Sat.Oct 05, 2024 - Fri.Oct 11, 2024

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You might be missing a financial planning cornerstone: Insurance

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

By Caroline A. Banks, FPFS Worldwide, we face a dreadful undercoverage of insurance. Too many financial advisors have become simply wealth managers, not realizing that insurance is the foundation of a financial plan. It’s crucial we make sure that this foundation is strong enough to support clients financially, no matter what happens. My own company received a critical illness payout when my husband, who was both the finance and IT director, was ill.

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YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter

Calculated Risk

Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined and is now up 4.4% YoY. Click on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through September 2024. Services were up 4.7% YoY as of September 2024, down from 4.8% YoY in August.

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ATM: Valuation is an Exercise in Faith with Aswath Damodaran

The Big Picture

 ATM: Valuation is an exercise in faith with Aswath Damodaran. (October 9, 2024) Do you understand the difference between price and value? How much faith do you have that any stock or market will eventually return to its intrinsic value? Full transcript below. ~~~ About this week’s guest: Professor Aswath Damodaran of NYU Stern School of Business is known as the Dean of Valuation.

Valuation 325
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‘Personalization at Scale’ Is Here

Wealth Management

The bad news is, AI will further commoditize the work advisors do. But it won’t take over the advisor’s role as a guide.

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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 The U.S. is in the midst of an 'epic bull market.' (awealthofcommonsense.com) Don't ever hand your phone over to the police. (theverge.com) The time to prepare for a bear market is before it is on the horizon. (optimisticallie.com) Are small cap stocks declining in quality? (advisorperspectives.com) Earnings are the most important driver of stock prices.

Assets 297
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MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 5.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending October 4, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 5.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

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FINRA Warns Of Phishing Email Scam Impersonating Regulators

Wealth Management

The emails started around Wednesday with an attached PDF document that the brokerage regulator warned could include “malicious” content.

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Adviser links: building an enduring franchise

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Blair duQuesnay talks with George Kinder about his new book "The Three Domains of Freedom." (blairbellecurve.com) Daniel Crosby talks behavioral finance with Greg Davies, Head of Behavioral Finance at Oxford Risk. (standarddeviationspod.com) Frazer Rice talks with Megan Gorman quthor of "All the Presidents' Money: How the Men who Governed America Governed Their Money.

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Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Increase to 258,000

Calculated Risk

The DOL reported : In the week ending October 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 258,000 , an increase of 33,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 225,000. This is the highest level for initial claims since August 5, 2023 when it was 258,000. The 4-week moving average was 231,000, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 224,250. emphasis added The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.

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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (October 12–13)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that a CFP Board ad campaign promoting a career in financial planning to high school and college students sparked an uproar in the planning community, as some advisors questioned whether the messages being sent in the ads – in particular, certain static ads that did not provide as much context into the messaging as a series of 15-second video ads – realistically rep

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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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Trust & Will Does What it Says on the Box

Wealth Management

The estate-planning platform currently boasts over 13,000 advisors.

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Tuesday links: a collective mistake

Abnormal Returns

Markets Q3 earnings estimates are muted. (sherwood.news) The yield curve is coming to terms with a new Fed regime. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Strategy Two questions you should ask about any piece of market information. (behaviouralinvestment.com) For taxable investors a preference for dividends doesn't make a lot of sense. (rethinking65.com) Why trading successfully is difficult.

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Housing Oct 7th Weekly Update: Inventory up 0.4% Week-over-week, Up 36.7% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 0.4% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 48.6% from the February seasonal bottom. The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015. Click on graph for larger image. The red line is for 2024. The black line is for 2019. Inventory was up 36.7% compared to the same week in 2023 (last week it was up 36.7%), and down 23.1% compared to the same week in 2019 (last week it was down 23.4%).

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#FASuccess Ep 406: Exiting To A Perpetual Purpose Trust To Facilitate Internal Leadership Succession Without Indebting G2 Advisors, With Michael Kramer

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 406th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Michael Kramer. Michael is the manager of Natural Investments, an RIA based in San Francisco, California that has offices across the country, overseeing $1.9 billion in assets under management for 1,300 client households. What's unique about Michael, though, is how his firm used the unique perpetual purpose trust structure to facilitate an internal succession plan, allowing th

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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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Carolyn Armitage on Change Management

Wealth Management

Navigating the complex waters of organizational change requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the needs of both the business and its people.

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Friday links: a cursed star

Abnormal Returns

Finance JP Morgan Chase ($JPM) says the consumer is in good shape. (sherwood.news) One company's loss is another's gain. (ft.com) Biotech IPOs keep happening. (biopharmadive.com) Fund management A closer look at the proposed SPDR SSGA Apollo IG Public & Private Credit ETF. (citywire.com) Blackrock ($BLK) now manages some $11.5 trillion. (s24.q4cdn.com) AI How Flexport is using AI.

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Cost of Living Adjustment increases 2.5% in 2025, Contribution Base increased to $176,100

Calculated Risk

With the release of the CPI report this morning, we now know the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), and the contribution base for 2025. From Social Security: Social Security Announces 2.5 Percent Benefit Increase for 2025 Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for more than 72.5 million Americans will increase 2.5 percent in 2025 , the Social Security Administration announced today.

