June, 2016

article thumbnail

The Market’s Response To Crisis

The Irrelevant Investor

The most important thing long-term investors need to see today is the market's response to crisis, courtesy of Dimensional Funds. The chart above should put the Brexit in perspective. Nobody knows yet what the implications will be, but I'm pretty confident that this is no more significant than any of the six events above. Now of course there are never any guarantees, that's what risk means.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S.

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S. achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 The speakers for the session entitled, "Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S.," wasted no time digging down to a bedrock question—why should Americans care about a widening gap between rich and poor? Alexis de Tocqueville provided the answer: "self-interest rightly understood.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Gene Editing: Empowering a Cure for Cancer and Other Medical Breakthroughs

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Gene Editing: Empowering a Cure for Cancer and Other Medical Breakthroughs achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 Through genetic modification, humans are taking the reins from Mother Nature, making huge strides in fields such as human nutrition and health. Editing genes can help parents with genetic diseases bear healthy babies. Such technology can also lead to the creation of higher-yielding crops and cure cancer with immune cells that are injected into the human body.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Hope vs. Fear: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Arab Youth

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Hope vs. Fear: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Arab Youth achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 The Middle East, although torn by conflict, shows long-term promise, with a proportionally large and growing population of youth that is online, tech savvy and eager to find economic opportunities. Indeed, the misperception that Arab youth are hostile militants prompts diplomatic approaches to the region that are detrimental to people both within and outside the Arab world, according to the panelis

article thumbnail

8 Ways to Torture Your CFO

The office of the CFO is rapidly evolving, with more and more demands being placed upon the finance and accounting team each year. Join us in this webinar, where we share 8 things to NOT do when it comes to helping the CFO office advance in supporting the business. Learning Objectives: This course objective is to understand how best to support an organization's finance leadership.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Energy, Money and the New World Economy

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Energy, Money and the New World Economy achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 The benefits to the U.S. from its “revolution” in shale oil production have been far-reaching. The industry generated millions of jobs in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Indeed, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called the shale boom one of the biggest boosts to the U.S. economy since 2008.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Autonomous Systems: Ethics at the Edge of Technology

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Autonomous Systems: Ethics at the Edge of Technology achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 The limits to what humans can create seem bound only by the limits of human imagination. Advances in computing and connectivity have thrust us into a new world of increasingly sophisticated robots and other "autonomous systems." Such progress, while exciting, can provoke anxiety and pose ethical challenges.

More Trending

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | China’s Age of Ambition

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | China’s Age of Ambition achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 Friction will probably persist in Sino-U.S. relations as China grows increasingly assertive and discards its long-standing strategy to “hide strength and bide time,” according to Evan Osnos, a China specialist and correspondent with The New Yorker. “We are in an era of strategic anxiety with China,” Osnos said in a NOW presentation.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Strokes, Science & Video Games: Breaking New Neurological Ground in Treating Stroke Patients

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Strokes, Science & Video Games: Breaking New Neurological Ground in Treating Stroke Patients achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 Stroke persists as a scourge even in countries with the most advanced medical care. In the U.S., one out of every five people between the ages of 55 and 75 suffers a stroke, and currently there is no option available to treat or reverse the resulting damage to the brain.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Putin’s World

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Putin’s World achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 On Feb. 27, 2014, unidentified troops, referred to as “little green men” in news reports, stormed the Crimean peninsula. Within days, the soldiers occupied the Crimean Parliament prior to a vote by lawmakers to replace the regional prime minister with a member of the Russian Unity party and hold a referendum to join Russia.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | The Reality of Climate Change

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | The Reality of Climate Change achen Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27 A change in climate caused by a buildup in greenhouse gases may bring a host of afflictions, including a reduction in crop yields and mass migration of people in several regions, according to the speakers in the NOW session titled, “The Reality of Climate Change: Impacts on Health, Food, Water and National Security.

article thumbnail

How to Streamline Payment Applications & Lien Waivers Through Innovative Construction Technology

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.

article thumbnail

Welcome to the NOW 2016 Review and Videos

Brown Advisory

Welcome to the NOW 2016 Review and Videos. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. A Note from Michael Hankin, President and CEO of Brown Advisory. I love our NOW conferences. NOW, which is short for “Navigating Our World,” is a forum in which we join with clients and friends to learn from thought leaders about some of today’s most profound changes in technology, geopolitics and other fields.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S.

