Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: 1st Look at Local Housing Markets in January A brief excerpt: NOTE: The tables for active listings, new listings and closed sales all include a comparison to January 2019 for each local market (some 2019 data is not available). This is the first look at several early reporting local markets in January.
Nerd's Eye View
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller this week announced his plans to retire and step down from his position at the end of April next year. During his nearly two-decade tenure, Keller oversaw a near-doubling of the number of CFP professionals, the establishment of a new 501(c)(6) professional organization to promote the benefits of financial advice and planning careers, and up
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Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The headline jobs number in the January employment report was below expectations, however, November and December payrolls were revised up by 100,000 combined. The participation rate and the employment population ratio increased, and the unemployment rate decreased to 4.0%. Earlier: January Employment Report: 143 thousand Jobs, 4.0% Unemployment Rate Prime (25 to 54 Years Old) Participation Since the overall participation rate is impacted by both cyclical (recession) and demographic (aging popula
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
This week, I speak with Sahil Bloom, founder and managing partner of SRB Ventures , a Venture Capital focused on accelerating compelling startups. Sahil spent seven years in high finance, serving as Vice President of a private equity fund with $3.5 billion in assets under management. He holds multiple degrees from Stanford University, where he also played Division 1 baseball.
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Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Lawler: Revisions Almost Eliminate Household/Establishment Survey Employment Growth Gap A brief excerpt: From housing economist Tom Lawler: Revisions Almost Eliminate Household/Establishment Survey Employment Growth Gap Over the last few years there has been a sizable gap between trend growth in the Household Survey estimate of employment and the Establishment Survey estimate of employment, with the Household Survey showing significantly slow
Abnormal Returns
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Spotify Spotify ($SPOT) reported its first full year of profitability. (axios.com) Spotify ($SPOT) CEO Daniel Ek is selling a lot of stock. (honest-broker.com) Economy Patrick Collison talks with Noah Smith about the energy transition, falling fertility and thoughts on longer term growth. (noahpinion.blog) Stephen Dubner talks with Rebecca Allensworth about the state of professional licensing in the U.S.
Financial Advisor Source brings together the best content for financial advisor professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Big Picture
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
My end-of-week morning train WFH reads: 20 IRA Mistakes to Avoid : From contributions to conversions to distributions, dont fall into these traps. ( Morningstar ) Lets Talk About Tariffs : So. Tariff Man is back and apparently more serious than ever. At least for now. Lets talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. I hope this doesnt sound political, but thats probably unavoidable.
A Wealth of Common Sense
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Every year I update long-term return numbers for all of my various spreadsheets for charts, graphs, tables and such.1 From 1928-2024, the S&P 500 was up 9.94% on an annual basis. That’s pretty good. The last couple of years have seen strong returns (+26% and +25%, respectively) so I noticed the long-run number was ticking up. After the bloodbath in 2022, the long-term annual return was 9.6%.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Empower Personal Wealth, which staffs about 1,000 advisors, reported 29% asset growth in 2024.
Alpha Architect
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
While the media headlines are preaching doom, the fundamentals are telling a very different storycredit spreads have widened, and EBITDA multiples are the lowest they have been in a decade. The bottom line is that for investors able to accept its limited liquidity, private, senior, secured and sponsored by private equity direct lending continues to be a compelling component of a diversified portfolio deliver what has always attracted investors: high current income, resilience through market cycl
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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?
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Focal's John Connell explores the transformative power of agentic AI in the financial advisory space.
Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Note: Mortgage rates are from MortgageNewsDaily.com and are for top tier scenarios. For deaths, I'm currently using 4 weeks ago for "now", since the most recent three weeks will be revised significantly. Note: " Effective May 1, 2024, hospitals are no longer required to report COVID-19 hospital admissions, hospital capacity, or hospital occupancy data. " So I'm no longer tracking hospitalizations.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
CleverX Consulting aims to help small and mid-sized advisory firms navigate the M&A landscape, both before and after a transaction.
Calculated Risk
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
From Manheim Consulting today: Wholesale Used-Vehicle Prices Increased in January Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) moved 0.4% higher in January compared to December, causing the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) to increase to 205.6, a gain of 0.8% from a year ago. The seasonal adjustment to the index muted the movement for the month, as non-seasonally adjusted values rose faster than seasonally adjusted values.
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It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
More choice in remotely managing heldaway retirement assets, Orion announces numerous updates at annual conference, Smarsh acquires audio compliance vendor.
Validea
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The G-Score is a financial analysis framework created by Professor Partha Mohanram in 2005 to evaluate growth stocks, complementing the F-Score system that Joseph Piotroski developed for value stocks. It examines eight key indicators of a company’s financial health, with special attention to metrics that matter most for growth companies. The system looks at how consistently a company invests in its future through R&D, capital investments, and advertising.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The Anya Institute for Human Revolution aims to help advisors bring clients a more enlightened approach to financial planning.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Consumer sentiment declined for the second consecutive month, reaching its lowest level since July, according to the preliminary February report for the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. The index fell by 3.3 points (-4.6%), dropping to 67.8 from January's final reading of 71.1, and is down 11.8% from a year ago. The latest reading also came in below the forecasted 71.9.
Speaker: Sierre Lindgren
Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Our often grumpy technology columnist worries for advisors when it comes to large client inheritances, and other things.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Some of America’s leading financial firms are hoping to sell the White House on what sounds like a compelling idea: Open employer-sponsored retirement plans to the private investments they manage, so regular folks can reap returns currently reserved for the wealthy.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Orion shared the results of its third annual Advisor Wealthtech Survey and an inaugural survey of 1,000 investors during its Ascent conference.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
There is a general belief that there are four big indicators that the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee weighs heavily in their cycle identification process. This commentary focuses on one of these indicators: nonfarm employment. In January, total nonfarm payrolls increased by 143,000, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.0%.
Speaker: Aaron Berson
Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The deal to add Connecticut-based Eagle Ridge Investment Management boosts Carnegies employee headcount by more than 25%.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Official recession calls are the responsibility of the NBER Business Cycle Dating Committee, which is understandably vague about the specific indicators on which they base their decisions. There is, however, a general belief that there are four big indicators that the committee weighs heavily in their cycle identification process.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Empower Personal Wealth, which staffs about 1,000 advisors, reported 29% asset growth in 2024.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The latest employment report showed that 143,000 jobs were added in January, falling short of the expected 169,000. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged down to 4.0%.
Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System
Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The Anya Institute for Human Revolution aims to help advisors bring clients a more enlightened approach to financial planning.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
The yield on the 10-year note ended February 7, 2025 at 4.49%. Meanwhile, the 2-year note ended at 4.29% and the 30-year note ended at 4.69%.
Wealth Management
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
CleverX Consulting aims to help small and mid-sized advisory firms navigate the M&A landscape, both before and after a transaction.
Advisor Perspectives
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Investors are hungry for a piece of the US data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom, and a handful of initial public offerings expected in 2025 would feed that appetite.
Speaker: Ashley Harlan, MBA
What if your role as a fractional CFO went beyond operational support to actively shaping the future of your clients’ businesses? 💼 ✨ In this session, discover how fractional finance professionals can position themselves as architects of growth, guiding their clients toward sustainable success and preparing them for full-time financial leadership.
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