Nerd's Eye View

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have become an increasingly popular tool for financial advisors and their clients due in part to the 'triple tax savings' they offer: tax-deductible contributions, tax-free growth, and non-taxable distributions for qualifying expenses. However, HSAs require individuals to be covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), which has tradeoffs compared to traditional health insurance plans.

Accounting

Harness Wealth

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) is a provision that allows U.S. taxpayers to exclude a portion of their foreign-earned income from U.S. taxation. The rise of remote work and digital nomadism has made FEIE a common tax minimization strategy for Americans living abroad. Given FEIEs increased popularity, were going to explore the provision in this article, provide some understanding of how FEIE works in practice, and examine some of the other exemptions that U.S. expats can benefit from.

Taxes

The Big Picture

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

At the Money: Are Hedge Fund Right For You? (February 5, 2025) At five trillion dollars, hedge funds have never been more popular — or less hedged. Investors have lots of questions when allocating to this trading asset class, including how much capital do you need? What percentage of your portfolio should be allocated? Are all answered in our conversation.

Taxes

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 2.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending January 31, 2025. Last weeks results include an adjustment for the Martin Luther King holiday.

Government

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Accounting

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Podcasts Peter Lazaroff talks with Benjamin Brandt author of "Retirement Starts Today." (peterlazaroff.com) Michael Easter speaks with Sahil Bloom, the author of "The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life." (twopct.com) Carl Richards talks spending money with Joel Stein. (podcasts.apple.com) Housing The housing stock is aging.

Retirement

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

From ADP: ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 183,000 Jobs in January; Annual Pay was Up 4.7% We had a strong start to 2025 but it masked a dichotomy in the labor market, said Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. Consumer-facing industries drove hiring, while job growth was weaker in business services and production. emphasis added This was above the consensus forecast of 150,000.

Marketing

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported : The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $98.4 billion in December, up $19.5 billion from $78.9 billion in November, revised. December exports were $266.5 billion, $7.1 billion less than November exports. December imports were $364.9 billion, $12.4 billion more than November imports. emphasis added Click on graph for larger image.

Economics

Tobias Financial

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

We are proud to announce that our CFO, Edgar Collado, CEPA has been named a 2025 CFO Awards finalist by the South Florida Business Journal in the Under $100 Million category! This recognition highlights Edgars leadership, strategic thinking, and commitment to driving Tobias Financial Advisors forward. The CFO Awards honor Chief Financial Officers who serve as innovators, strategists, and pioneers in their industries.

Nonprofit

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Today, in the Real Estate Newsletter: Asking Rents Mostly Unchanged Year-over-year Brief excerpt: Another monthly update on rents. Tracking rents is important for understanding the dynamics of the housing market. Slower household formation and increased supply (more multi-family completions) has kept asking rents under pressure. Apartment List: Asking Rent Growth -0.5% Year-over-year.

Marketing

Abnormal Returns

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Crypto Banks could soon get the green light in crypto. (barrons.com) Bitcoin has bounced back to 58% of cryptocurrency market cap. (theblock.co) $TRUMP is down 75% from its peak. (fastcompany.com) Is Bitcoin really a safe haven? (etf.com) Private credit Apollo ($APO) plans to build a marketplace for private credit. (bloomberg.com) Pension funds plan to allocate even more to private credit.

Manufacturing

Speaker: Dylan Secrest, Founder of Alamo Innovation and Construction Digital Transformation Consultant

Construction payment workflows are notoriously complex when you consider juggling multiple stakeholders, compliance requirements, and evolving project scopes. Delays in approvals or misaligned data between budgets, lien waivers, and pay applications can grind progress to a halt. The good news? It doesn't have to be this way! Join expert Dylan Secrest to discover how leading contractors are turning payment chaos into clarity using digital workflows, integrated systems, and automation strategies.

Budgeting

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

A Personal Property Memorandum can provide flexibility, but clients should be aware of the risks.

Clients

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

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 a increase to 214 thousand from 207 thousand last week.

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Estate tax uncertainty may call for a more holistic approach.

Insurance

Calculated Risk

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

(Posted with permission). The ISM Services index was at 52.8%, down from 54.0% last month. The employment index increased to 52.3%, from 51.3%. Note: Above 50 indicates expansion, below 50 in contraction. From the Institute for Supply Management: Services PMI at 52.8% January 2025 Services ISM Report On Business Economic activity in the services sector expanded for the seventh consecutive month in January, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM Report On Bus

Economics

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Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Buffer products were particularly popular among ETF issuers during the month.

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

In an era of escalating challenges, businesses across the country are grappling with forces that are often beyond their control.

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Former Nitrogen CEO Aaron Klein opens up about the challenges and rewards of international adoption and his plan for building a new company.

Planning

Alpha Architect

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Since 2010, the S&P 500 has beaten the International Developed market in all but three years. This led the U.S. market to outperform International Developed by an astounding 8.14% compounded per year. Wowza! Talk about pain if youre a global investor. Is It Time to Ditch International Stocks? was originally published at Alpha Architect. Please read the Alpha Architect disclosures at your convenience.

Marketing

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. If you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner—and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top (a concept first popularized by Marshall Goldsmith in his book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There ). What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level.

Accounting

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Clearstead Advisors' acquisition of Chicago-based Waveland Family Office is the first announced by $47B RIA under new CEO and President Bradley Knapp.

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Vanguard Group Inc.’s biggest salvo yet in its campaign to cut fees for the investing masses presents industry rivals with a painful choice.

Investing

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Crucial clarifications provided that will impact covered gifts and bequests.

Taxes

Norman Marks

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Ater graduating from the London School of Economics, I joined the external audit firm of what is now PwC. As a very junior financial auditor[1], my working papers were subject to intensive review by the audit seniors. I remember being told to redo several (in ink) because I had not used the correct tick mark.

Economics

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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

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Jarrod Biebel, a former Raymond James advisor, has created TrekNorth Investment Management in the Denver area, while James Horn, a former Edelman advisor with two offices in upstate New York, has founded Matterhorn Private Wealth.

Management

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The ADP employment report revealed that 183,000 nonfarm private jobs were added in January, higher than the expected 148,000 addition.

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Critical infrastructure projects like data centers, telecommunications towers, and renewable-energy generation assets have continued to accrue capital.

Investments

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The January U.S. Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) from S&P Global came in at 52.9, slightly above the 52.8 forecast. The reading marks the 24th consecutive month of expansion but is the weakest since April.

Management

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

Management

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

CEO Ryan Parker says the firms aggressive acquisition strategy is driven by the desire to win the war for talent and set the stage for long-term organic growth.

Advisor Perspectives

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The Census Bureau released its latest quarterly report for Q4 2024 showing the latest homeownership rate is at 65.7%, up from Q3 but practically unchanged from a year ago.

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Open, honest and candid discussion about DC providers skeptical of AI, Pontera's partnership with Orion, KKR moving into the 401(k) market and more.

Marketing

SEI

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Inflation is the wild card

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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