Sat.Oct 28, 2023 - Fri.Nov 03, 2023

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Effective Implementation Of A Backdoor Roth Strategy: Detailed Nuances, IRS Form 8606 (And When It’s Even Worth Doing)

Nerd's Eye View

There are many tax planning strategies that allow financial advisors to demonstrate the ongoing value they provide to clients in exchange for the fees they charge. Part of this value is understanding the detailed nuances that make a strategy effective and implementing it correctly, avoiding issues with the IRS down the line. For instance, while backdoor Roth conversions are a well-known strategy, many individuals have either missed the opportunity to use it and/or implemented it incorrectly R

Taxes 246
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Another Rep Challenges FINRA’s Constitutionality

Wealth Management

Former rep Sidney Lebental is citing FINRA’s legal sparring match with Alpine Securities to halt disciplinary proceedings against him. Meanwhile, FINRA has responded to Alpine’s allegations.

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Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 2.6% year-over-year in August; New all-time High

Calculated Risk

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for August ("August" is a 3-month average of June, July and August closing prices). This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index. From S&P S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index Continues to Trend Upward in August Click on graph for larger image.

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The Fed is Finished*

The Big Picture

Everybody is waiting with baited breath for today’s 2:30 announcement about the rates, but let me spare you the suspense: They are done with rate hikes this cycle. The next change in rates is more likely to be down than up. At least, if Powell & Company truly had a handle on what has been driving inflation for the past few years, that would be their position.

Food 317
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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

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.

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Top clicks this week on Abnormal Returns

Abnormal Returns

Top clicks this week A big regime shift has happened in the economy and financial markets. (ritholtz.com) The bond market bear market is pretty epic. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Byron Wien's 20 rules for investing and life. (ritholtz.com) Why aren't stocks down more? (theirrelevantinvestor.com) Remember the guy who forgot the password for a hard drive with 7,002 Bitcoin on it?

Valuation 302
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Using Technology To Become A ‘Cyborg’ Advisor

Wealth Management

“Technology is not going to replace advisors, but advisors who do embrace technology are going to replace advisors who don’t,” said David Karr, chairman of Equitable Advisors.

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More Trending

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What Do World War II & Covid Have in Common?

The Big Picture

We just experienced the strongest economic recovery since the end of World War II Source: Irrelevant Investor Light posting as I’m getting ready for some travel, but this chart is so amazing. It’s hard not to look at the two biggest recovery outliers: The post-WW2 era, and the post-Covid Era. The parallels are pretty strong, especially when it comes to both the Labor market and the Inflation surges.

Economics 291
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Personal finance links: cheat days

Abnormal Returns

Podcast Noah Kagan talks with Morgan Housel author of "Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes." (noahkagan.com) Peter Lazaroff on how to research a firm using it's Form ADV. (peterlazaroff.com) Khe Hy talks with Sarah Chappell about the challenges of walking away from good money. (podcasts.apple.com) Dan Haylett talks with Mike Drak about better retirement lifestyle design.

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Ten Must-See TED Talks for Financial Advisors

Wealth Management

Notes on these TED Talks that inspired your colleagues.

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Realtor.com Reports Weekly New Listings UP 5.6% YoY; Active Inventory Down 1.0% YoY

Calculated Risk

Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends View — Data Week Ending Oct 28, 2023 • Active inventory declined, with for-sale homes lagging behind year ago levels by 1.0%. For 19 straight weeks, the number of homes available for sale has registered below that of the previous year. • New listings–a measure of sellers putting homes up for sale–were up this week, by 5.6% from one year ago.

Sales 320
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Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

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

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Where is This Rally Going?

The Big Picture

Before yesterday’s FOMC meeting, I reiterated my view from July 2023 that this hiking cycle was – or at least should be – over. The Narrative bias driving commentary today is that this sudden bullishness is the market sussing out the last hike. But this after-the-fact story does not resonate as truth with me, as it looks more like the 10% market correction of October 2023 has ended.

Taxes 289
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Research links: value traps

Abnormal Returns

Factors Why corporate bond factor research is more challenging. (papers.ssrn.com) Why do stocks with high idiosyncratic volatility underperform? (alphaarchitect.com) Momentum Fund investors are momentum chasers. (klementoninvesting.substack.com) Momentum in the sports betting markets. (papers.ssrn.com) Research Do stocks really become less risky over the long run?

Investing 290
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The Word on WealthTech for November 2023

Wealth Management

F2 Strategy's co-founder and CEO provides his take on the most important wealth management technology news of the last month.

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Housing October 30th Weekly Update: Inventory increased 1.5% Week-over-week; Down 2.7% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.5% week-over-week. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of October 27th, inventory was at 563 thousand (7-day average), compared to 554 thousand the prior week. Year-to-date, inventory is up 14.6%. And inventory is up 38.5% from the seasonal bottom 28 weeks ago.

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

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.

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10 Weekend Reads

The Big Picture

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • Kanye and Adidas: Money, Misconduct and the Price of Appeasement : A year ago, after producing hundreds of shoe styles and billions of dollars together, Adidas broke with Kanye West as he made antisemitic and other offensive public comments.

