The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
A quick note to answer this question: What happens after markets make a new all-time high (after a year w/o one)? Check out the table above, via Warren Pies. He spoke with Batnick and Josh earlier this month. Going back to 1954, markets are always higher one year later – the only exception was 2007. That was after housing had peaked, subprime mortgages were defaulting, and the great financial crisis was about to start.
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 13, 2024
Private equity What does the research say about private equity performance? (morningstar.com) Why it's so hard to compare public and private investments. (caia.org) Fund management How should we assess 'pedigree' when it comes to investment managers? (investmentecosystem.com) Why hedge funds are happy with higher short term interest rates. (bloomberg.com) Quant stuff Researchers are now unleashing ChatGPT on stock selection models.
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The Chicago Financial Planner
FEBRUARY 2, 2024
With the start of a new year, many people resolve to get their finances in order. A part of this process might include hiring a financial advisor or hiring a new financial advisor if you have decided to move on from your current advisor. Hiring the right advisor for your needs is critical. Here are six questions to ask when choosing a financial advisor: How do you get paid?
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Initial outreach to a financial advicer rarely (if ever) results from a prospective client waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because they just figured out that they're in desperate need of a comprehensive financial plan. Rather, prospects often reach out to set an initial appointment only when they realize they have a specific pain point that they need an advicer's help with.
Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System
Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, 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.
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
Despite 5% short-term interest rates and stickier inflation than some people would like and the Fed potentially pushing back interest rate cuts for a few months and the new True Detective seasons being a massive disappointment…the S&P 500 continues to take out new all-time highs. By my count there have already been a baker’s dozen in 2024 alone.1 Here are the new highs by year since 2015: 2015: 10 2016: 1.
Financial Advisor Source brings together the best content for financial advisor professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
At the Money: Is War Good for Markets? (February 14, 2024) What does history tell us about how war impacts the stock market? What is the correlation between geopolitical conflict and inflation? Can these patterns inform us of future bull market behavior? In this episode, I speak with Jeffrey Hirsch about what happens to equities after global conflicts.
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 4, 2024
Top clicks this week Josh Brown, "Just please, no matter what you do, don’t say the G word. Never say it." (downtownjoshbrown.com) Should you invest in stocks when they are at all-time highs? (ofdollarsanddata.com) Why the vast majority of investors should avoid alternatives. (humbledollar.com) Are you doing these seven things that represent 'real financial planning'?
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
The firm’s board is already conducting a search for his successor. Additionally, Greg Davis has been appointed as president in addition to his current role as chief investment officer.
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 23, 2024
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that while both the total number of RIAs and advisor headcount have seen significant gains in recent years, client assets remain concentrated among the largest firms, according to data from Cerulli Associates, with the 7% of RIAs with at least $1 billion of AUM managing 71% of total RIA assets.
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.
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 18, 2024
There’s a cohort of people who think the stock market is rigged. They assume it’s a casino where only certain people win and everyone else loses. Or everything is manipulated by the Fed and the results are fake. If it weren’t for the bailouts or falling interest rates or government spending or the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, the whole house of cards would collapse.
Alpha Architect
FEBRUARY 2, 2024
While the evidence makes clear that active management is a loser’s game (one that it is possible to win but so unlikely you should not try), we don’t want active managers to disappear. Hope should continue to triumph over evidence, wisdom, and experience because active managers help eliminate market anomalies and inefficiencies created by the misbehavior of investors (such as noise traders).
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
A century of tech adoption in 30 seconds click for animation Source: Blackrock The post U.S. Technology Adoption, 1900-2021 appeared first on The Big Picture.
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 18, 2024
Also on the site At a certain age it's time to just say no to more stuff. (abnormalreturns.com) There is no holy grail in investing. (abnormalreturns.com) It may take time, but markets eventually work. (abnormalreturns.com) Top clicks this week A look at five new finance books including "The Trading Game" by Gary Stevenson. (axios.com) Why you should diversify internationally.
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Join us in this webinar, where we share best practices on how to think about the reconciliation work each month, when best to do reconciliations, how they should be prepared, and some common pitfalls to avoid. Learning Objectives: This course objective is to understand how to properly prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations and its impact on the financial statements.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
The final impact of the DOL rule on independent contractors has yet to be determined for the financial advisory industry.
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 16, 2024
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a study from Cerulli Associates indicates a lack of fee transparency represents a significant hurdle for many investors when considering working with a financial advisor. Which suggests that while advisors might be hesitant to publish their fees on their website before being able to meet face-to-face with prospects, doing so (and linking the fees to the value proposi
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 25, 2024
The housing market wasn’t supposed to remain this strong. People were forecasting for a 20% drop in housing prices in 2022. It made sense at the time. Everyone was predicting a recession. Prices had shot up 50% in three years. The Fed was jacking up interest rates. Mortgage rates went vertical. And all we got was a wimpy 2-3% dip in prices. I cannot predict the future but it’s hard to come up with a bearish th.
