Wed.Dec 18, 2024

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Surprise! California’s 40 Qs of Rising Minimum Wage & Fast Food Industry Growth (Beating USA)

The Big Picture

@TBPInvictus here Our story so far : California has been raising its minimum wage for the past decade, starting at $8/hour through 2013. Many fast food workers (specifically) got bumped to $20/hour, from $16, in April (the law is very specific about who is eligible for the increase). Over that decade, with its minimum wage rising, California’s fast food industry has bested the rest of the US by leaps and bounds.

Food 306
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A Recordkeeping Checklist For Financial Planning Services: Proactive Documentation Of Service Delivery To Reduce Regulatory Scrutiny

Nerd's Eye View

Maintaining adequate books and records is a cornerstone of compliance for all investment advisers. While state and Federal regulations clearly outline recordkeeping requirements for areas like financials, advertisements, and trading records, there is a notable gap when it comes to documenting the delivery of services – especially financial planning services – necessary to justify the fees charged for those services.

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AIA: Architecture Billings "Flat" in November; Multi-family Billings Turn Slightly Positive

Calculated Risk

Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: ABI November 2024: Architecture firm billings remain flat Despite the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score dipping slightly below 50 for the month , it remains close enough to that threshold to indicate that the share of firms that reported declining billings was essentially the same as the share that reported increasing billings.

Investing 281
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Personal finance links: the idea of enough

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Peter Lazaroff talks stock options with Ally Jane Ayers, co-founder of Brooklyn FI and host of The Liquidity Event podcast. (peterlazaroff.com) Christine Benz talks money scripts with Brad Klontz, co-author of "Start Thinking Rich: 21 Harsh Truths to Take You from Broke to Financial Freedom." (morningstar.com) Katie Gatti Tassin talks with Ramit Sethi author of "Money for Couples: No More Stress.

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Live Demo - Supercharge your Month End Close

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

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Housing Starts Decreased to 1.289 million Annual Rate in November

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Housing Starts Decreased to 1.289 million Annual Rate in November A brief excerpt: Total housing starts in November were below expectations, however, starts in September and October were revised up slightly, combined. The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2023 (blue) and 2024 (red).

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A Tale of Two Recent QTIP Trust Termination Cases

Wealth Management

The Anenberg and McDougall decisions have broad implications for estate planning.

More Trending

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Long Island Firms Totaling $495M Join Commonwealth from Osaic

Wealth Management

The two firms share office space and opted to move jointly. This is the latest of several teams to move from Osaic to Commonwealth this year.

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MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 0.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 13, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

Economy 147
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Helping New Generational Clients Mitigate Money Anxiety

Wealth Management

Financial therapy can aid next gen clients address all their initial and ongoing worries and is essential to winning and maintaining their business long-term.

Clients 263
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FOMC Projections

Calculated Risk

Statement here. Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here , starting at 2:30 PM ET. Here are the projections. Since the last projections were released, economic growth has been above expectations, the unemployment rate is below expectations, and inflation close to expectations (although there are some "base effects" that might push PCE inflation up in Q4).

Banking 147
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2025 Industry Index: How Top Advisors Are Scaling Smarter (and Faster) This Year

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

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The Best Adjusted for Risk Podcast Moments of 2024

Wealth Management

Zephyr Market Strategist Ryan Nauman shares his favorite clips from Adjusted for Risk podcast episodes over the past year.

Marketing 261
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4th Look at Local Housing Markets in November

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 4th Look at Local Housing Markets in November A brief excerpt: The NAR is scheduled to release November Existing Home sales tomorrow, Thursday, December 19th at 10:00 AM. The consensus is for 3.97 million SAAR, up from 3.96 million in October. Last year, the NAR reported sales in November 2023 at 3.91 million SAAR.

Marketing 124
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Summit Stakes $1.3B North Carolina RIA

Wealth Management

The deal with Gordon Asset Management is part of the RIAs Summit Growth Partnersinitiative and represents its 18th strategic investment this year.

Assets 259
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Of Myths and Moving 2024

Diamond Consultants

Whats the reality when it comes to recruiting and transitions? An annual perspective for advisors. In nearly 30 years of counseling advisors, weve seen and heard it allespecially when it comes to the sensitive issue of transitions. There is so much information out there and so many varying and often conflicting perspectives that an advisor might rightfully feel paralyzed by indecision, uncertainty, and data overload.

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Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Are Key To Better Spend Management

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.

