Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 20, 2023

When a prospect is looking for a financial advisor, understanding how much they will need to pay can often be a tricky proposition. In part, this is due to the many commission-based advisors whose compensation depends on the sale of insurance or investment products, where the price that a client pays is baked into the price of the product or is included in (often opaque) fees associated with buying, selling, and/or holding the investment.

Planning 224

Planning Communication Financial Planning Financial Advisor 224

The Big Picture

MARCH 22, 2023

Bank failures since 2001, scaled by amount of assets in 2023 dollars. The graphic above, via Flowing Data , puts recent events into perspective: At $209 billion in assets, the Silicon Valley Bank failure since Washington Mutual crashed in 2008 (JPM Chase took them over from the FDIC). The post U.S. Bank Failures, 2001 – Present appeared first on The Big Picture.

Banking 329

Banking Assets 329

The Reformed Broker

MARCH 18, 2023

And if you haven’t subscribed yet, don’t wait. Check it out below or wherever fine podcasts are played. . The post This Week on TRB appeared first on The Reformed Broker.

265

265

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 23, 2023

Books A Q&A with Jenny Odell author of "Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock." (wired.com) An excerpt from "Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work" by Uri Gneezy. (behavioralscientist.org) Technology What jobs are generative AI going to eliminate? (unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com) An awe inspiring visit to a state-of-the-art semiconductor fab.

Wealth Management 246

Wealth Management Numbers Management 246

Speaker: Nancy Wu, Head of Sales and Customer Success at SkyStem

Business operations are getting increasingly complex, shareholders are demanding more, and your auditors are breathing down your neck like never before. In this high-pressure environment, it’s important to remember that reconciliation activity is your last line of defense against financial fraud and errors. Insisting on a manual process to handle month-end reconciliations is a risky endeavor that places an undue burden on your accounting team.

Accounting

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 21, 2023

Welcome back to the 325th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast ! My guest on today's podcast is Brenda Hiscock. Brenda is a financial planner with Objective Financial Partners, an advice-only advisory firm based in Ontario, Canada, that works with clients on project-based financial plans, and also offers outsourced paraplanning to other Canadian advisory firms.

Financial Advice 245

Financial Advice Financial Advisor Financial Planning Insurance 245

The Reformed Broker

MARCH 19, 2023

Dan McMurtrie crushed it on TCAF this week. In case you haven’t gotten to it yet, the whole video is embedded below. You can also listen to it if you’re on the go. At the 25 minute mark, he does this really great explanation of why shorting stocks is so hard, including the toll it can take on a trader’s mental health – even when they end up being right.

Marketing 239

Marketing Marketing 239

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 22, 2023

Markets Bond market volatility is at GFC-type levels. (axios.com) Chasing 'smooth returns' is a fool's errand. (capitalallocators.com) Crypto Does your portfolio have more crypto exposure than you think? (morningstar.com) Crypto hype has died down, but the environmental effect hasn't. (theatlantic.com) AI Google ($GOOGL) is opening up access to its ChatGPT competitor, Bard.

Financial Advising 244

Financial Advising Banking Portfolio Media 244

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 22, 2023

Traditionally, when a person applied for individual life insurance, they would need to go through an extensive underwriting process that lasted several weeks (or months) and may have included personal and family health questionnaires, interviews, and/or physical examinations. Though this process was time-consuming and intrusive from the perspective of the person applying for insurance, it was considered a necessary evil in order for the insurance company to feel comfortable issuing the policy on

Insurance 203

Insurance Financial Advisor Medical Clients 203

The Big Picture

MARCH 20, 2023

My back to work morning train WFH reads: • Your NCAA Tournament Bracket Is a Business School in Disguise : What can you learn from the biggest upsets in college basketball? ( Wall Street Journal ) • What CEOs Are Getting Wrong About the Future of Work—and How to Make It Right : To build better companies, leaders need to experiment more, quit ‘living in fear of opening Pandora’s box,’ says Wharton management professor Adam Grant. ( Wall Street Journal ) see also Why Job Reshoring Is Merely a Tric

Banking 279

Banking Investing Investments Manufacturing 279

Speaker: Carolina Aponte - Owner and CEO, Caja Holdings LLC

In today's rapidly changing business environment, building a resilient balance sheet is crucial to the survival of any business. A resilient balance sheet allows a company to withstand financial shocks and adapt to changing market conditions. To achieve this, companies need to focus on key strategies such as maintaining adequate liquidity, managing debt levels, diversifying revenue streams, and prioritizing profitability over growth.

