Calculated Risk

APRIL 1, 2024

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 0.9% week-over-week. Inventory bottomed in mid-February this year, as opposed to mid-April in 2023, and inventory is now up 4.7% from the February bottom. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of March 29th, inventory was at 517 thousand (7-day average), compared to 513 thousand the prior week.

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Wealth Management

APRIL 1, 2024

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

Retirement 319

Retirement 319

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 31, 2024

Also on the site Everything has an opportunity cost, everything. (abnormalreturns.com) Top clicks this week The Roaring 20's are here. Enjoy it while you can. (awealthofcommonsense.com) There's no alpha left in private equity. (linkedin.com) Patrick Mahomes finally takes an L. (sportico.com) Are index funds propping up the stock market? (awealthofcommonsense.com) Which bonds prove as the best portfolio diversifier?

Financial Market 312

Financial Market Portfolio Marketing Marketing 312

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 5, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that customer arbitration claims related to the SEC's Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023, suggesting that greater awareness among investors of the increased standards for broker-dealers and their registered representatives could lead to greater accountability for violations of the regulation.

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner Fee Only Clients Investing 246

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Accounting

Calculated Risk

APRIL 3, 2024

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.

Marketing 324

Marketing Marketing 324

Wealth Management

APRIL 4, 2024

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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Marketing Marketing 317

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 4, 2024

In its most recent report on U.S. Advisor Metrics, Cerulli Associates predicts that 37.5% (or nearly 110,000) of financial advisors will retire over the next 10 years. And given the industry's ongoing evolution away from being primarily sales-based and towards a more robust profession driven by deeper service models and long-term client/advisor relationships, many in the industry are genuinely concerned that there simply aren't enough new advisors entering the profession to meet the public's nee

Financial Planner 246

Financial Planner CFP Professional Services Financial Planning 246

Calculated Risk

APRIL 1, 2024

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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Wealth Management

APRIL 5, 2024

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

Wealth Management 310

Wealth Management Management 310

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 5, 2024

Markets The global universe of public equities is shrinking. (ft.com) Two stocks accounted for a third of the Russell 2000's 5.2% return in Q1. (wsj.com) Magnificent Seven earning revisions are slowing. (ft.com) Strategy Rebalancing isn't market timing. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Why you should 'diversify your diversifiers.' (rogersplanning.blogspot.com) FTX Behind the scenes, former FTX customers are struggling.

Financial Advising 276

Financial Advising Advertising Media Economy 276

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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

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 3, 2024

With a plethora of interdependent and ever-changing parts, gaining a clear (or even not-terribly-fuzzy) understanding of where the economy stands at any given moment is a daunting task, to say the least. Even more difficult is using data based on samples and surveys (and subject to constant revision!) to develop some idea about which of the myriad possible outcomes might be more likely to occur.

Economics 244

Economics Marketing Marketing Valuation 244

Calculated Risk

APRIL 5, 2024

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.

Numbers 318

Numbers Economics Manufacturing 318

Wealth Management

APRIL 4, 2024

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

Financial Advisor 306

Financial Advisor 306

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 2, 2024

Markets The VIX and credit spreads are both near multi-year lows. (entrylevel.topdowncharts.com) Everybody loves gold. (barrons.com) Companies GE's ($GE) split into three companies is now complete. (axios.com) Tesla's ($TSLA) inventory numbers are on the rise. (finance.yahoo.com) Sports Silver Lake is taking Endeavor ($EDR) private. (variety.com) Liberty Media ($FWONK) is taking control of MotoGP.

Financial Advising 277

Financial Advising Media Economy Numbers 277

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.

Management

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 1, 2024

Welcome to the April 2024 issue of the Latest News in Financial #AdvisorTech – where we look at the big news, announcements, and underlying trends and developments that are emerging in the world of technology solutions for financial advisors! This month's edition kicks off with the news of an emerging wave of price increases from long-term AdvisorTech vendors like Orion and InvestCloud, which the companies are positioning as a necessary response to the impact of inflation on their underlyi

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Estate Planning Financial Advisor Clients Startup 242

Calculated Risk

APRIL 5, 2024

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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Government 317

Wealth Management

APRIL 4, 2024

AdvicePay's study found the reoccurring fee model remains popular, with 83% of all invoices sent through the service being for subscriptions.

