As interest rates show signs of peaking, gold prices are nearing new all-time highs.
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
The GMO Focused Equity team has evaluated banks in the context of our Quality Strategy for 20 years, using both quantitative and fundamental analysis to invest in high-quality banks with healthy financials and in our opinion responsible management practices.
To help understand the current market volatility arising from the collapse of banks in the United States and Europe, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute Stephen Dover provides his answers to three crucial questions.
Yesterday, the Fed completed its regular meeting and announced that it would increase interest rates by 25 bps, or a quarter percentage point.
Read our latest insight where Dan Suzuki explains what investors need to know about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
This morning's seasonally adjusted 191K new claims, down 1K from the previous week's revised figure, came in below the Investing.com forecast of 197K.
US officials are studying ways they might temporarily expand Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage to all deposits, a move sought by a coalition of banks arguing that it’s needed to head off a potential financial crisis.
CIO Larry Adam outlines the positive events that are outweighing negative developments and looks at dynamics to focus on in the week ahead.
If you work with boomer-generation women, are you properly responding to their need for lifetime income? Consider this parable.
The simplest thing that can be said about current financial market and banking conditions is this: the unwinding of this Fed-induced, yield-seeking speculative bubble is proceeding as one would expect, and it’s not over by a longshot.
Portfolio Manager Andy Acker explains why the healthcare sector could offer an attractive combination of defense and growth in today’s market.
A TIPS is risky in the short term and riskless in the long run, which is precisely the opposite of, and complementary to, a T-bill, which is riskless in the short term but, because of reinvestment rate volatility, risky in the long run.
For years I’ve used a sandpile metaphor to describe complex systems like banking. Keep dropping grains of sand long enough and you will eventually trigger an avalanche.
The full story of SVB is still unfolding, but we offer some initial reactions.
Just over a year before Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse threatened a generation of technology startups and their backers, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco appointed a more senior team of examiners to assess the firm. They started calling out problem after problem.
U.S. equities are lower as pressure has returned to the banking sector, which remains top of mind.
The latest Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for February was down 0.3% to 110.0 from January's final figure of 110.3, marking the 11th consecutive MoM decline. Today's reading was consistent with the Investing.com forecast.
In a dovish move, the central bank raises rates by half a point.
Although the dust has not yet settled, we think it’s a good time to pause and consider the implications of the recent Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse.
Advisors are increasingly using annuities when they determine that it is in their clients’ best interests. They recognize that it is a client’s income – not their wealth – that matters in retirement, and annuities are the only way to provide a longevity-protected income solution. Rising inflation and uncertainty over high market valuations have made the need to secure lifetime income more acute, and rising interest rates have made annuities more affordable.
Here to discuss how to help clients and prospects determine if an annuity is a good fit for their financial needs are three members of the Protective Life team: Lori Marino, Tom Sullivan and Mark Berwanger.
U.S. stocks are falling in pre-market trading as recent banking turmoil on this side of the pond made its way to Europe.
The failure of Silicon Valley Bank raises questions for Fed policy and economic growth.
An acceleration in monthly core consumer prices seems likely to reinforce the Federal Reserve’s determination to raise interest rates to fight inflation, though the decision on next week’s move will be a tough call amid ongoing concern about financial turmoil.
Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the February Consumer Price Index data this morning. The year-over-year Headline CPI came in as expected at 6.0%, down from 6.4% the previous month (n.s.a). Year-over-year Core CPI (ex Food and Energy) also came in as expected at 5.5%, down from 5.6% the previous month (n.s.a).
Why don’t sellers of services transparently list one price that includes all fees?
The high-profile collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last week is a story about bad debt, just not in the way most people think.
Can we aggressively position assets today that have the potential for strong growth in the next 24 months when a tuition bill is due, without exposing those assets to market risk?
What does the ratio of unemployment claims tell us about where we are in the business cycle and recession risk?
US authorities took extraordinary measures to shore up confidence in the financial system after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, introducing a new backstop for banks that Federal Reserve officials said was big enough to protect the entire nation’s deposits.
