Advisors4Advisors

This course provides a comprehensive analysis of current economic and market conditions. 

It was scheduled to occur after the June FOMC meeting and includes a primer on FOMC meeting releases, including the just-released Summary of Economic Projections.     

Designed for financial professionals, the class explores the divergence between soft and hard economic data, recent GDP forecasts, inflation trends, and Federal Reserve policy updates. It also covers labor market dynamics, consumer spending, market valuation metrics, and the role of demographic wealth distribution in economic activity. 

Participants gain actionable insights into interpreting key indicators such as the PCE deflator, yield curve, and equity risk premium. The course equips advisers with timely context to support client communications and investment decision-making.

Fritz Meyer, an independent economist, has taught on Advisors4Advisors monthly since March 2011. His classes averaged a rating of 9.7 (out of 10) for any 12 month period year after year. Fritz previously was senior strategist at one of the world's largest investment companies for over a decade.  He has no product affiliations, and his classes are solely member-sponsored.

No test is required to earn CFP CE, CIMA CE, or CPA CPE credit. Only live IAR CE credit requires a 10-question assessment to earn credit but it is easy to pass. 

Drawing on the latest financial and economic indicators, this monthly course situates current metrics within their long-term historical context, helping advisors formulate an informed outlook based on timely, data-driven analysis of U.S. economy and global capital markets.

Fritz has a knack for balancing current conditions with timeless investing principles to offer incisive analysis of Federal Reserve actions and forecasts, employment trends, consumer spending and savings, corporate earnings, and key fundamentals IARs must know. 

This class teaches you to:  

• Distinguish between soft and hard economic data, and explain their respective impacts on interpreting economic conditions.
• Describe the significance of the Atlanta Fed’s Q2 2025 GDP growth estimate and contrast it with other economic forecasts (e.g., Conference Board, NY Fed).
• Explain the role of the personal consumption expenditures deflator (PCE) as a key inflation measure and assess its implications for Fed policy.
• Analyze the effects of consumer wealth and net worth on economic growth, particularly in relation to the baby boomer demographic.
• Evaluate the current state of the U.S. labor market, including employment trends, wage growth, and labor force participation rates.
• Assess current trends in consumer spending, housing starts, and retail sales, and their implications for future economic performance.
• Interpret stock market performance in the context of corporate earnings forecasts, especially those related to the “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks.
• Discuss the equity risk premium and historical stock market returns, emphasizing the long-term value of remaining invested during market volatility.
• Explain the relationship between interest rates, bond yields, and stock valuations, including the role of the Fed’s dot plot and yield curve behavior.
• Summarize current inflation expectations and credit conditions, including consumer leverage metrics and the Fed’s outlook on monetary policy.

Who Should Attend:
IA Reps, CFPs, EAs, CFAs, CPA financial planners, CPA/PFSs, CIMAs, CLUs, ChFCs, and other professionals who seek a deeper understanding of the economy’s influence on investment decisions and the creation of informed, disciplined portfolio strategies.

Cost:
Free to Advisors4Advisors members ($60/Qtr).

CPE Credit:
1 hour, Economics field of study

Prerequisites: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Course Level: Update

Delivery Method: Group Internet-Based

Learning Experience  
This live class is organized into five sections:

1. Instructions
2. LIVE Fritz Meyer presentation    
3. Three polls for CPAs, IARs 
4. IAR CE scored assessment
5. Satisfaction survey  

Cost:
Free to Advisors4Advisors members ($60/Qtr.)

Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None
Course Level: Update
Course Delivery Method: Live internet, and on-demand webinar replay
Field of study: Economics 

Class has been submitted to NASAA for approval as Products & Practices IAR CE.

Approved by CFP Board for CFP CE, IWI for CIMA CE, and by NASBA for CPA CPE. 

Advisors4Advisors is approved as a CE provider by:

• CFP Board, which regulates CE for Certified Financial Planners.  
• North American Securities Administrators Association. NASAA does not endorse any particular provider of CE courses. The content of the course and any views expressed are those of the instructor and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASAA or any of its member jurisdictions. The class is submitted for approval NASAA.  
• National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a Quality Assurance Service (QAS) Self-Study Provider, enabling CPA CPE credit live and on-demand webinars. State boards of accountancy retain final authority on course acceptance. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors at www.nasbaregistry.org. 
• Investments & Wealth Institute, enabling credit for CFP®, CIMA®, and CPWA® professionals. 

For information on administrative policies, such as refunds, cancellations and complaints, email [email protected].