Tag Archives: #Market

Episode 196 – The Scalable Future of Annuity Management with Rich Romano



Rich Romano is the CEO and Co-Founder of FIDx, a technology-empowered network that seamlessly integrates the brokerage, insurance, and advisory ecosystems to offer best-in-class annuities and insurance solutions from the industry’s leading carriers.

In this episode, Rich discusses the transformation of the annuity business through FIDx’s integrated platform, addressing barriers faced by advisors, changing attitudes towards annuities, and plans to enhance scalability and adoption.

They also discussed:

  • Rich Romano’s background and career journey, highlighting his experience in actuarial work, product development, and consulting in the insurance industry.
  • The inception of FIDx and its mission to revolutionize the annuity business.
  • The development of an insurance exchange in collaboration with Investnet to streamline processes for advisors working with multiple carriers.
  • The barriers faced by advisors in offering annuities.
  • Changing attitudes of advisors towards annuities, discussing the impact of market volatility, interest rates, and the evolution of insurance product offerings.
  • The role of education and technology in simplifying the annuity business for advisors, with a focus on the services provided by FIDx and its partners.
  • Trends to watch in 2024, particularly in the fee-based annuities sector, and the need for scalable solutions to enhance adoption.
  • FIDx’s plans for the future, including the development of an overlay marketplace that aligns with the practices of fee-based advisors, allowing for active management of assets with added insurance protection.

 

Resources: 

FIDx


Episode 178 – Decoding the CRE Puzzle with Amna Nawaz



In this episode, listen as Amna Nawaz, Investment Analyst in the OCIO at CrowdStreet, discusses the world of commercial real estate, uncovering mispriced opportunities, market trends, and the art of navigating a changing economic landscape.

They also discussed:

  • Mispriced opportunities in the CRE market due to inefficiencies, especially in the face of historically high interest rates.
  • Examples of mispriced opportunities, like discounted multifamily deals with assumable debt and attractive basis.
  • The CrowdStreet commercial real estate outlook report, covering major and niche asset classes and key themes.
  • Geographic considerations focus on caution, favoring primary, affordable, and coastal markets.
  • Optimism for the future of CRE, highlighting viable deals and creative strategies amid market adjustments.

 

Resources: 

CrowdStreet


Episode 163 – Axos Takeover: Watching the Market While Watching the Consumer with Michael Scaplen and Chris Versace



In this episode, Michael Scaplen, Head of Business Development at Axos Clearing, hosts an exclusive Axos Clearing “AxKicker Podcast” for the Power Your Advice series. Michael is joined by Chris Versace, the Chief Investment Officer and Thematic Strategist at Tematica Research: the lead Portfolio Manager for the Action Alerts Plus newsletter. 

Michael and Chris dive into the current state of the market, the effects of inflation and other factors on it, and how Axos Financial and Tematica Research are prepared for the short-term and long-term impacts.

They also discussed:

  • The possibility of one more quarter-point coming on 
  • If inflation will continue to rise and the sequential impacts that might follow
  • The concern of the retail community over-leveraging themselves in this inflation environment
  • The near future of brick-and-mortar establishments and commercial real estate as a whole
  • The future of online banking technologies and how Axos Financial is at the forefront of the movement
  • The AI-driven impacts on the stock market
  • Thematic versus sector investing

 

Resources: 

Axos Clearing

Tematica Research