Financial Planning

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 21, 2023

John Marsden grew up in a wealthy family. He was a brilliant student who went to Harvard, graduated from law school and eventually fulfilled his dream of becoming a successful lawyer. John got married in his 30s and had children. Leo DeMarco also went to Harvard where he dreamed of becoming a famous writer. But after college he became a high school teacher and loved working with his students so much that his dream never c.

145

145

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 22, 2023

Podcasts Morgan Housel talks about his top 30 rules of the money game. (open.spotify.com) Jeff Ptak and Christine Benz talk financial independence with Brad Barrett, co-founder of ChooseFI. (morningstar.com) Retirement Retirement is filled with all sorts of challenging decisions. (humbledollar.com) Stranded retirement accounts are a big problem. (nytimes.com) What goes into the decision about taking a lump sum pension payout.

Financial Planning 243

Financial Planning Retirement Planning Accounting 243

Nerd's Eye View

MARCH 24, 2023

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week’s edition kicks off with the news that the CFP Board of Standards launched its 1st ad campaign, dubbed "It’s Gotta Be A CFP", following its transition to a 501(c)(6) organization. In a change from previous campaigns, the first ad directly recommends that consumers seek out a CFP professional for financial advice, and future ads could more directly explain the benefits of earning the CFP marks.

Financial Planner 174

Financial Planner CFP Retirement Retirement Planning 174

The Big Picture

MARCH 18, 2023

This week, we speak with Cliff Asness , co-founder and managing partner at AQR Capital Management. The firm has ~$100 billion in assets under management. An active researcher, Asness contributes to numerous publications and has received a variety of accolades, including the James R. Vertin Award from CFA Institute in recognition of his lifetime contribution to research.

Retirement 278

Retirement Investing Investments Assets 278

Speaker: Wayne Spivak, President and CFO of SBA * Consulting Ltd., Industry Writer, Public Speaker

If you’re lost in the world of spend management needs and your GAP analysis is lacking perspective on the future state of your business performance, listen up! With the advancement of technology, the implementation of spend management best practices and concrete GAP analyses is more streamlined and accessible than ever before. And while this may sound like great news for you and your clients, it won’t be worthwhile unless you have the latest techniques to back up your ambitions!

Management

Calculated Risk

MARCH 22, 2023

Note: This index is a leading indicator primarily for new Commercial Real Estate (CRE) investment. From the AIA: Architecture Billings Index (ABI) Slowdown Continues into February More architecture firms reported a decline in billings in February, indicating an extension of a recent downturn in design activity according to a new report released today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Investing 144

Investing Investments Economy Planning 144

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 20, 2023

Podcasts Brendan Frazier talks with Deirdre Van Nest about communicating with clients in an emotionally-compelling way. (wiredplanning.com) Daniel Crosby talks with Emily Koochel about defining and seeking financial wellness. (standarddeviationspod.com) Banks The combined UBS-CS will be a money management giant. (barrons.com) The FDIC is planning to sell SVB Private separately from the rest of the bank.

Estate Planning 244

Estate Planning Retirement Financial Planning Banking 244

The Irrelevant Investor

MARCH 23, 2023

If you told me at the beginning of march that the following would happen: Silicon Valley Bank fails. So do Silvergate and Signature. Another, First Republic, is also on the ropes. The fed, treasury, and FDIC have to work together to prevent a run on regional banks. And then a week later, the fed would still hike by 25 basis points. Banks fail, fed hikes.

Banking 129

Banking 129

The Big Picture

MARCH 18, 2023

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of coffee, grab a seat outside, and get ready for our longer-form weekend reads: • The A to Z of economics : Economic terms, from “absolute advantage” to “zero-sum game”, explained to you in plain English. ( The Economist ) • The Incredible Tantrum Venture Capitalists Threw Over Silicon Valley Bank : Remind me why, exactly, these guys have so much control over technological innovation?

Banking 272

Banking Economics Investing Investments 272

Speaker: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach®

Niche markets represent a huge opportunity for the financial services industry in America. From college students and women to communities of color and low-to-moderate-income households, niche populations have specialized financial needs – but they often underutilize many valuable financial products and services. How can you better connect with these consumers?

