June, 2024

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Housing June 10th Weekly Update: Inventory up 1.1% Week-over-week, Up 37.8% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 1.1% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 23.8% from the February bottom, and at the highest level since August 2020. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of June 7th, inventory was at 612 thousand (7-day average), compared to 605 thousand the prior week.

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Seattle Redux: Misunderstanding Seasonal Adjustments

The Big Picture

@TBPInvictus here. About a decade or so ago, the city of Seattle undertook to raise its minimum wage, over time, to $15/hour. (Massive credit to my friend Nick Hanauer for his efforts to make that happen.) What followed in the immediate aftermath of both the announcement and implementation was nothing less than a apocalyptic, collective head explosion on the right about the devastating effects the increase would have, particularly in the food services sector: However, there’s little doubt that t

Food 336
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CAIA Charts Challenges for Advisors Interested in Alts

Wealth Management

The report shows advisor interest in alternative investments even as some struggle with implementation, according to CAIA Managing Director Aaron Filbeck.

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Top clicks this week on Abnormal Returns

Abnormal Returns

Also on the site Father time is undefeated: on the impact of cognitive decline on financial outcomes. (abnormalreturns.com) Top clicks this week The S&P 500 is getting three new members. (reuters.com) We are in a 'bear market for diversification.' (thinkadvisor.com) The stock market is increasingly concentrated. Should you be worried? (theirrelevantinvestor.com) More investors are facing up to the problem with illiquid alternatives.

Taxes 312
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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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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (June 22-23)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that affluent Americans believe they need an average of $5.5 million in assets to both retire and pass on a legacy interest (though many have yet to establish an estate plan), according to a recent survey. At the same time, they also overwhelmingly recognize the value of financial advisors , not only for increasing their wealth beyond what they could have achieved on thei

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BLS: Job Openings Decreased to 8.1 million in April

Calculated Risk

From the BLS: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary The number of job openings changed little at 8.1 million on the last business day of April , the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, both the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 5.6 million and 5.4 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.5 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.5 million) changed little. emphasis added The following graph shows job openings (black line), hires (

Numbers 331

More Trending

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Educating Investors on the Economics of Dividends

Wealth Management

Explaining the fallacy of a free dividend can overcome both investor ignorance and their biases.

Education 324
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Housing June 24th Weekly Update: Inventory up 2.2% Week-over-week, Up 37.7% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 2.2% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 28.4% from the February seasonal bottom, and at the highest level since July 2020. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of June 21st, inventory was at 634 thousand (7-day average), compared to 621 thousand the prior week.

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Inflation is Obvious But Wage Gains Seem Invisible

The Big Picture

I’ve been observing how radically unusual various sentiment readings have been for a few years now. It made little sense to me that the post-pandemic era saw sentiment levels far below major dislocations such as the ‘87 crash, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Dotcom implosion, or the 08-09 great financial crisis. We have tried to identify the causal factors by considering social media , increases in partisanship , ignorance, even trolling of pollsters.

Budgeting 320
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AIA: Architecture Billings Declined in May; Multi-family Billings Decline for 22nd Consecutive Month

Calculated Risk

Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: ABI May 2024: Business conditions at architecture firms continue to soften The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score declined to 42.4 for the month , as more firms reported a decrease in billings in May than in April. In addition, there is increasing softness in the pipeline of new work coming into firms.

Clients 320
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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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WealthManagement.com Announces 2024 'Wealthies' Finalists

Wealth Management

The tenth annual WealthManagement.com Industry Awards ceremony will be held in New York City on Sept. 5.

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$4B Ritholtz Hires Callie Cox as First Chief Market Strategist

Wealth Management

Cox, a former investment analyst at eToro, will be Ritholtz Wealth Management’s first market expert fully dedicated to its advisors.

Marketing 320
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Thanks, Joe! Updating Brandon’s Restaurants

The Big Picture

I spend a lot of time debunking investment-related b t. Given the general innumeracy of the public, it’s easy for a dishonest publisher of economic data to create narratives that are not only false and misleading but effective at confusing the public. Typically, it takes years before sufficient data amasses to prove how wrong these people were.

