Calculated Risk

JULY 11, 2025

From Nick Villa at Moody's The Office Sector’s Double Whammy The ongoing challenges affecting the office sector have not only resulted in deteriorating space market fundamentals—evidenced by the record-high national office vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2025—but have also had a direct negative impact on capital market activities, including the performance of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).

Valuation 251

Valuation Marketing Marketing 251

Wealth Management

JULY 10, 2025

The commitments from T. Rowe Price, SurgoCap, BNY, State Street and others bring iCapital's valuation to $7.5 billion.

Valuation 241

Valuation 241

Wealth Management

JULY 8, 2025

BlackRock made another move to bolster its private market capabilities with the acquisition of net lease real estate firm ElmTree Funds. Private investment platform Linqto, which promised access to pre-IPO firms, filed for bankruptcy amid SEC scrutiny of its practices. These are among the investment must-reads we found this week for financial advisors.

Investments 262

Investments Investing Financial Advisor Marketing 262

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 11, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that, amidst the growing number of RIAs it supervises, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is moving ahead with a potential plan to raise the $100 million regulatory assets under management threshold for SEC registration, with the regulator having talks with some state securities regulators (which would bear an increasing regulatory burden if the threshold were lifted

Financial Planner 170

Financial Planner Engineering Clients Taxes 170

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Automation generally supercharges any process and brings its value to the forefront. See how infusing automation such as ART (our month-end close solution), into your close can get you to the next level of closing. We will share a live demo of SkyStem's solution, ART and share the key elements of month-end close automation. Through ART, we'll take a look at: What month-end close automation entails Which process steps can and should be automated Benefits of achieving process automation, and Why i

Accounting

Abnormal Returns

JULY 14, 2025

Podcasts Michael Kitces talks with James Conole, founder of Root Financial, about attracting clients who have engaged with his educational YouTube videos. (kitces.com) Michael Batnick talks tech overload with Kyle Van Pelt, CEO of MileMarker. (youtube.com) Meb Faber talks with Sara Naison-Tarajano, Global Head of Private Wealth Management Capital Markets and Goldman Sachs Apex.

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The Big Picture

JULY 9, 2025

At The Money: Managing Business Model Changes (July 9, 2025) What do you do when the business model of your chosen career changes radically? How can you adapt to changing conditions? (Full transcript coming tomorrow). ~~~ About this week’s guest: Sam Ro is a veteran financial journalist and CFA known for his clear, data-driven insights into markets and and the economy.

Management 147

Management Economy Marketing Marketing 147

Calculated Risk

JULY 9, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-July 2025 A brief excerpt: This 2-part overview for mid-July provides a snapshot of the current housing market. The key stories for existing homes are that inventory is increasing sharply, and sales are essentially flat compared to last year (and sales in 2024 were the lowest since 1995).

Marketing 284

Marketing Marketing Sales Numbers 284

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 9, 2025

Financial planning meetings often fall into categories like "Fix Meetings" (where there is an urgent problem that both the advisor and client want to address), 'Fine Meetings' (where everything is on track and the advisor provides reinforcement), or 'Flourish Meetings' (where clients are thriving and the focus is on expanding possibilities). However, another type of meeting occurs when the client isn't in crisis but has clearly drifted off track (e.g., spending more than planned, which could lea

Clients 130

Clients Financial Planning Planning Business Planning 130

Abnormal Returns

JULY 11, 2025

The biz The New York Times ($NYT) wants to turn its writers into video stars. (vulture.com) The scam that is using an appearance on a big name podcast as bait. (thewrap.com) Economy Ezra Klein talks the attention economy with Kyla Scanlon, author of "In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work." (podcasts.apple.com) Danny Crichton and Laurence Pevsner talk with Yoni Applebaum, author of “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity.

Recruitment 162

Recruitment Economy Engineering Consulting 162

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JULY 10, 2025

By Kennedy Sumarlie, AWP Running out of prospects is a common concern for many financial advisors. It’s an issue we must face and take action on now if we want to have future clients. One way to address this is to ask existing clients for new contacts. For this to work well, though, we must go about it effectively. One of my good friends, Arvita Mersilia , a six-year MDRT member and Court of the Table member, asks for at least three recommendations from her clients when she delivers the insuranc

Clients 102

Clients Insurance Financial Advisor Planning 102

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.