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Wealth.com Raises $30M To Provide Estate Documents To Advisors’ Clients (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – October 2024)

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome to the October 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 digital estate planning platform Wealth.com has raised a whopping $30 million in Series A funding, following on the heels of Vanilla's follow-on $20M capital round just a few months ago – which

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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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Greatest Wealth Transfer in History Will Create Brand Challenges for Wealth Managers

Wealth Management

Gen X, millennials and Gen Z are set to inherit $84 trillion in assets—they have different priorities that aren’t reflected in wealth management brands today.

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Podcast links: hedge fund math

Abnormal Returns

Listening Google's NotebookLM is a game-changer. (wsj.com) How 'Smartless' became a big and growing business. (nytimes.com) Venture capital Patrick O'Shaughnessy talks with Kareem Zaki who is a General Partner at Thrive Capital. (joincolossus.com) Barry Ritholtz talks with Joe Lonsdale of 8VC. (bloomberg.com) Rick Buhrman and Paul Busser talk with Ravi Gupta who is a partner at Sequoia Capital.

Math 276
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Q3 GDP Tracking: Around 3%

Calculated Risk

From BofA: Since our last weekly publication, our 3Q GDP tracking estimate is unchanged at 2.6% q/q saar. [Oct 11th estimate] emphasis added From Goldman: We left our Q3 GDP tracking estimate unchanged at +3.2% (quarter-over-quarter annualized) and our Q3 domestic final sales forecast unchanged at +2.8%. [Oct 8th estimate] And from the Atlanta Fed: GDPNow The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2024 is 3.2 percent on October 9, unch

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Gifting Without The Headache: Tax-Efficient Strategies To Stay Under Gift Reporting Limits

Nerd's Eye View

Gifting is a common planning topic discussed between advisors and clients – often raising questions about which gifts are taxable, need to be reported to the IRS, or may be exempt from reporting altogether. The rules around gifting are nuanced and can create confusion for clients, but advisors with a clear understanding of gifting strategies can guide them toward informed decisions.

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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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iCapital Rolls Out Streamlining Tool for Advisors Accessing Multiple Investments

Wealth Management

The Multi-Investment Workflow tool is aimed at accelerating the adoption of the firm’s model portfolio feature.

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Monday links: investing in yourself

Abnormal Returns

Companies What are the chances that Google ($GOOGL) gets broken up? (ft.com) Pfizer ($PFE) has an activist in Starboard Value. (wsj.com) ETFs Cambria and Alpha Architect are teaming up for the Cambria Tax Aware ETF ($TAX). (wealthmanagement.com) Derivatives-based ETFs are booming, with retail piling in. (bloomberg.com) Jane Street Jane Street is seeing extraordinary profits on the back of the ETF boom.

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Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-October 2024

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-October 2024 A brief excerpt: This 2-part overview for mid-October provides a snapshot of the current housing market. I always focus first on inventory, since inventory usually tells the tale ! And currently inventory is increasing year-over-year but is still well below pre-pandemic levels.

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MiB: Joe Lonsdale of 8VC, Palantir, Adapar & Opto

The Big Picture

Live from FutureProof in Huntington Beach, California, Barry Ritholtz speaks with Joe Lonsdale of 8VC. Previously, he co-founded Palantir Technologies , founded Adapar , a wealth management platform, and Opto , a private market investment platform. In this episode, Lonsdale discusses the importance of technology in various sectors, the need for innovation in defense, and the potential of AI to transform the services industry.

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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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Tax-Busting Tactic Loved by Tech Millionaires Is Coming to ETFs

Wealth Management

The Cambria Tax Aware ETF and the Stance Sustainable Beta ETF will each be seeded with the appreciated securities of wealthy investors, who will swap their assets for shares in the funds rather than buy into them with cash.

Taxes 297
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Longform links: US cultural dominance

Abnormal Returns

Wealth Who died and paid the IRS a $7 billion estate tax bill? (sherwood.news) A profile of Denise Coates, founder of Bet365, and the richest woman in England. (theguardian.com) Global How Iceland became a hotbed for online scams. (nytimes.com) Checking in on the reconstruction of Notre Dame. (gq.com) Lebanon has a lot of geographical advantages. Why is the country so troubled?

Taxes 276
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ICE Mortgage Monitor: Insurance Costs "Spike", Especially in Florida

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Real Estate Newsletter: ICE Mortgage Monitor: Insurance Costs "Spike", Especially in Florida Brief excerpt: The largest insurance increases are in Florida (for obvious reasons - stay safe this week with Hurricane Milton). • While monthly principal, interest, and property tax obligations are up an average 15-17% since the beginning of 2020, the average monthly property insurance payment is up a whopping 52% over that same period • In New Orleans, as well as Florida markets such as D

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10 Weekend Reads

The Big Picture

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of Colombia Tolima Los Brasiles Peaberry Organic coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • After Shark Tank, Mark Cuban Just Wants to Break S**t—Especially the Prescription Drug Industry : The billionaire is done with his hit TV show, but he’s still invested in fighting pharma’s middlemen, being a dad, and needling Elon Musk. ( Wired ) • Is the World Really Running Out of Sand?

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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.