MainStreet Financial Planning

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

The IRS and Social Security Administration recently announced changes for 2025. Here are some highlights: The SSA has announced that benefit checks will rise 2.5% in 2025. Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail starting in early December about their new benefit amount. The fastest way to find out your new benefit amount is to access your personal my Social Security account to view the COLA notice online.

Taxes 52

Taxes Planning Retirement Planning Accounting 52

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

@TBPInvictus here (link is now to Bluesky) Let’s cut to the chase: A Hoover Institution analysis of California private job creation is off by a factor of 100. Between January 2022 and June 2024, the state created 523,700 private sector jobs — not 5,400 as claimed. MSM uncritically repeated the false number. I spend far too much time debunking economic b t.

Government 355

Government Media Economics Numbers 355

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

How much to charge for financial advice is rarely a decision made lightly. A firm's pricing strategy often reflects both the local market (or niche-related) norms – such as the nearly-ubiquitous 1%. Others may align with broader industry trends, like transitioning to fee-only structures to buffer against market volatility. Still others may choose a hybrid model, combining AUM fees with additional charges for other services like tax planning.

Clients 246

Clients Financial Planner Fee Only Financial Planning 246

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Markets A look at the best performing stocks of the past 20 years. (bespokepremium.com) The great bond bull market is over. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Strategy No one is immune from investment FOMO. (awealthofcommonsense.com) How much foreign equity does your target-date fund own? (wsj.com) Finance The ownership base of Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.A) stock is set to dramatically change.

Media 162

Media Retail Economy Economics 162

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.

Accounting

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

I bought Bitcoin for the first time in 2017. I tried my darnedest to understand it but my traditional finance brain couldn’t get there.1 Instead of repeatedly banging my head against the wall and fighting the growing crypto religion, I bought some. It was a hedge against being left behind. My timing was never great but I averaged in a number of times over the years.

Numbers 131

Numbers 131

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a recent study from Cerulli Associates shows that consumer trust in financial services companies has increased significantly over the past decade, with firms that provide a more personalized approach to providing financial advice seeing the best results.

Financial Planner 189

Financial Planner Financial Advice Retirement Financial Advisor 189

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Newsletters If you haven't already you can sign up for our daily e-mail newsletter, please do. (abnormalreturns.com) And for financial advisors you can sign up for our weekly e-mail newsletter with industry insights. (newsletter.abnormalreturns.com) Top clicks this week 'Amazon Haul' is another sign of the degradation of Amazon ($AMZN). (theatlantic.com) Why is the U.S. healthcare system so much worse than its peers?

Healthcare 173

Healthcare Financial Advisor Marketing Marketing 173

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays, October 2024 report for October: Personal income increased $147.4 billion (0.6 percent at a monthly rate) in October , according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal current taxes, increased $144.1 billion (0.7 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $72.3 billion (0.4 percent).

Food 119

Food Taxes Economics 119

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

 At the Money: Crypto Curious. November 26, 2024 Are you crypto-curious? Are you interested in owning some bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto-coins? How can investors get exposure to the space? Full transcript below. ~~~ About this week’s guest: Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management discusses the best ways to responsibly manage crypto assets.

Investing 148

Investing Investments Assets Retail 148

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

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Charitable giving is an essential aspect of many people's financial lives. Some give through established channels, such as by donating to charities or volunteer work, others may give informally to family members on a regular but less structured basis – and some simply aspire to "do more". Yet, despite the important role that charitable giving can play, studies show that many advisors hesitate to bring up the topic with clients.

Clients 142

Clients Education Financial Planner Planning 142

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Forecasting Why quants should forecast trading volume. (papers.ssrn.com) Can ChatGPT forecast a company's capital spending? (papers.ssrn.com) Low vol Is it possible to improve on low vol returns? (alphaarchitect.com) What happens if you leverage up a low volatility portfolio? (papers.ssrn.com) Market structure Assessing the impact of passive investing on markets.

Portfolio 162

Portfolio Assets Investing Investments 162

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

Here are five economic reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving. (Hat Tip to Neil Irwin who started doing this years ago) 1) The Unemployment Rate is at 4.1% The unemployment rate was at 4.1% in October. The unemployment rate is down from 14.7% in April 2020 (the highest rate since the Great Depression). The unemployment rate is up from 3.4% in April 2023 - and that matched the lowest unemployment rate since 1969!

Economics 115

Economics 115

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

My Turkey Day reads: • 101 Simple Joys of Life We Must Not Forget : No matter what is happening in our lives, we can always find something to appreciate and be grateful for. ( The Plain Simple Life ) • Buffett’s Life Advice May Be More Valuable Than His Portfolio : The Oracle of Omaha’s latest letter shares his insight on how to leave behind a strong family and a lasting legacy. ( Bloomberg ) • 18 Thanksgiving dishes Post readers make every year : Stuffed ham.

Communication 130

Communication Food Government Portfolio 130

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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.

