Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 17, 2025

With each passing decade, not only does technology evolve at an ever more dramatic pace, but each new wave comes faster than the last. From the advent of the computer chip in the 1950s to the rise of the personal computer nearly 25 years later in the early 1980s, to the emergence of the internet just 15 years thereafter in the late 1990s, to mobile smartphones only 10 years after that in the late 2000s, to 'robos' less than a decade later in the 2010s, and most recently to AI, which 'suddenly' w

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Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Professional Services 147

Calculated Risk

MARCH 20, 2025

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 27.5% YoY, but still down 22.9% compared to the 2017 to 2019 same month levels. Now - on a weekly basis - inventory is up 28.5% YoY.

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Sales Numbers Marketing Marketing 276

The Big Picture

MARCH 18, 2025

It is March 18th! Publication day is finally here! The challenge in writing How NOT to Invest was organizing a large number of ideas, many of which were only loosely connected, into something coherent, understandable, and, most importantly, readable. It took a while of playing around with the concepts, but eventually, I hit on a structure that I found enormously useful: I organized our biggest impediments to investing success into three broad categories: Bad Ideas , Bad Numbers , and Bad Be

Investments 316

Investments Investing Math Media 316

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 17, 2025

Markets Corrections happen more often than you remember. (optimisticallie.com) Market moves just happen faster these days. (awealthofcommonsense.com) Books "Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings" by Alex Morris is a good refresher course. (newsletter.rationalwalk.com) A review of "The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck" by Davie Spiegelhalter.

Media 190

Media Economy Retail Management 190

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Clients

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2025

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that a report from Cerulli Associates found that, amidst an industry-wide trend towards comprehensive financial planning and away from pure transaction-based investment management, asset-based fees currently represent 72.4% of advisor compensation, while commission-based revenues have declined to 23% of an average advisor's revenue.

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Financial Planner Commission Communication Clients 228

Calculated Risk

MARCH 19, 2025

Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here , starting at 2:30 PM ET. FOMC Statement: Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. The unemployment rate has stabilized at a low level in recent months, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run.

Economics 262

Economics Accounting Marketing Marketing 262

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 16, 2025

Top clicks this week Are we finally seeing an opening for international diversification? (awealthofcommonsense.com) The last ten years in the stock market visualized. (sherwood.news) It's been a awhile since the Nasdaq traded below its 200 day moving average. (bilello.blog) The stock market is a big distraction to the business of investing. (albertbridgecapital.com) Another example, why the stock market is not a level playing field.

Investments 176

Investments Investing Marketing Marketing 176

Wealth Management

MARCH 17, 2025

Exhibit A will feature pre-built, white-labeled decks covering market volatility, U.S. market performance, historical bull and bear markets and earnings trends.

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Marketing Marketing 308

Calculated Risk

MARCH 17, 2025

On a monthly basis, retail sales increased 0.2% from January to February (seasonally adjusted), and sales were up 3.1 percent from February 2024. From the Census Bureau report : Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February 2025, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $722.7 billion, up 0.2 percent from the previous month , and up 3.1 percent from February 2024.

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Retail Sales Food 253

The Big Picture

MARCH 20, 2025

I know, I know, I am torturing you with book stuff. This will run its course over the next few weeks and months… There are lots of reviews trickling in, and I want to share one from someone you may not be familiar with: John Tamny of Real Clear Markets. “From the introduction right on through the final page, Ritholtz is clear that his book is designed to reduce mistakes your mistakes with money.

Investments 147

Investments Investing Communication Retirement 147

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

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 20, 2025

Books An excerpt from "Abundance" by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. (theatlantic.com) An excerpt from Clay Risens new book "Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America." (slate.com) An excerpt from John Green's new book "Everything is Tuberculosis." (theatlantic.com) An excerpt from "Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change" by Olga Khazan.

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Insurance Banking 130

Wealth Management

MARCH 17, 2025

Shana Sissel shares her insights into the groundbreaking private equity deals in NFL teams and what it all means for the private equity space and investors.

Investments 296

Investments Investing 296

Calculated Risk

MARCH 18, 2025

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Housing Starts Increased to 1.501 million Annual Rate in February A brief excerpt: Total housing starts in February were above expectations; however, starts in December and January were revised down slightly, combined. The third graph shows the month-to-month comparison for total starts between 2024 (blue) and 2025 (red).

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The Big Picture

MARCH 15, 2025

I did a fun interview with Jack Hough of Barron’s — we were scheduled to discuss How Not to Invest , and he used our convo as a leaping off point to discuss what we should be doing in 10% downturns. Jack Hough walks through ways to hedge market downside from foolish to sensible, and we talk to Barry Ritholtz about strategies from his new book, How Not To Invest.

Marketing 130

Marketing Marketing Investments Investing 130

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

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 17, 2025

Podcasts Diana Britton talks with Mary Saylor who is the director of wealth management at Choreo. (wealthmanagement.com) Brendan Frazier talks with Dennis Moseley-William explains how to elevate your client experience to create fans and grow your business. (podcasts.apple.com) Advisortech Trust & Will raised another round of capital. (citywire.com) FINNY uses AI to identify and message prospects.

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Portfolio Wealth Management Clients Management 144

Wealth Management

MARCH 21, 2025

WalletHub's study of cities with the most people in financial distress found that many Texans and Floridians are experiencing tough times.