Clients

Calculated Risk

MARCH 24, 2023

Realtor.com has monthly and weekly data on the existing home market. Here is their weekly report released yesterday from Sabrina Speianu: Weekly Housing Trends View — Data Week Ending Mar 18, 2023 • Active inventory growth continued to climb with for-sale homes up 59% above one year ago. Inventories of for-sale homes rose, but at a slightly slower pace than last week’s gain, as new sellers on the market held back more.

Sales 142

Sales Marketing Marketing Numbers 142

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 19, 2023

Markets Ben Carlson, "History is chock-full of panics, crises, crashes, ups, downs and the unexpected." (awealthofcommonsense.com) Surprises shouldn't be surprising. (mrzepczynski.blogspot.com) Energy stocks are now struggling. (allstarcharts.com) Companies Growth in spending on SaaS services is slowing. (tomtunguz.com) Why Berkshire Hathaway's ($BRK.A) proxy statement is so short.

Financial Advising 243

Financial Advising Economy Economics Banking 243

Advisor Perspectives

MARCH 22, 2023

Do advisors need to accept that technology will forever be a drag, or can the right approach lead to personal happiness and a more productive practice?

129

129

The Big Picture

MARCH 21, 2023

Note: We are off to California and Arizona for a few events later this week; publishing will be spotty… Welcome to Spring! Start the new season with our Two-for-Tuesday morning train reads: • Are Banks OK? Where the sector stands after a turbulent week. ( Slate ) see also Déjà Vu? Why 2023 is Not 2008 : But that is incomparable to the 2008-09 era, where every financial institution had consumed CDOs, where toxic sub-prime loans were securitized into ticking time bombs.

Banking 266

Banking Investing Investments Taxes 266

Speaker: Raul Perez, VP and CFO of Lancaster Leaf

Lancaster Leaf Tobacco Co Inc. is a subsidiary of Universal Corporation, the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Lancaster Leaf supplies virtually all the major cigar manufacturers in the U.S. with filler, binder, and wrapper, and exports filler, binder, and wrapper to international cigar manufacturers. This all could mean a complicated month-end close - before automation.

Manufacturing

Calculated Risk

MARCH 21, 2023

From the NAR: Existing-Home Sales Surged 14.5% in February, Ending 12-Month Streak of Declines Existing-home sales reversed a 12-month slide in February, registering the largest monthly percentage increase since July 2020, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Month-over-month sales rose in all four major U.S. regions. All regions posted year-over-year declines.

Sales 141

Sales 141

Abnormal Returns

MARCH 23, 2023

Strategy Why isn't the stock market going down? (theirrelevantinvestor.com) Bonds have had a rough five years. Things are different moving forward. (morningstar.com) Novel Investor, "Investors must make bets on imperfect information to earn sought-after long-run returns." (novelinvestor.com) Crypto Why is Bitcoin going higher? (newsletter.mollywhite.net) Coinbase ($COIN) is at-risk if the SEC forces it to delist coins it believes to be securities.

Financial Advising 233

Financial Advising Banking Startup Economy 233

A Wealth of Common Sense

MARCH 23, 2023

A reader asks: My friend recently sent me an article saying that young people shouldn’t save money. The argument is based on the life-cycle model. It argues that in order to maximize happiness out of your income every year, and to avoid changes in standard of living throughout life, high income earners should not save at a young age, and instead it should be made up in middle ages.

116

116

The Big Picture

MARCH 22, 2023

Note: We are off to California and Arizona for a few events; no Morning Reads for the next few days… My mid-week morning train plane reads: • How the Swiss ‘trinity’ forced UBS to save Credit Suisse : The takeover of its local rival could end up being a generational boon for UBS. But the government-orchestrated deal has angered many investors. ( Financial Times Alphaville ) • Why Job Reshoring Is Merely a Trickle : U.S. manufacturing can’t compete on cost, but it has a leg up in some areas

Risk Management 253

Risk Management Taxes Economy Investing 253

Speaker: Rita Keller - President of Keller Advisors, LLC

You've worked diligently and have built a glowing reputation grounded in your excellent skills in tax, accounting, and auditing. You're known as the “go-to” person when a client is faced with tax and financial decisions. You have a very successful firm -- but that’s not enough. Profession leaders are urging you to diversify your financial skills and distance yourself from compliance work.

Consulting