Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Innovation, strategic networking and cross-generational collaboration offer a path forward.

Financial Services 254

Financial Services 254

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Consumer sentiment plummeted to its lowest level since November 2023 this month, according to the final report for the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. The index dropped 6.4 points (-9.0%) to 64.7, marking the largest monthly decline since May and falling short of the 67.3 forecast. Sentiment is now down 15.9% from a year ago, the steepest annual decline since late 2022.

106

106

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The movement to debut private-asset ETFs gained momentum last year after Apollo Global Management and State Street Global Advisorsfiled for a fundthat would directly hold private credit investments.

Assets 246

Assets Management Investments Investing 246

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The yield on the 10-year note ended February 21, 2025 at 4.42%, its lowest level since mid-December. Meanwhile, the 2-year note ended at 4.19% and the 30-year note ended at 4.67%.

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97

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

Accounting

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The decision is the latest retreat from the policies of former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who officials in the crypto industry complained had sought to regulate the industry through enforcement actions.

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222

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Existing home sales started the year with their first decline in four months. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), existing home sales retreated 4.9% from December, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units in January.

Sales 59

Sales 59

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Wall Street brokers and dealers are pushing back on a new margin rule that the world’s largest derivatives-clearing house has proposed to address the risk from the boom in zero-day options even after some revisions.

52

52

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Axos Clearing's David Crow details how firms can harness technology, data and AI to better serve clients and drive efficiency.

Clients 212

Clients 212

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Wall Street is still awaiting regulatory approval for the first full-blown private-asset ETFs, but for now opportunistic issuers are continuing to churn out products that claim to replicate the booming asset class — and stretching the definition of “liquid private equity.

Assets 52

Assets 52

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

A legally trained financial advisor helps clients stay on track and avoid missed opportunities for estate planning.

Planning 210

Planning Estate Planning Taxes Financial Advisor 210

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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.

Accounting

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The European stock market’s rally to record highs has caught many strategists by surprise, leaving them racing to catch up and cautious on further gains.

Marketing 52

Marketing Marketing 52

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Corey Frayer, the newly installed director of investor protection at the Consumer Federation of America, also said the commissions approach could erode market trust.

Commission 150

Commission Marketing Marketing 150

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Lofty U.S. stock valuations call for a renewed focus on risk assessment and portfolio diversification.

Valuation 52

Valuation Portfolio 52

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.08 million SAAR in January Excerpt: Sales in January (4.08 million SAAR) were down 4.9% from the previous month and were 2.0% above the January 2024 sales rate. This was the fourth consecutive year-over-year increase after declining YoY every month for over 3 years.

Sales 205

Sales 205

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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?

Sales

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

My friends like to make fun of me by taunting that I don’t like to commit to things. I’m constantly trying new hobbies. I don’t like to make plans too far in advance because something more exciting might pop up. I don’t even like to renew my car tags for more than one year.

Planning 52

Planning 52

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

From ICE: ICE First Look at Mortgage Performance: Foreclosure Starts Jump as VA Moratorium Ends; Wildfire Delinquencies Emerge Delinquencies fell 24 basis points (bps) to 3.47% in January ; thats 10 bps higher than last year, but 33 bps below pre-pandemic levels Foreclosure starts jumped by 30% and sales rose by 25% in January driven by an expiration in the VA foreclosure moratorium with active inventory rising by 7% in the month While the number of borrowers past due as a result of last ye

Numbers 200

Numbers Sales 200

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Following the relatively solid January Employment Situation report, the market’s undivided attention, at least economic data-wise, then turned to the latest CPI reading. Indeed, with the jobs aspect of the Fed’s dual mandate clearly showing no urgency to cut rates further at this time, the question then turned to the inflation portion of the policy maker’s mission.

Economics 52

Economics Marketing Marketing 52

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent study by Cerulli Associates finds that while financial planning clients (particularly high-net-worth clients) are overwhelmingly satisfied with their advisors, many advisors face client acquisition challenges despite investors being increasingly willing to pay for advice services.

Financial Planner 187

Financial Planner Clients Tax Planning CFP 187

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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.

Accounting

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The S&P 500 notched two new record highs but also logged its worst day of the year—all in the same week. The index is now 2.13% below its record close from February 19th, 2025 and is up 2.46% year to date.

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45

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. For deaths, I'm currently using 4 weeks ago for "now", since the most recent three weeks will be revised significantly. Note: " Effective May 1, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 hospital admissions, hospital capacity, or hospital occupancy data. " So I'm no longer tracking hospitalizations.

Numbers 179

Numbers 179

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Sales of existing US homes fell last month for the first time since September, as the combination of high mortgage rates and prices sets a grim backdrop heading into the crucial spring selling season.

Sales 40

Sales 40

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

This week, I speak with Charles Ellis, author and Founder of Greenwich Associates. Prior to founding Greenwich Associates in 1972, Charles worked with the Rockefeller family investments office and Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette. Charley was appointed to the faculty of the Yale School of Management and twice to the Harvard Business School. He also served as a trustee at Yale from 1997 to 2008, and was chairman of the Endowment.

Investing 173

Investing Investments Startup Banking 173

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.

Assets

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is turning out to be a great investment this year: Not only its shares have jumped more than 60%, its convertible bonds are also up big time.

Investments 40

Investments Investing 40

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Markets Short selling isn't dead just yet. (ft.com) On the importance of tuning out the noise. (ritholtz.com) Why you need to recognize the role of luck in investing. (blogs.cfainstitute.org) Crypto Coinbase ($COIN) is getting a pass from the SEC. (sherwood.news) The Franklin Crypto Index ETF ($EZPZ) combining Bitcoin and Ethereum is now live. (theblock.co) Finance How can the big private equity shops invest all the capital they have amassed?

Media 173

Media Taxes Economy Investing 173

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Consider estate planning strategies to minimize the impact of taxes on your estate. Our Bill Cass highlights several key actions including document reviews, naming beneficiaries and the use of 529 college savings plans to enhance tax efficiency.

Estate Planning 40

Estate Planning Planning Taxes 40

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased 4.9% in January, But Increased Year-Over-Year for Fourth Consecutive Month Existing-home sales retreated in January, according to the National Association of REALTORS. Sales slipped in three major U.S. regions and held steady in the Midwest. Year-over-year, sales rose in three regions and were unchanged in the South.

Sales 165

Sales 165

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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.

Accounting

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

At some point in time, the top brass that manage your organization’s investments will no longer be with the organization, whether that’s through retirement, a job change, or a change in personal circumstances. Then what?

Investing 40

Investing Investments Planning Retirement 40

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

From BofA: We initiated our 1Q US GDP tracker with the January retail sales print on February 14. Since then, our 1Q GDP tracker is down two-tenths to 2.3% q/q saar from our official forecast of 2.5% q/q saar. Meanwhile, our 4Q GDP tracking is down two-tenths to 2.2% q/q saar since our last weekly publication. [Feb 21st] emphasis added From Goldman: [W]e lowered our Q1 GDP tracking estimate by 0.1pp to +1.9% (quarter-over-quarter annualized) and our Q1 domestic final sales estimate by 0.1pp to +

Retail 162

Retail Sales 162

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Europe has real risks and real bargaining tools in a trade confrontation.

40

40

Alpha Architect

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

The listing domicile explained about 50% of the valuation gap. In other words, US-listed stocks are substantially more expensive than internationally listed stocks for no reason other than the place of listing. Listing Domicile Driving Valuations was originally published at Alpha Architect. Please read the Alpha Architect disclosures at your convenience.

Valuation 68

Valuation Investing Investments 68

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

Management