Dear Mr. Market
DECEMBER 31, 2024
Dear Mr. Market: Ah, the start of a new yearthe smell of fresh planners, gym memberships, and resolutions destined to be abandoned by February. But not this year. Not for you. Why? Because when it comes to financial planning, you’re ready to write it downand studies show that writing down your goals makes you 42% more likely to achieve them. So, grab that pen and let’s get to work.
The Big Picture
JANUARY 2, 2025
A regular theme around these parts is “ Nobody Knows Anything. ” Specifically, nobody knows what will happen in the future. This is true about equity and bond markets, specific company stocks, and economic data series. We do not know which geopolitical hot spot will erupt in turmoil; we have no idea where or when the next natural disaster will hit.
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Calculated Risk
JANUARY 1, 2025
Earlier I posted some questions on my blog for next year: Ten Economic Questions for 2025. Some of these questions concern real estate (inventory, house prices, housing starts, new home sales), and I posted thoughts on those in the newsletter (others like GDP and employment will be on this blog). I'm adding some thoughts and predictions for each question.
Nerd's Eye View
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Each week in Weekend Reading For Financial Planners, we seek to bring you synopses and commentaries on 12 articles covering news for financial advisors including topics covering technical planning, practice management, advisor marketing, career development, and more. And as 2024 draws to a close, we wanted to highlight 24 of the most popular and insightful articles that were featured throughout the year (that you might have missed!).
Speaker: Claire Grosjean
Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.
Abnormal Returns
JANUARY 1, 2025
Podcasts Peter Lazaroff talks with Michael Batnick about lessons learned from the stock market in 2024. (peterlazaroff.com) Khe Hy talks with Dr. Jordan Grumet about finding your life purpose. (youtube.com) Taxes Trading crypto? Pay your taxes. (axios.com) Consider doing Roth IRA conversions for your heirs. (financialducksinarow.com) Returns Chasing higher bank interest rates is losing its appeal.
The Big Picture
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Arthur Zeikel was a founding principal of Standard & Poor’s/InterCapital, Inc., and served as Chairman of the Board. He eventually became president of Merrill Lynch Asset Management, leading the division with a value-oriented approach and a focus on long-term fundamentals. He was an adjunct professor at NYU STern School of Business. He co-authored Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management , now in its fifth edition.
Financial Advisor Source brings together the best content for financial advisor professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Wealth Management
JANUARY 3, 2025
Active ETFs continued to take a growing share of U.S. ETF inflows, rising to 24.6% in 2024 from 14.6% in 2022.
Abnormal Returns
DECEMBER 31, 2024
Markets The U.S. stock market is set for its best two-year performance since 1997-98. (wsj.com) After a good start, energy sector performance has faded. (axios.com) Intel ($INTC) had its worst year as a public company. (cnbc.com) Gold had its best year since 2010. (msn.com) Finance Can Treasury primary dealers handle the ongoing funding calendar? (bloomberg.com) Traditional actively managed equity mutual funds saw record outflows in 2024.
The Big Picture
JANUARY 3, 2025
This week, we speak with Sunaina Sinha , Global Head of Private Capital Advisory at Raymond James. Prior to joining Raymond James, Sunaina founded Cebile Capital , which was acquired by Raymond James in 2021. She was named one of the 50 Most Influential People in Private Equity for 2 years in a row by Dow Jones Private Equity News. She also earned a spot as one of the Twenty Trailblazing Women in Private Equity in 2023.
Calculated Risk
DECEMBER 31, 2024
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Fannie and Freddie: Single Family and Multi-Family Serious Delinquency Rates Increased in November Excerpt: Happy New Year! Best wishes for 2025, Bill Single-family and multi-family serious delinquencies increased in November. Here are the multi-family 60+ day delinquency rate since 2006. Freddie Mac (blue) reports that the multi-family delinquencies rate increased to 0.40% in November, up from 0.40% in October, and down from the recent peak
Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
Wealth Management
JANUARY 2, 2025
Advisor Chris Helton joins Raymond James independent b/d channel after 14 years with Synovus Securities.
Abnormal Returns
JANUARY 3, 2025
Markets Good years in the stock market tend to cluster. (awealthofcommonsense.com) How international stock markets performed in 2024. (novelinvestor.com) Just because the stock market is expensive, doesn't mean you should sell everything. (fa-mag.com) Crypto Memecoins are a way to learn about trading and markets. (howardlindzon.com) Microstrategy ($MSTR) is upping the ante on board pay.
A Wealth of Common Sense
JANUARY 3, 2025
In 2022, it was a bad year for the markets. At the time I wrote about how it was maybe one of the worst years ever when you consider bonds had a bear market at the same time as stocks. Last year I wrote about how 2023 was agood year which was nice because sometimes bad years are followed by bad years. I followed that up writing about how good years in the markets tend to cluster: Well, the S&P 500 was up 25% in 202.
Calculated Risk
JANUARY 2, 2025
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Freddie Mac House Price Index Increased in November; Up 4.0% Year-over-year A brief excerpt: Freddie Mac reported that its National Home Price Index (FMHPI) increased 0.56% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis in November. On a year-over-year basis, the National FMHPI was up 4.0% in November, up from up 3.9% YoY in October.