U.S. stocks are extending last week's sharp declines that have come amid worries regarding the ultimate impact on the banking sector of the recent collapses of SVB Financial and Silvergate Capital.
Here’s an update on the latest news involving Silicon Valley Bank and the implications for the Fed and markets, from Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this will be the “longest” letter I’ve sent you in a while, as there are quite a few pictures. It may also be the most wide-ranging.
Greg Becker sat in a red armchair at an invite-only conference in Los Angeles last week, legs crossed, one hand cutting through air.
This commentary has been updated to include this morning's release of non-farm employment. February saw a 311,000 increase in total non-farm payrolls. The unemployment rate rose to 3.6%. The Investing.com forecast was for 205,000 jobs gained.
Gen Zers, according to a recent Magnify Money survey, are overly optimistic about being wealthy.
President Joe Biden is proposing a series of new tax increases on billionaires, rich investors and corporations in his latest proposal for how Congress should prioritize taxes and spending.
Anyone working with US regulators to salvage Silvergate Capital Corp., the crypto-friendly bank, will have to reckon with a key variable — the wariness of those same officials about digital assets.
I’m writing to ask why the advisory profession isn’t set up to provide more human-oriented support to advisors who are trying to transition.
Clients and prospects are demanding a more flexible, iterative financial planning process that evolves as their financial lives do. That is why my guest today created Elements, a mobile-first, client-centric, financial monitoring platform. Elements builds a one-page financial plan that helps the modern advisor remain in closer, deeper communication with clients as their financial needs shift. It encourages better behaviors with clients that promote financial health by displaying digestible pieces of critical financial data, including debt, savings, spending, insurance, investments, and more.
I took ChatGPT for a test drive by directing it to write an article summarizing important tax rule changes introduced by SECURE Act 2.0. The essay it produced was an epic failure.
Any of the variable spending strategies I analyzed will reduce sequence risk in retirement and allow for greater initial spending rates, potentially greater average spending amounts, and a generally more efficient spenddown of assets than the baseline constant inflation-adjusted spending rule.
There’s one strategy that is not only a great wealth-building solution but is also triple tax-advantaged…
We just finished up our annual report on the $20 billion club, and we've concluded that 2022 was a weird year for pension plans.
Medical Properties Trust’s dividend at the 2022 rate of $1.16 is safe even if Prospect, its third-largest operator, does not pay a single cent in 2023.
Balancing the needs of your clients with the needs of your advisory business is challenging, but it’s essential to maintaining growth and scale. My guests today will discuss how to navigate the challenges advisors face through phases of growth by identifying opportunities to increase value, drive growth, and boost your firm’s performance. From client segmentation to succession planning to other key issues, my guests will identify the key decisions advisors must make to build a sustainable, successful business.
AssetMark is a turnkey asset management platform for financial advisors specifically tailored to help investors achieve their life goals. It supports more than $80 billion in client assets.
Scores of counties offer a free monitoring service to taxpayers if a new need is filed for a property.
This commentary reflects on the silver linings of the higher interest rate environment as well as explores the possible winners and losers under this new regime.
As we begin 2023 and you think about how you want to market your financial advisory business, my number one tip is this…
Being flexible with spending matters. My analysis shows that variable spending strategies – including floor-and-ceiling, guardrail, actuarial and other methods – can dramatically increase sustainable retirement spending.
In the final analysis, Dan's confidence borne of providing good financial advice for 17 years proved meaningless.
Markets are unpredictable, which is one of many reasons it is difficult to consistently deliver alpha over long periods. In their latest commentary, our small cap growth team explains why their approach to managing the trade-off between risk and reward gives them the opportunity to outperform across market cycles.
For those advisors working with foreign nationals on work visas, I’ll discuss a couple of things you can do to help your clients who are impacted.
Personal income (excluding transfer receipts) in January rose 0.71% and is up 7.1% year-over-year. However, when adjusted for inflation using the BEA's PCE Price Index, real personal income (excluding transfer receipts) MoM was up 0.09% and was up 1.6% year-over-year.
US economic growth in the fourth quarter was weaker than previously estimated, reflecting a downward revision to consumer spending as the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation figures were revised higher.
