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 234

Accounting Taxes Medical Healthcare 234

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 179

Government Marketing Marketing 179

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 162

Retirement Banking Planning Management 162

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 179

Marketing Marketing 179

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Accounting

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 147

Taxes Portfolio Management Investing 147

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 147

Marketing Marketing 147

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 147

Economics 147

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Estate tax uncertainty may call for a more holistic approach.

Insurance 260

Insurance Taxes Marketing Marketing 260

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.

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147

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 256

Planning 256

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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

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 52

Taxes Compliance Accounting Government 52

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.

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252

Random Roger's Retirement Planning

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

The Retirement Manifesto Blog had a post about the "5 Top Regrets of Retirees." It's a good short read and maybe you will agree with the author or disagree but an underlying current to what he isolated as regrets seemed to be about optionality that was either not preserved or was just given away. The first regret was not saving enough money. We've been talking for ages about the idea of doing favors for your future self.

Retirement 52

Retirement Retirement Planning Medical Planning 52

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Crucial clarifications provided that will impact covered gifts and bequests.

Taxes 251

Taxes 251

Advertisement

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.

Accounting

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 52

Nonprofit Financial Advisor Accounting Management 52

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 251

Management Investing Investments 251

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 113

Economics Management 113

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

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

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247

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.

Assets

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.

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95

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

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

Investing 240

Investing Investments Assets 240

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 82

Marketing Marketing Asset Allocation Media 82

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.

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235

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

Management

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 69

Investing Investments 69

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 204

Marketing Marketing 204

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 59

Economics Government 59

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Dave Breslin, formerly head of First Republics private-wealth unit, is launching GC Wealth.

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201

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.

Accounting

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.

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59

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

According to the complaint filed in Arizona federal court, the firms cash sweep practices violate common law, federal law and industry regulations.

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159

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 59

Management 59

Wealth Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Cohen & Steers, a long-time mutual and closed-end fund manager, is making a move into ETFs with three strategies.

Management 159

Management 159

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.

Clients