April, 2024

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Housing April 29th Weekly Update: Inventory up 2.5% Week-over-week, Up 31.8% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 2.5% week-over-week. Inventory bottomed in mid-February this year, as opposed to mid-April in 2023, and inventory is now up 12.6% from the February bottom. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of April 26th, inventory was at 556 thousand (7-day average), compared to 543 thousand the prior week.

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Alienating Tesla Buyers by the Cybertruck-load

The Big Picture

@TBPInvictus here: Back in December 2022 , I hypothesized that Elon Musk’s antics and his newfound desire to own the Libs were going to destroy Tesla’s appeal to many of his most important buyers. The latest data confirms those sentiments were on point. I looked at 2020 voting data and TSLA registrations in counties throughout the state of New York, and theorized as follows: Watching Musk’s ongoing antics , it has become very clear to me that his actions are not only destroying Twit

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Carson Group Names Dani Fava As Chief Strategy Officer

Wealth Management

The news comes just days after the firm revealed that CEO and founder Ron Carson was stepping down from his role to become chairman of the board.

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Top clicks this week on Abnormal Returns

Abnormal Returns

Top clicks this week You likely don't need a long-term bond fund. (wsj.com) Allan Sloan, "Don’t fall in love with your money fund." (barrons.com) Good luck trying to dial risk up and down at the right times. (collabfund.com) At what age do we say people are 'old'? (scienceblog.com) What are to make of the big, and persistent, valuation disparities between large and small caps.

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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.

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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (April 27-28)

Nerd's Eye View

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the Department of Labor released the final version of its Retirement Security Rule (a.k.a. the Fiduciary Rule 2.0), which is set to go into effect in September and (if it survives anticipated legal challenges) would represent a significant shift toward greater fiduciary standards in the financial services industry, including by defining as a fiduciary act a one-time recomm

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Housing April 8th Weekly Update: Inventory down 0.9% Week-over-week due to Easter Holiday, Up 24.6% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was down 0.9% week-over-week. Inventory bottomed in mid-February this year, as opposed to mid-April in 2023, and inventory is now up 3.8% from the February bottom. Note: the decline this week was due to the Easter holiday, and seasonally, inventory usually increases following Easter. Click on graph for larger image.

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Personal Income increased 0.5% in March; Spending increased 0.8%

Calculated Risk

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for March: Personal income increased $122.0 billion (0.5 percent at a monthly rate) in March , according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal current taxes, increased $104.0 billion (0.5 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $160.9 billion (0.8 percent).

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YoY Measures of Inflation: Services, Goods and Shelter

Calculated Risk

Here are a few measures of inflation: The first graph is the one Fed Chair Powell had mentioned when services less rent of shelter was up around 8% year-over-year. This declined, but has turned up recently, and is now up 4.8% YoY. Click on graph for larger image. This graph shows the YoY price change for Services and Services less rent of shelter through March 2024.

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MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 0.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 29, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

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Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 6.4% year-over-year in February

Calculated Risk

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for February ("February" is a 3-month average of December, January and February closing prices). This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and the monthly National index. From S&P S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Index’s Upward Trend Persists in February 2024 The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S.

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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.

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PCE Measure of Shelter Slows Slightly to 5.8% YoY in March

Calculated Risk

Here is a graph of the year-over-year change in shelter from the CPI report and housing from the PCE report this morning, both through March 2024. CPI Shelter was up 5.6% year-over-year in March, down from 5.8% in February, and down from the cycle peak of 8.2% in March 2023. Housing (PCE) was up 5.8% YoY in March , down slightly from 5.8% in January, and down from the cycle peak of 8.3% in April 2023.

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Can O.J. Simpson’s Executor Stiff-Arm the Goldman Family?

Wealth Management

Or will the family be able to squeeze the over $33 million they’re owed in civil judgments out of The Juice’s estate?

