Mortgage delinquencies have plunged to pre-recession levels

Reuters

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Mortgage delinquencies are down to pre-recession levels (FA Magazine)

Mortgage delinquencies are down to pre-recession levels, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Analysts “attributed the better homeowner health to improvements in the job market and housing prices,” reported Ted Knutson.

When it comes to smaller stocks, macro is not the answer (Advisor Perspectives)

“When choosing smaller stocks, we don’t think macroeconomic analysis is the key to longer-term success. Bottom-up research into the sources of a company’s business advantages and earnings potential should be the focus, even when markets are fixated on economic trends,” argue AllianceBernstein’s James MacGregor, Bruce Aronow, Samantha Lau, and Shri Singhvi.

“The trick is to look for companies that have diverse return drivers. In other words, search for companies that are exposed to different types of business trends that aren’t directly driven by economic cycles. For example, look for companies that are restructuring to improve their cash flows, but have not yet been rewarded for their efforts,” they added.

Advisors are working to keep election rhetoric out of discussions with clients (InvestmentNews)

It’s been a particularly polarizing election cycle, but advisors are working hard to keep politics out of the conversation with their clients, reports Liz Skinner.

“I like to say that the U.S. economy finds a way to grow and markets continue to perform despite all the changes in policies, tax law and regulation,” Blair duQuesnay, chief investment officer for advisory firm ThirtyNorth Investments in New Orleans told InvestmentNews.

Some consumers never change their credit cards (CreditCards.com)

20 million credit card holders have never changed their go-to credit card, and 25 million have not changed their main card in at least 10 years, according to CreditCards.com. And that may not be a good thing.

“The truth is that loyalty doesn’t pay when it comes to credit cards,” Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com’s senior industry analyst said. “It is especially true with rewards because the quickest way to rack up rewards is to sign up for a new card with a big sign-up bonus. That means that if you haven’t gotten a new card in the last five years or more, you’ve missed out on a tremendous amount of possible rewards.”

Raymond James just scooped up a “down and dirty” Wells Fargo team (Think Advisor)

Raymond James just picked up advisor Lorayne Fiorillo and her team from Wells Fargo. The team is poised to manage about $235 million in client assets and product about $1.5 million in yearly fees and commissions.

“We take the gloves off and get down and dirty,” Fiorillo said back in 2012. “We’re the cavalry who brings in the big guns or brings over the chicken soup. Whatever it is, the job gets done.”