Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of “Weekend Reading For Financial Planners” - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the latest Fidelity RIA Benchmarking Study shows that while RIAs saw gains in AUM and revenue last year, their operating margins tightened, suggesting that rising expenses are cutting into firm profits. The study also looked at what “high performing” firms are doing differently than their peers, finding that these firms have a higher close rat

Financial Planner 240

Financial Planner Asset Allocation Taxes Tax Planning 240

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Well, that was a lot more fun than I expected! I submitted the final manuscript for my new book, How Not to Invest , last week. The final edit will involve some back-and-forth, but the writing is finished. I recall “ Bailout Nation ” as more of a slog, in part because so much of it happened in real-time. I constantly rewrote entire chapters as various companies blew up.

Investing 201

Investing Investments Media 201

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

The S&P 500 is up 27% in 2024. We’re quickly closing in on a 30% gain for the calendar year. How rare is that feat? It happens more often than you would think. Here’s a look at every calendar year return on the S&P 500 going back to 1928: The 30% gains are highlighted. By my count, there were 18 years in which the stock market finished with a gain of 30% or more.

Marketing 142

Marketing Marketing 142

NAIFA Advisor Today

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

A recent study supported by the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), and conducted by economists Mark Warshawsky and Gaobo Pang, reveals that retirees could see better financial outcomes by incorporating annuities into their retirement income strategy, rather than relying solely on the traditional “4% rule.” This research underscores the importance of a diversified approach to retirement, especially in light of market fluctuations, inflation, and the uncertainty around life expectancy.

Retirement 138

Retirement Insurance Marketing Marketing 138

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

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

I'll have more on port traffic once Los Angeles releases their data for October. From the Port of Long Beach: Port of Long Beach Reaches All-Time Record in October The Port of Long Beach moved nearly 1 million cargo containers in October, achieving its strongest month in its 113-year history, driven by brisk demand for holiday goods and delayed containership arrivals caused by a nearby traffic incident and fire that affected some terminal operations at the end of September.

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Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

To sustain firm growth, financial advisors often face a dilemma: to focus on what originally drew them to the profession – like financial planning – they often must first do an extensive amount of business development. Marketing activities such as brand development, event planning, and content strategy often demand skills outside advisors' typical expertise and interest.

Marketing 229

Marketing Marketing Communication Engineering 229

The Big Picture

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

 This week, we speak with Colin Camerer , Robert Kirby Professor of Behavioral Finance and Economics at California Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Caltech in 1994, Camerer was a faculty member at various institutions including the University of Chicago GSB and the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University, and held a visiting professorship at Oxford University.

Portfolio Management 201

Portfolio Management Economics Portfolio Assets 201

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Paul Tudor Jones made some waves last week on a CNBC interview: He’s worried government spending and deficit levels are going to lead to a crisis: “The question is after this election will we have a Minsky moment here in the United States and U.S. debt markets?” Jones said, referring to shorthand for a dramatic decline in asset prices. “Will we have a Minsky moment where all of a sudden there&#821.

Financial Advice 136

Financial Advice Management Government Assets 136

Alpha Architect

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

The authors of the research discussed developed a machine learning model that can accurately predict trading volume for individual stocks. They then demonstrated how this model can be used to construct a portfolio that outperforms a traditional market-cap weighted portfolio. Using Trading Volume to Optimize Portfolio Construction and Implementation was originally published at Alpha Architect.

Portfolio 134

Portfolio Marketing Marketing 134

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

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

From the Federal Reserve: The October 2024 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices The October 2024 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLOOS) addressed changes in the standards and terms on, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households over the past three months, which generally correspond to the third quarter of 2024.

Banking 128

Banking Marketing Marketing 128

Wealth Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

Aspen Standard Wealth has taken a majority stake in Summitry, a $2.8 billion RIA, as it aims to hold wealth management firms permanently and solve some of their pain points.

Wealth Management 133

Wealth Management Marketing Marketing Management 133

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

As the financial advice industry began shifting from a sales-based model to a more sustainable asset management approach, advisors found their roles shifting along with it. With revenue rooted in more predictable, recurring income, many advisors were able to step off the relentless 'treadmill' of constant sales, allowing them to invest in growth by hiring staff and delegating tasks.

Financial Advice 222

Financial Advice Communication Sales Assets 222

Advisor Perspectives

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Nominal retail sales in October were up 0.40% month-over-month (MoM) and up 2.85% year-over-year (YoY). However, after adjusting for inflation, real retail sales were up 0.15% MoM and up 0.27% YoY.

Retail 110

Retail Sales 110

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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

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Let’s take a look at the list of all-time highs we’re currently experiencing: The U.S. stock market has never been higher: The S&P 500 bottomed in March 2009 at 666. It’s now close to 6,000. The Dow has gone from roughly 6,500 to nearly 44,000. What an incredible run. Gold is also at all-time highs: It’s rare to see stocks and the yellow metal simultaneously taking off like this.