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Abnormal Returns

APRIL 3, 2024

Podcasts Barry Ritholtz talks with Liz Ann Sonders about how to rebalance your portfolio. (ritholtz.com) Jesse Cramer talks with Peter Lazaroff about how to hang in there for the long run. (podcasts.apple.com) Dan Haylett talks with financial advisor Ed Combs about the relationship challenges in retirement. (humansvsretirement.com) Carl Richards talks with Hal Hershfield about aligning capital with your values.

Math 262

Math Financial Advisor Retirement Banking 262

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.

Numbers

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 2, 2024

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 379th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Hans Blake. Hans is the founder of Intelligent Investing, an RIA based in Greenville, South Carolina, that oversees $50M in assets under management for 40 client households. What's unique about Hans, though, is how through a desire to create a more centralized dashboard to help his clients understand their financial health, coupled with a deep fascination with technology and i

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Clients Financial Advisor Assets Retirement 189

Calculated Risk

APRIL 4, 2024

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.

Economics 313

Economics 313

Wealth Management

APRIL 3, 2024

Senvest Management, a $3 billion AUM firm, will pay $6.5 million to settle SEC charges it didn't retain off-channel business-related communications.

Communication 305

Communication Management 305

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 1, 2024

Markets How major asset classes performed in March 2024. (capitalspectator.com) There has been a fair amount of equity return dispersion, YTD. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Strategy Why U.S. equity outperformance looks obvious in hindsight. (behaviouralinvestment.com) International diversification is no panacea, but what's the alternative? (morningstar.com) Finance Capital One ($COF) is going to struggle to get regulatory approval to acquire Discover Financial ($DFS).

Assets 261

Assets Financial Advising Wealth Management Engineering 261

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.

Accounting

The Big Picture

APRIL 5, 2024

This week, we speak with Ed Hyman, founder and chairman of Evercore ISI International Ltd. and vice chairman of Evercore Inc. He heads Evercore ISI’s economic research team. During his career, Hyman has been ranked as #1 in economics an unprecedented 43 consecutive times by Institutional Investor’s poll of investors. He explains the genesis of the broad and deep industry surveys ISI performs; the results provide a real-time snapshot of the economy weeks or months before it shows up in the

Economics 173

Economics Economy Investing Investments 173

Calculated Risk

APRIL 4, 2024

What this means: On a weekly basis, Realtor.com reports the year-over-year change in active inventory and new listings. On a monthly basis, they report total inventory. For February, Realtor.com reported inventory was up 23.5% YoY, but still down almost 38% compared to March 2017 to 2019 levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 25.0% YoY. Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market.

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Sales Numbers Marketing Marketing 290

Wealth Management

APRIL 3, 2024

Both taxpayers and professionals are potential targets.

Accounting 301

Accounting 301

Abnormal Returns

APRIL 1, 2024

Podcasts Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group LLC, discusses the RIA industry's impact on advisors' autonomy with Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. (youtube.com) Christine Benz and Amy Arnott talk with Peter Mallouk, President and CEO of Creative Planning, about the 'messy' business of financial advice. (morningstar.com) Thomas Kopelman and Jacob Turner talk with Ankur Nagpal about tax considerations when selling a business.

Wealth Management 258

Wealth Management Math Retirement Retirement Planning 258

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Accounting

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 31, 2024

I’m really late on this one, but I finally got around to reading Andre Agassi’s autobiography.1 He writes about what it was like to finally win his first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Everyone’s perception of Agassi changed from choke artist to the real deal. Winning, however, didn’t change how he felt about himself: But I don’t feel that Wimbledon has changed me.

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Calculated Risk

MARCH 30, 2024

At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week: • Case-Shiller: National House Price Index Up 6.0% year-over-year in January • New Home Sales at 662,000 Annual Rate in February • Inflation Adjusted House Prices 2.4% Below Peak • FHFA’s National Mortgage Database: Outstanding Mortgage Rates, LTV and Credit Scores • Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Serious Delinquency Rate Decreased, Multi-family Decreased in February • Final Look at Local Housing Markets in February This is usually publ

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Sales Marketing Marketing 290

Wealth Management

APRIL 4, 2024

Stacy Coffey, a former senior vice president of wealth strategies at Wealth Enhancement Group, will lead advisor partnerships at Rise Growth Partners.

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Abnormal Returns

APRIL 4, 2024

Books A Q&A with Elizabeth Kolbert author of "H Is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z." (grist.org) An excerpt from Kathleen DuVal’s upcoming book, "Native Nations: A Millennium in North America." (theatlantic.com) Health Research into treatments for long Covid are ongoing. (nature.com) How ECPR works and how it could become standard procedure.

Media 257

Media Marketing Marketing 257

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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?

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