Accounting

Wealth Management

JULY 9, 2025

Explore how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act impacts estate planning across wealth levels, emphasizing flexibility and income tax strategies for advisors.

Estate Planning 276

Estate Planning Planning Taxes 276

Calculated Risk

JULY 9, 2025

Different views on possible rate cuts (see paragraph 2). From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, June 17–18, 2025. Excerpt: In considering the outlook for monetary policy, participants generally agreed that, with economic growth and the labor market still solid and current monetary policy moderately or modestly restrictive, the Committee was well positioned to wait for more clarity on the outlook for inflation and economic activity.

Economics 165

Economics Economy Marketing Marketing 165

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 10, 2025

As the financial advice profession has matured, behavioral finance has become an increasingly important element of modern advice. This holistic approach to financial advice, often referred to as life planning, focuses on helping the advisor understand the client’s financial history, deep-seated goals, and overall relationship with money, which can allow for more targeted and comprehensive advice.

Clients 130

Clients Financial Advice Financial Planning Planning 130

Abnormal Returns

JULY 14, 2025

Markets The stock market can go up, even if you don't understand why. (optimisticallie.com) Gold and commodities don't move in lockstep. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) The dollar's decline is entirely self-inflicted. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Gen Z trades and gambles the same way. (sherwood.news) Strategy Market observers need to first 'do no harm.' (ritholtz.com) The past decade has been historically bad for bond returns.

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Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

Management

A Wealth of Common Sense

JULY 13, 2025

Deutsche Bank has a chart that shows we’re looking at the worst 10 year period ever for U.S. government bonds: That doesn’t seem good. Being a market returns geek I decided to take this a step further by looking at the returns by decade for various maturities in government bonds to see how the 2020s stack up historically. Here’s the data for 5 year, 10 year and long-term (20+ years) U.S.

Government 98

Government Banking Marketing Marketing 98

Calculated Risk

JULY 12, 2025

The key reports this week are June CPI, Retail Sales and Housing Starts. For manufacturing, the June Industrial Production report and the July New York and Philly Fed manufacturing surveys will be released. -- Monday, July 14th -- No major economic releases scheduled. -- Tuesday, July 15th -- 8:30 AM: The Consumer Price Index for June from the BLS. The consensus is for a 0.3% increase in CPI, and a 0.3% increase in core CPI.

Retail 147

Retail Manufacturing Sales Economics 147

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 8, 2025

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 445th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is James Conole. James is the founder of Root Financial, an RIA based in Encinitas, California, that oversees $1.3 billion in assets under management for 630 client households. What's unique about James, though, is how his firm has experienced massive growth (expecting to grow its revenue from $4.6 million to more than $10 million in 2025 alone) thanks in part by attracting clien

Education 130

Education Clients Financial Advisor Assets 130

Abnormal Returns

JULY 8, 2025

Research If you are going to hedge, just hedge. (klementoninvesting.substack.com) Do factors matter for bond returns? Yes, they do. (alphaarchitect.com) Why there's alpha in the intangibles. (philbak.substack.com) AI models love momentum. (ft.com) Should you separate or combine your factor exposures? (alphaarchitect.com) Just how good a signal is insider ownership?

Marketing 147

Marketing Marketing Government 147

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Clients

A Wealth of Common Sense

JULY 11, 2025

One of the biggest financial trends this century is the rising cost of living in many necessities. That trend has been supercharged in the 2020s. The cost of vehicles. The cost of auto insurance. The cost of housing. The cost of health insurance. It’s all getting more and more expensive. This chart from The New York Times shows the changes in the proportion of different spending categories over the past 96 years: T.

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Insurance 110

Wealth Management

JULY 8, 2025

WealthManagement.com is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC INFORMA PLC | ABOUT US | INVESTOR RELATIONS | TALENT This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Wealth Management 229

Wealth Management Estate Planning Compliance Clients 229

Calculated Risk

JULY 9, 2025

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 9.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 4, 2025. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4th holiday. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 9.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Marketing 147

Marketing Marketing 147

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 14, 2025

For a financial advisor and their new client, the first year working together can be a particularly intense period, typically involving multiple in-person or virtual meetings. After this first year, though, the number of scheduled meetings typically declines, often including only one or two formal meetings per year to check on progress toward financial goals and answer questions.

