Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

The need for financial professionals to ask prospects and clients questions has a long history in the industry. In earlier days, questions simply facilitated the process of gathering information in order to open accounts and recommend the appropriate products to be sold. However, as the industry evolved from being primarily transaction-based to relationship-based, it has become increasingly important for advicers to become less sales-oriented and more focused on how they can better develop deep,

Clients 241

Clients Communication Financial Planning Retirement 241

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'?

Financial Planning 296

Financial Planning Accounting Portfolio Assets 296

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.

Investing 290

Investing Investments Valuation Portfolio 290

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.

Economics 140

Economics Economy Marketing Marketing 140

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

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

Financial Planner 237

Financial Planner Fee Only CFP Commission 237

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 3, 2024

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of coffee, grab a seat by the fire, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • So, you want to buy a sports team? Here’s how : Thinking about joining the likes of Ryan Reynolds, David Beckham, and (probably) Jeff Bezos in the mad scramble to land your own club? It’s suddenly the hottest pastime of the global super-rich – here’s how the game is played. ( GQ ) • Why Tim Cook Is Going All In on the Apple Vision Pro : Inside Apple Park, t

Portfolio Management 284

Portfolio Management Economics Retail Manufacturing 284

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.

Marketing 136

Marketing Marketing Investing Investments 136

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Welcome to the February 2024 issue of the Latest News in Financial #AdvisorTech – where we look at the big news, announcements, and underlying trends and developments that are emerging in the world of technology solutions for financial advisors! This month's edition kicks off with the news that financial planning software platform RightCapital has launched a workflow management tool called RightFlows to help advisors manage and assign steps in the financial planning process to team members

Estate Planning 233

Estate Planning Financial Planning Planning Wealth Management 233

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Books An excerpt from "Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet" by Chris Dixon. (tim.blog) A Q&A with Chris Dixon author of "Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet." (semafor.com) David Perell talks with Chris Dixon about writing "Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet." (open.spotify.com) Business How the FTC allows funeral homes to flout the rules.

Marketing 263

Marketing Marketing 263

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

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

 This week, we speak with David Einhorn. president of Greenlight Capital. He launched the value-oriented in 1996. Since inception, Greenlight has generated about 13% annually, and ~290o% total return versus the S&P500’s 1117% total and 9.5% annual returns. He famously shorted Allied Capital in the 2ooos and Lehman Brothers about a year before it collapsed into bankruptcy in 2008.

Banking 196

Banking Investing Investments Marketing 196

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

The BLS reported 353 thousand non-farm jobs were added in January. During the Winter months, I like to look at the weather impact on the report. The BLS reported 553 thousand people were employed in non-agriculture industries, with a job, but not at work due to bad weather. The average for January over the previous 10 years was 257 thousand (median 248 thousand), so more people than normal were impacted by bad weather.

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Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

When a new year comes around it is often customary to set new personal and professional goals. Yet, in the midst of the tradeoffs that come with balancing new goals and their required behaviors, the challenge of creating sensible targets with flexibility and grace can be confounded by the reality of living in a world where uncertainty abounds and complex life situations are difficult (and sometimes even impossible) to map out.

Communication 162

Communication Clients Planning 162

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Yields At some point, cash will no longer be king. (barrons.com) Does Meta's ($META) dividend initiation imply a new trend? (economist.com) Alternatives KKR ($KKR) says they are making headway selling alts to mass affluent investors. (investmentnews.com) What does the research say about private equity performance? (morningstar.com) Companies Looking back at 20 years of Facebook.

Financial Advising 262

Financial Advising Marketing Marketing Media 262

Advertisement

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.

Accounting

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Back in the bad old days of mainframes, “Time-sharing” was how computing power and database storage were provided to the large corporations that could afford it. Computing was less the purchase of goods than a service. The modern cloud-based era has seen the rise of “Software as a service” (SaaS).1 This approach was based on the idea that it was more cost-effective for the consumer and more efficient (and profitable) for the provider to offer computing operations as services instead of physicall

Retail 190

Retail Economics Distribution Economy 190

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

From Manheim Consulting today: Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Flat in January Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) were unchanged in January compared to December. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) remained at 204.0 but down 9.2% from a year ago. The index experienced the same 0.0% monthly change from December 2021 to January 2022.