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Calculated Risk

MARCH 18, 2025

From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions Housing Starts: Privately-owned housing starts in February were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,501,000. This is 11.2 percent above the revised January estimate of 1,350,000, but is 2.9 percent below the February 2024 rate of 1,546,000. Single-family housing starts in February were at a rate of 1,108,000; this is 11.4 percent above the revised January figure of 995,000.

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Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 18, 2025

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 429th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Ali Nasser. Ali is the Founder of the Wealth Integration System for Entrepreneurs, an education and coaching company based in Houston, Texas, that works with entrepreneurs facing a liquidity event and trying to figure out what's next… and financial advisors who serve them.

Financial Advisor 130

Financial Advisor Clients Financial Planning Taxes 130

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

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 20, 2025

Markets Markets are largely shrugging off the destruction of norms. (ft.com) S&P 500 companies returned a record amount of capital in 2024. (axios.com) The U.S. stock market is a standout in 2025, and not in a good way. (capitalspectator.com) Which sectors look cheap after this correction? (morningstar.com) Books Barry Ritholtzs "How Not to Invest" is a 'very informative book about investing that is most importantly a lot of fun.

Startup 130

Startup Media Retail Economy 130

Wealth Management

MARCH 17, 2025

Whats next for wealth management technology in 2025? The Oasis Group's John O'Connell discusses wealthtech trends shaping the industry.

Wealth Management 291

Wealth Management Management 291

Calculated Risk

MARCH 19, 2025

Statement here. Fed Chair Powell press conference video here or on YouTube here , starting at 2:30 PM ET. Here are the projections. In December, the FOMC participants midpoint of the target level for the federal funds rate was around 3.875% at the end of 2025 (3.6%-4.1%) and the long run range was 2.8% to 3.6%. The FOMC participants midpoint of the target range is now at 4.0% at the end of 2025 (3.9%-4.4%) and the long run range is 2.6% to 3.6%.

Banking 179

Banking 179

Carson Wealth

MARCH 17, 2025

Understanding Market Corrections The S&P 500 moved into a correction on Thursday of last week, defined as a close at least 10% below the indexs recent closing high. Here are some things we know about corrections, which well look at in depth this week. Corrections are normal, the S&P 500 averaging 1.1 corrections per year since 1928. Corrections happen for a reason, and its always tempting to see that reason weighing even more on stocks.

Marketing 84

Marketing Marketing Economy Portfolio 84

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Accounting

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 21, 2025

Markets Nvidia ($NVDA) stock is struggling. (sherwood.news) European stocks are not struggling. (ft.com) Strategy How to think about liquid alternatives in a portfolio (morningstar.com) Barry Ritholtz's "How NOT to Invest" is a master class for investors. (disciplinefunds.com) ETFs The major players are rushing to launch money market fund ETFs. (riabiz.com) ETF traders are now seeing the downside of leverage.

Engineering 130

Engineering Manufacturing Media Economy 130

Wealth Management

MARCH 18, 2025

Morningstar profiled the 15 funds that have lost the most value for shareholders over the past decade. Recent market volatility has perked new interest among investors and advisors in buffer ETFs. These are among the investment must reads we found this week for wealth advisors.

Wealth Advisor 289

Wealth Advisor Investments Investing Marketing 289

Calculated Risk

MARCH 20, 2025

From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Accelerated 4.2% in February Existing-home sales ascended in February, according to the National Association of REALTORS. For both monthly and year-over-year sales, two major U.S. regions experienced growth, one region remained stable and the other registered a decline. Total existing-home sales completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops progressed 4.2% from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.26 m

Sales 165

Sales 165

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 16, 2025

Coming into 2025 the S&P 500 had just two down years out of the past 15: 2010 +14.8% 2011 +2.1% 2012 +15.9% 2013 +32.2% 2014 +13.5% 2015 +1.4% 2016 +11.8% 2017 +21.6% 2018 -4.2% 2019 +31.2% 2020 +18.0% 2021 +28.5% 2022 -18.0% 2023 +26.1% 2024 +24.9% We were all probably a little spoiled. Regardless of the reason for the recent swoon, we were due.

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111

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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?

Sales

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 18, 2025

Tune Out the Noise You can now watch the Errol Morris documentary 'Tune Out the Noise.' (youtube.com) Why DFA helped make the movie. (institutionalinvestor.com) Quant stuff Almost all quants owe a debt to the late Barr Rosenberg. (on.ft.com) Some recent academic research including 'Wikipedia Page Views and Stock Performance.' (alphainacademia.substack.com) The case against chartists.

Banking 144

Banking Economy Economics Investments 144

Wealth Management

MARCH 19, 2025

Lincoln Financial has unveiled two evergreen fund filingsfocused on private credit and royaltiesas it teams with Bain Capital and Partners Group.

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Calculated Risk

MARCH 15, 2025

The key reports this week are February Retail sales, Housing Starts and Existing Home Sales. The FOMC meets this week, and no change to policy is expected. For manufacturing, the February Industrial Production report and the March NY and Philly Fed manufacturing surveys will be released. -- Monday, March 17th -- 8:30 AM: Retail sales for February is scheduled to be released.

Retail 191

Retail Manufacturing Sales Food 191

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 18, 2025

On December 17, 1954,The Chicago Tribuneran the following headline: DOCTOR WARNS OF DISASTERS IN WORLD TUESDAY The paper interviewed Dr. Charles Laughead at the home of Dorothy Martin. Dr. Laughead informed the paper that Martin received communications “from outer space.” He told reporters these communications from outer space revealed to Martin that the world would be ravaged by a great flood that.

Communication 112

Communication 112

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

Management