Core Insights - XP Inc. hosted its inaugural XP Asset Management Global Conference in Miami, focusing on international market outlooks and investment opportunities [1][2] Group 1: Conference Overview - The conference is the first international edition of XP's flagship asset management event, showcasing the firm's expanding global presence [2] - Senior executives from leading investment firms participated, discussing macroeconomic trends, portfolio construction, and opportunities across various asset classes [2][4] Group 2: Key Themes and Discussions - The event featured remarks from XP leadership, emphasizing the strategy to connect Brazilian and global investors with top investment managers [3] - Major global investment firms, including BlackRock, PIMCO, and JPMorgan Asset Management, shared insights on the global macroeconomic outlook and private market evolution [4] - A significant theme was the impact of geopolitics on asset allocation decisions, particularly regarding tensions in the Middle East and their effects on energy markets and inflation expectations [5] Group 3: Strategic Goals - The conference aimed to foster dialogue between global asset managers and XP's international client base, reinforcing the firm's commitment to building connections between these groups [6] - XP's broader effort includes strengthening its global investment ecosystem and providing clients access to leading expertise worldwide [6]

Core Viewpoint - MarketGauge aims to empower investors by providing strategic and actionable information through educational courses, proprietary trading tools, and quant-based models [1] Group 1: Company Overview - MarketGauge was founded 25 years ago by former floor traders who became hedge fund managers [1] - The company boasts over 100 years of combined experience among its experts in trading, technology, and education [1] - MarketGauge has supplied market analytics to major financial institutions like Barron's and Fidelity, as well as to thousands of individual investors and active traders [1] Group 2: Investment Philosophy - The core philosophy of MarketGauge is to identify both significant macro trends and emerging trends using proprietary tools and indicators [1] - The company employs short-term tactics derived from successful floor trading to maximize profits and minimize risk, with price action as the primary driver [1] - MarketGauge emphasizes a methodical, systematic, and repeatable approach to trading, contrasting with the passive management and buy-and-hold strategies commonly promoted by Wall Street analysts [1] Group 3: Transparency and Performance - All investing models at MarketGauge include track records with daily and weekly updates, ensuring performance transparency [1] - The company's insights are featured in various financial platforms, including Benzinga, Stocks and Commodities, and MarketWatch, which rated their Twitter feed as one of the top 50 for financial information [1] Group 4: Team and Expertise - Each MarketGauge expert has a specific focus and domain, with their unique skill sets interconnected through shared experience and a commitment to risk management [1] - All experts utilize the same indicators and tools, fostering a cohesive approach to trading [1]

Core Viewpoint - OneMain Holdings is under investigation for potential violations of federal securities laws following a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 12 other AGs, alleging misleading practices and hidden costs in loans [2]. Group 1: Legal Actions - A lawsuit has been filed against OneMain and its units for allegedly misleading customers and trapping borrowers in expensive loans with hidden costs [2]. - The investigation is being conducted by Lowey Dannenberg P.C., a law firm specializing in obtaining redress for consumers and investors [1]. Group 2: Market Reaction - Following the news of the lawsuit, shares of OneMain fell as much as 12% [2]. Group 3: Firm Background - Lowey Dannenberg is a national firm that represents institutional and individual investors who have suffered financial losses due to corporate fraud and violations of federal securities and antitrust laws [4]. - The firm has significant experience in prosecuting multi-million-dollar lawsuits and has previously recovered billions of dollars on behalf of investors [4].

Core Insights - Security National Financial Corporation (SNFC) reported a 10.8% increase in after-tax earnings from operations for the year ended December 31, 2025, rising from $29,119,000 in 2024 to $32,152,000, with revenues increasing by 3% to $344,587,000 [1][4] Financial Performance - The year 2025 marked SNFC's best net profit year ever, excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, with a nearly 11% increase over 2024 [2] - The company achieved a 2% return on total assets, which is considered "very good" for a financial services company [3] - The Insurance Segment had its best operational year ever, with significant improvements in sales systems and talent acquisition [3] Business Segment Results - **Life Insurance Segment**: - Revenues increased by 9.2% from $45,469,000 in Q4 2024 to $49,668,000 in Q4 2025, with earnings before taxes rising by 30.9% to $8,737,000 [3][4] - For the full year, revenues were $201,269,000, up 5.1% from $191,530,000, with earnings before taxes increasing by 7.6% to $37,352,000 [4] - **Cemeteries/Mortuaries Segment**: - Revenues grew by 9.7% from $7,414,000 in Q4 2024 to $8,130,000 in Q4 2025, with earnings before taxes nearly doubling by 98.6% to $1,742,000 [3][4] - For the full year, revenues were $33,317,000, a slight increase of 0.9%, while earnings before taxes remained stable at $8,819,000 [4] - **Mortgages Segment**: - Revenues decreased by 4.6% from $26,387,000 in Q4 2024 to $25,183,000 in Q4 2025, but earnings before taxes improved significantly by 73.6%, from a loss of $4,400,000 to a loss of $1,161,000 [3][4] - For the full year, revenues were $110,001,000, virtually unchanged from $109,971,000, with losses before taxes reduced by 23.4% to $4,761,000 [4] Shareholder Information - Net earnings per common share for the year ended December 31, 2025, were $1.26, compared to $1.16 for the previous year, with a book value per common share of $16.54 [4] - The company has two classes of common stock, with 24,815,294 Class A equivalent shares outstanding as of December 31, 2025 [5]