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Construction Spending Decreased 0.3% in February

Calculated Risk

From the Census Bureau reported that overall construction spending increased: Construction spending during February 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,091.5 billion, 0.3 percent below the revised January estimate of $2,096.9 billion. The February figure is 10.7 percent above the February 2023 estimate of $1,889.6 billion emphasis added Private spending was unchanged and public spending decreased: Spending on private construction was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate

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Housing April 15th Weekly Update: Inventory up 2.6% Week-over-week, Up 29.6% Year-over-year

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 2.6% week-over-week. Inventory bottomed in mid-February this year, as opposed to mid-April in 2023, and inventory is now up 5.6% from the February bottom. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of April 12th, inventory was at 526 thousand (7-day average), compared to 513 thousand the prior week.

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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.

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How People Fail at Retirement

Wealth Management

Transitioning away from a structured schedule with inherent social networks after 40+ years is traumatic.

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Comments on March Employment Report

Calculated Risk

The headline jobs number in the March employment report was above expectations; and January and February payrolls were revised up by 22,000 combined. The participation rate and the employment population ratio both increased, and the unemployment rate decreased to 3.8%. Leisure and hospitality gained 49 thousand jobs in March and is now above pre-pandemic levels.

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J.D. Power: DIY Investors’ Satisfaction 'Stagnates' Despite Rising Market

Wealth Management

According to J.D. Power’s annual survey on self-directed investors, Fidelity took the top marks for DIY investors seeking guidance, with Charles Schwab following closely behind.

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Retirement Planning Cannot Be Linear

Wealth Management

Adopting an adaptive approach to retirement planning acknowledges the dynamic nature of spending patterns and emphasizes flexibility in financial strategies.

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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.

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MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications decreased 2.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 19, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

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March Employment Report: 303 thousand Jobs, 3.8% Unemployment Rate

Calculated Risk

From the BLS : Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 303,000 in March, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.8 percent , the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, government, and construction. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised up by 27,000, from +229,000 to +256,000, and the change for February was revised down by 5,000, from +275,000 to +270,000.

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Carson Group Adds CFO, Controller

Wealth Management

Daniel Applegarth and Eric Vrba are the latest additions to the C-suite as Carson Group shakes up leadership.

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Moody's: Apartment Vacancy Rate Unchanged in Q1; Office Vacancy Rate at Record High

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Moody's: Apartment Vacancy Rate Unchanged in Q1; Office Vacancy Rate at Record High A brief excerpt: From Moody’s: The office sector slashed its vacancy record set just a quarter ago and marched another 20 bps closer to the 20% mark. Sitting at 19.8% in Q1 2024, this new record high vacancy rate is 50 bps above the recessionary peaks recorded in 1986 and 1991.

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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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Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Decrease to 211,000

Calculated Risk

The DOL reported : In the week ending April 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 211,000 , a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 221,000 to 222,000. The 4-week moving average was 214,250, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's revised average.

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The Profit vs. Growth Balancing Act

Wealth Management

Professionals leading RIAs often see themselves primarily as advisors rather than business owners.

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Q&A: AlTi Global CEO on Going Public in a Challenging Market

Wealth Management

Michael Tiedemann talks about taking two companies public via SPAC, raising capital and what he and his partners are building at AlTi Tiedemann Global.

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DOL Releases Final Fiduciary Rule

Wealth Management

The rule, which takes effect in September, “protects the retirement investors from improper investment recommendations and harmful conflicts of interest,” according to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su.

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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 Word on WealthTech for April 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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MBA: Mortgage Applications Increased in Weekly Survey

Calculated Risk

From the MBA: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Mortgage applications increased 3.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 12, 2024. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 3.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

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How Financial Advisors Can Optimize Their Email Newsletters

Wealth Management

Lone Beacon's analysis of email subject lines from advisors found that short subject lines with clear value proposition messaging are best.

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What Recession? State Coincident Indicators

The Big Picture

Between book leave and COVID I have been pretty quiet lately. Since it’s been a few months, I thought we could take a quick look at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s State Coincident Indicators out for both January and February 2024.1 As the charts above show, the economy on a state-by-state basis has markedly improved from Q4 2023’s softening.

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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.