023. Housing (PCE) was up 6.4% YoY in December , down from 6.7% in November, and down from the cycle peak of 8.3% in April 2023.

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Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

The weekly leading economic index (WLEI) is a composite for the U.S economy that draws from over 20 time-series and groups them into the following six broad categories which are then used to construct an equally weighted average. As of January 12th, the index was at 19.143, down 2.685 from the previous week, with 5 of the 6 components in expansion territory.

Economics 111

Economics Economy 111

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 26, 2024

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Due to changes at the CDC, weekly cases are no longer updated. For deaths, I'm currently using 4 weeks ago for "now", since the most recent three weeks will be revised significantly. Hospitalizations have more than quadrupled from a low of 5,150 in June 2023. Hospitalizations are less than 20% of the peak of 150,000 in January 2022.

Numbers 113

Numbers 113

Trade Brains

JANUARY 26, 2024

Best Midcap Stocks with High Net Profit Margin : Mid-cap stocks are companies whose market cap ranges between Rs 16800 and Rs 48900 crores. A high net profit margin (NPM) reflects that a company can efficiently control its costs and sell its goods or services at a much higher price than its costs. They generally have an advantage over others in the sector.

Retail 105

Retail Accounting Assets Management 105

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.

Accounting

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 26, 2024

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for December: Personal income increased $60.0 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in December , according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal current taxes, increased $51.8 billion (0.3 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $133.9 billion (0.7 percent).

Food 110

Food Taxes Economics 110

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

It was a slow week for deals in the RIA space but MAI didn’t miss a beat and Wealth Enhancement Group reinforced its position as 2023’s most active buyer.

Assets 111

Assets 111

Calculated Risk

JANUARY 26, 2024

From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Climbed 8.3% in December Pending home sales in December elevated 8.3% , according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Midwest, South and West posted monthly gains in transactions while the Northeast recorded a loss. The Midwest, South and West also registered year-over-year increases while the Northeast had a decline in transactions compared to last year.

Sales 108

Sales 108

Random Roger's Retirement Planning

JANUARY 26, 2024

There was some good buzz around changes made by Blackrock in its model portfolios. They tilted to more value than they've had recently and based on media and Twitter accounts, part of the rebalance included buying the iShares US Equity Factor Rotation ETF (DYNF). I signed up for an account at Blackrock to look at their models, still processing, and while I won't post their models, I am curious if they tend to build their models with many funds or just a few.

Portfolio 98

Portfolio Accounting Distribution Media 98

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Accounting

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

Having the right technology, data, tools and perspective are more important than ever to navigate volatility and a dynamic risk landscape.

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115

Discipline Funds

JANUARY 26, 2024

Here are some things I think I am thinking about: 1) Inflation is dead?!? This week’s data confirmed what we’ve long been predicting here – disinflation is well entrenched and the risk of a big resurgence in inflation is very low. We got a slew of data from the GDP report and personal spending that confirms the falling trend in the rate of inflation.

Government 90

Government Economy Marketing Marketing 90

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

Northern Star settled SEC charges that it mislead investors in public filings, indicating it had not had conversations with Apex prior to its IPO.

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110

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

The BEA's Personal Income and Outlays report revealed inflation cooled further in December. Core PCE, the Fed's favored measure of inflation, was up 0.2% from November and slowed to 2.9% year-over-year, the lowest reading since March 2021 and one step closer to the Fed's 2% target rate.

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72

Speaker: Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader

In today’s competitive market, pricing is more than just a number — it’s the cornerstone of profitability. The right pricing strategy ensures that you capture the true value of your offering, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success. Join Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader, in this exclusive session where he will explore how a well-crafted pricing approach balances customer perception with business objectives, creating a powerful tool for securing both competitive advantage a

Numbers

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

Retirement industry thought leaders answer three probing questions on critical issues, providing an open, honest and candid dialogue.

Retirement 111

Retirement 111

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

With the release of December's report on personal incomes and outlays, we can now take a closer look at "real" disposable personal income per capita. At two decimal places, the nominal 0.21% month-over-month change in disposable income comes to 0.04% when we adjust for inflation. The year-over-year metrics are 6.37% nominal and 3.68% real.

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69

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

Many of the trends identified by Datos Insights could help wealth management firms navigate challenges throughout 2024.

Wealth Management 120

Wealth Management Management 120

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) released the latest monthly data for its pending home sales index. The index jumped 8.3% in December to 77.3, its highest reading in five months. Pending home sales were expected to increase 1.5% last month.

Sales 69

Sales 69

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Planning

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

The growing popularity of sustainable investing poses challenges for fiduciaries in a complex investment environment.

Investing 113

Investing Investments 113

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors

JANUARY 26, 2024

Ever since the market crash of 2008-2009, economists and pundits alike have used the phrase “new normal” to describe everything from stock market conditions to inflation to the employment market and everything in between. As we are now a decade and a half removed from that economic meltdown, I feel that a bit of reflection is in order. Did that period of time, albeit historic in many ways, usher in an actual “new normal” or was it simply an atypical period within an otherwise normal 50-year econ

Marketing 74

Marketing Marketing Financial Advisor Economics 74

Wealth Management

JANUARY 26, 2024

Why Stratos Wealth slowed down to drive growth for the future.

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Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

Personal income ( excluding transfer receipts ) rose 0.3% in December and is up 5.8% year-over-year. However, when adjusted for inflation using the BEA's PCE Price Index, real personal income (excluding transfer receipts) was up 0.2% month-over-month and 3.1% year-over-year.

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Speaker: Hilary Akhaabi, PhD - Founder, Chief Financial & Operations Officer at Go Africa Global

In the fast-paced world of corporate finance, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for sustainable growth and profitability. This exclusive webinar with leading expert Hilary Akhaabi, PhD, will teach you practical ways to navigate complex financial landscapes and enhance your company's revenue management capabilities. Whether you're aiming to refine your financial strategies or seeking innovative solutions to drive performance, this new session is for you!

Management

Trade Brains

JANUARY 26, 2024

BLS E-Services IPO Review : BLS International Services is a nearly two-decade-old business enterprise that was born out of providing visa processing services way back in 2005. Over the years, the Company solidified its presence in the Visa and also ventured into providing E-Government services and Business correspondence services. This segment of Business Correspondence and E-Government Services is now being spun off by the parent BLS International Services in the upcoming IPO of BLS E-Services

Government 59

Government Commission Banking Education 59

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 26, 2024

When markets are volatile, it's tempting to move into cash. But those high yields on short-term cash instruments aren't as attractive once taxes and inflation are factored in.

Economics 59

Economics Marketing Marketing Planning 59

AdvisorPR

JANUARY 26, 2024

How can a financial advisor attract more ideal clients and drive better marketing results? Tune in to elevate your brand game with our founder, Alana Kohl , on the latest episode of C2Podcasts! Discover how to evaluate and transform your marketing using the “4 C’s” framework to ensure your brand is: Cohesive Compelling Credible Consistent Watch below or download the podcast audio here.

Financial Advisor 52

Financial Advisor Clients Marketing Marketing 52