Core Insights - Many clients are concerned that future policy changes could undermine their retirement plans, yet these concerns are not consistently communicated to financial advisors [1] Group 1: Survey Findings - The study surveyed over 1,400 investors aged 45 to 79 with at least $100,000 in financial assets, alongside 400 financial professionals, revealing significant differences in perspectives on the economy and government policy [2] - Nearly half of the investors, 47%, believe that current government policies will weaken their retirement security, while only about one-third of financial professionals share this view [3] - Investors exhibit a more pessimistic outlook on the economy, with only 32% expressing optimism about the long-term strength of the U.S. economy, compared to 62% of financial professionals [4] Group 2: Expectations on Policy Changes - A significant majority of investors, 68%, expect Medicare premiums or co-pays to increase in the next five years, and 65% anticipate cuts to Medicaid benefits, while 46% believe Social Security benefits will be reduced [5] - Over half of the investors are concerned that their state will need to raise taxes in the coming years, and they are less optimistic than financial professionals regarding the likelihood of federal tax deductions in the next five years [6] - The report indicates that 21% of pre-retired investors have postponed retirement since the start of 2025, a decision likely influenced by uncertainty surrounding policies [6] Group 3: Advisor-Client Communication - Despite the concerns of investors, discussions about policy issues in advisor-client meetings are inconsistent, with common topics like Social Security being addressed, while issues such as Medicare and long-term care often remain unaddressed [7]

🏦JUST IN: CRYPTO'S ABRA TO GO PUBLIC WITH $750M VALUATION DESPITE REGULATORY FRICTION IN THE PASTAbra Financial Holdings, the digital asset wealth management platform, announced it will go public on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol $ABRXAbra is positioning itself as the first publicly traded company with an SEC-registered investment advisor focused on digital asset wealth managementThe firm paid $300,000 in combined fines to SEC and CFTC in 2024 to settle past charges of offering and selling unregistered secu ...

Group 1 - Close Brothers' shares fell by 15% following a report from short seller Viceroy Research, which stated it was shorting the company [1] - The report criticized Close Brothers' provisioning approach for motor finance commissions and its impact on the company's capital position [2] - Close Brothers responded by stating it "strongly disagrees" with the report and emphasized that its provisioning complies with UK-adopted international accounting standards and follows a robust governance process [2] Group 2 - Close Brothers is scheduled to report its half-year results for the six months ending January 31 on March 17 [2]

Core Insights - The YieldMax PYPL Option Income Strategy ETF (PYPY) has experienced a significant decline of nearly 22% year-to-date while distributing income to investors, highlighting the disparity between income received and capital lost [2][7] Income Generation Strategy - PYPY employs a synthetic covered call strategy on PayPal Holdings (PYPL), utilizing cash and US Treasury bills as collateral, and generates income by selling call options on PayPal [3] - The premiums collected from selling call options serve as the distributions to investors, but the strategy's effectiveness is closely tied to the volatility of PayPal's stock [4] Performance Challenges - PayPal's stock has faced challenges, with a year-to-date decline of approximately 23% and a 33% drop over the past year, negatively impacting the net asset value (NAV) of PYPY [6][7] - The sustained downtrend in PayPal's stock creates a structural issue for covered call strategies, as the erosion of NAV outpaces the accumulation of premium income [6][7] - Distributions have decreased significantly, from $0.60-$1.62 monthly in 2024 to $0.17-$0.49 weekly by early 2026, indicating a troubling trend for income investors [7]

Core Insights - Gen Z recognizes TikTok as an unreliable source for financial advice but continues to use it frequently for such information [1][4] - A significant portion of Americans, particularly younger adults, are turning to social media for financial guidance despite skepticism about its accuracy [2][4] Social Media and Financial Advice - Approximately 40% of Americans now seek financial advice from social media, with this figure rising to 47% among adults under 45 [2] - YouTube is the most utilized platform for financial content, followed closely by Instagram and TikTok [3] - 37% of respondents feel comfortable acting on social media advice without verification, increasing to 44% for adults under 45 [4] Consequences of Misinformation - Nearly 60% of Americans have made financial decisions based on misleading online information, with this figure climbing to 64% among Gen Z and younger millennials [4][6] - About one-third of respondents delayed major financial decisions due to online advice, and nearly 30% made moves without professional input [6] - Emotional impacts include increased anxiety about finances for 21% of those who acted on misleading advice [7] Trust in Financial Advisors - Financial advisors are viewed as the most trusted source of financial advice, with 74% of Americans comfortable acting on their recommendations [8] - Only 32% of respondents report actually working with a financial advisor, indicating a gap between trust and action [9] The Role of Technology - The CFP Board acknowledges the internet's role in broadening access to financial information while also highlighting common misinformation patterns [10] - 93% of Americans attempt to verify online financial information in some manner [11] - Tools like SmartAsset's matching service can help users find financial advisors, bridging the gap between social media advice and professional guidance [15][16]

Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - March 16, 2026) - Raffles Financial Group Limited (CSE: RICH) (the "Company" or "RFG") is pleased to announce that our Auditor HML PLT has completed and issued the audit report for the outstanding financial year ended June 30, 2025 ("FY2025") to the Board. The audit report contains an unqualified audit opinion.Key Financial Performance and StabilityDespite the significant challenges posed by a complex global economic and regulatory environment, the Company has achiev ...