January’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics moderated to 6.4% on an annual basis, down from December’s 6.5% and well below its peak of 9.1% in June 2022.
Passively managed equity funds are on the cusp of marking a milestone that’s been more than a decade in the making: Globally, net assets in such products are about to exceed those of their actively managed counterparts, according to Societe Generale.
Let’s explore whether the CFP Board, the most powerful and prominent organization supporting the advisory profession, can do more to support the adoption of a full fiduciary standard. We’ll also ask whether the CFP Board actually owns the trademark for “certified financial planner,” as it claims.
US homes in areas prone to floods may be currently overvalued in the range of $121 billion to $237 billion, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The auto industry is navigating through shifting conditions in trade, policy, and preferences.
Here are some places where the genuinely rich keep their money.
US producer prices rebounded in January by more than expected, underscoring persistent inflationary pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to pursue further interest-rate increases in the months ahead.
U.S. inflation may not be moderating as quickly as many were expecting.
Advisors who have business owners as clients need to adapt their discovery process and service plans to help these independent and resourceful investors.
Most think so.
It is far easier to engage people and reach them at an emotional level with video than with any other medium.
This Super Bowl will also be remembered, I believe, as a major turning point in sports betting in the U.S. More than 50 million American adults are expected to bet on the game, the most ever and a remarkable 61% increase from last year.
US workers are clearly feeling the strain of economic uncertainty, according to Franklin Templeton’s third annual “Voice of the American Worker” study.
I am often asked by advisors who are RIAs or are considering the model how they should explain that choice to their clients.
Changes for investors include RMD age increases, higher catch-up contribution limits and a new 529 transferal option.
People say that the best defense is a good offense. They are wrong, at least when it comes to protecting wealth.
In 1965 I was studying for a degree in Engineering.
Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast is appreciated as a bit of inconsequential fun; nobody takes it too seriously. Unfortunately, that’s not the case on Wall Street.
A trading tool like portfolio insurance is poised to trigger a stunning display of market instability.
If you can’t be bothered to dedicate significant time or money to marketing, let me teach you a step-by-step way to get new clients in fewer than two hours a month.
RIAs will be more financially successful, will retain and attract more investment assets, and will produce superior financial results for their retiree clients when they embrace new thinking that begins with the acknowledgment that, in practice, the safe withdrawal rate is a fiction.
Annie Duke’s latest and best of her books, Quit, is on making decisions under uncertainty.
The US economy grew faster than forecast into the end of 2022, but there were signs of slowing underlying demand as the steepest interest-rate hikes in decades threaten growth this year.
Investors are still recovering from the municipal market beatdown of 2022, but the current higher absolute yield levels provide an attractive “re-entry” point for municipal market investors.
The once-burgeoning realm of crypto and decentralized finance keeps imploding, presenting policy makers with a quandary: Should they just let it burn, or step in to address its now-obvious flaws?
U.S. equities finished mixed in a lackluster trading session, as Q4 earnings season shifted into a higher gear today.
2022 was a banner year, and not in a good way.
COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change in many aspects of our lives, not least the migration to flexible working, which would have taken many more years without the pandemic’s brutal intervention.
Two major issues clients should consider in creating their own long-term care plan are where they will live and how they will pay for the care they are likely to need.
Do you fear looking back at your career one day and asking yourself “what if” you had made a move to independence?
First, the good news: we estimate that real GDP grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter.
Paying down student debt or saving for retirement can seem like mutually exclusive goals. A little-known workplace benefit could soon allow more workers to do both.
Insurance & Annuities
Fed Hikes Rates as Bank Worries Spread Globally
As interest rates show signs of peaking, gold prices are nearing new all-time highs.
Growth in Real Money Supply is What is Important for Taming Inflation, and for the Fed
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Echoes Of '08? Don't Bank On It
The GMO Focused Equity team has evaluated banks in the context of our Quality Strategy for 20 years, using both quantitative and fundamental analysis to invest in high-quality banks with healthy financials and in our opinion responsible management practices.
