Calculated Risk

MARCH 17, 2025

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.2% from January to February (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 3.1 percent from February 2024. From the Census Bureau report : Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February 2025, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $722.7 billion, up 0.2 percent from the previous month , and up 3.1 percent from February 2024.

Retail 253

Retail Sales Food 253

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 17, 2025

Markets Corrections happen more often than you remember. (optimisticallie.com) Market moves just happen faster these days. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Books "Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings" by Alex Morris is a good refresher course. (newsletter.rationalwalk.com) A review of "The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck" by Davie Spiegelhalter.

Media 195

Media Retail Economy Management 195

The Big Picture

MARCH 14, 2025

This week, I speak with Stephanie Kelton , Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Stony Brook University and Senior Fellow at the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. We discuss US fiscal policy, recession risks, and her New York Times bestseller “ The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the Peoples Economy.” She has made virtually all the ‘top 50 lists’ including POLITICO’s 50 Most Influential Thinkers in 2016 and Bloomberg Businessw

Economics 182

Economics Budgeting Economy 182

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 14, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Hester Peirce suggested in a recent interview that she would like to see the SEC give advisors more leeway to provide customized solutions to clients (rather than feeling required to take a regulator-prescribed "check-the-box" approach) and would like to ease the compliance burden on smaller investment advisers (p

Financial Planner 162

Financial Planner Compliance Commission Retirement 162

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Accounting

Wealth Management

MARCH 13, 2025

The broker/dealer is embarking on a multi-year effort to restructure its home office to boost collaboration and client focus, with layoffs to come on the administrative side of the business.

Clients 292

Clients 292

Calculated Risk

MARCH 12, 2025

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 11.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 7, 2025. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 11.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Government 264

Government Marketing Marketing 264

The Big Picture

MARCH 18, 2025

It is March 18th! Publication day is finally here! The challenge in writing How NOT to Invest was organizing a large number of ideas, many of which were only loosely connected, into something coherent, understandable, and, most importantly, readable. It took a while of playing around with the concepts, but eventually, I hit on a structure that I found enormously useful: I organized our biggest impediments to investing success into three broad categories: Bad Ideas , Bad Numbers , and Bad Be

Investing 204

Investing Investments Math Media 204

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 17, 2025

With each passing decade, not only does technology evolve at an ever more dramatic pace, but each new wave comes faster than the last. From the advent of the computer chip in the 1950s to the rise of the personal computer nearly 25 years later in the early 1980s, to the emergence of the internet just 15 years thereafter in the late 1990s, to mobile smartphones only 10 years after that in the late 2000s, to 'robos' less than a decade later in the 2010s, and most recently to AI, which 'suddenly' w

Financial Advisor 130

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Professional Services 130

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 14, 2025

Here’s something I shared on Twitter recently: Some people thought I was being hyperbolic. Maybe so. That’s the point of social media sometimes. Then I read the latest Eye on the Market fromMichael Cembalest who said what I said only much more eloquently: Here’s the interesting thing about the stock market: it cannot be indicted, arrested or deported; it cannot be intimidated, threatened or bullied; i.

Marketing 132

Marketing Marketing Media 132

Calculated Risk

MARCH 12, 2025

Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned two years ago when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but is still elevated, and is now up 3.8% YoY. Click on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through February 2025.

Food 251

Food 251

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Sales

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 16, 2025

Top clicks this week Are we finally seeing an opening for international diversification? (awealthofcommonsense.com) The last ten years in the stock market visualized. (sherwood.news) It's been a awhile since the Nasdaq traded below its 200 day moving average. (bilello.blog) The stock market is a big distraction to the business of investing. (albertbridgecapital.com) Another example, why the stock market is not a level playing field.

Investing 182

Investing Investments Marketing Marketing 182

The Big Picture

MARCH 13, 2025

I have known Scott Galloway since way before his first book, The Four , came out in 2017. He had been on MiB prior, and it was my pleasure to intro it at NYU Stern when it first was published. As always, it was so much fun chatting with Scott on the Prof G podcast: Barry Ritholtz, the co-founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management and the host of the Masters in Business podcast, joins Scott to discuss his new book, How Not to Invest: The Ideas, Numbers, and Beha

Investing 147

Investing Investments Wealth Management Numbers 147

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 12, 2025

Following the long run-up in the US equity markets since the bottom of the 2008–2009 financial crisis, many investors with taxable investment accounts have likely found themselves with high embedded gains in their portfolios. While the gains signal portfolio growth, they also create challenges for ongoing management. Because when it comes time to rebalance the portfolio to its asset allocation targets – or to reallocate the portfolio to a new strategy – any trades made to imple

Taxes 130

Taxes Portfolio Asset Allocation Assets 130

Wealth Management

MARCH 12, 2025

According to a settlement, Sanctuary Securities allegedly had anti-money laundering procedures that fell short of Bank Secrecy Act requirements.

Banking 277

Banking 277

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.

Assets

Calculated Risk

MARCH 12, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 2: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-March 2025 A brief excerpt: Earlier this week, in Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-March 2025 I reviewed home inventory, housing starts and sales. In Part 2, I will look at house prices, mortgage rates, rents and more.

Marketing 229

Marketing Marketing Sales 229

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 14, 2025

Markets In the face of uncertainty, the stock market shoots first, asks questions later. (downtownjoshbrown.com) Just how much are the threat of tariffs driving the stock market? (morningstar.com) A 10% correction is a blip. (disciplinefunds.com) Strategy If you are going commit the sin of market timing, sin only a little. (monevator.com) How bad investment decisions feed on themselves.