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
Wealth Management
JANUARY 3, 2025
This growing alternative asset class focuses on purchasing and leasing aviation assets and can provide diversified and uncorrelated returns.
Abnormal Returns
JANUARY 3, 2025
Business Matt Reustle talks with Jonathan Eng a Portfolio Manager at Causeway Capital Management about luxury goods maker Kering. (joincolossus.com) Eric Golden talks global logistics with Eric Johnson who is the Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce. (joincolossus.com) Jon Youshaei talks with Andrew Rea about the growth of the Babish Culinary Universe.
A Wealth of Common Sense
JANUARY 1, 2025
Our media team at The Compound does an excellent job of marrying quality production value with useful analytics. They recently shared with us the Spotify Wrapped data on Animal Spirits for 2024. Our most popular episode this year was titled When Your Friends Are Richer Than You. It’s always hard to tell the exact reason why people tuned in for something like this, but the episode title seems to have struck a chord.
Calculated Risk
JANUARY 3, 2025
Wards Auto released their estimate of light vehicle sales for December: U.S. Light-Vehicle Sales End 2024 With Long-Time High December, Q4 SAARs (pay site). Decembers 6% year-over-year rise in the daily selling rate capped off a fourth quarter rebound after demand dropped in Q2 and Q3. The return to growth was aided by rising inventory, increased retail incentives and lower interest rates, while pull-ahead volume of electric vehicles from expectations of cuts in government incentives could have
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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.
Wealth Management
JANUARY 2, 2025
Five technologies that will dictate the future of the industry beyond the Bitcoin hype.
Alpha Architect
DECEMBER 31, 2024
One critical, yet often overlooked, choice is how stocks are weighted in the objective function during training, with equally weighted (EW) approaches being the norm. This paper investigates how such choices impact cross-sectional return predictability and the performance of trading strategies derived from these predictions, focusing on the interplay between objective function design and model outcomes.
Steve Sanduski
JANUARY 1, 2025
For the 11th time, I begin the New Year with a word exercise thats designed to remind, motivate, and guide my behavior on my road to making the New Year my best year yet. Historically, Ive done the My 3 Words exercise, which are simply 3 words that set my theme for the year. My 3 words are printed at the top of my Daily Outcomes sheet (my prioritized to-do list) so I see them multiple times a day.
Calculated Risk
DECEMBER 30, 2024
From the NAR: Pending Home Sales Moved Up 2.2% in November, Fourth Straight Month of Increases Pending home sales gained 2.2% in November the fourth consecutive month of increases and the highest level since February 2023 according to the National Association of REALTORS. The Midwest, South and West experienced month-over-month gains in transactions, while the Northeast decreased.
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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?
Wealth Management
JANUARY 3, 2025
Atlas Financial Advisors falsely claimed Morningstar had verified and validated the hypothetical performance of its proprietary Portfolio Shield strategies,according to the SEC. It is the Commission's latest enforcement action stemming from recently implemented RIA marketing rules.
Harness Wealth
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Employee equity compensation, such as Restricted Stock Units ( RSUs ) or Non-Qualified Stock Options (NQSOs), is a relatively common way for companies to attract and retain talent. However, as appealing as these forms of compensation may be, they can result in sizable and unexpected tax bills. In an effort to help employees manage their tax liabilities more effectively, the Internal Revenue Code offers provisions like the 83(b) election , which allows employees to pay tax on the fair market val
Carson Wealth
DECEMBER 31, 2024
As someone with a significant estate to leave, deciding who you leave it to and how you leave it are clearly important. Your personal preferences and the potential good your bequests can do are factors to think about in your estate planning. So is fairness especially if you have several children or other loved ones to consider. What Is Estate Equalization?
Calculated Risk
DECEMBER 30, 2024
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Final Look at Local Housing Markets in November and a Look Ahead to December Sales A brief excerpt: After the National Association of Realtors (NAR) releases the monthly existing home sales report , I pick up additional local market data that is reported after the NAR. This is the final look at local markets in November.
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
Wealth Management
JANUARY 3, 2025
In an Indiana state court filing this week, the parties agreed to cover their costs. The suit sprang from a dispute over EverNests attempt to buy back a management interest in its firm from Sanctuary.
Midstream Marketing
DECEMBER 28, 2024
Key Highlights Are you a financial advisor and a business owner looking to stand out? Guerrilla Marketing , as stated by Morgan James Publishing, might be just what you need. This unique way of marketing focuses on being creative and making a big impact without a big budget. In this blog, we will look into Guerrilla Marketing, paying special attention to financial advisors.
Validea
DECEMBER 30, 2024
We’re back with our annual predictions episode, where we look back at our (surprisingly not terrible) 2024 market calls and make fresh predictions for 2025 (which will likely be very wrong). In this episode, we’re embracing the humbling experience of market forecasting to prove to everyone (and ourselves) why market forecasting is a waste of time.
Calculated Risk
DECEMBER 31, 2024
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 3.6% year-over-year in October Excerpt: S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for October ("October" is a 3-month average of August, September and October closing prices). October closing prices include some contracts signed in June, so there is a significant lag to this data.
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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