Alpha Architect
FEBRUARY 16, 2024
While analysts underwrite high growth for companies that have grown quickly and slow growth for companies that have grown slowly in the past, a large body of evidence demonstrates that reversion to the mean of both positive and negative abnormal earnings growth is the norm. On the Persistence of Growth and Value Stocks was originally published at Alpha Architect.
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As we step into 2024, the lending landscape evolves rapidly with technology, regulations, and market dynamics driving change. For banks and financial institutions to stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of their customers, these drivers must be understood and engaged with. Lenders can anticipate significant transformation fueled by technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer behaviors.
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Last month, I mentioned that CPI inflation measures were based on lagging BLS measures of Owners’ Equivalent Rent (OER). BLS highlighted housing prices, headlining the CPI report as “CPI for all items rose 0.3% in January; shelter up ” As the chart above shows, Shelter was 2/3rds of the increase in the most recent. ( Chart thanks to Michael McDonough ).
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 26, 2024
Podcasts Frazer Rice talks Florida and California property insurance issues with Aon's LaTanya Simmons. (open.spotify.com) Michael Kitces talks with Ben Hockema. who is the Founder of Illuminate Wealth Management about how to fund your RIA. (kitces.com) Daniel Crosby on why not caring what other people think is a valuable asset. (standarddeviationspod.com) Diana Britton talks with Michael Kitces about adviser well-being.
Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Receded 4.9% in January Pending home sales in January dropped 4.9% , according to the National Association of REALTORS®. The Northeast and West posted monthly gains in transactions while the Midwest and South recorded losses. All four U.S. regions registered year-over-year decreases. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI)* – a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings – decreased to 74.3 in January.
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 12, 2024
While there is a plethora of ways that financial advisory firm owners can build and run their practices (from service models to specialties to fee structures and beyond), one of the most complex activities shared by many growing firms are those that involve hiring, training, managing, and retaining employees. And with the increasing shift to remote and hybrid work in recent years, these skills have become even more important.
Speaker: Joe Buhrmann, MBA, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC® Senior Financial Planning Practice Management Consultant eMoney Advisor
During an era of evolving consumer preferences, the banking sector is undergoing a profound shift. As customers continue to broaden their perspectives, banking professionals must support their customers' financial wellness by providing holistic financial advice that aligns with individual goals and circumstances. Without adapting, financial institutions will find that loyalty may crumble amid uncertainty.
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 4, 2024
Coming out of the Great Financial Crisis there was this running narrative that the United States economy was the cleanest dirty shirt in the laundry hamper. Yes, our economic recovery was tepid but the rest of the world was a mess. The European Union was falling apart. Emerging markets were in disarray. China seemed like it wanted to put up a fight for our economic seat on the throne but never made a serious attempt to di.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
The dips in M&A and total assets in 2022 should have been a wakeup call for the industry to return its focus to organic growth.
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 7, 2024
At the Money: Stock Picking vs. Value Investing with Jeremy Schwartz, Wisdom Tree. (February 7, 2024) How much you pay for stocks really matters. Should value investing be part of that strategy? To find out more, I speak with Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer of WisdomTree, leading the firm’s investment strategy team in the construction of equity Indexes, quantitative active strategies and multi-asset Model Portfolios.
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Podcasts Peter Lazaroff with five reasons you need a financial plan that have nothing to do with money. (peterlazaroff.com) Justin Carbonneau and Jack Forehand talk with Justin Castelli about your mission in life. (youtube.com) How well do you know yourself? Barry Ritholtz talks with David Dunning. (ritholtz.com) Christine Benz and Amy Arnott talk with Marc Freedman who the co-CEO and founder of Encore.org about working later in life.
Speaker: Carolina Aponte - Owner and CEO, Caja Holdings LLC
In today's rapidly changing business environment, building a resilient balance sheet is crucial to the survival of any business. A resilient balance sheet allows a company to withstand financial shocks and adapt to changing market conditions. To achieve this, companies need to focus on key strategies such as maintaining adequate liquidity, managing debt levels, diversifying revenue streams, and prioritizing profitability over growth.
Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 28, 2024
"Higher rates in recent weeks have stalled activity", Mike Fratantoni, MBA’s SVP and Chief Economist. From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 5.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 23, 2024.
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 9, 2024
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent survey sponsored by CFP Board demonstrates the upsides of a career in financial planning, from a median salary of nearly $200,000 to flexible work schedules and a strong sense of purpose among advisors. In addition, related research suggests further opportunities for firms looking to acquire and retain talent, from providing a greater sense of autonomy to bu
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 8, 2024
A reader asks: Investing at all time highs is counterintuitive. Does it produce great returns because the market is forward-looking and investors are momentum investors? It doesn’t seem to make sense to buy just before a long severe bear market. I understand the worry here. All-time highs seem scary because every stock market crash in history started from one.
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