Calculated Risk

APRIL 17, 2024

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 3.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 12, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 3.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Economy 308

Economy Marketing Marketing 308

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

The bill was expedited after Iran attacked Israel over the weekend.

Taxes 299

Taxes 299

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 17, 2024

Podcasts Roger Whitney talks retirement challenges with Christine Benz. (youtube.com) Sam Parr talks with 'Ryan' and 'Jeff' about the reality of retiring early. (podcasts.apple.com) Peter Lazaroff talks with Taylor Schulte and Benjamin Brandt about the new Retirement Podcast Network. (peterlazaroff.com) Justin Castelli talks curiosity and more with Tom Morgan.

Retirement 278

Retirement Taxes Insurance Investing 278

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Taimur Baig’s move to Raymond James from Morgan Stanley is the latest of several teams joining the firm’s employee advisor channel from the wirehouse this year.

289

289

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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

Calculated Risk

APRIL 17, 2024

Fed's Beige Book Overall economic activity expanded slightly , on balance, since late February. Ten out of twelve Districts experienced either slight or modest economic growth—up from eight in the previous report, while the other two reported no changes in activity. Consumer spending barely increased overall, but reports were quite mixed across Districts and spending categories.

Economics 273

Economics Manufacturing Sales Banking 273

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Astraea Wealth has launched on the Equita platform, focusing on women, LGBTQ clients and “anxious savers,” while Apella Wealth tops $4 billion in AUM with ClearLogic Financial deal.

Clients 289

Clients 289

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Indirect transfers weren’t gifts because they were made in the ordinary course of business.

Taxes 278

Taxes 278

Calculated Risk

APRIL 17, 2024

Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. Thursday: • At 8:30 AM ET, The initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for 217 thousand initial claims, up from 211 thousand last week. • Also at 8:30 AM, the Philly Fed manufacturing survey for April. The consensus is for a reading of 0.0, down from 3.2. • At 10:00 AM, Existing Home Sales for March from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Sales 272

Sales Manufacturing 272

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

While the number and types of direct indexing solutions continue to grow, it is worth reviewing some of the potential benefits of its use.

Taxes 277

Taxes Numbers 277

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 17, 2024

After advisors do all of the work of bringing on a new client (Marketing! Prospecting! Onboarding! Compliance!), it can sometimes feel natural to let the relationship go into "maintenance mode". And while all may appear well on the surface – the client rarely contacts the advisor with problems but they show up for every annual meeting – they may actually be feeling quite disengaged with the financial planning services being provided.

Clients 246

Clients Financial Planning Planning Compliance 246

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

APRIL 17, 2024

Open, honest and candid discussion about the DOL rule, Pontera's new retirement plan leadership, the resurgence of senior workers and more.

Retirement Planning 277

Retirement Planning Retirement Planning 277

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 17, 2024

Rates The Treasury market is buying into a 'higher for longer' scenario. (capitalspectator.com) The stock market was not counting on higher yields in 2024. (downtownjoshbrown.com) Strategy Geopolitics and investing don't mix well. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) Why broader diversification hasn't paid off as of late. (morningstar.com) There's no single explanation why small caps have lagged large caps in the U.S.

Financial Advising 173

Financial Advising Media Economy Economics 173

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Verdence/RIA+ will continue to offer outsourced investment management, with added services around succession, compliance and more.

Compliance 276

Compliance Management Investing Investments 276

Calculated Risk

APRIL 17, 2024

Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container).

Retail 147

Retail 147

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

APRIL 17, 2024

In 2017, Cheryl Canzanella lost her husband to an accidental overdose. Now, she’s working to educate advisors on how they can help families ripped apart by the opioid crisis.

Education 264

Education 264

Alpha Architect

APRIL 17, 2024

The CFA designation has for long been recognized as the gold standard for investment analysts. But like anything that is worth pursuing, obtaining the charter is no easy task. How to Crush the CFA Exams On Your First Attempt: Part I was originally published at Alpha Architect. Please read the Alpha Architect disclosures at your convenience.

Investing 113

Investing Investments Education 113

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Lawrence M. Friedman, professor of law, Stanford Law School, Stanford, Calif.

264

264

Random Roger's Retirement Planning

APRIL 17, 2024

The idea of building an All-Weather portfolio of course has its appeal. The basic idea is to be much less volatile than the broad market or the typical 60/40 portfolio. However, All-Weather is less likely to be appealing when markets are going up, which they do most of the time. Several years into a rising bull market and investors forget the pain of large declines and drift away from the important All-Weather traits to include into a diversified portfolio.

Portfolio 102

Portfolio Asset Allocation Advertising Numbers 102

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

APRIL 17, 2024

David Horton, the Martin Luther King, Jr. professor of law at the University of California, Davis, School of Law in Davis, Calif. and Reid Kress Weisbord, distinguished professor of law at Rutgers Law School in Newark, N.J. and the Judge Norma L. Shapiro Scholar.

264

264

Trade Brains

APRIL 17, 2024

Three white soldiers candlestick pattern: In the field of stock market analysis, technical analysts utilize chart and candlestick patterns to assess stock prices and project future trends. Each pattern holds valuable information that provides insight into the market’s direction. Through analyzing and interpreting these patterns, analysts can make informed predictions regarding the future movements of stocks, thus enabling investors to make well-informed investment decisions.

Marketing 102

Marketing Marketing Banking Investments 102

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

An emerging trend.

264

264

A Wealth of Common Sense

APRIL 17, 2024

Today’s Animal Spirits is brought to you by YCharts: See here for YCharts’ quarterly economic update slide deck! See here for tickets to The Compound and Friends LIVE in Los Angeles On today’s show, we discuss: Will the growth of indexing lead to its downfall? Fund industry’s asset mix offers encouraging sign CPI Data – motor vehicle insurance Why car insurance rates are so high Th.

Insurance 99

Insurance Marketing Marketing Economics 99

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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

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

How to reduce risk in light of CCA 202352018.

264

264

Advisor Perspectives

APRIL 17, 2024

While immigration has positively impacted economic growth and disinflation, this story has a dark side.

Economics 85

Economics 85

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Danaya C. Wright, professor of law, University of Florida Law in Gainesville, Fla.

264

264

SEI

APRIL 17, 2024

Public Invited to Monitor Conference Call at 4:30 p.m.

59

59

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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?

Sales

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

The most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Investments 264

Investments Investing 264

Carson Wealth

APRIL 17, 2024

Carson Wealth announced that four of the firm’s wealth advisors were named to the Forbes 2024 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding financial advisors who have demonstrated excellence in their field and are committed to providing exceptional service to their clients. The following advisors were recognized on this year’s list: #12 Jason Juhl, RICP ® , AIF ® , Partner & Wealth Advisor, Carson Wealth in West Des Moines, Iowa #26 Michael David , AIF ®

Wealth Advisor 52

Wealth Advisor Compliance Financial Advisor Clients 52

Wealth Management

APRIL 17, 2024

Roger Colinvaux, professor, The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C.

264

264

SEI

APRIL 17, 2024

Part one: Jim Solloway, Chief market strategist and senior portfolio manager, and Vivian Estadt, Client service director, present our economic outlook in this two-part series.

Portfolio Management 52

Portfolio Management Economics Portfolio Clients 52

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Accounting