Marketing 129

Marketing Marketing 129

Alpha Architect

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

Greenwood and Sammon’s findings of a disappearing index effect provides further support for the findings of McLean and Pontiff, Does Academic Research Destroy Stock Return Predictability? 2016. Once anomalies are well recognized by the market they decline and may even disappear, though limits to arbitrage can allow them to persist. Their findings also provide support for Andrew Lo’s The Adaptive Markets Hypothesis (2004).

Marketing 117

Marketing Marketing Management Investing 117

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

From the NY Fed: Household Debt Rose Modestly; Delinquency Rates Remain Elevated The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. The report shows total household debt increased by $147 billion (0.8%) in Q3 2024, to $17.94 trillion. The report is based on data from the New York Fed’s nationally representative Consumer Credit Panel.

Economics 121

Economics Retail Banking Accounting 121

Wealth Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Clients increasingly view estate planning as a core element of holistic wealth management, not just a one-time task, according to a survey from online estate planning platform Vanilla.

Estate Planning 111

Estate Planning Planning Wealth Management Clients 111

Advertisement

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

NAIFA Advisor Today

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

NAIFA’s Lifetime Healthcare Center is presenting “The Peak 65 Series: Impact Day for Lifetime Healthcare,” a one-day virtual event, November 19, beginning at 11 am eastern. It features a dozen 20-minute TED Talk-like presentations covering timely topics on the financial implications of longevity and aging. Presenters include recognized thought leaders offering insights on long-term care, disability income, hybrid insurance products, Medicare, federal and state legislative and regulatory consider

Healthcare 105

Healthcare Financial Services Insurance 105

Advisor Perspectives

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

Bill Bernstein digs into a book that follows the complicated history of Elon Musk's chaotic acquisition of Twitter and its subsequent transformation into X.

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A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 3, 2024

It’s been a good year in the stock market. Through the close on Friday, the U.S. stock market is up 20% in 2024. The Russell 3000 Index is a good approximation of the total U.S. stock market. The index now has a little less than 2,700 stocks. Out of 2,670 stocks, 101 are up 100% or more this year (3.8% of the total). Thirteen stocks are up 300% or more, five are up 500% or greater and there is one stock in the one c.

Marketing 132

Marketing Marketing 132

Trade Brains

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

Gold is the ultimate security measure for central banks, which can be thought of as national treasure troves. Central banks hold gold bars in reserve to withstand economic downturns, much like we save money for unexpected expenses. This shiny gold serves as a financial anchor, keeping things stable when markets tremble or currencies falter. It’s similar to having shining insurance coverage that never ends!

Insurance Coverage 105

Insurance Coverage Banking Economics Economy 105

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 15, 2024

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.4% from September to October (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 2.8 percent from October 2023. From the Census Bureau report : Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $718.9 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent from the previous month , and up 2.8 percent from October 2023.

Retail 113

Retail Sales Food 113

Wealth Management

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

The influence of content marketing goes well beyond simple brand awareness; it is a crucial asset for educating, engaging and building trust with both prospective clients and colleagues.

Marketing 115

Marketing Marketing Education Assets 115

NAIFA Advisor Today

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Peter Wood is an accomplished financial advisor and active member of NAIFA with over a decade of experience in the industry. Starting as a multi-line captive agent, he now co-owns a multi-state firm that spans over 12 states and runs a mastermind coaching program for insurance agents. Apart from insurance, Peter coaches competitive bands and drumlines, matching his passion for mentorship in music with his professional endeavors.

Insurance 98

Insurance Financial Advisor 98

Advisor Perspectives

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

Multiple jobholders account for 5.3% of civilian employment. The survey captures data for four subcategories of the multi-job workforce, the relative sizes of which we've illustrated in a pie chart.

Accounting 107

Accounting 107

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

A Wealth of Common Sense

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Bill Artzerounian joined me on this show this week to talk about the election’s impact on your taxes, the downsides of early retirement, tax planning for retirement and when to fill up your Roth buckets for retirement savings. Further Reading: Some Things I Don’t Believe About Investing The post Presidential Terms, Recessions & Bear Markets appeared first on A Wealth of Common Sense.

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Tax Planning Marketing Marketing Retirement 124

XY Planning Network

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

As XYPN celebrates its 10th anniversary, we're also marking the 8th edition of our Annual Benchmarking Study. What began as a way to understand the growth of fee-for-service advisory firms has now become an essential resource for advisors navigating this evolving space.

Fee Only 95

Fee Only Financial Advisor 95

Calculated Risk

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

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, but is still elevated, and is now up 4.5% 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.

Food 113

Food Accounting 113