The Crucial Questions
To help understand the current market volatility arising from the collapse of banks in the United States and Europe, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute Stephen Dover provides his answers to three crucial questions.
Market Focus Moves from the Fed to Financial Crisis
Yesterday, the Fed completed its regular meeting and announced that it would increase interest rates by 25 bps, or a quarter percentage point.
Some Thoughts on Banks
Read our latest insight where Dan Suzuki explains what investors need to know about the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.
Weekly Unemployment Claims: Down 1K, Lower Than Expected
This morning's seasonally adjusted 191K new claims, down 1K from the previous week's revised figure, came in below the Investing.com forecast of 197K.
US Studies Ways to Insure All Bank Deposits If Crisis Grows
US officials are studying ways they might temporarily expand Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage to all deposits, a move sought by a coalition of banks arguing that it’s needed to head off a potential financial crisis.
Incremental Progress Emerging in the Banking Sector Fallout
CIO Larry Adam outlines the positive events that are outweighing negative developments and looks at dynamics to focus on in the week ahead.
Annuity? Never
If you work with boomer-generation women, are you properly responding to their need for lifetime income? Consider this parable.
Edge of the Edge
The simplest thing that can be said about current financial market and banking conditions is this: the unwinding of this Fed-induced, yield-seeking speculative bubble is proceeding as one would expect, and it’s not over by a longshot.
A Difficult Job Becomes Even More Difficult
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Two Sides of Healthcare, One Strong Investment Case
Portfolio Manager Andy Acker explains why the healthcare sector could offer an attractive combination of defense and growth in today’s market.
Riskless at Age 104
A TIPS is risky in the short term and riskless in the long run, which is precisely the opposite of, and complementary to, a T-bill, which is riskless in the short term but, because of reinvestment rate volatility, risky in the long run.
Another Unstable Finger
For years I’ve used a sandpile metaphor to describe complex systems like banking. Keep dropping grains of sand long enough and you will eventually trigger an avalanche.
Silicon Valley: The Consequences of a Bank's Failure
The full story of SVB is still unfolding, but we offer some initial reactions.
The Fed Was Too Late on SVB Even Though It Saw Problem After Problem
Just over a year before Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse threatened a generation of technology startups and their backers, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco appointed a more senior team of examiners to assess the firm. They started calling out problem after problem.
Banking Sector Uncertainty Keeps Pressure on Stocks
U.S. equities are lower as pressure has returned to the banking sector, which remains top of mind.
CB LEI: Down 0.3% in February, Still Pointing to Risk of Recession
The latest Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for February was down 0.3% to 110.0 from January's final figure of 110.3, marking the 11th consecutive MoM decline. Today's reading was consistent with the Investing.com forecast.
The ECB Hikes Rates Amid Financial Market Volatility
In a dovish move, the central bank raises rates by half a point.
SVB Failure: The Impact on Private Credit
Although the dust has not yet settled, we think it’s a good time to pause and consider the implications of the recent Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse.
How to Frame Client Discussions About Lifetime-Income Solutions
Advisors are increasingly using annuities when they determine that it is in their clients’ best interests. They recognize that it is a client’s income – not their wealth – that matters in retirement, and annuities are the only way to provide a longevity-protected income solution. Rising inflation and uncertainty over high market valuations have made the need to secure lifetime income more acute, and rising interest rates have made annuities more affordable.
Here to discuss how to help clients and prospects determine if an annuity is a good fit for their financial needs are three members of the Protective Life team: Lori Marino, Tom Sullivan and Mark Berwanger.
Stocks Falling as European Banking Worries Flare Up
U.S. stocks are falling in pre-market trading as recent banking turmoil on this side of the pond made its way to Europe.
Bank Failures and the Fed
The failure of Silicon Valley Bank raises questions for Fed policy and economic growth.
Fed Rate Pause Is a Tough Call After Inflation Reaccelerates
An acceleration in monthly core consumer prices seems likely to reinforce the Federal Reserve’s determination to raise interest rates to fight inflation, though the decision on next week’s move will be a tough call amid ongoing concern about financial turmoil.
Making Sense of SVB, a Unique Bank with a Classic Problem
Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail?
