Calculated Risk

JANUARY 14, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Part 1: Current State of the Housing Market; Overview for mid-January 2025 A brief excerpt: This 2-part overview for mid-January provides a snapshot of the current housing market. I always focus first on inventory, since inventory usually tells the tale ! Im watching months-of-supply closely. New home inventory, as a percentage of total inventory, is still very high.

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Marketing Marketing Numbers Sales 278

Abnormal Returns

JANUARY 14, 2025

C-suite Narcissistic CEOs take unnecessary risks. (on.ft.com) Why some female CEOs get downgraded by investors. (klementoninvesting.substack.com) The bigger a firm gets, the more it spends on lobbying. (papers.ssrn.com) Research How much of the S&P 500's returns in 2024 came from idiosyncratic factors? (mailchi.mp) Don't forget that active ETFs can be sold short.

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Calculated Risk

JANUARY 14, 2025

There were four bank failures in 2024. The median number of failures since the FDIC was established in 1933 was 7 - so 2 failures in 2024 was below the median. There were five bank failures in 2023, however 3 of the failures were larger banks: First Republic Bank, San Francisco, CA, Signature Bank, New York, NY, Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, CA.

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A Wealth of Common Sense

JANUARY 14, 2025

One of my favorite market datasets just got its annual update. Aswath Damodaran at NYU publishes a yearly update of returns for stocks (S&P 500), bonds (10 year Treasuries), cash (3-month T-bills), real estate, gold and inflation going back to 1928. Plus this year he added small caps to the mix.1 These are the long-term returns for each asset class from 1928-2024: Stocks +9.94% Small caps +11.74% Bonds +4.50% Cash +3.

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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

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 14, 2025

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 420th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Michelle Underwood Gass. Michelle is the Founding Principal of Paradigm Advisors, an RIA based in Dallas, Texas, that oversees approximately $110 million in assets under management for 80 client households. What's unique about Michelle, though, is the way she created a structured meeting process to navigate around the places where new clients often get stuck, standardized thei

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Financial Planning Clients Planning Financial Advisor 130

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

Nonetheless, investors should focus on building portfolios that are "antifragile.

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Economics Portfolio 289

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

Joe DeVico, BlackRock's co-head of wealth advisory, discusses the explosion in interest in model portfolios.

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Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)

JANUARY 14, 2025

By Jamie McIntyre, CFP It was pretty clear from the regulator that they didn’t want product to be the focus of what a financial planner or financial advisor led with. So with that, the message was clear: Don’t lead with a financial product as the tool that is going to help someone. Lead with advice and understanding them and what it is they really need.

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Financial Planner Education Communication CFP 94

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

Morningstar looks at whether investor portfolios should be flipped to 40/60 as bonds become more attractive. Allianz has rolled out two fund of funds that focus on buffer ETFs, reports etf.com. These are among the investment must reads we found this week for wealth advisors.

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Wealth Advisor Investing Investments Portfolio 275

Validea

JANUARY 14, 2025

The transformative power of Artificial Intelligence extends far beyond technology – it’s reshaping industries, consumer behavior, and the very fabric of modern business. As AI continues to dominate market sentiment, companies at the forefront of this revolution have not only fueled impressive stock market gains but are positioned to be key drivers of economic expansion in the decades ahead.

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Economics Sales Marketing Marketing 59

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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

Clients

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

Mariner has acquired Cincinnati, Ohio-based Cassady Schiller Wealth, Englewood, Colo.-based Jenkins Wealth and Marlborough, Mass.-based Triton Financial Group.

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Tobias Financial

JANUARY 14, 2025

The beginning of a new year is a wonderful time to take stock of your financial situation and ensure your financial plan is aligned with your current needs and goals. Life often brings small changes that may seem insignificant at first, but over time, they can add up and have a meaningful impact on your financial picture. To help you get started, weve provided a checklist designed to guide you through key areas to review, such as: Your Goals: Are you making progress toward existing goals, or do

Financial Planning 52

Financial Planning Planning Taxes Assets 52

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

FP Alpha is unbundling its tax service from its larger offering. FP Alpha TAX is essential, as clients increasingly want tax help, according to Andrew Altfest.