Consulting 124

Consulting Taxes Economics Sales 124

Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 371st episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is David Savir. David is the Co-Founder and CEO of Element Pointe Family Office, a Fee-Only RIA based in Miami, Florida that oversees almost $1.6 billion in assets under advisement for 50 client households. What's unique about David, though, is that through his 8 years building Element Pointe and focusing exclusively on high and ultra-high-net-worth clients, he and his partner Ca

Financial Advisor 130

Financial Advisor Clients Fee Only Planning 130

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Strategy Valuations matter, but using them in your investment process is a challenge. (entrylevel.topdowncharts.com) When does passive investing become a problem for valuing companies? (silverlightinvest.com) Companies Why are companies holding more cash these days? (hbr.org) A look at the tail winds behind the aggregates business. (fortunefinancialadvisors.com) It's hard to believe but Facebook is now 20 years old.

Financial Advising 263

Financial Advising Media Valuation Economy 263

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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.

Banking

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Hey, I am heading up to Boston today for the annual MIT Sloan Investment Conference. Its’ always a fascinating time (I usually depart with some quality swag!). I will be on a panel discussing Macroeconomics with former Fed Economist Claudia Sahm. I am looking forward to meeting Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Bridgewater Associates.

Investing 144

Investing Investments 144

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 3.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 2, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 3.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Marketing 122

Marketing Marketing 122

Alpha Architect

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Advisors and investors should be aware that fund families that invest systematically have found ways to incorporate the research findings on the limits to arbitrage and the evolving changes we have discussed to improve returns over those of a pure index replication strategy. It seems likely this will become increasingly important, as the markets have become less liquid, increasing the limits to arbitrage and allowing for more overpricing.

Investing 120

Investing Investments Marketing Marketing 120

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Markets A look at Magnificent Seven valuations. (ft.com) Nvidia ($NVDA) has added some $500 billion market cap in just six weeks or so. (markets.businessinsider.com) Newsletter writers are bullish. (allstarcharts.com) Strategy A long term look at bond yields vs. stock yields. (morningstar.com) What kind of investor are you? (behaviouralinvestment.com) How to pick a proper investment benchmark.

Financial Advising 263

Financial Advising Valuation Manufacturing Media 263

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

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

 The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Tom Hancock, GMO Focused Equity , is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube , and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ This is Masters in business with Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg Radio. 00:00:10 [ Barry Ritholtz ] This week on the podcast, I have an extra special guest.

Valuation 130

Valuation Investing Investments Assets 130

A Wealth of Common Sense

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Think back to the economic set-up at the end in September 2022. The stock market was down 25% on the year. The latest inflation reading was still well over 8%. Interest rates had shot up. The Fed was raising rates aggressively. A recession was all but consensus. And why wouldn’t it be? That’s what the Fed was telling everybody! Jerome Powell gave a press conference at the time that echoed the dire sentiment in.

Economics 116

Economics Marketing Marketing 116

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

As advisors are striving for that truly personal touch with their clients (and how much more personal can you get than eye-to-eye), there is increased interest in more in-person prospecting events. My guest today will discuss how he and his team have unlocked the power of seminars, giving advisors and firms opportunities to make a lasting impression and turn intrigued prospects into clients.

Clients 119

Clients 119

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Strategy In the long run, fundamentals matter. (albertbridgecapital.com) Some classic investing lessons from Ed Thorp. (moontower.substack.com) Finance The SEC has expanded its definition of who is a 'securities dealer.' (wsj.com) Incentives matter when it comes to capital providers. (chudson.substack.com) Where corporations are borrowing. (apolloacademy.com) ETFs Why ETFs may be a better fit for less liquid asset classes.

Financial Advising 261

Financial Advising Media Retirement Assets 261

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.

Financial Advice

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Morningstar profiled the 15 funds that have destroyed the most wealth over the past 10 years. Investors who lost money on a deal are trying to shut down a real estate crowdfunding site. These are among the investment must reads we found this week for wealth advisors.

Investing 124

Investing Investments Wealth Advisor 124

A Wealth of Common Sense

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

Today’s Animal Spirits is brought to you by YCharts: See here for YCharts research on the best-performing ETFs of 2023 See here to register for the Future Proof Retreat in March! On today’s show, we discuss: Big tech stocks find little room for error after monster run US winning world economic war America Powers On via Goldman Sachs Why Tim Cook is going all in on the Apple Vision Pro GDPNow real GDP e.

Investments 116

Investments Investing Economics 116

Meb Faber Research

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Guest: Drew Dickson is the founder of Albert Bridge Capital and CIO of Alpha Europe funds. Recorded: 1/24/2024 | Run-Time: 1:03:53 Summary: We talk a lot about global investing on this show and wanted to talk about that with Drew given his focus on European markets. Between the end of 1979 and the end of 2009, […] The post Episode #520: Drew Dickson on Navigating Behavioral Biases, U.S. vs.

Investing 117

Investing Investments Marketing Marketing 117