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The Cleveland Fed released the median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI: According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the median Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in December. The 16% trimmed-mean Consumer Price Index increased 0.4% in December. "The median CPI and 16% trimmed-mean CPI are measures of core inflation calculated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland based on data released in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly CPI report".
The DOL reported : In the week ending January 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 205,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 204,000 to 206,000. The 4-week moving average was 212,500, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average.
Where are top advisors focusing in 2025? AcquireUp’s 2025 Industry Index reveals it all. Based on insights from 200+ financial professionals nationwide, discover why 74% say seminars and referrals deliver the best ROI, how automation is helping advisors scale faster, and why only 8% are tapping into niche marketing (a major growth opportunity!). Whether you're refining your client acquisition strategy or scaling your practice, this report gives you the real-world data, benchmarks, and action ste
From the BLS : The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) declined 0.1 percent in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, after increasing 0.1 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 6.5 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for gasoline was by far the largest contributor to the monthly all items decrease, more than offsetting increases in shelter indexes.
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-January A brief excerpt: And here is a graph comparing the YoY change in the NAR median prices vs the Case-Shiller National Index (the median is distorted by the mix of homes sold, and also lagged since this is for closing prices). The YoY change in the median price peaked at 25.2% in May 2021 and has now slowed to 3.5%.
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-January A brief excerpt: And here is a graph comparing the YoY change in the NAR median prices vs the Case-Shiller National Index (the median is distorted by the mix of homes sold, and also lagged since this is for closing prices). The YoY change in the median price peaked at 25.2% in May 2021 and has now slowed to 3.5%.
Morningstar looks at the current REIT value proposition for investors in commercial real estate. GlobeSt.com talks about which two signals investors should focus on this year. These are among today’s must reads from around the commercial real estate industry.
As comprehensive financial planning has become more widely adopted, many financial advisors have felt pressure to find new ways to differentiate themselves by demonstrating their unique value to clients. And while providing fee-only advice or highlighting service as a fiduciary may have once been a fair differentiator, these services are now often considered table stakes, necessitating financial advisors to find more creative solutions that show current and prospective clients that they provide
A sale could attract private-equity firms and value the closely held business at more than $10 billion, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday, though the plans are still in an early stage.
Earlier I posted some questions on my blog for next year: Ten Economic Questions for 2023. Some of these questions concern real estate (inventory, house prices, housing starts, new home sales), and I’ll post thoughts on those in the newsletter (others like GDP and employment will be on this blog). I'm adding some thoughts, and maybe some predictions for each question. 2) Employment: The economy added 4.5 million jobs in 2022.
Speaker: Claire Grosjean, Global Finance & Operations Executive
Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.
Strategy Why you likely won't identify the next financial fraud ahead of time. (capitalallocators.com) Bitcoin is still trading like a high beta asset. (allstarcharts.com) Companies Nelson Peltz has a bone to pick with Bob Iger and Disney ($DIS). (wsj.com) Swearing is on the rise in corporate earnings calls. (ft.com) Microsoft Why everyone is keeping an eye on Microsoft ($MSFT) and OpenAI.
Excerpts An excerpt from “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity” by Gloria Mark. (wsj.com) A Q&A with Lauren Fleshman author of "Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World." (npr.org) Longreads How the Big Five technology firms are poised to integrate AI tools. (stratechery.com) The Winkeloss twins bet on crypto.
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.
An annual digest of 2022 commentary for financial advisors and business owners on topics including achieving autonomy, considering change, serving clients’ needs, succession, next gen, growth and more.
A reader asks: Should most investors reinvest their dividends – why or why not? My initial thought is while still accumulating assets yes, but when withdrawing in retirement take the dividends in cash. I have read stats that say a large percentage of compound returns come from reinventing dividends so seems like a good move and another way to dollar cost average on a smaller scale but maybe I’m missing something.
If you’ve resolved to add more meaning to your work in 2023 using your skills as a financial planner, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered seven unique volunteer opportunities for financial professionals, including pro bono financial planning. One of the options even counts as continuing education credit. Why volunteer? It turns out that helping people manage their money might literally be a lifeline.
Automation is transforming finance but without strong financial oversight it can introduce more risk than reward. From missed discrepancies to strained vendor relationships, accounts payable automation needs a human touch to deliver lasting value. This session is your playbook to get automation right. We’ll explore how to balance speed with control, boost decision-making through human-machine collaboration, and unlock ROI with fewer errors, stronger fraud prevention, and smoother operations.
Lessen raised $500 million in equity and debt to help finance the deal, valuing the firm at more than $2 billion. Monroe Capital and Invitation Homes Inc. were among investors participating in the funding.
By Matt Pais, MDRT Content Specialist With no shortage of work to be done, it can be difficult to find time for life outside the office. Jonathan M. Owens, CFP, AIF , a 12-year MDRT member from Clackamas, Oregon, sets numerous boundaries to make sure that doesn’t happen. He doesn’t work before 8:30 a.m., and the reason is that he goes to the gym every morning.
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.
Note : This commentary has been updated with the latest numbers from the latest Employment Report for December. Consider: Today nearly one in three of the 65-69 cohort and one in five of the 70-74 cohort are in the labor force.
While there may be a debate whether risk should be assessed using qualitative or quantitative measures, I believe that is answering the wrong question. Knowing what the level of risk is, even whether it is an unacceptable level of risk, is insufficient information. It doesn’t answer the questions of: Should I take the risk? How […].
By Jack Forehand, CFA, CFP® ( @practicalquant ) —. Many investors tend to have a style that they gravitate toward because it makes the most intuitive sense to them. And when it comes to building their portfolios, they tend to focus on that style. For me, that style is value. It just makes sense to me to try to pay less for a dollar of earnings or cash flow.
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?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the December Consumer Price Index data this morning. The year-over-year non-seasonally adjusted Headline CPI came in at 6.45%, down from 7.11% the previous month. Year-over-year Core CPI (ex Food and Energy) came in at 5.71%, down from 5.96% the previous month.
The NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security is pleased to announce that Gregory Jean Baptiste and Brooke Bastiaans-Brooks are recipients of the inaugural NAIFA Foundation Diversity Scholarship. Jean Baptiste holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in finance from Brigham Young University-Idaho and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in financial planning and analytics at Utah Valley University.
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.
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