Sat.Jan 20, 2024 - Fri.Jan 26, 2024

article thumbnail

StrongBox Wealth: Picking Deep Moat, Rising Dividend Stocks

Wealth Management

Chuck Cooper III, advisor and managing partner at Lee’s Summit, Mo.-based StrongBox Wealth, provides a peek inside the $400 million RIA’s stock picking strategy within its high conviction, conservative growth model portfolio.

article thumbnail

What High-Net-Worth Prospects (Really) Want From A Financial Advisor

Nerd's Eye View

In the early days of wealth management, a financial advisor's value proposition was relatively explicit, typically focusing on a limited range of portfolio management activities (e.g., selling and trading) or on sales-oriented advice that centered on implementing insurance products. As the industry has evolved, though, the value offered by financial advisors, especially for High-Net-Worth (HNW) clients, has come to involve a far more comprehensive range of services in addition to traditional inv

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

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

article thumbnail

U.S. Courts: Bankruptcy Filings Increase 17 Percent in 2023; 42% Below Pre-Pandemic Levels

Calculated Risk

From the U.S. Courts: Bankruptcy Filings Rise 16.8 Percent Total bankruptcy filings rose 16.8 percent, with significant increases in both business and non-business bankruptcies, in the twelve-month period ending Dec. 31, 2023. This accelerates a continuing rebound in filings after more than a decade of sharply dropping totals. According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S.

article thumbnail

Top clicks this week on Abnormal Returns

Abnormal Returns

Top clicks this week On the importance of time when it comes to compounding. (humbledollar.com) How to use AI to do fundamental company analysis. (howardlindzon.com) How to use a negative checklist. (novelinvestor.com) Where are real interest rates going to settle? (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) You can only control your own behavior. (creativeplanning.com) There's no magic in personal finance, but there are some surprising hacks.

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

Aaron Klein Joins Fynancial as Strategic Advisor

Wealth Management

Klein, who stepped down as CEO of Nitrogen in November, will serve as a strategic advisor for Fynancial, a new 'Social Financial Platform.

article thumbnail

Drafting A Power Of Attorney (POA) Using A Comprehensive ‘Kitchen Sink’ Approach To Avoid Common Pitfalls

Nerd's Eye View

As more Americans are living well into their 80s and even into their 90s, the spectrum of risks that an aging population faces is only getting wider. The need to address longevity risk has become increasingly important, allowing financial advisors to add even more value for their clients by ensuring that their financial needs are met throughout retirement.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Research links: overly complicated models

Abnormal Returns

Research How to model private credit returns, per AQR. (institutionalinvestor.com) Another example showing the impact of screening out negative momentum stocks with lottery-like characteristics. (alphaarchitect.com) How to build a better low vol strategy. (blogs.cfainstitute.org) How smartphones have affected the transmission of investor sentiment. (papers.ssrn.com) Bloomberg has built an AI tool to summarize earnings calls.

article thumbnail

Joe Duran's New RIA Investment Firm Hires Opto Investments Co-Founder

Wealth Management

Will Armenta co-founded the "alts-for-advisors" platform with Joe Lonsdale, and advises Lonsdale's $6 billion venture capital fund. He'll be a managing director at Duran's Rise Growth Partners.

article thumbnail

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (January 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 of a survey indicating that about 90% of financial advisors would switch firms based on bad technology at their current firm, and that 44% have already done so. The survey also suggests that a firm's tech stack can affect its ability to attract and retain clients, with 93% of advisors who said they work with state-of-the-art technology reporting that they have added new c

article thumbnail

PCE Measure of Shelter Slows to 6.4% YoY in December

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 December 2023. CPI Shelter was up 6.2% year-over-year in December, down from 6.5% in November, and down from the cycle peak of 8.2% in March 2023. Housing (PCE) was up 6.4% YoY in December , down from 6.7% in November, and down from the cycle peak of 8.3% in April 2023.

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

Monday links: understanding psychology

Abnormal Returns

Markets Putting the past bear market into historical perspective. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Bitcoin How supply and demand drives Bitcoin. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) FTX sold a bunch of the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ($GBTC). (coindesk.com) Is Bitcoin mining a good business? (herbgreenberg.substack.com) Finance In credit cards there's Visa ($V), Mastercard ($MA), and everyone else.

article thumbnail

T3: Rapid Uptick in Tax and Estate Planning Software By Advisors

Wealth Management

Double-digit percentage point gains in both were notable findings in the annual advisor tech survey revealed at the T3 conference this week, as was the persistently low adoption of cybersecurity tools.

article thumbnail

Avoiding Client Power Of Attorney (POA) Rejection By Taking A Comprehensive ‘Kitchen Sink’ Approach

Nerd's Eye View

As more Americans are living well into their 80s and even into their 90s, the spectrum of risks that an aging population faces is only getting wider. The need to address longevity risk has become increasingly important, allowing financial advisors to add even more value for their clients by ensuring that their financial needs are met throughout retirement.

article thumbnail

New Home Sales increase to 664,000 Annual Rate in December

Calculated Risk

The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 664 thousand. The previous three months were revised up, combined. Sales of new single‐family houses in December 2023 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000 , according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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

At the Money: How to Pay Less Capital Gains Taxes

The Big Picture

At the Money: How to Pay Less Capital Gains Taxes (January 24, 2024) We’re coming up on tax season, after a banner year for stocks. Successful investors could be looking at a big tax bill from the US government. How can you avoid sticker shock when Uncle Sam comes knocking? On this episode of At the Money, we look at direct indexing as a way to manage capital gains taxes.

