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Harnessing the Impact of Changing Demographics to Grow Your Practice
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The demographic makeup of America is changing. Latinos now make up almost 20 percent of Americans, up from seven percent in 1980. But while the number of Latino Americans continues to grow, only about four percent of financial advisors identify as Latino.
Netflix Beats Wall Street’s Forecasts in Every Major Metric
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Netflix Inc. added more than 5 million customers in the third quarter and eclipsed Wall Street’s expectations on every major financial metric despite a new programming slate constrained by last year’s strikes in Hollywood.
IPhone 16 Sales Soar 20% in China Debut as Demand Returns
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Sales of Apple Inc.’s newest iPhones in China are up 20% in their first three weeks compared with 2023’s model, a positive sign for a device that struggled this year to gain traction in the world’s largest smartphone market.
How Market Forces Came for the Dinosaurs
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Around 110 million years ago, a dinosaur went hunting. Stalking through ferns along a riverbank, he twitched his nose to the wind and caught scent of a plant-eater ahead. His head darted upward. His eyes locked on the target. The dinosaur drew his sickle claws upward, ready to make a lethal strike. But something wasn’t right.
Trifecta of Fed Rate-Cut Regret Is an Illusion
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We’ve had several weeks of strong data since the Federal Reserve cut policy rates by a half percentage point. It started with a surprisingly robust jobs report, followed by a janky and above-expectations inflation report.
The Big Four Recession Indicators: Real Retail Sales Up 0.3% in September
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Nominal retail sales in September were up 0.43% month-over-month (MoM) and up 1.74% year-over-year (YoY). However, after adjusting for inflation, real retail sales were up 0.25% MoM and down 0.65% YoY.
This 529 Plan Mistake Could Cost You Big at Tax Time
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529 plans are one of the most popular ways Americans save for the college expenses of their children. As of June 2024, there were 16.8 million 529 savings accounts holding $508 billion, according to the College Savings Plan Network.
Subsets and Sensibility
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One of most dangerous habits of a speculative crowd is the tendency to use unconditional averages and unconditional probabilities regardless of how extreme market conditions have become. This is like stepping into a house with two rooms, one with the temperature at 0 degrees and one at 140 degrees, and expecting a temperature of 70 either way.
Boeing Is Flexing the Financial Muscle It Has Left
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Boeing Co. is flexing its financial muscle even in light of a crippling labor strike and a disgraceful period of execution that resulted in two deadly plane crashes, the near-disaster of a midair door-panel blowout and whistleblowers who have detailed a culture of putting profit over quality.
BlackRock’s Third Pivot Is Its Most Adventurous Yet
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When BlackRock Inc. completed its initial public offering in 1999, it fell a bit flat. There was no first day pop; Founder and Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink didn’t even get to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Valued at just under $900 million, the firm was one of 30 large investment-managers in the US, managing $165 billion of assets.
The Language of Clients: It’s Different From Yours
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My father is 86 and the topic of financial markets and his investment accounts invariably comes up at every family gathering. Mainly, he talks about how my mother and he have lived from their retirement accounts since they both retired more than 25 years ago.
Trade and Tariffs: The Impact on Consumers
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A tariff is a tax assessed on imports. Historically, tariffs have been enacted to generate tax revenue or to protect domestic producers from competition in the form of cheaper foreign goods. In essence, tariffs artificially make domestically produced goods more competitive in the local market by making imports more expensive.
Margin Debt Up 2.0% in September; Highest Level Since 2022
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FINRA has released new data for margin debt, now available through September. The latest debt level is at $813.211 billion, the highest level since February 2022. Margin debt is up 2.0% month-over-month (MoM) and up 19.4% year-over-year (YoY). However, after adjusting for inflation, debt level is up 1.9% MoM and up 16.6% YoY.
An Untapped Gold Mine of Assets You Can Manage
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This article will explore how to increase your AUM by capturing assets in trusts and DAFs, explain the difference between directed and traditional trustees, and discuss why designating a directed trustee and an advisor-friendly DAF is in the client’s best interest.
Stock Surge Defies Mixed Economic Data
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This past week saw a notable surge in the stock market, pushing it to all-time highs, despite mixed economic data. Inflation figures, jobless claims, and sentiment reports have been uneven, but markets remain resilient, with the VIX hovering around 20—a sign that fear persists among investors.
U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rise. Is the Economy Still Headed for a Soft Landing?
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On the latest edition of Market Week in Review, Investment Strategist BeiChen Lin assessed what the latest U.S. economic data suggests about the health of the nation’s economy. He also discussed the pullback in Chinese equities and the rise in volatility expectations for the U.S. stock market.
How Jobs Growth Informs the Backdrop for Multi-Asset Investing
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As the Fed begins cutting rates, October’s surprisingly strong US employment report only adds to the data pointing to a soft landing, despite lingering concerns of a downturn. We expect the economic expansion to continue, which has important implications for multi-asset strategies.
Q3 2024 Earnings Season Preview: Magnificent 7 Feeling the Pressure?
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When we look at the Q3 earnings season, the Magnificent Seven have been driving much of the S&P 500’s growth since 2022. As these companies get larger and more mature, maintaining huge growth rates will become more difficult, especially considering the valuations they’re trading at.