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Podcast links: an abundance mindset

Abnormal Returns

Economy Kyla Scanlon talks with Derek Thompson about how to rally people to an abundance mindset. (youtube.com) Derek Thompson talks with Conor Sen about the housing recession. (open.spotify.com) Business Patrick O'Shaughnessy talks with Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries. (joincolossus.com) Alex Kantrowitz talks with Tekedra Mawakana is the Co-CEO at Waymo.

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While Tech Integration Will Never Be Perfect, AI Could Help

Wealth Management

Industry leaders speaking at AdviceTech.Live said they have spent significant sums of money on the development of AI to increase both automation and scale, but the human advisor remains central.

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Construction Spending Increased 0.4% in September

Calculated Risk

From the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased: Construction spending during September 2023 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,996.5 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised August estimate of $1,988.3 billion. emphasis added Both private and public spending increased: Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,555.9 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised August estimate of $1,549.6 billion.

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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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Bubble Risk in City Property Markets?

The Big Picture

Buoyed by low interest rates for the last decade, many property markets have seen substantial price growth since 2010. Experts warned that real estate bubbles—in which the price of assets moved up far beyond their intrinsic value—were forming. The UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index analyzes the real estate market of 25 major cities across the globe and assigns them a score between -0.5 to 2.0 to convey bubble risk.

Marketing 265
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Monday links: asset allocation magic

Abnormal Returns

Strategy There's nothing magic about asset allocation. (obliviousinvestor.com) Do stocks really become less risky over the long run? (morningstar.com) Companies Google ($GOOGL) is investing $2 billion in AI player Anthropic. (axios.com) Pharmaceutical companies are getting out to the consumer product business. (wsj.com) Fidelity has further marked down the value of their stake in Twitter.

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Advisors vs. Addiction

Wealth Management

Ohio is leading the way in attempting to properly arm advisors for a fight that’s already underway, whether they realize it or not.

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Asking Rents Down 1.2% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Asking Rents Down 1.2% Year-over-year A brief excerpt: Tracking rents is important for understanding the dynamics of the housing market. For example, the sharp increase in rents helped me deduce that there was a surge in household formation in 2021 (See from September 2021: Household Formation Drives Housing Demand ).

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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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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (November 4-5)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the Department of Labor this week released its long-awaited "retirement security rule", its latest effort to curb conflicts of interest around retirement savings recommendations. Among other measures, the proposal would amend the current 5-part test that determines fiduciary status for retirement accounts by defining as a fiduciary act a one-time recommendation to roll fun

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Friday links: scary headlines

Abnormal Returns

Markets There are always scary headlines in the stock market. (awealthofcommonsense.com) One week doth not a bond bull market make. (allstarcharts.com) Crypto SBF found guilty on all counts. (coindesk.com) So much for everyone who said SBF wouldn't be indicted and/or convicted. (lefsetz.com) Companies Six Flags ($SIX) and Cedar Fair ($FUN) are merging.

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WealthManagement EDGE Podcast: Jamie Hopkins on Transitions, Coaching Success and Lifelong Learning

Wealth Management

Career shifts and mentorships keep Jamie Hopkins facing forward.

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HVS: Q3 2023 Homeownership and Vacancy Rates; Rental Vacancy Rates Increased

Calculated Risk

The Census Bureau released the Residential Vacancies and Homeownership report for Q3 2023 today. The results of this survey were significantly distorted by the pandemic in 2020. This report is frequently mentioned by analysts and the media to track household formation, the homeownership rate, and the homeowner and rental vacancy rates. However, there are serious questions about the accuracy of this survey.

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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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#FA Success Ep 357: Building A High-Tech High-Touch Advisory Firm With The Modern Advisor Tech Stack, With Jon Henderson

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome back to the 357th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Jon Henderson. Jon is the Founder and CIO for Echo45 Advisors, an independent RIA based in Walnut Creek, California, that oversees $163 million in assets under management for more than 180 client households. What's unique about Jon, though, is how he has carefully vetted and curated his advisor tech stack of third-party software to provide a strong "high-tech" client experience… and

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Longform links: bandwidth depletion

Abnormal Returns

Books An excerpt from "The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend" by Rob Copeland. (nytimes.com) An excerpt from "The Dissident: Alexey Navalny, Profile of a Political Prisoner" by David M. Herszenhorn. (politico.com) Private equity The private equity industry controls a growing portion of the American economy.

Media 264
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New DOL Fiduciary Rule Cracks Down on 'Junk Fees'

Wealth Management

The Labor Department unveiled its latest version of a fiduciary rule on Tuesday, with supporters arguing the proposal largely fell in line with their hopes. Industry groups warn of its negative impact on advisors and clients.

Clients 316
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Comments on August Case-Shiller and FHFA House Prices

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 2.6% year-over-year in August; New all-time High Excerpt: S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for August ("August" is a 3-month average of June, July and August closing prices). August closing prices include some contracts signed in April, so there is a significant lag to this data.

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Demo SkyStem’s Award Winning Month-End Close Solution & Earn $100

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.