Sat.May 20, 2023 - Fri.May 26, 2023

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5 Screening Questions To Assess Client Readiness And Appropriateness (And Why It’s Especially Useful For Some Firms)

Nerd's Eye View

Screening calls are a common part of the prospecting process for financial advisory firms, particularly those that receive a large number of inquiries, and can help determine whether a prospective client might be a good fit. At the same time, these calls can be awkward for both the prospect and the advisor, as the prospect might be asked to discuss personal information about their finances with someone they have never met before, and the advisor has to ask potentially thorny questions, such as w

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Personal Income increased 0.4% in April; Spending increased 0.8%

Calculated Risk

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for April: Personal income increased $80.1 billion (0.4 percent at a monthly rate) in April , according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI) increased $79.4 billion (0.4 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $151.7 billion (0.8 percent).

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The New 60/40? Public Vs. Private

Wealth Management

The portfolio of the future will be crafted around exposure to public versus private markets, according to speakers at the Wealth Management EDGE conference.

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The First Rule of Dunning Kruger…

The Big Picture

Of all the cognitive errors in behavioral finance and human psychology , the one that creates the most confusion is the Dunning-Kruger effect. (Perhaps its rise in pop culture is to blame). Regardless, I find DKE to be an incredibly useful tool that helps explain many of the individual errors we see in investing. It’s useful to think of Dunning Kruger in terms of metacognition : One’s ability to self-evaluate a particular skill set.

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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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Nvidia Breaks Away

The Reformed Broker

Welcome to the latest episode of The Compound & Friends. This week, Michael Batnick, Dror Poleg, and Downtown Josh Brown discuss Nvidia’s ascent, the AI explosion, the future of work, and much more! You can listen to the whole thing below, or find it wherever you like to listen to your favorite pods! Listen here: Apple podcasts Spotify podcasts Google podcasts Everywhere else!

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FOMC Minutes: Staff Predicts Recession Starting in Q4; Future Monetary Policy "less certain"

Calculated Risk

From the Fed: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, May 2-3, 2023. Excerpt: The economic forecast prepared by the staff for the May FOMC meeting continued to assume that the effects of the expected further tightening in bank credit conditions, amid already tight financial conditions, would lead to a mild recession starting later this year, followed by a moderately paced recovery.

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MiB: Robyn Grew, Man Group CEO

The Big Picture

This week, we speak with Robyn Grew, currently, the President at Man Group, and effective September 1, the firm’s new CEO. The firm manages about $145 billion in client assets and is the world’s largest publicly traded hedge fund. As president, she is responsible for corporate sustainability and responsible investing; Man Solutions and Man FRM; central trading, funds treasury and bank relationships; operations; financial crime; corporate real estate; and communications.

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Podcast links: diverse decision making

Abnormal Returns

The biz Test-driving the New York Times audio app. (lefsetz.com) AI-generated podcasts are coming. (wired.com) Startups Eric Newcomer talks with Sarah Tavel of Benchmark Capital. (newcomer.co) Carolyn Levy and Jessica Livingston talk with Y Combinator founder Paul Graham. (open.spotify.com) Patrick O'Shaughnessy talks with Henry Schuck is the founder and CEO of ZoomInfo.

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Housing May 22nd Weekly Update: Inventory Increased 0.9% Week-over-week

Calculated Risk

Altos reports that active single-family inventory was up 0.9% week-over-week. Click on graph for larger image. This inventory graph is courtesy of Altos Research. As of May 19th, inventory was at 424 thousand (7-day average), compared to 420 thousand the prior week. Year-to-date, inventory is down 13.6%. And inventory is up 4.6% from the seasonal bottom five weeks ago.

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Sallie Krawcheck: How to Get Women to Invest

Wealth Management

In today’s world, advisors can differentiate themselves by delivering value where it’s always been—in the client relationship. The problem is, the industry has created the perfect product market fit for middle-aged white men, says Ellevest’s Sallie Krawcheck.

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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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10 Weekend Reads

The Big Picture

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • The Forgotten Titanic of the Pacific: A tale of disaster, survival, and ghosts. A person prone to superstition might be forgiven for thinking that the Valencia was cursed. Built in 1882, the ship was fired upon the following year near the island of Curaçao, and again four years later, this time by a Spanish warship just off the Cuban coast.

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Top clicks this week on Abnormal Returns

Abnormal Returns

Top clicks this week 10 things we get rid of as we age. (physicianonfire.com) Money buys independence: the 16 levels of wealth. (collabfund.com) People looking to buy a house right now have three options. (awealthofcommonsense.com) A big wealth transfer is under way in the U.S. (nytimes.com) Copper prices have rolled over. (allstarcharts.com) What does it really cost to own a home?

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New Home Sales at 683,000 Annual Rate in April

Calculated Risk

The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 683 thousand. The previous three months were revised down, combined. Sales of new single‐family houses in April 2023 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 683,000 , according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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10 Must Reads for Real Estate Investors (May 22, 2023)

Wealth Management

PacWest Bancorp struck a deal to sell a portfolio of $2.6 billion in construction loans to Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, reported Reuters. Equity Commonwealth named a successor to Sam Zell. These are among today’s must reads for real estate investors.