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Comments on May Employment Report

Calculated Risk

The headline jobs number in the May employment report was well above expectations, however March and April payrolls were revised down by 15,000 combined. The participation rate and employment population ratio decreased, and the unemployment rate increased to 4.0%. Construction employment increased 21 thousand and is now 613 thousand above the pre-pandemic level.

Numbers 318
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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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The Deepfake Risk Advisors Take with Video Marketing

Wealth Management

How an $8,000 marketing investment turned into a $650,000 risk.

Marketing 317
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Navigating the Complexities of Medicare in Financial and Estate Planning

Wealth Management

Four key considerations for advisors regarding Medicare.

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Market Concentration

The Big Picture

A quick break from book authorship to share a fascinating set of data and charts, via Sam Ro. In his weekly missive, Sam points to some amazing charts from Global Financial Data. They are based on historical data that looks at 200 Years of Market Concentration. You might be surprised at the findings. As the chart above shows, there are long periods of market concentration.

Marketing 314
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Conquest Planning Upgrades Its Strategic Advice Manager

Wealth Management

SAM INSIGHTS, Ask SAM and SAM Score are the latest iterations of the Canadian firm’s AI-based planning platform.

Planning 315
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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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The Word on WealthTech for June 2024

Wealth Management

F2 Strategy's co-founder and CEO provides his take on the most important wealth management technology news of the last month.

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U.S. Supreme Court Decision Upholds Constitutionality of Transition Tax

Wealth Management

What wealth advisors need to know about taxing unrealized gains.

Taxes 312
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How Wealth Managers Can Compete With Family Offices for UHNW Clients

Wealth Management

According to the new Capgemini World Wealth Report, advisors and families offices are eyeing the same pool of ultra-wealthy clients. By working together, they could both benefit.

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Sunday links: asymmetric returns

Abnormal Returns

Strategy Mean reversion happens in the stock market. Good luck trying to time it. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Successful investing requires getting your time horizon correct. (disciplinefunds.com) Always check the ticker. (scheplick.com) Business The degenerate economy is booming. (howardlindzon.com) How veterinary medicine became a big business. (nytimes.com) The defense sector can't hire workers fast enough.

Medicine 307
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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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A Strategic Approach to Asset Splitting Among RIA Custodians

Wealth Management

An RIA’s level of satisfaction with a custodian is directly correlated with the proportion of assets held with them.

Assets 307
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NAR: Existing-Home Sales Decreased to 4.11 million SAAR in May

Calculated Risk

From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Edged Lower by 0.7% in May as Median Sales Price Reached Record High of $419,300 Existing-home sales slightly declined in May as the median sales price climbed to a record high, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. In the four major U.S. regions, sales slid month-over-month in the South but were unchanged in the Northeast, Midwest and West.

Sales 306
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Aging and the Impact of Cognitive Decline on Investment Decisions

Wealth Management

Does the wisdom of age outweigh the other limitations it can impose?

Investing 306
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Non-traded REITs Tinker with Liquidity Features to Address Redemption Requests

Wealth Management

Industry analysts view KKR's and Starwood's recent moves to respond to redemption requests on their non-traded REITs as positive for shareholders.

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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?

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The WealthStack Podcast: Bringing the Power of Planning to Philanthropy

Wealth Management

PhilanthPro's Nicholas Palahnuk discusses how clients' growing interest in philanthropy demands a more integrated approach, where giving is strategically aligned with overall financial goals.

Planning 305
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T. Rowe Price CIO: Current Market Conditions 'Not the Time to Be a Hero'

Wealth Management

The chief investment officers for T. Rowe Price and Schwab Asset Management discussed disconnects between how RIAs and retail investors view current opportunities.

Retail 306
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Envestnet Partners With BlackRock, Fidelity, Asset Managers on Customized Portfolios

Wealth Management

BlackRock, Fidelity Investments, Franklin Templeton and State Street will collaborate with the technology provider more than ever before to personalize creation of investment portfolios.

Portfolio 306
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BNY Mellon’s Pershing X Upgrades Wove Platform

Wealth Management

The new features include a one-stop client portal, cloud data platform, consolidated APIs and portfolio management suite.

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The Future Of Finance: How To Manage Spend The Right Way

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