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. The speakers for the session entitled, "Reviving the American Dream: Confronting Inequality in the U.S.," wasted no time digging down to a bedrock question—why should Americans care about a widening gap between rich and poor? Alexis de Tocqueville provided the answer: "self-interest rightly understood.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Gene Editing: Empowering a Cure for Cancer and Other Medical Breakthroughs

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Gene Editing: Empowering a Cure for Cancer and Other Medical Breakthroughs. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. Through genetic modification, humans are taking the reins from Mother Nature, making huge strides in fields such as human nutrition and health. Editing genes can help parents with genetic diseases bear healthy babies. Such technology can also lead to the creation of higher-yielding crops and cure cancer with immune cells that are injected into the human body.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Hope vs. Fear: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Arab Youth

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Hope vs. Fear: Winning the Hearts and Minds of Arab Youth. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. The Middle East, although torn by conflict, shows long-term promise, with a proportionally large and growing population of youth that is online, tech savvy and eager to find economic opportunities. Indeed, the misperception that Arab youth are hostile militants prompts diplomatic approaches to the region that are detrimental to people both within and outside the Arab world, according to the pane

article thumbnail

Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: What Really Matters

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.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Energy, Money and the New World Economy

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Energy, Money and the New World Economy. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. The benefits to the U.S. from its “revolution” in shale oil production have been far-reaching. The industry generated millions of jobs in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Indeed, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called the shale boom one of the biggest boosts to the U.S. economy since 2008.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Autonomous Systems: Ethics at the Edge of Technology

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Autonomous Systems: Ethics at the Edge of Technology. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. The limits to what humans can create seem bound only by the limits of human imagination. Advances in computing and connectivity have thrust us into a new world of increasingly sophisticated robots and other "autonomous systems." Such progress, while exciting, can provoke anxiety and pose ethical challenges.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | The Future of College: Is It Worth the Money?

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | The Future of College: Is It Worth the Money? achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. The payoff from higher education is clear—college graduates generate 65% more in lifetime earnings than people with only a high school diploma. Their advantage has more than doubled since the 1980s, largely because innovation has increased demand for highly skilled workers.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | China’s Age of Ambition

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | China’s Age of Ambition. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. Friction will probably persist in Sino-U.S. relations as China grows increasingly assertive and discards its long-standing strategy to “hide strength and bide time,” according to Evan Osnos, a China specialist and correspondent with The New Yorker. “We are in an era of strategic anxiety with China,” Osnos said in a NOW presentation.

article thumbnail

How To Overcome Change Fatigue In Finance With Neuroscience-Backed Strategies

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.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Strokes, Science & Video Games: Breaking New Neurological Ground in Treating Stroke Patients

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Strokes, Science & Video Games: Breaking New Neurological Ground in Treating Stroke Patients. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. Stroke persists as a scourge even in countries with the most advanced medical care. In the U.S., one out of every five people between the ages of 55 and 75 suffers a stroke, and currently there is no option available to treat or reverse the resulting damage to the brain.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Driverless Cars: Transforming Energy and Mobility

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Driverless Cars: Transforming Energy and Mobility. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. Driverless cars will vastly improve what it means to be “on the road,” according to Lawrence Burns, advisor to Google on the Future of Transportation and Mobility. So-called autonomous vehicles could reduce the 1.2 million annual fatalities on world roads by 80%.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | Putin’s World

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | Putin’s World. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. On Feb. 27, 2014, unidentified troops, referred to as “little green men” in news reports, stormed the Crimean peninsula. Within days, the soldiers occupied the Crimean Parliament prior to a vote by lawmakers to replace the regional prime minister with a member of the Russian Unity party and hold a referendum to join Russia.

