Sat.Dec 21, 2024 - Fri.Dec 27, 2024

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Financial Planning For Freelancers: 8 Tips To Budget And Save

Clever Girl Finance

Freelancing is liberating, but without a solid financial plan, it can also be unpredictable. As a freelancer, you juggle not only your craft but also your finances, taxes, and retirement planning. That’s where financial planning for freelancers comes in. As a freelancer, youre your own boss, accountant, and financial planner all rolled into one.

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Ten Economic Questions for 2025

Calculated Risk

Here is a review of the Ten Economic Questions for 2024. Below are my ten questions for 2025 (I've been doing this online every year for 20 years!). These are just questions; I'll follow up with some thoughts on each of these questions. The purpose of these questions is to provide a framework of how the U.S. economy will likely perform in 2025, and if there are surprises - like in 2020 with the pandemic - to adjust my thinking.

Economics 290
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#FASuccess Ep 417: Establishing Your Authority As An Expert By Following A Short Book Formula For Authorship, With Paul G. McManus

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 417th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Paul G McManus. Paul is the CEO of More Clients More Fun, a marketing company that helps financial advisors conceptualize and publish their own book in a consolidated 6-week process. What's unique about Paul, though, is how he counsels advisors not to write books for the potential royalties they could earn, but rather as a means to establish themselves as an authority in the m

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2025 Outlook Q&A: Active Management Key to Higher CRE Returns

Wealth Management

Richard Hill, the head of Cohen & Steers real estate strategy, talks about how financial advisors should tackle commercial real estate investment next year.

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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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Personal finance links: relying on experts

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Christine Benz talks with Daniel Crosby about his new book "The Soul of Wealth: 50 Reflections on Money and Meaning." (morningstar.com) Robin Powell talks with Jonathan Clements about the importance of investor behavior. (youtube.com) Katti Gatti Tassin and Henah Velez talk about the many downsides of spending too much on your car (or pickup truck).

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New Home Sales Increase to 664,000 Annual Rate in November

Calculated Risk

The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 664 thousand. The previous three months were revised up, combined. Sales of new single-family houses in November 2024 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000 , according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sales 264

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2025 Outlook Q&A: Model Portfolios, UMAs Are the Next Phase for Alts Adoption

Wealth Management

iCapitals Lawrence Calcano points to continued innovation in tech and product development as key to making alts more hospitable for advisors.

Portfolio 279
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Saturday links: worrying about predators

Abnormal Returns

Autos Most big auto mergers don't work out. (msn.com) Is there any reason to drive faster than 100 mph? (fastcompany.com) We should move faster toward expanding autonomous vehicles. (hunterwalk.com) Should you give your new teen driver a new car or a hand-me-down? (awealthofcommonsense.com) Energy The race is on to build viable sodium-ion batteries.

Media 144
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Lawler: New Census Population Estimates Show Massively Higher Population Growth

Calculated Risk

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: Lawler: New Census Population Estimates Show Massively Higher Population Growth Excerpt: From housing economist Tom Lawler: New Census Population Estimates Incorporate Revised Methodology for Estimating Net International Migration, Show Massively Higher Population Growth Last week Census released its Vintage 2024 estimates of the US resident population, and the new estimates show substantially faster population growth over the past few years

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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (December 28–29)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that according to a recent study by DeVoe & Company, only 42% of RIAs surveyed have written succession plans and either have begun to implement them or have already done so. The report suggests this might be due in part to increased RIA valuations and the assumption of some firm founders that next-generation employees won't be financially able to buy out the firm from them,

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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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2025 Outlook Q&A: The Evolution of AI in Wealth Management

Wealth Management

Our tech columnist catches up with Haik Sahakyan, co-founder and CEO of ARQA.

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Friday links: the sin of blame

Abnormal Returns

Markets We should be grateful for 2024's returns, especially if you avoided the negativity. (allstarcharts.com) No one else is to blame for your investing failures. (microcapclub.com) Companies OpenAI is officially transitioning to a for-profit company. (techcrunch.com) How Reddit ($RDDT) became a huge winner in 2024. (slate.com) Video game companies are going broke building new games with life-like graphics.

Media 144
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Question #9 for 2025: What will happen with house prices in 2025?

Calculated Risk

Today, in the CalculatedRisk Real Estate Newsletter: Question #9 for 2025: What will happen with house prices in 2025? Excerpt: 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 Ill post thoughts on those in this newsletter (others like GDP and employment will be on my blog).

Economics 147
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The Limitations of SOC2 Audits in Preventing Cybersecurity Breaches: A Critical Analysis

Advisor Perspectives

This analysis explores why SOC2 certification, despite its widespread adoption and respected status, may provide a false sense of security and prove inadequate in protecting organizations against modern cyber threats.