Consumer Price Index: February Headline at 6.0%, Down from January
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the February Consumer Price Index data this morning. The year-over-year Headline CPI came in as expected at 6.0%, down from 6.4% the previous month (n.s.a). Year-over-year Core CPI (ex Food and Energy) also came in as expected at 5.5%, down from 5.6% the previous month (n.s.a).
How Clients Can Guard Against Junk Fees
Why don’t sellers of services transparently list one price that includes all fees?
Treasuries: "Risk Free" or "Risk Unlimited"?
The high-profile collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last week is a story about bad debt, just not in the way most people think.
An Annuity Can Fund Looming College Tuition
Can we aggressively position assets today that have the potential for strong growth in the next 24 months when a tuition bill is due, without exposing those assets to market risk?
The Civilian Labor Force, Unemployment Claims and the Business Cycle
What does the ratio of unemployment claims tell us about where we are in the business cycle and recession risk?
Fed’s New Backstop Shields Banks From $300 Billion of Losses
US authorities took extraordinary measures to shore up confidence in the financial system after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, introducing a new backstop for banks that Federal Reserve officials said was big enough to protect the entire nation’s deposits.
Stocks Remain Under Pressure as Banking Worries Remain
U.S. stocks are extending last week's sharp declines that have come amid worries regarding the ultimate impact on the banking sector of the recent collapses of SVB Financial and Silvergate Capital.
Silicon Valley Bank Failure Ripples Through the Market
Here’s an update on the latest news involving Silicon Valley Bank and the implications for the Fed and markets, from Stephen Dover, Head of Franklin Templeton Institute.
Monetary Cycle Versus Fiscal Cycle: What is the Difference?
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Thousand-Word Equivalents
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this will be the “longest” letter I’ve sent you in a while, as there are quite a few pictures. It may also be the most wide-ranging.
SVB’s 44-Hour Collapse Was Rooted in Treasury Bets During Pandemic
Greg Becker sat in a red armchair at an invite-only conference in Los Angeles last week, legs crossed, one hand cutting through air.
The Big Four Economic Indicators: February Employment
This commentary has been updated to include this morning's release of non-farm employment. February saw a 311,000 increase in total non-farm payrolls. The unemployment rate rose to 3.6%. The Investing.com forecast was for 205,000 jobs gained.
Gen Zers Are Overly Optimistic About Being Wealthy
Gen Zers, according to a recent Magnify Money survey, are overly optimistic about being wealthy.
Biden to Urge 25% Billionaire Tax, Levies on Rich Investors
President Joe Biden is proposing a series of new tax increases on billionaires, rich investors and corporations in his latest proposal for how Congress should prioritize taxes and spending.
US Crypto Caution Adds a Hurdle to Silvergate’s Rescue Effort
Anyone working with US regulators to salvage Silvergate Capital Corp., the crypto-friendly bank, will have to reckon with a key variable — the wariness of those same officials about digital assets.
Dealing With Unresponsive Vendors
I’m writing to ask why the advisory profession isn’t set up to provide more human-oriented support to advisors who are trying to transition.
Breakthrough Technology to Monitor Your Clients' Financial Health
Clients and prospects are demanding a more flexible, iterative financial planning process that evolves as their financial lives do. That is why my guest today created Elements, a mobile-first, client-centric, financial monitoring platform. Elements builds a one-page financial plan that helps the modern advisor remain in closer, deeper communication with clients as their financial needs shift. It encourages better behaviors with clients that promote financial health by displaying digestible pieces of critical financial data, including debt, savings, spending, insurance, investments, and more.
A Financial Planner Takes ChatGPT for a Test Drive
I took ChatGPT for a test drive by directing it to write an article summarizing important tax rule changes introduced by SECURE Act 2.0. The essay it produced was an epic failure.
A Comparison of Variable Spending Strategies
Any of the variable spending strategies I analyzed will reduce sequence risk in retirement and allow for greater initial spending rates, potentially greater average spending amounts, and a generally more efficient spenddown of assets than the baseline constant inflation-adjusted spending rule.