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Eight Takeaways From the 2024 Driving Firm Growth Study

Wealth Management

As advisory firms increasingly focus on developing inorganic and organic growth strategies, a new WealthManagement.com/WMIQ study provides some clues about whats actually driving firm growth.

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Validea’s Top Benjamin Graham Stocks – December 2024

Validea

Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, crafted a disciplined framework for discovering stocks trading below their true worth. Building on Graham’s foundational principles, Validea developed a systematic approach that emphasizes companies with proven financial health rather than those promising speculative returns. The strategy evaluates potential investments through several key lenses: First, companies must demonstrate fundamental strength.

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Augmented Humanity: How Tech Empowers Advisors to be Mechanics and Guides

Wealth Management

Shaping Wealth founder Brian Portnoy discusses the concept of augmented humanitythe idea that technology doesnt replace us but enhances our brilliance and creativity.

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The ETF That Melted My Computer

Random Roger's Retirement Planning

Someone on Bloomberg TV said something to the effect that today was Jerome Powell's worst performance in a post-FOMC press conference in his tenure. About the only thing that did well after the last hour carnage were first responder defensives like tail risk, inverse funds and VIX products. For what it's worth, the Alpha Architect Tail Risk ETF (CAOS) was up today.

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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

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.

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Wealth Management Invest: A Global Perspective on Wealth Investment in Private Markets with Partners Group’s Robert Collins

Wealth Management

In the Wealth Management Invest Podcast, Partners Group's Robert Collins explores the shift from public to private markets and its significance for investors.

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Animal Spirits: Eff You Money

A Wealth of Common Sense

Today’s Animal Spirits is brought to you by Westwood: See here for more information on Westwoods income strategies Get a random Animal Spirits chart here On today’s show, we discuss: Why the Stock Market Could Gain Another 20% in 2025 HUSSMAN: This Is One Of The Worst Times To Buy Stocks In History A Critique of John Hussman’s Chart of Estimated Future Equity Returns 22 eye-catching charts as we consi.

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With U.S. Equity Markets Pricing in Optimistic Consensus, Income-Generating Assets Look Attractive In 2025

Wealth Management

For investors sitting on large equity portfolio gains, 2025 should be a year to diversify their portfolios with a focus on income.

Assets 244
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Navigating Financial Services in a Digital World With Ryan Pinney

NAIFA Advisor Today

Ryan Pinney is an insurance and financial services professional known for his innovative approach to leveraging technology to enhance client experiences. A past National Trustee and a respected figure in the industry, he is renowned for his contributions to tech integration within financial services and his dedication to serving his clients and the larger community.

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How to Avoid Pitfalls In Automation: Keep Humans In the Loop

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.

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T&E Quiz: What Have You Learned from Reading Trusts & Estates in 2024?

Wealth Management

Have you been keeping up with the latest developments in trusts and estates law? Take this quiz to find out what youve learned by reading the 2024 articles in Trusts & Estates.

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Google Is Pushing Quantum Computing Closer to Reality

Advisor Perspectives

Alphabet Inc.’s Google has reanimated excitement over quantum computing with an announcement about how its new chip, Willow, trounced a classical computer to solve a mathematical equation much faster.

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401(k) Real Talk Episode 134: December 18, 2024

Wealth Management

Open, honest and candid discussion about Gallager acquiring Assured Partners, Vanguards new wealth unit, back to the office productivity and more.

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Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin Maintains Levels Over $100K

Advisor Perspectives

Bitcoin's closing price climbed above the $100,000 level. BTC is currently up ~140% year-to-date. Here are the latest charts on three of the largest cryptocurrencies by market share through 12/17/24.

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

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.

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Focused on the Future: Professionalizing Your Advisory Firm for Future Success

Wealth Management

RFG Advisory's Shannon Spotswood and Abby Salameh share effective strategies for driving organic growth and tips for fostering a thriving firm culture and community.

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Retail Sales Up 0.7% in November, Better Than Expected

Advisor Perspectives

The Census Bureau's Advance Retail Sales Report for November revealed headline sales were up 0.7% last month. The latest reading was higher than the expected 0.6% monthly growth in consumer spending.

Retail 52
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GST Tax Exempt Status Retained for Court-Modified Trust

Wealth Management

The proposed changes didnt shift the beneficial interest or extend the vesting period under the original trust.

Taxes 228
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What’s Important to Your Team?

Advisor Perspectives

I don’t have the ability to say what is the best for any given situation because every situation is different. I can, however, answer your question about why people are pushing back on the full-time return to the office.

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Stop Falling Short When It Matters Most—The Elite Advisor’s Playbook to Success

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?