article thumbnail

A Rough Climate for Private Equity Exits Leads to a Spike in Continuation Funds

Wealth Management

Some private equity investment managers are choosing to roll over select assets into new funds, giving LPs the option to renew as well.

article thumbnail

Kitces & Carl Ep 130: Helping Everyone You Can Vs Getting Paid What You’re Really Worth

Nerd's Eye View

Few service industries have as much potential to impact lives as financial advice, and it's that very ability for financial advicers to help their clients achieve positive outcomes that can often compound for decades and beyond that make the profession deeply satisfying for so many. It's no wonder, then, that the profession attracts individuals who are highly service-minded and enjoy helping others.

article thumbnail

AIA: "Architecture firm billings remain soft to end the year"; Multi-family Billings Decline for 17th Consecutive Month

Calculated Risk

Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: ABI December 2023: Architecture firm billings remain soft to end the year Nearly one third of firms report an uptick in significantly delayed projects over the past six months Business conditions at architecture firms remained soft to close out 2023, with an AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 45.4 for December (any score below 50 indicates declining billings).

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

Sunday links: what we’re blind to

Abnormal Returns

Equities The S&P 500 is at a new all-time high. (tker.co) Lessons learned from the two-year bear market. (theirrelevantinvestor.com) Diversification Why investors should just take a pass on China. (humbledollar.com) It's easy to forget, but diversification still matters. (disciplinefunds.com) Crypto A little Bitcoin in your portfolio goes a long way.

article thumbnail

GMO Launches Nebo Wealth At T3

Wealth Management

The new platform is meant to help advisors achieve portfolio personalization at scale, and bridge an industry gap between financial planning and asset allocation.

article thumbnail

MiB: Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, CEO Betterment

The Big Picture

This week, we speak with Sarah Kirshbaum Levy , chief executive officer of Betterment , an independent digital investment adviser with $40 billion in assets under management. Before joining Betterment, Kirshbaum Levy was chief operating officer of Viacom Media Networks, where she oversaw global strategy, finance and operations. Previously, Levy served as COO at Nickelodeon, where she spearheaded Nickelodeon’s entry into new segments, including consumer products, resorts, Broadway and them

article thumbnail

Personal Income increased 0.3% in December; Spending increased 0.7%

Calculated Risk

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for December: Personal income increased $60.0 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in December , according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI), personal income less personal current taxes, increased $51.8 billion (0.3 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $133.9 billion (0.7 percent).

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.

article thumbnail

Friday links: a misplaced fondness

Abnormal Returns

Markets Bob Seawright, "If you keep making the same wrong call over and over, you don’t get any credit for it when it eventually turns up." (betterletter.substack.com) Dividends are less volatile than stocks themselves. (awealthofcommonsense.com) How to think about the growth in money market fund assets. (spilledcoffee.substack.com) Crypto How the structure of the Bitcoin market has changed with the introduction of the spot ETFs.

article thumbnail

Top 10 Trends Shaping Wealth Management in 2024

Wealth Management

Many of the trends identified by Datos Insights could help wealth management firms navigate challenges throughout 2024.

article thumbnail

10 Weekend Reads

The Big Picture

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of coffee, grab a seat by the fire, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • The Downfall of Diddy Inc. : After months in court, Sean Combs withdrew his racially charged lawsuit against Diageo. A look inside that battle reveals the failed attempt of a fading hip-hop mogul—who’s been buffeted by charges of sexual assault—to salvage a crumbling business empire. ( Businessweek ) • America’s New Business Boom : Americans Have Been Forming New

article thumbnail

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Increase to 214,000

Calculated Risk

The DOL reported : In the week ending January 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 214,000 , an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 187,000 to 189,000. The 4-week moving average was 202,250, a decrease of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average.

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

Adviser links: acquiring talent

Abnormal Returns

Podcasts Michael Kitces talks social media with Thomas Kopelman who is the co-founder of AllStreet Wealth. (kitces.com) Zach Conway and Kelsey McKenna talk with Michael Conway, CEO of Conway Wealth, about the multifaceted roles financial advisors play beyond managing investments. (open.spotify.com) Daniel Crosby talks with Richard Shotton who is the founder of Astroten, a consultancy that applies behavioral science to marketing.

article thumbnail

The Quiet Year That Wasn’t

Wealth Management

Why Stratos Wealth slowed down to drive growth for the future.

article thumbnail

This is the Best U.S. Economy Since the 1990s

A Wealth of Common Sense

As millennials reach middle age (hand up), prepare yourself for a wave of 1990s nostalgia. Remember MTV? Remember life before smartphones and social media? Remember rap groups? Remember life before everyone was forced to care about politics? Remember Saved by the Bell? Remember going to Blockbuster on a Friday night to pick out a movie? Finance people also have an affinity for the 1990s economy.

article thumbnail

Realtor.com Reports Active Inventory UP 8.6% YoY; New Listings up 3.4% YoY

Calculated Risk

Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report: Weekly Housing Trends View — Data Week Ending January 20, 2024 • Active inventory increased, with for-sale homes 8.6% above year ago levels. Active listings in the past week grew by 8.6% above the previous year, the 11th straight week of annual growth with no sign yet of a slowdown as growth in inventory increased from the previous week’s 7.9% rate.

article thumbnail

The New Way Remote Finance Teams Are Protecting Accuracy And Building Resilience In A Cyber-Threatened World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Remote finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs—and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats have become more than just “growing pains”. They’re now liabilities. The challenge isn’t just team distribution, but building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.