Wed.Jan 15, 2025

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Fed's Beige Book: "Economic activity increased slightly to moderately"

Calculated Risk

Fed's Beige Book Economic activity increased slightly to moderately across the twelve Federal Reserve Districts in late November and December. Consumer spending moved up moderately, with most Districts reporting strong holiday sales that exceeded expectations. Vehicle sales grew modestly. Construction activity decreased overall, with several Districts indicating that high costs for materials and financing were weighing on growth.

Economics 162
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Personal finance links: psychological benefits

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Khe Hy talks with Christine Benz author of "How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement." (youtube.com) Dan Haylett talks with Dr. Jordan Grumet author of "The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave a Lasting Legacy." (humansvsretirement.com) Peter Lazaroff on what you need to know when choosing a financial advisor.

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Cleveland Fed: Median CPI increased 0.3% and Trimmed-mean CPI increased 0.3% in November

Calculated Risk

The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in December. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.3%. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly CPI report".

Food 147
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Philanthropy vs. Charity

Wealth Management

Helping clients address the roots of large societal problems is about more than writing checks.

Clients 304
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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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YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter

Calculated Risk

Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but is still elevated, and is now up 4.0% YoY. Click on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through December 2024.

Food 147
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Farther Recruits $650M Midwest RIA

Wealth Management

SignalPoint Asset Management represents Farthers largest partnership to date.

More Trending

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Wildfires Prompt Some LA Wealth Managers to Look Beyond Dollars

Wealth Management

As the wildfires rage unabated across the Los Angeles region, causing billions in damages, some financial advisors are thinking about planning in a different light.

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Ten Top High Free Cash Flow Yield Stocks

Validea

High free cash flow yield stocks represent companies that generate substantial cash relative to their market value, creating several compelling advantages for investors. These companies typically demonstrate strong operational efficiency and have proven their ability to convert revenue into actual cash flow after accounting for capital expenditures and working capital needs.

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401(k) Real Talk Episode 135: January 15, 2025

Wealth Management

Open, honest and candid discussion about Mariner, a boom in micro DC plans, the December job numbers, Pontera's partnership with Hightower and more.

Numbers 258
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Thursday: Retail Sales, Unemployment Claims, Philly Fed Mfg, Homebuider Survey

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 a increase to 215 thousand from 201 thousand last week. At 8:30 AM, Retail sales for December is scheduled to be released. The consensus is for a 0.5% increase in retail sales.

Retail 147
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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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Integrated Recruits $1B Retirement Plan-Focused Firm

Wealth Management

RetirementDNA, a San Diego-headquartered advisory team with over $1 billion in assets under management, has joined Integrated Partners.

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Animal Spirits: A Key Market Signal

A Wealth of Common Sense

Today’s Animal Spirits is brought to you by YCharts and Fabric: See here for 20% off your initial YCharts Professional subscription (new customers only) Go to meetfabric.com/spiritsfor more information on life insurance from Fabric by Gerber Life Sign up for the citywide fintech demo here Get a random Animal Spirits chart here On today’s show, we discuss: Their Wealth Is in Their Homes.

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Can U.S. Foreign Tax Credits Offset the Net Investment Income Tax?

Wealth Management

Three recent court cases have examined this issue of U.S. foreign tax credits offsetting the net investment income tax.

Taxes 246
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Median Household Income by State: 2023 Update

Advisor Perspectives

The median US income in 2023 was $80,610, up from $22,420 in 1984 — a 260% rise over the 39-year time frame. However, if we adjust for inflation chained in 2023 dollars, the 1984 median is $55,828, and the increase drops to 37%.

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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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Four Reasons to Stay at Your Firm

Wealth Management

Think critically about why you should decide to stay put.

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Slimming Down a Top-Heavy Market

Advisor Perspectives

By some measures, stock market capitalization has never been more concentrated among a handful of large stocks as today.