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Taxes Clients 264

Financial Symmetry

JANUARY 14, 2025

International stocks have not done well recently compared with U.S. stocks. The 2024 return of international stocks (as measured by the MSCI World ex USA Index) was just under 5%, lagging by nearly 20 percentage points the return of U.S. … Continued The post International Stocks and Recency Bias appeared first on Financial Symmetry, Inc.

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Marketing Marketing 52

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

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

According to CEO Jeff Dekko, acquiring Northwest Investment Counselors will help Wealth Enhancement better serve clients in the growing region.

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Clients Investing Investments 258

NAIFA Advisor Today

JANUARY 14, 2025

NAIFA members are invited to a free webinar, "Social Media Solutions for NAIFA Members: Campaigns, Stories, Tools," today, January 14, at 12 noon eastern. Presented by Life Happens Social Media Specialist Corey Goodburn, the presentation will provide an introduction to various social media platforms and how NAIFA members benefit from exclusive Life Happens content and services.

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Media 52

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

The investment from FJM, which has its roots in convenience stores, will help Balentine with succession planning and growth.

Management 258

Management Planning Investing Investments 258

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

We need to face the reality that we’ve chosen a system that prioritizes lower taxes over centralized health care.

Healthcare 111

Healthcare Taxes 111

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

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

For the vast majority of investors, there are safer, more transparent ways to save for retirement.

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Retirement 251

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

The headline number for the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index surged to its highest level in over six years last month, coming in at 105.1. December's reading marks the 2nd consecutive month the index has been above the historical average of 97.9 and was higher than the forecast of 101.3.

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Numbers 98

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

Mandell Crawley, a 32-year veteran of the firm and one of its senior-most Black executives, will run the integrated firm management organization as chief client officer.

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Client Management Clients Management 239

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

For firms chasing digital empowerment it’s especially important to pay attention to the first 60 days of onboarding with a new technology and tech provider.

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Speaker: Erroll Amacker

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.

Accounting

Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

The deal with Stonebrook Private represents Elevation Points first strategic investment since its inception in June.

Investing 231

Investing Investments 231

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

“Risk,” according to London Business School’s Elroy Dimson, “means that more things can happen than will happen.” Serhii Plokhy’s Chernobyl Roulette provides the reader with a compelling demonstration of that dictum.

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Yardley Wealth Management

JANUARY 14, 2025

The post How do I know if I Have an Unclaimed 401(k)? appeared first on Yardley Wealth Management, LLC. How Do I Know if I Have an Unclaimed 401(k)? Have you ever wondered if you have an unclaimed 401(k) account lingering from a previous job? These forgotten accounts, often called “orphan plans,” can accumulate over time, especially if you’ve changed jobs frequently.

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Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

The median household is the statistical center of the Middle Class. Let's take a closer look at the Census Bureau's latest annual household income data with a focus on middle class income. In this update, we'll focus on the growing gap between the median (middle) and mean (average) household incomes across the complete time frame of the Census Bureau's annual reporting from 1867 to 2023.

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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.

Accounting

SEI

JANUARY 14, 2025

With 70% of inheritances projected to go first to women, the industry isnt talking enough about the Great Female Wealth Transfer. Read more from SEI's Sneha Shah.

Marketing 52

Marketing Marketing 52

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors

JANUARY 14, 2025

Syl Michelin, Expat Financial Advisor at Walkner Condon, evaluates AI's impact on financial market performance. He highlights its influence on momentum investing and the concerns it generates over valuations and productivity in a complex economic landscape.

Financial Market 52

Financial Market Marketing Marketing Valuation 52

Advisor Perspectives

JANUARY 14, 2025

The 20th century Baby Boom was one of the most powerful demographic events in the history of the United States. We've created a series of charts to show seven age cohorts of the employed population from 1948 to the present.

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SEI

JANUARY 14, 2025

Leaders to Support Strategic Growth Across Global Operations

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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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