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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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2025 Outlook Q&A: Industry Regulation to Focus on Digital Assets

Wealth Management

Carlo di Florio, president of the industry compliance consulting firm ACA Group, said SEC Chair Nominee Paul Atkins approach to digital assets would be one of the most important legacies hell leave should he be confirmed.

Assets 273
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Podcast links: surprising trends

Abnormal Returns

Spotify How Spotify ($SPOT) went to war against it own artists by uploading proprietary tracks. (honest-broker.com) Spotify ($SPOT) insiders are selling a lot of stock. (ft.com) Listening Does listening to an audiobook count as 'reading'? (wsj.com) The 20 best podcast series of 2024 including 'Road to Rickwood.' (theatlantic.com) Seven under-the-radar sports podcasts to check out.

Nonprofit 144
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MBA Survey: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Increases to 0.50% in November

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Increases to 0.50% in November The Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) monthly Loan Monitoring Survey revealed that the total number of loans now in forbearance increased to 0.50% as of November 30, 2024. According to MBAs estimate, 250,000 homeowners are in forbearance plans. Mortgage servicers have provided forbearance to approximately 8.5 million borrowers since March 2020.

Portfolio 147
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OpenAI Mulls Plan for a More Conventional For-Profit Business

Advisor Perspectives

OpenAI, founded a decade ago as a research organization, is considering a change to the AI company’s structure that would create a more conventional money-making corporation alongside a nonprofit arm.

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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

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Survey Findings: How Independent Advisors are Weathering Industry Shifts

Wealth Management

Advisors share how they are growing their firms while navigating an ever-changing industry landscape.

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Monday links: opposing a bubble

Abnormal Returns

Markets Higher for longer is the theme going into 2025. (apolloacademy.com) There's large cap growth stocks in the U.S., and then everything else. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Global diversification is doing what it is supposed to do. (disciplinefunds.com) Crypto Is quantum computing an existential threat to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? (wsj.com) Where does the Hawk Tuah memecoin scandal stand?

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Question #7 for 2025: How much will wages increase in 2025?

Calculated Risk

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.

Economics 147
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Top 5 MDRT Podcast episodes of 2024

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

By Matt Pais, MDRT Senior Content Specialist Every month, the MDRT Podcast delivers insights from members about how they handle challenges and changes in their practice. In 2024, these were the most-listened episodes. Enjoy, and thanks for listening!

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

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.

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2025 Outlook Q&A: RIAs to Focus on Organic Growth

Wealth Management

In 2025, expect to see an emphasis on organic growth, talent and capturing AI efficiencies at RIA firms, said Schwabs Lisa Salvi.

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Adviser links: people vs. systems

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Michael Kitces and Carl Richards discuss navigating the issue of underpaying clients. (kitces.com) John Mihaljevic talks family office dynamics with Prof. Lauren H. Cohen of HBS. (latticework.com) Q&A A Q&A with David Lau, founder and CEO at DPL Financial Partners. (thinkadvisor.com) A Q&A with Ritik Malhotra, co-founder and CEO, of Savvy Wealth.

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Thursday: Unemployment Claims

Calculated Risk

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Mortgage rates as of Monday (a little lower on Tuesday). Thursday: At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. Initial claims were at 220 thousand last week.

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Do sell-side analysts say “buy” while whispering “sell”?

Alpha Architect

Managers are more likely to vote for analysts who exhibit greater say-buy/whisper-sell behavior toward these man agers. This suggests that analysts reduce the accuracy of their public recommendations, thereby maintaining the value of their private advice to funds. Do sell-side analysts say buy while whispering sell? was originally published at Alpha Architect.

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Avoiding Lease Accounting Pitfalls in 2025: Lessons Learned from Spreadsheet Errors

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.

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2024 Year in Review: Celebrity Estate Planning Lessons

Wealth Management

There's a lot that can be learned from the estate mishaps of the rich and famous. 2024 was no different.

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Quantum Computers: Getting Real?

Advisor Perspectives

Take it from Niels Bohr: “Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.

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Tuesday: Richmond Fed Mfg

Calculated Risk

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Tuesday: At 10:00 AM ET, Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for December. The NYSE and the NASDAQ will close early at 1:00 PM ET.

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Navigating the World of Forefield Advisor Marketing

Midstream Marketing

Introduction and Key Highlights In todays challenging landscape, standing out and building meaningful client connections is essential. Forefield, developed by a leading fintech company, provides comprehensive solutions tailored to help professionals streamline their efforts and achieve growth. Forefield Advisor Marketing is a powerful suite of tools for financial professionals, aimed at enhancing client engagement and driving business growth.

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Confronting the Change Challenge

Change is difficult, whether in our private or work life. However, without change, growth and learning are difficult not to mention keeping up with the market and staying competitive. We have all worked for or ourselves are the bosses that prefer to keep the status quo. We will discuss how to address the "change challenge" to enable you to be a changemaker and a graceful recipient of change.