The Triple-Tax Advantaged Strategy that Too Few Advisors Use
There’s one strategy that is not only a great wealth-building solution but is also triple tax-advantaged…
$20 Billion Club: It's Been a Minute Since We've Seen Numbers Like This…
We just finished up our annual report on the $20 billion club, and we've concluded that 2022 was a weird year for pension plans.
Medical Properties Trust: 11.26% Yield – The Risk is Priced In
Medical Properties Trust’s dividend at the 2022 rate of $1.16 is safe even if Prospect, its third-largest operator, does not pay a single cent in 2023.
How to Position Your Practice for Growth in 2023
Balancing the needs of your clients with the needs of your advisory business is challenging, but it’s essential to maintaining growth and scale. My guests today will discuss how to navigate the challenges advisors face through phases of growth by identifying opportunities to increase value, drive growth, and boost your firm’s performance. From client segmentation to succession planning to other key issues, my guests will identify the key decisions advisors must make to build a sustainable, successful business.
AssetMark is a turnkey asset management platform for financial advisors specifically tailored to help investors achieve their life goals. It supports more than $80 billion in client assets.
Your Clients May Get Free Real Estate Title Monitoring
Scores of counties offer a free monitoring service to taxpayers if a new need is filed for a property.
Silver Linings - Our February 2023 market Commentary
This commentary reflects on the silver linings of the higher interest rate environment as well as explores the possible winners and losers under this new regime.
What Makes Your Advisory Business Marketable?
As we begin 2023 and you think about how you want to market your financial advisory business, my number one tip is this…
A Framework for Assessing Variable Spending Strategies
Being flexible with spending matters. My analysis shows that variable spending strategies – including floor-and-ceiling, guardrail, actuarial and other methods – can dramatically increase sustainable retirement spending.
When Failure Comes Unexpectedly to a Man
In the final analysis, Dan's confidence borne of providing good financial advice for 17 years proved meaningless.
Small Cap Growth Investing Across Market Cycles
Markets are unpredictable, which is one of many reasons it is difficult to consistently deliver alpha over long periods. In their latest commentary, our small cap growth team explains why their approach to managing the trade-off between risk and reward gives them the opportunity to outperform across market cycles.
Advising Clients Impacted by the Tech Layoffs
For those advisors working with foreign nationals on work visas, I’ll discuss a couple of things you can do to help your clients who are impacted.
The Big Four: Real Personal Income in January
Personal income (excluding transfer receipts) in January rose 0.71% and is up 7.1% year-over-year. However, when adjusted for inflation using the BEA's PCE Price Index, real personal income (excluding transfer receipts) MoM was up 0.09% and was up 1.6% year-over-year.
US Fourth-Quarter GDP Revised Lower on Weaker Consumer Spending
US economic growth in the fourth quarter was weaker than previously estimated, reflecting a downward revision to consumer spending as the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation figures were revised higher.
Takeaways from January’s CPI Announcement
January’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics moderated to 6.4% on an annual basis, down from December’s 6.5% and well below its peak of 9.1% in June 2022.
Global Passive Equity Funds Set to Overtake Active Funds
Passively managed equity funds are on the cusp of marking a milestone that’s been more than a decade in the making: Globally, net assets in such products are about to exceed those of their actively managed counterparts, according to Societe Generale.
The CFP Board and its Support for the Fiduciary Standard
Let’s explore whether the CFP Board, the most powerful and prominent organization supporting the advisory profession, can do more to support the adoption of a full fiduciary standard. We’ll also ask whether the CFP Board actually owns the trademark for “certified financial planner,” as it claims.
US Housing Market Is Overvalued by Billions Due to Ignored Flood Risk
US homes in areas prone to floods may be currently overvalued in the range of $121 billion to $237 billion, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Driving Change
The auto industry is navigating through shifting conditions in trade, policy, and preferences.
Where Do Millionaires Keep Their Money?
Here are some places where the genuinely rich keep their money.
US Producer Prices Exceed Forecast in Biggest Gain Since June
US producer prices rebounded in January by more than expected, underscoring persistent inflationary pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to pursue further interest-rate increases in the months ahead.