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Unlocking the Potential of Carried Interest in Estate Planning

Wealth Management

The right estate planning approach can result in a significant, tax-efficient transfer of your clients wealth.

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2025 Wealthtech Landscape: Clarity & Consolidation for Financial Advisors

Advisor Perspectives

Advisors who refine their tech stacks and focus on actionable solutions will thrive. Likewise, wealthtech companies that prioritize delivering meaningful outcomes will rise to meet the industry’s new standards.

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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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Corient Acquires $10.4B New York Multi-Family Office

Wealth Management

Corient (the rebranded U.S. spinoff of CI Financial) will acquire Geller & Company, a $10.4 billion multi-family office.

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Inflation Since 1872: A Long-Term Look at the CPI

Advisor Perspectives

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) release for December puts the year-over-year inflation rate at 2.89%. The latest reading keeps inflation below the 3.73% average since the end of the Second World War for the 19th straight month. However, inflation now sits just above the 10-year moving average which is now at 2.88%.

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Sphere in 2025

SEI

SEI Sphere is participating in many events this year. We hope you can join us.

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Consumer Price Index: Inflation Ticks Up to 2.9% in December

Advisor Perspectives

Inflation ticked up in December while core growth slowed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the headline figure for the Consumer Price Index rose to 2.89% year-over-year, right in line with economist expectations. Additionally, core CPI came in lower than expected, slowing to 3.2% year-over-year.

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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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How Can Combining COO Expertise with Transformational Coaching Revolutionize Your Business?

Leading Advisor

Have you ever wondered how pairing operational expertise with transformational coaching could redefine your business success? What if you could simultaneously tackle strategic planning, operational… The post How Can Combining COO Expertise with Transformational Coaching Revolutionize Your Business? appeared first on Leading Advisor - Simon Reilly.

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Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin Maintains Level Below $100K

Advisor Perspectives

Bitcoin's closing price remained below $100,000 throughout the past week, yet it continues to hold above $90,000. BTC is up ~2% year to date. Here are the latest charts on three of the largest cryptocurrencies by market share through 1/14/25.

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At The Money: How to Buy Alternatives

The Big Picture

At the Money: Lessons in Allocating to Alternative Asset Classes. (January, 15, 2025) Hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, and private credit have never been more popular. Investors have lots of questions when allocating to these asset classes: How much capital do you need? What percentage of your portfolio should be allocated? Full transcript below. ~~~ About this week’s guest: Ted Seides is founder and CIO of Capital Allocators , and learned about alts working under the legendar

Portfolio 147
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Real Middle Class Wages as of December 2024

Advisor Perspectives

This series has been updated to include the December release of the consumer price index as the deflator and the monthly employment update. The latest hypothetical real (inflation-adjusted) annual earnings are at $51,595, down 6.7% from over 50 years ago.

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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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MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 33.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 10, 2025. Last weeks results included an adjustment for the New Years holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 33.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Budgeting 271
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Treasuries Surge as Easing Inflation Boosts Fed Rate-Cut Bets

Advisor Perspectives

US government bonds surged as benign inflation data prompted traders to resume their bets on additional Federal Reserve interest rate cuts by July.

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Social Security Fairness Act: Planning Considerations For The Repeal Of The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) And Government Pension Offset (GPO)

Nerd's Eye View

For most people, Social Security benefits are calculated using a single formula, which takes into account the individual's history of earning income on which they paid Social Security tax. But historically, a subset of workers that spent at least part of their careers in positions that did not pay Social Security tax – including many state and local government workers like teachers and police officers – have had their Social Security benefits reduced, sometimes down to $0.

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Empire State Manufacturing Survey: Activity Declines in January

Advisor Perspectives

Manufacturing activity declined in New York State, according to the Empire State Manufacturing January survey. The diffusion index for General Business Conditions was fell nearly 15 points to -12.6. The latest reading was worse than the forecast of 2.7.

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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