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1. Why So “Tariffied”?
Animal spirits have dispirited. Confidence levels among consumers, executives, analysts, central bankers, and investors have collapsed. Trump’s tariff tirade has markets on edge, awaiting pessimistic validation on April 2nd. They may be right. If Trump lays out a strategy to fix the deficit with tariffs, markets will fall further. If Trump lays out a strategy for the re-industrialization of America, markets will fall further. — David Waddell
2. The Tariff Impact in One Graph
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the sharp jump in the trade deficit due to a surge of imports trying to front-run potential tariffs. Thus far, the impact of front-running tariffs on economic data has only been significant in consumer and corporate surveys and the aforementioned trade deficit. — Michael Lebowitz
3. The Only “Undisruptable” Industry?
I expect cybersecurity stocks to outperform every other software group over the next five years. An easy way to keep the odds on your side is by investing in trends that won’t change. We call them “megatrends.” Cyber is as close to a guaranteed megatrend as you’ll ever get. The total cost of cybercrime is projected to surpass $10 trillion this year. — Stephen McBride
4. Uncertainty Reigns: How Policy Shifts Are Reshaping Markets in 2025
The start to 2025 has been filled with more market moving headlines than we have seen in some time. The new presidential administration has gone full throttle with tariffs, budget cuts and layoffs that have spooked investors and there is no shortage of questions as to what this means for the markets. — Steve Majoris
5. Alternative Investments and Their Roles in Multi-Asset Class Portfolios
Many investors look to alternatives to broaden the investment opportunity set and help enhance a portfolio's returns, manage downside risk, and improve diversification. — Stephen Beck, Darby Nielson, and Sumit Sharma
6. Want to Be a Top Financial Advisor? Here’s What It Actually Takes
An adviser told me that they wanted to be “great”…a GREAT adviser. My immediate thought was would you prefer being considered “great” to having a great business, because you might be able to have both, but then, you might not either. Then I thought “isn’t it healthier and far more enjoyable to feel great about yourself and what you are doing“? — Tony Vidler
7. The Art of Being Ready: Unlocking Opportunities in What’s Ahead
In the latest episode of the What Does It Mean podcast, Chris Versace and Lindsey Bell dive into the challenges of navigating market uncertainty as we close out the first quarter of 2025. With a slew of economic data coming this week, including ISM reports, March PMIs, employment figures, and the much-anticipated tariff announcement on April 2nd (dubbed "Liberation Day"), the duo explores how these factors could shape the economy and markets in the months ahead. — What Does It Mean?
8. Successful Videos Have This 1 Thing in Common
Video marketing is key to building trust with clients and prospects – the first 5 seconds are CRUCIAL to hooking viewers. The most common mistake advisors make is starting by introducing themselves. Instead, try one of these hooks to get viewers to stay watching. — Samantha Russell
9. Returns Don’t Determine Success of Advisor/Client Relationships
It’s a logical assumption that the primary reason prospects become clients is because they’re searching for improved investment returns. Likewise, it also makes sense that the biggest culprit in terms of clients ending relationships with advisors is what they perceive to be sub-par portfolio performance. — Todd Shriber
10. Tariff Clarity: What It Means for Businesses, Investors & Consumers
One of the market’s various concerns about tariffs has been the uncertainty. There has been a stop-and-start nature to the initial implementation, and stocks certainly reacted negatively to yesterday’s reports that auto tariffs would be announced after the close. Yet the news itself was greeted with a relative yawn. As is often the case, investors seem to have priced in the worst of it (“sell the rumor, buy the news”), and at some level, it removed some uncertainty from the marketplace. Thus, as I type this, we see stocks rebounding from an early selloff, though they are far from recouping yesterday’s drop. — Steve Sosnick
11. 8 Game-Changing Trends Reshaping Financial Advising by 2035
This decade has proven that our industry is changing faster than ever. But remember, to thrive, we all need to stay ahead. Here’s how you can not just survive but crush it between now and the next decade. — Grant Hicks