Disappointing Details in January CPI Report May Give the Fed Room to Maneuver
U.S. inflation may not be moderating as quickly as many were expecting.
Is Your Client Selling a Small Business? Here’s How to Ensure You Are Part of the Conversation
Advisors who have business owners as clients need to adapt their discovery process and service plans to help these independent and resourceful investors.
Are We Having a Recession or Not?
Most think so.
How to Attract New Clients with Self-Developed Videos
It is far easier to engage people and reach them at an emotional level with video than with any other medium.
The Real Reason Why 50 Million Americans Will Be Betting On The Super Bowl
This Super Bowl will also be remembered, I believe, as a major turning point in sports betting in the U.S. More than 50 million American adults are expected to bet on the game, the most ever and a remarkable 61% increase from last year.
Financial Independence Remains a Top Priority Despite Employee Feelings of Financial Anxiety
US workers are clearly feeling the strain of economic uncertainty, according to Franklin Templeton’s third annual “Voice of the American Worker” study.
Ask Brad: How to Explain the RIA Model to Clients
I am often asked by advisors who are RIAs or are considering the model how they should explain that choice to their clients.
Review Key Takeaways of the Secure Act 2.0
Changes for investors include RMD age increases, higher catch-up contribution limits and a new 529 transferal option.
Defense Wins Championships - and Preserves Wealth
People say that the best defense is a good offense. They are wrong, at least when it comes to protecting wealth.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
In 1965 I was studying for a degree in Engineering.
Beware of Wall Street's Groundhog Predictions
Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast is appreciated as a bit of inconsequential fun; nobody takes it too seriously. Unfortunately, that’s not the case on Wall Street.
How "0DTE" Options Will Cause the Next Black Monday
A trading tool like portfolio insurance is poised to trigger a stunning display of market instability.
How to Get Clients in Fewer than Two Hours a Month
If you can’t be bothered to dedicate significant time or money to marketing, let me teach you a step-by-step way to get new clients in fewer than two hours a month.
The Fiction of Safe Withdrawal Rates
RIAs will be more financially successful, will retain and attract more investment assets, and will produce superior financial results for their retiree clients when they embrace new thinking that begins with the acknowledgment that, in practice, the safe withdrawal rate is a fiction.
How the Greatest Female Poker Player Reduces Risk
Annie Duke’s latest and best of her books, Quit, is on making decisions under uncertainty.
US Economy Shows Slowdown Signs After Growing 2.9% Last Quarter
The US economy grew faster than forecast into the end of 2022, but there were signs of slowing underlying demand as the steepest interest-rate hikes in decades threaten growth this year.
Municipal Bonds: Is it Safe to Get Back in the Water?
Investors are still recovering from the municipal market beatdown of 2022, but the current higher absolute yield levels provide an attractive “re-entry” point for municipal market investors.
Crypto Is Worth Fixing. Regulators Should Get Moving
The once-burgeoning realm of crypto and decentralized finance keeps imploding, presenting policy makers with a quandary: Should they just let it burn, or step in to address its now-obvious flaws?
Stocks Lack Direction in Choppy Trading
U.S. equities finished mixed in a lackluster trading session, as Q4 earnings season shifted into a higher gear today.
1099 Season – An Opportunity for Tax-Aware Advisors
2022 was a banner year, and not in a good way.
A Charitable Way to Beat Taxes in the Afterlife
COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change in many aspects of our lives, not least the migration to flexible working, which would have taken many more years without the pandemic’s brutal intervention.
Creating a Plan for Long-Term Care
Two major issues clients should consider in creating their own long-term care plan are where they will live and how they will pay for the care they are likely to need.
Ask Brad: Do You Rent or Own Your Advisory Practice?
Do you fear looking back at your career one day and asking yourself “what if” you had made a move to independence?
Rearview Mirror OK, Collision Ahead
First, the good news: we estimate that real GDP grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate in the fourth quarter.
How to Save for Retirement by Paying Down Your Student Loans
Paying down student debt or saving for retirement can seem like mutually exclusive goals. A little-known workplace benefit could soon allow more workers to do both.