License 147

License Media Economy Investing 147

The Big Picture

MARCH 15, 2025

I did a fun interview with Jack Hough of Barron’s — we were scheduled to discuss How Not to Invest , and he used our convo as a leaping off point to discuss what we should be doing in 10% downturns. Jack Hough walks through ways to hedge market downside from foolish to sensible, and we talk to Barry Ritholtz about strategies from his new book, How Not To Invest.

Marketing 130

Marketing Marketing Investing Investments 130

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 18, 2025

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 429th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Ali Nasser. Ali is the Founder of the Wealth Integration System for Entrepreneurs, an education and coaching company based in Houston, Texas, that works with entrepreneurs facing a liquidity event and trying to figure out what's next… and financial advisors who serve them.

Financial Advisor 130

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Taxes 130

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

Management

Wealth Management

MARCH 12, 2025

The IRS ruled that beneficiaries recognize capital gains.

Taxes 274

Taxes 274

Calculated Risk

MARCH 14, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Q4 Update: Delinquencies, Foreclosures and REO A brief excerpt: This entire housing cycle Ive argued that we would NOT see a surge in foreclosures that would significantly impact house prices (as happened following the housing bubble) for two key reasons: 1) mortgage lending has been solid, and 2) most homeowners have substantial equity in their homes.

Insurance 179

Insurance Banking Numbers 179

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 13, 2025

Strategy The stock market is a big distraction to the business of investing. (albertbridgecapital.com) Six reasons to avoid hedge funds, including high fees. (blogs.cfainstitute.org) Companies Jamie Dimon is no fan of Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis. (semafor.com) The DEI backlash as seen in corporate filings. (nytimes.com) Lego's operating margins are falling.

Economy 162

Economy Media Investing Investments 162

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 13, 2025

Kevin Young joined me on the show to answer a question for a young financial advisor who is dealing with his first correction with nervous clients. We also touched on questions about when to sell Palantir, when to sell a rental house and how to deal with a regional recession in Washington DC. Further Reading: Mega Cap World Domination 1Exxon is back in the top 15 now so they might make a return visit.

Financial Advisor 110

Financial Advisor Clients Marketing Marketing 110

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

Investment Writing

MARCH 18, 2025

Style guidelines for financial services firms can help you to make your written communications more consistent and thus easier to read. Why create style guidelines for your financial services firm? It can be distracting if writing styles are inconsistent within and across documents published by your firm. For example, is it “counterparty” in the first paragraph and “counter party” in paragraphs two and three?

Financial Services 103

Financial Services Healthcare CFP Numbers 103

Wealth Management

MARCH 17, 2025

Shana Sissel shares her insights into the groundbreaking private equity deals in NFL teams and what it all means for the private equity space and investors.

Investing 272

Investing Investments 272

Calculated Risk

MARCH 13, 2025

From CoreLogic: CoreLogic: Borrowers Gained Over $280B in Home Equity in 2024 CoreLogic. today released the Homeowner Equity Report (HER) for the fourth quarter of 2024. Nationwide, borrower equity increased by $281.9 billion, or 1.7% year-over-year. The report shows that U.S. homeowners with mortgages (which account for roughly 61% of all properties) saw home equity increase by about $4,100 between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024, which is less than the gain of $6,000 in Q3 2023.

Numbers 191

Numbers Government Accounting Marketing 191

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 12, 2025

Markets A reminder that degenerate traders are not confined to the U.S. (acadian-asset.com) Another example, why the stock market is not a level playing field. (ft.com) Palantir Palantir ($PLTR) CEO Alex Karp is selling a lot of shares. (ft.com) The index inclusion boost is now in the rearview mirror for Palantir ($PLTR). (institutionalinvestor.com) Air travel Why Delta's ($DAL) profit warning matters.

Media 162

Media Economy Economics Marketing 162

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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.

Accounting

Carson Wealth

MARCH 17, 2025

Understanding Market Corrections The S&P 500 moved into a correction on Thursday of last week, defined as a close at least 10% below the indexs recent closing high. Here are some things we know about corrections, which well look at in depth this week. Corrections are normal, the S&P 500 averaging 1.1 corrections per year since 1928. Corrections happen for a reason, and its always tempting to see that reason weighing even more on stocks.

Marketing 73

Marketing Marketing Economy Portfolio 73

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 16, 2025

Coming into 2025 the S&P 500 had just two down years out of the past 15: 2010 +14.8% 2011 +2.1% 2012 +15.9% 2013 +32.2% 2014 +13.5% 2015 +1.4% 2016 +11.8% 2017 +21.6% 2018 -4.2% 2019 +31.2% 2020 +18.0% 2021 +28.5% 2022 -18.0% 2023 +26.1% 2024 +24.9% We were all probably a little spoiled. Regardless of the reason for the recent swoon, we were due.

99

99

Wealth Management

MARCH 12, 2025

Heather Kellys Mosaic Advanced Planning is a platform to help advisors integrate risk management and insurance into their practices.

Planning 264

Planning Risk Management Insurance Management 264

Calculated Risk

MARCH 18, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Housing Starts Increased to 1.501 million Annual Rate in February A brief excerpt: Total housing starts in February were above expectations; however, starts in December and January were revised down slightly, combined. The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2024 (blue) and 2025 (red).

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214

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