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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
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.
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.
Charitable gift annuities (CGAs) offer a unique way for donors to achieve their philanthropic goals while securing a reliable income stream. Increasingly, nonprofits, donors, and financial professionals are leveraging CGAs to meet a variety of financial and charitable objectives with a single gift. Simple to establish and available in multiple formats, CGAs can even be funded through a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), making them a versatile tool for charitable planning.
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.
Some advisors are natural communicators with inherent skills for demonstrating empathy, telling relatable stories, displaying a natural curiosity by asking open-ended questions, and translating complex ideas into terms clients can understand. Many advisors are not and must prioritize skill development if they are to have a chance at success. Active listening is the most critical soft skill that must be developed and exercised because its where highly effective communication starts.
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.
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.
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.
Whenever the markets become ‘scary' due to current events, advisors can anticipate calls from anxious clients wondering what to do next. These clients are often in fight-or-flight mode, which can make it difficult to have a rational discussion or a productive conversation about their financial plan. And if an advisor jumps straight to data – trying to ‘prove' why staying the course is the right decision – the client may become even more frustrated and reactive.
The professional restrictions that resulted from COVID-19 may have passed, however, remote work has remained an ever-present feature of the post-pandemic employment arena. With over 22 million Americans working remotely , understanding the tax deductions available for home offices is more relevant than ever. The eligibility criteria and rules surrounding home office tax deductions for remote workers are far from straightforward, however.
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
For today's post, I want to take on what I think are a couple of commonly held beliefs about investing. The first one is whether or not we need to worry about outperforming the market from year to year. Do we even need to try? I know plenty of advisors and do-it-yourselfers do focus on this but I would tell you it doesn't matter. To clarify, this thought excludes certain pools of capital like hedge funds and stock picking mutual funds.
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.
Recession Concerns & Market Volatility: How Financial Advisors Should Communicate With Clients As financial advisors , youre well aware that so far the 2025 financial market has been more unpredictable than a toddler. One moment, theyre giggling with delight; the next, theyre in full meltdown mode because a sock wont cooperate. But despite the turbulence, history suggests that what were seeing may not be a sign of impending disaster.
Here are some things I think I am thinking about this week: 1) How NOT To Invest. Barry Ritholtz is out with a new book called “How Not to Invest” I loved this one. We spend a lot of time in the investment world talking about all the optimal ways to invest. But investing is what we all call a loser’s game. That is, you don’t need to win by having the optimal winning strategy.
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.
Tuttle Capital put out a report that covered a lot of ground. There are two things I wanted to focus on from the report. First was his dour conclusion about 60/40 going forward, he calls 60/40 a lie, using AI. Bonds are the problem says his AI queries. There are problems with correlation which we cover all the time as well as now price inflation which sets the stage for higher interest rates.
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.
Welcome back to Carsons Take Five with Ryan Detrick and Sonu Varghese! This week, we break down the recent 10% stock market correction, why its happening, and whether investors should be worried. With markets pulling back sharply, we provide historical context, discuss the role of tariffs, and explain why volatility is normal. Plus, we check in live from Chicagos St.
Benjamin Graham, often called the “father of value investing,” developed a systematic approach to finding undervalued stocks that has influenced investors for generations, including Warren Buffett. Graham’s strategy focuses on identifying established, financially sound companies trading below their intrinsic value, rather than speculative growth ventures.
Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 2.1% week-over-week. Inventory is now up 5.0% from the seasonal bottom nine weeks ago in January and us starting to increase seasonally. The first graph shows the seasonal pattern for active single-family inventory since 2015. Click on graph for larger image. The red line is for 2025. The black line is for 2019.
This weeks Tax Advisor Weekly covers key updates for financial professionals. First, we cover the reinstatement of 7,000 recently laid-off Internal Revenue Service (IRS) probationary employees who have been placed on administrative leave pending legal proceedings. We also highlight a report on unruly crowds at IRS tax assistance events last year. Additionally, we dive into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) 2025 tax priorities, including a push to raise the Form 1099-
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.
There are many options for charitable giving, including simple one-time gifts or annual checks to your favorite causes. But you might consider increasing your impact by setting up a structured , long-term philanthropic plan such as an endowment. What Is an Endowment? An endowment is a portfolio of assets that is invested to provide support for a cause.
Best Ad Practices That Work for Marketing Financial Advisor Services One of the most surefire ways of growing a business fast and keeping a steady stream of leads coming in is with advertising. The major media platforms, like Meta, LinkedIn, and Instagram, make money from advertisers. So they want you to be successful when you advertise with them. The only downer is that too many small business advertisers lose money on ads.
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%.
Bill Hester from Hussman Funds had a lengthy write up on diversifiers that track what he called Bear Market Cumulative Returns (BMCR). This wasn't a discussion about alternative strategies but there were a couple of fantastic charts. This is helpful for creating some understanding of tendencies of factors. One very interesting tidbit from the table is that small caps are all over the place.
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.
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.
How Ivn Mendoza Scored a $5 Million Call With Financial Advisor Marketing Services You might think our niche in financial advisor marketing services has a small audience. But did you know there are more than 241,225 financial advisors currently employed in the United States? Thats a dizzying amount of competition! The question that must be asked: How are you supposed to stand out and attract clients to work with you in a sea of sameness?
Container traffic gives us an idea about the volume of goods being exported and imported - and usually some hints about the trade report since LA area ports handle about 40% of the nation's container port traffic. The following graphs are for inbound and outbound traffic at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in TEUs (TEUs: 20-foot equivalent units or 20-foot-long cargo container).
Valideas Strategy of the Week highlights one of our guru-based models, offering an inside look at its fundamental criteria, why they matter, and the top stocks currently favored by the strategy. This feature blends timeless investing wisdom with actionable ideas, helping you better understand and apply these proven approaches in your own investment process.
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
The transcript from this weeks, MiB: Stephanie Kelton on US Fiscal Policy and the Deficit Myth , is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube , and Bloomberg. All of our earlier podcasts on your favorite pod hosts can be found here. ~~~ Barry Ritholtz : This week on the podcast, I have another extra special guest.
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.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported the housing market index (HMI) was at 39, down from 42 last month. Any number below 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as poor than good. From the NAHB: Builder Confidence Falls on Cost Uncertainty Economic uncertainty, the threat of tariffs and elevated construction costs pushed builder sentiment down in March even as builders express hope that a better regulatory environment will lead to an improving business climate.
At Wealthfront, our focus on optimizing your after-tax returns is one of the key factors that sets us apart from other robo-advisors. We estimate our clients have saved about $1 billion in taxes over the last decade. Weve written before that tax-loss harvesting is arguably the most valuable service a robo-advisor can provide, and weve […] The post How Wealthfronts Tax-Loss Harvesting Performed in 2024 appeared first on Wealthfront Blog.
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.
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