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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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SUPD: Debt Ceiling & Inflation

The Big Picture

I joined Pete Dominick to discuss the Debt Ceiling, Inflation, markets, and more. I pop into the pod around the 30-minute mark. (Before that, Pete discusses how his teenage daughter got scammed out of $5k by a fake border police grift, and why there is a sort of happy ending). We also discuss my thesis of the “ Disloyal Opposition ” as it applies to Debt Ceilings, fiscal stimulus, and even vaccines.

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Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (May 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 while banks have been able to attract a younger and more diverse set of financial advisors compared to the rest of the industry, thanks in part to their built-in referral stream, a relative lack of independence and dated technology could lead some of their advisors to explore options with independent RIAs.

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PCE Measure of Shelter Still Accelerating YoY

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 April 2023. CPI Shelter was up 8.1% year-over-year in April, down from 8.2% in March. Housing (PCE) was up 8.4% YoY in April , up from 8.3% in March. Since asking rents are soft and Year-over-year Rent Growth Continues to Decelerate this means both CPI and PCE measures are currently overstating actual inflation.

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The Top 15 Cities With the Most Billionaires

Wealth Management

Where do the richest of the rich choose to reside?

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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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Foul Mood?

The Big Picture

This week saw the release of the Fed’s big annual research report, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2022. It’s chock full of great charts and analyses, covering everything from Income, Employment, Expenses, Banking and Credit, Housing, Student Loans, Retirement and Investments, and Overall Financial Well-Being. Peter Coy fleshes out lots of the details here: “ Unemployment Is Low, But So Is the National Mood.” He notes: “The Fed report is consistent with ot

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Thursday links: failing fast

Abnormal Returns

Investing Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley on what tasks AI is going to take over. (pionline.com) Igor Tulchinsky, "Using AI to move between visual and text is an interesting way of harnessing algorithms to potentially identify opportunities or shape conclusions that may be more obvious when seen by the human eye." (semafor.com) Expect more ETFs to be marketed based on the use of AI.

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Two Key Housing Themes: Low Inventory and Few Distressed Sales

Calculated Risk

Today, in the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter: Two Key Housing Themes: Low Inventory and Few Distressed Sales Brief excerpt: Every housing cycle is different. One of the key themes in this cycle is that existing home inventory is historically extremely low as many homeowners are “locked in” to their current home with low mortgage rates. Another key theme is that there will be few distressed sales as most homeowners have substantial equity.

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FINRA: 'Persistent' Noncompliance on Crypto Communications

Wealth Management

Preliminary results from a targeted exam indicated communications related to crypto asset securities products and services had four times the non-compliance rate of other kinds of products.

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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.

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10 Monday AM Reads

The Big Picture

My back-to-work morning train WFH reads: • Don’t underestimate the American consumer : As we’ve discussed repeatedly, consumer finances have been in remarkably good shape despite what weak sentiment may suggest. And robust demand for labor continues to fuel job creation. All of this represents massive tailwinds powering spending, which has been bolstering economic growth for months. ( TKer ) • Apple Is Reaching Deeper Into Your Pocket.

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#FA Success Ep 334: Finding Clarity On Fees And Clients By Allowing The Business To Evolve Over Time, With Meg Bartelt

Nerd's Eye View

Welcome back to the 334th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Meg Bartelt. Meg is the Founder and Lead Financial Planner for Flow Financial Planning, a virtual RIA serving mid-career women in tech that oversees almost $60 million in assets under management for 60 client households. What's unique about Meg, though, is how, over the span of 7 years since launching her firm, she has evolved the business by repeatedly adapting her niche focus, iterating

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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 4.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 19, 2023. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 4.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier.

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Emerging Custodians See Room to Move

Wealth Management

The Schwab/TDAI merger is creating opportunities for emerging RIA custodians with more nimble technology, natural language processing tools and automated service.

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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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10 Thursday AM Reads

The Big Picture

My morning train WFH reads: • Debt-Ceiling Fight Sends Investors Hunting for New Havens : Traders worried about a potential U.S. default are swapping their go-to safe haven for the bonds of America’s top-rated companies. Just days or weeks before the government faces a possible funding shortfall, investors are shunning U.S. Treasury bills that will mature over the next several months while paying a premium to buy debt issued by Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson, two of the highest-rated U.S. c

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Best Practices For Running A Financial Planning Internship Program (And Creating A More Productive Outlook)

Nerd's Eye View

Traditionally, financial planning internship programs have offered students who are aspiring financial planners a way to prepare for entering the workforce by gaining real-world experience in advisory firm settings (as well as a way to get their foot in the door with prospective employers). But when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, many firms shut their offices and went fully remote, which forced them to either rapidly reconfigure their internship programs or – as was more commonly t

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Tuesday links: a reliance on algorithms

Abnormal Returns

Markets What price does Apple ($AAPL) need to hit to get to $5 trillion in market cap? (allstarcharts.com) 30-year mortgage rates are pushing 7% again. (mortgagenewsdaily.com) Good luck trying to predict the future shape of the yield curve. (mailchi.mp) Crypto Prosecutors are pouring through a ton of evidence in the SBF case. (nytimes.com) Coinbase ($COIN) is not sitting back in its fight with the SEC.

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13 Must Reads for Real Estate Investors for the Weekend (May 26, 2023)

Wealth Management

Office REITs are trading at their lowest levels since 2009, reports Bloomberg. Crow Holdings formed a $2.6 billion joint venture focused on retail assets. These are some must reads from around the real estate investment world heading into the weekend.

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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.