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Clients Communication Financial Planner Numbers 100

Speaker: Claire Grosjean, Global Finance & Operations Executive

Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.

Management

Abnormal Returns

JULY 8, 2025

Markets No matter how you slice it, U.S. stocks are still expensive. (on.ft.com) Why gold has been moving higher: safe asset demand. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Crypto The iShares Bitcoin ETF ($IBIT) holds more than 700,000 Bitcoin. (theblock.co) Another day, another new crypto Treasury company. (theblock.co) And another. (sherwood.news) Finance How private equity fund performance peaks and degrades over time.

Media 147

Media Economy Assets Marketing 147

Trade Brains

JULY 9, 2025

Synopsis: On July 8, Elgi Equipments and India Shelter Finance experienced strong market interest after bulk transactions. Stock gains were fueled by the investment of Rs. 385.3 crores in India Shelter by Kotak Mutual Fund and a Rs. 96.5 crore investment in Elgi by SBI Mutual Fund. The two stocks listed below saw notable price movements during Wednesday trading session after large bulk deal transactions were completed on the stock exchanges on July 8.

Investment Advisor 88

Investment Advisor Clients Investments Investing 88

Wealth Management

JULY 8, 2025

Beacon Pointe, based in Newport Beach, Calif., adds more than $2.7 billion in client assets by bringing on firms from Massachusetts to California and several female-led teams.

Assets 261

Assets Clients 261

Calculated Risk

JULY 10, 2025

From Dodge Data Analytics: Dodge Momentum Index Expands 7% in June The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, grew 6.8% in June to 225.1 (2000=100) from the downwardly revised May reading of 210.9. Over the month, commercial planning grew 7.3% while institutional planning improved 5.7%. “Nonresidential planning steadily improved in June, alongside strength in warehouse, recreational and data center planning,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Do

Healthcare 232

Healthcare Planning Education Retail 232

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.

Numbers

Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JULY 8, 2025

By Antoinette Tuscano, MDRT senior content specialist Working hard and producing high-quality work is nonnegotiable, but unnecessarily working harder won’t score you extra points in life. In fact, it may cause you to burn out and have a serious impact on your mental and physical health. “Efficiency is the cornerstone of a balanced work-life,” said nine-year MDRT member Gareth James Chalk, PFS , in his 2024 MDRT Annual Meeting presentation, “ Revolutionizing efficiency and engagement, AI and auto

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Financial Planning Clients Planning Management 86

Abnormal Returns

JULY 11, 2025

Strategy Investors need to understand their circle of competence. (safalniveshak.com) Brett Steenbarger, "Successful traders, I've found, are distinguished by the questions they ask, not just by answers they've come up with." (traderfeed.blogspot.com) Crypto Tether holds a big slug of gold. (mining.com) A look at stablecoin demand for Treasuries. (apolloacademy.com) Coinbase ($COIN) has partnered with Perplexity AI on a real-time crypto data service.

Electronics 147

Electronics Media Planning Marketing 147

Trade Brains

JULY 13, 2025

The Piotroski Score is a financial tool that assesses a company’s financial strength on a scale of 0 to 9, with higher scores reflecting better performance. Commonly used by value investors, it helps identify financially sound investment opportunities. A lower score suggests weaker financial health and may signal higher investment risk. Financially strong stocks represent companies with solid financial fundamentals, including consistent revenue, profits, healthy cash flow, and strong market posi

Manufacturing 71

Manufacturing Investments Investing Engineering 71

Wealth Management

JULY 10, 2025

Advisor Anna Rathbun goes live with Grenadilla Advisory, a Cleveland-based RIA specializing in creating personalized alternative investment portfolios for clients.

Portfolio 252

Portfolio Clients Investments Investing 252

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Remote finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs—and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats have become more than just “growing pains”. They’re now liabilities. The challenge isn’t just team distribution, but building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.

Distribution