article thumbnail

NOW 2016 | The Reality of Climate Change

Brown Advisory

NOW 2016 | The Reality of Climate Change. achen. Thu, 06/23/2016 - 10:27. A change in climate caused by a buildup in greenhouse gases may bring a host of afflictions, including a reduction in crop yields and mass migration of people in several regions, according to the speakers in the NOW session titled, “The Reality of Climate Change: Impacts on Health, Food, Water and National Security.

article thumbnail

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

article thumbnail

Simplexity

The Irrelevant Investor

Nick Murray once said "if you want to suppress volatility, you will suppress returns." This definitely applies to many investors who either try to time the market on their own, or turn to complex and often times dangerous strategies designed to deliver stock like returns with bond like risk. Such a strategy by definition, cannot deliver on its promise.

article thumbnail

Never Ready

The Irrelevant Investor

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”- Woody Allen My mother passed away five years ago today. At just 56 years old, she was robbed of her future. I wasn't ready for her to go. But today I'm reminded that we are creatures of survival, that healing is in every fiber of our being. And although I'm still not ready to live the rest of my life without her, our mind and our body doesn't wait for us to be ready; it doesn't ask for our permission.

article thumbnail

Historical Returns Versus Investor Returns

The Irrelevant Investor

The 1950s were a great time to be an investor. It was the only decade where stocks began at the lows and finished right near the highs. Furthermore, the total return on the S&P 500 was 486%, the strongest of any decade ever. But when looking at historical returns, we fail to see what really matters, which of course are investor returns. It's highly unlikely that they captured anywhere close to the 486% advance in the S&P 500.

article thumbnail

Triple Threat

The Irrelevant Investor

George Soros, one of the most successful investors of all time, just came out of retirement to bet against the U.S. stock market. Carl Icahn is 150% net short. Stanley Druckenmiller is in the same boat. Yikes, you wouldn't want to be on the other side from one of these guys, let alone all three of them. There are people who get influenced when they see stuff like this and I can understand why.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

The Iron Rules

The Irrelevant Investor

“It is an iron rule of history that what looks inevitable in hindsight was far from obvious at the time.” -Yuval Noah Harari Imagine watching The Sixth Sense for the first time. Only you start at the final scene, and then continue on to the beginning. This is sort of what it’s like reading and studying market history. In his amazing book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Harari writes: This is one of the distinguishing marks of history as an academic discipline- the better you know a parti

article thumbnail

For Your Reading Pleasure

The Irrelevant Investor

There was some great reads out there today, here were my favorites. Not many people are worthy of "classic" in front of their name, but this is classic Housel ( @tmfhousel ) Pandering to the lowest common economic denominators ( @ateachmoment ) James Osborne on the trends in mutual funds and ETFs ( @basonasset ) What a time to be a home buyer ( @awealthofcs ) Professional, independent advice is needed ( @danmcconlogue ) Following big name investors ( @aswathdamodaran ) Do bonds deliver "crisis a

article thumbnail

The Advisory | June 2016 Insights on Markets and Investments

Brown Advisory

The Advisory | June 2016 Insights on Markets and Investments. achen. Thu, 06/02/2016 - 08:20. Blistering changes in fields such as technology call for bold responses—a theme we recently explored with clients at our NOW 2016 forum. In this issue: Moral Courage Amid Disruption. Brown Advisory colleagues recently gathered with clients to explore how disruption in technology and other fields calls for bold, even-handed decision-making and what we call moral courage.

article thumbnail

Moral Courage Amid Disruption

Brown Advisory

Moral Courage Amid Disruption. achen. Thu, 06/02/2016 - 09:28. Brown Advisory colleagues recently gathered with clients to explore how disruption in technology and other fields calls for bold, even-handed decision-making and what we call moral courage. The idea that great power demands great responsibility seems especially valid today. Consider the implications of these advances: Bioengineers can pinpoint genetic abnormalities to curb disease, but such capabilities, when misused, could alter gen

article thumbnail

You upgrade everything else. Why not your close process?

You wouldn’t keep using a 2009 flip phone - so why settle for outdated close processes? It’s time for an upgrade. SkyStem's Guide to Month-End Close Software walks you through what today’s best tools can do (and what your team shouldn’t have to deal with anymore). Get smart, fast, and a whole lot less stressed when it’s time to close the books.