August saw modest market pullbacks across the board, as investors were nervous about risk.
Connecting with your clients through personalized marketing can lead to stronger professional relationships. Not only will you attract the type of clients you want to serve, but you’ll also build trust with them as an advisor who truly understands their needs.
July was another good month for stocks across the board. The U.S. indices were up in the low single digits, while international markets also did well. Riskier investments like the Nasdaq and emerging markets did best.
Running a successful business means staying on top of day-to-day operations and of the evolving environment in which your business needs to operate as you grow. In our latest guide, we share seven risk factors every advisor should consider, with actionable tips to help you evaluate your firm’s potential liability.
What a year it has been for financial markets. There have been several negative factors in play, including a high-single-digit inflation print, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and several regional bank failures. Nonetheless, the S&P 500 finished the second quarter up 17 percent for the year. Go figure!
Throughout 2022, high levels of volatility across all major asset classes created a difficult environment.
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1969 is often remembered as one of the biggest years in pop culture history.
Heading into 2023, a looming recession dominated the headlines.
After a continued rally in April, markets largely pulled back in May. Exceptions here were the Nasdaq, which rose, and the S&P 500, which was essentially flat.
Being a financial advisor at a wirehouse can often feel like you’re living by someone else’s rules. The things that make your business approach unique can get lost in continuously shifting corporate goals and predetermined career paths. Download our infographic and learn six ways working at a wirehouse is holding you back—and why partnering with Commonwealth can make the transition worth the effort.
After moderate gains in March, markets continued to rally in April. U.S. markets were up by low single digits, while bond markets were moderately positive. International markets were mixed, with developed markets showing modest gains while emerging markets ticked down.
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:
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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.
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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?