Accounting

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 413th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Kevin Leahy. Kevin is the CEO of Connecticut Wealth Management, an RIA based in Farmington, Connecticut, that oversees approximately $4 billion in assets under management for 1,100 client households. What's unique about Kevin, though, is how his firm has built a systematized internal advisor training program to efficiently onboard young new talent straight out of college, main

Wealth Management 130

Wealth Management Financial Advisor Clients Planning 130

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Listening Podcasters are increasingly wary of recycling guests. (bloomberg.com) Now CEOs want to go on podcasts to tell their stories. (semafor.com) Don't kid yourself, podcasting isn't an easy business. (garbageday.email) The best psychology podcasts including 'The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman.' (psypost.org) VC Matt Reustle talks VC secondaries with Ravi Viswanathan is the founder and Managing Partner of NewView Capital.

Investing 147

Investing Investments Management Marketing 147

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

I’m on vacation for Thanksgiving this week. Here’s one of the most popular posts on the blog from the past year. * I entered the workforce in 2005. That means I’ve been working in the investment business for 20 years now. The longer I’m in the money management business the more there is to learn but these are some of the things I’ve learned thus far: 1.

Management 119

Management Investing Investments Wealth Management 119

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

This week, we speak with Michael Morris , cultural psychologist and Chavkin-Chang Professor of Leadership at the Columbia Business School. Prior to joining Columbia, he was a tenured professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and Psychology Department. Morris has published over 200 articles in leading behavioral science journals and has received countless international awards from scholarly societies across several fields.

Consulting 130

Consulting Management Investing Investments 130

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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

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Over the past decade, a growing number of advisors have expanded into offering comprehensive financial planning services, reflecting a shift that not only helps them stand out from (increasingly commoditized) portfolio management offerings but also supports clients' broader financial goals. However, comprehensive planning is an intangible service, which can make it challenging for advisors to convey its value – especially when meeting with prospective clients who may be unfamiliar with wha

Financial Planning 130

Financial Planning Sales Planning Retirement 130

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Markets The stock market is having its two best back-to-back years since the Dotcom boom. (sherwood.news) Americans are wicked bullish. (axios.com) Markets are, for now, shrugging off tariff threats. (sherwood.news) Fund management How a portfolio manager allocates trades matters. (morningstar.com) Tom Lee's Granny Shots US Large Cap ETF ($GRNY) is live.

Math 147

Math Portfolio Management Portfolio Media 147

Wealth Management

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Morningstar published its 2025 investment outlook for financial advisors. Morgan Stanley has looked to add employees of startup companies as wealth management clients in anticipation of future IPOs, reports Inc. These are among the investment must reads we found this week for wealth advisors.

Investing 116

Investing Investments Wealth Advisor Startup 116

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

The transcript from this week’s, MiB: Corey Hoffstein on Return Stacking , 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 Barry Ritholtz : This week on the podcast, another extra special guest, Corey Hoffstein, is one of these really fascinating quant

Portfolio 130

Portfolio Management Marketing Marketing 130

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

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: New Home Sales Decrease Sharply to 610,000 Annual Rate in October Brief excerpt: Important: Sales in October were impacted by the hurricanes. The south region was down 27.7% year-over-year (“South” includes Florida, the Carolinas and Georgia - states hit hardest by hurricanes Helene and Milton). Excluding the South, sales were up about 8% year-over-year.

Sales 115

Sales 115

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Podcasts Peter Lazaroff talks with Jason Zweig about neuroeconomics and the future of finance. (peterlazaroff.com) Christine Benz and Amy Arnott and talk with Mark Berg about helping your kids financially. (morningstar.com) Thomas Kopelman and Jacob Turner talk with Daniel Crosby author of "The Soul of Wealth." (podcasts.apple.com) Home buying Good luck trying to time the housing market.

Portfolio 147

Portfolio Financial Planning Estate Planning Planning 147

Wealth Management

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Open, honest and candid discussion about DOL guidance on AI, the agency’s practice of sharing information with plaintiff’s attorneys, record keeper consolidation helping RPAs grow and more.

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The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

My back-to-work morning train WFH reads: • Don’t call it a Substack : Email’s been here for years. But the reason Substack wants you to call your creative work by their brand name is because they control your audience and distribution, and they want to own your content and voice, too. You may not think you care about that today, but you will when you see what they want to do with it. ( Anil Dash ) • A.I.

Nonprofit 130

Nonprofit Medical Portfolio Management Distribution 130

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.

Financial Planning

Alpha Architect

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

The propagation of factors actually reflect valid characteristics of the markets and market fluctuations. Factors are global, respectable and repeatable was originally published at Alpha Architect. Please read the Alpha Architect disclosures at your convenience.

Marketing 115

Marketing Marketing Investing Investments 115

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Markets This is historically a strong period for the U.S. stock market. (x.com) Ten financial reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving including 'The US financial system has not collapsed.' (morningstar.com) Crypto Ether is (badly) lagging Bitcoin. (axios.com) There's only one reason for the government to buy Bitcoin. (prospect.org) Retail Kohl's ($KSS) continues to struggle.

Retail 147

Retail Media Government Economy 147

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

On this week’s show we also touched on questions about diversification as a younger investor, a pep talk for younger generations, financial planning with Chat GPT and paying down your mortgage vs. investing in fixed income. Further Reading: Why I’m Selling Some Bitcoin The post Is It Too Late to Buy Bitcoin? appeared first on A Wealth of Common Sense.

Financial Planning 110

Financial Planning Planning Investing Investments 110