1. When Clients Say: Investing Will Never be the Same
GameStop dominated the news for a few weeks. Your investing client is disillusioned. They feel the fundamentals of investing don’t matter when a group of people run a stock from about $20 to over $ 400 in a few days. Why bother? What do you tell them? — Bryce Sanders
2. Tips for Transacting in Small ETFs
At the end of January, globally listed exchange traded products – primarily exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs) – topped $8 trillion in combined assets under management for the first time on the back of nearly $83.1 billion of inflows in the first month of 2021. — Todd Shriber
3. The Key Difference Between Wanting and Receiving Referrals
We talk a lot in the financial sphere about differentiators—what makes you unique? Why should a client choose you over another advisor? Taking this one step further, why would a current client recommend you to their friends and family? — Maribeth Kuzmeski
4. Can You Hold My Attention? Samantha Russell
Our conversation about why digital marketing matters and how to measure return on investment moved me from being slightly skeptical to being excited to try some new things in Kingswood’s marketing strategy. — Derek Bruton
5. Bitcoin Has Hit the Big Leagues. Will Apple Bite Next?
Tesla “Broke the Seal,” Apple Now Urged to Bite into Bitcoin. So who will be the next big firm or investor to announce their foray into crypto? I’ve been seeing some chatter in recent days that Apple could be chomping at the bit. — Frank Holmes
6. Bye Bye Brokers, Hello Blockchain Technology
What if instead of routing trades through the choke point of a few banks and brokers, we could trade directly with any investor? In the past, such an idea was not feasible. Banks and brokers historically provided valuable intermediary services. They not only found and matched buyers and sellers to make markets more liquid but they also became buyers and sellers in times of illiquidity. Equally important, they took on any risks associated with the settlement and custodian of assets. — Michael Lebowitz
7. What To Do About The Latest S&P 500 Chart Bear Warning
The alarm has gone off. But will it be a dip, a crash or a false alarm? These days, the market tide is changing fast. So, I won’t waste any time. Here’s what I see ... Rob Isbitts
8. Why Stimulus Doesn’t Lead To Organic Growth
There is a growing consensus in Washington the only way to fix the worst economic downturn in more than 70 years is by giving out more free money. From Joe Biden, to Janet Yellen, to most members of Congress, there is a demand for more “stimulus.” However, the reason the previous programs failed is the stimulus doesn’t lead to organic growth. — Lance Roberts
9. Why Rising Bond Yields Aren’t Always Bad for Stocks
Long bond yields are rising, and equity investors might well be getting worried. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes rose by about 20 basis points (bps, or 1/100ths of a percent) in the first week of 2021, a remarkable increase that followed a 40 bp rise over the previous five months. Real yields are still in negative territory, but they have also risen. As we discussed in previous posts, a cyclical bear bond market is likely underway, and we might well be seeing more signs of that right now. — David Stonehouse
10. How Young is Too Young to Have a Financial Advisor?
Many children are given piggy banks when they are young, in an effort to help them understand the value of saving and keeping assets in a safe location. Some kids take to the concept of saving incredibly well, amassing a large nest egg from holiday and birthday gifts over the years due to a lack of spending. — Catherine McBreen
11. The Most Important Chart in Housing Right Now
American homeowners just got a lot richer. According to internet realtor Zillow (ZG), US housing gained $2.5 trillion in value last year. That’s the biggest jump since 2005. Simply put, the housing market is booming right now. The CEO of homebuilder Toll Brothers said: “We’re experiencing the strongest housing market I’ve seen in my 30 years.” Mortgage lenders handed out a record $4.4 trillion in home loans in 2020. America’s largest lender, Quicken Loans, was writing $1 billion of loans per day! — Stephen McBride