The big economic story today will be the end of the regular meeting of the Fed and what it decides to do about interest rates. Markets are expecting a 25 bp increase, to a range of 5 percent to 5.25 percent, with a slight bet on no hike at all.
We are at the start of the period when companies release their results for the first quarter of 2023, known as earnings season. With everything going on—inflation, rate hikes, a labor shortage, the weakness of the dollar, a pending recession, the list goes on and on...
I have been getting a lot of questions around the dollar in recent weeks. De-dollarization seems to be a thing, as do central bank digital currencies, along with the latest round of worries about what the government is going to do to our savings.
There is a lot riding on the monthly jobs report, which comes out tomorrow. For the economy, more jobs are good: more workers, more wage income, more spending ability, and so forth. There’s no real downside.
After a weak February, markets rallied in March. U.S. markets were up by low single digits, while bond markets were in the same range. International markets also showed modest gains, with developed markets about the same as the U.S. and emerging markets doing slightly better.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your practice to the next level, having a clear plan to grow now and in the future is vital. From outsourcing business solutions to building a talent pipeline, there are strategic considerations you can take today to keep your business thriving for many years to come.
There has been surprisingly little worry reported by advisors and readers in the past couple of weeks.
Yesterday, the Fed completed its regular meeting and announced that it would increase interest rates by 25 bps, or a quarter percentage point.
Whether you run a solo practice or a multiadvisor firm, if you’re looking to take your business to the next level, it’s time to decide if you’re at a critical growth juncture and what that means for your future.
Selling your practice is a process, not an event. So it’s critical to take the time—at least five years—to prepare your business and effectively position it to be bought at maximum value. How to Command the Best Purchase Price for Your Business provides key strategies to help you transform your practice into one that’s bought, not sold.
What could go wrong—or right—for the economy and market in 2023? A lot, it turns out. Read Commonwealth’s Outlook for more on what they’ll be watching and why CIO Brad McMillan says he sees brighter skies ahead.
You may think that going independent means you’ll have less time for client interactions—after all, you’ll have an office to run. Well, that’s not true for breakaway advisors who partner with the right firm. A recent Cerulli Associates study breaks down how much time breakaway advisors save by partnering with Commonwealth. You’ll get stats such as:
Take control of how you spend your time. Are you ready to make an informed decision about your independence? Get started today.
When you look at expectations for corporate earnings for the third quarter, you get a bunch of mixed messages.
The latest jobs market headlines have been discouraging.
We are now in another downswing in the ongoing bear market.
Yesterday’s inflation print was a big surprise—a bad one.
August was a resumption of the earlier pullback after a surprisingly strong July.
47 percent of industry assets are managed by advisors over the age of 55, and 49 percent of the advisors retiring within the next 10 years are solo practitioners. This means a relatively steady stream of advisors will enter retirement each year. In Transitioning Your Practice the Way You Want, you'll learn how independence affiliation models expand an advisor’s range of succession planning options, while creating opportunities for next-gen advisors looking to grow their practice through mergers and acquisitions.
The big question on everyone’s mind is, why is the market going down?
July was a surprisingly good month for financial markets, with the greatest monthly gains since 2020.
Independence has been the fastest-growing form of advisor affiliation over the last decade. Many affiliation models exist within that space, giving you the freedom to decide what’s best for your firm and vision. Learn how choosing the right partner allows you to run your own practice without giving up critical resources and support.
One of the headlines I have been asked about recently is the strong dollar. People are concerned about what it means, how it could hurt the U.S. economy, and, of course, how it will affect their investments. Good questions all.
One of the most surprising things to come out of the first half of 2022 was the walloping fixed income investors received from bonds. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index posted its worst 12-month return in its entire history, which caused many investors to shed exposures, particularly longer-term sectors.
As we move into the second half of 2022, there are lots of things to worry about.
The client experience—from both an advisor/firm and advisor/client perspective—is a differentiating factor in an independent advisor’s success. In Focus on the Experience, the second white paper in a four-part series with Cerulli Associates, you’ll learn how partner firms can support advisors and why choosing the right firm partner will allow you to create the optimal client experience to build strong, lasting relationships.
We hit a milestone just recently, although it’s certainly not one we wanted to hit.
Did you know that 89 percent of advisors who are looking for independence want more autonomy over their business, and nearly all of them want higher payouts? In Demystifying the Independent Channel, the first white paper in a four-part series from Cerulli Associates, you’ll find a further breakdown of which advisors seek independence, and why. You'll also discover what it really means to manage your own business, and how advisors can make a successful transition.
Markets stabilized in May after one of the worst months since the start of the pandemic.
Yesterday was another bad down day in the markets.
April was a hard month for the markets.
As more and more people approach their golden years, you may see a shift in your practice—from a focus on accumulation and growth to one of income and distribution. It’s important that you’re prepared to not only ensure that your clients have enough to live comfortably, but to help them properly allocate the assets they have.
The economy seems to be doing well, with job growth still at high levels, consumer spending still healthy, and businesses continuing to invest.
Markets rebounded in March, but it was not enough to offset earlier losses in January and February.
We saw a bit of a bounce in stock markets in March, but not enough to recover from a terrible first quarter.
All compliance teams are bound by the same rules, but it’s how they create policies to comply with those rules that may make them different.
In this white paper, you’ll learn:
We’ve talked a lot about higher interest rates and what they mean for the market.
Yesterday, I laid out why I am not concerned, in general, about what a yield curve inversion means for the economy, while still being very aware of the increasing risks.
Have you experienced sticker shock at the pump recently?
You may think that going independent means you’ll have less time for client interactions—after all, you’ll have an office to run. Well, that’s not true for breakaway advisors who partner with the right firm. A recent study from Cerulli Associates breaks down how much time breakaway advisors save by choosing a collaborative firm partner.
Recent equity market volatility is being partially attributed to potential Fed tightening, as the Fed has signaled a shift from an accommodative monetary policy stance to one that is more restrictive.
I have been holding off on commenting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict until some sort of resolution occurred.
How do advisors leave the employer-based channel stress free? John Pratti did it by finding a collaborative partner who was right for him. Learn how his move to independence and client focus led to revenue growth and a better work-life balance. You’ll take a deep dive into what drove John’s need for change, how Commonwealth supported his goals, and how he more than doubled his fee-based AUM since joining!
Over the past decade, interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has grown dramatically.
January was a terrible month.
The official jobs report comes out this Friday. Expectations are for another slowdown, with about 175,000 jobs added, down from 199,000 in December.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are showing no signs of abating.
Brad McMillan, Commonwealth’s CIO, recaps the market and economic news for January. Markets pulled back to start the year, with U.S. indices dropping between 3 and 10 percent. On the medical front, the Omicron wave continued. As case growth rose to new highs, consumer and business confidence took a hit. Finally, January reports showed inflation at a 40-year high, and the Fed announced a rate hike in March was very likely. Despite this perfect storm of bad news, are there positive signs on the horizon? Stay tuned to find out. Follow Brad at blog.commonwealth.com/independent-market-observer.
On February 1, China bids farewell to the Year of the Ox and rings in the Year of the Tiger.
The panic of the day is the news about interest rates.
We are just starting earnings season, when companies will be reporting how much money they made in the fourth quarter of last year.
