The Daily Upside

Patent Drop

Tech Firms Inch Closer to Users with AI Wearables

Photo by Gian Prosdocimo via Unsplash

Your data may be more valuable than the money made from selling devices themselves, experts told Patent Drop.

5 min read
Consumer

Back-to-School Spending Is Flat or Falling, Depending on Whom You Ask

Image Credit: iStock, Nadezhda1906

Early data this year suggests back-to-school season spending is either flat from last year, or took a slight dip.

1 min read
Finance

Warfare is ESG Now

Image Credit: iStock, A.Greeg

Defense stocks are taking up a growing slice of the ESG (environmental, social, governance) pie. Reports attribute that to the war in Ukraine.

1 min read
Media & Entertainment

Summer Box Office Shows Hollywood Settling into a New Normal

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels

After a dismal start to the summer, the movie business roared back to life with a steady stream of big-screen hits.

2 min read
Personal Finance

Home Economics: Homeownership is still the American Dream. But Should it Be?

Photo by Thirdman via Pexels

Buying a home is expensive. And so is owning one. In the era of high mortgage rates and soaring expenses, is homeownership still worth it?

4 min read
Advisor Upside

Schwab Eyes Financial Advice as Cash Sweeps Dry Up

Photo by Djkeddie via CC BY-SA 4.0

The online brokerage has long relied on bank revenues, like cash-sweep programs, but executives are now leaning into wealth management.

2 min read
Advisor Upside

Advisors Gear Up for Treasury’s New Anti-Money Laundering Rule

Photo by Meanie Hyaena via CC BY 4.0

Most financial advisors will have to start formally reporting suspicious money laundering activity by 2026.

2 min read
Advisor Upside

Advisors Donated More to Trump, Republicans — With a Major Caveat

Photo by Gage Skidmore via CC BY-SA 2.0

Advisors have donated roughly $1.5 million to Trump and Republican groups compared to less than $400,000 to Harris and Democratic groups.

2 min read
Autos

Uber Spreads Its Self-Driving Bets

Photo by Ilya Plekhanov via CC BY-SA 4.0

Uber announced it’s investing in Wayve, a UK-based startup that’s building self-driving software for cars.

1 min read
International Economics

With Dollar Reserves Running Out and Ratings Downgrades, Maldives Stares at a Crisis

Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky via CC0 1.0

Fitch Ratings downgraded the debt of the Maldives for the second time in just over two months, suggesting it’s likely to default on bonds.

1 min read
Artificial Intelligence

The US Government is Ready to Regulate AI

Photo by Jernej Furman via CC BY 2.0

The US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute announced OpenAI and Anthropic agreed to allow it to test and evaluate new models for safety.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Nvidia Patent Reels In Data Centers’ Energy Usage as AI Chips Skyrocket

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The tech could signal that the company is reading the tea leaves on data center architecture.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Google Image Patent Highlights Potential of Consumer AI Tools

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

As the company builds AI image editing tools, it may be seeking to normalize the tech for the average consumer.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Snap Patent Adds to AR Ad Bet as Meta Shuts Down Spark AR Studio

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Snap may want to use AR to help you redeem your next free coffee.

2 min read
Consumer

Lego Thrives Amid Higher Business Cost and a Slowing Toy Market

Image Credit: Lego.com

Danish company Lego reported generating $4.65 billion in revenue for the first half of 2024, up 13% from a year earlier.

1 min read
Technology

Nvidia Beats Revenue and Profit Expectations, But Was It Enough?

Photo via NVIDIA Media Assets.

Yesterday was Nvidia Day: The AI giant handily beat revenue and profit forecasts, and issued third-quarter guidance that beat expectations.

2 min read
Autos

China EVs Stay Strong Despite Domestic, International Headwinds

Photo by EEYAUT Waihung via CC BY-SA 4.0

A couple of China-based EV giants had good news to share in spite of a weakened consumer at home and fresh tariffs from the EU and Canada.

2 min read
Advisor Upside

Advisors Key in on Fixed Income Ahead of Interest Rate Cuts

Photo by Federal Reserve Board of Governors via Public Domain Mark 1.0

With the Fed primed to begin the next cutting cycle, advisors are looking for fresh places to park clients’ cash.

2 min read
Advisor Upside

Ether ETFs Struggle to Impress in Opening Act

Photo by Kanchanara via Unsplash

The funds that track the second-largest cryptocurrency were off to the races in late July, but have been stuck in the ether ever since.

2 min read
Advisor Upside

Why Women Have Less Money Saved for Retirement than Men

Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels

While saving for retirement, women have less than a third the median assets as men and face unique challenges, according to a new survey.

2 min read

FA Upside

Financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials.

OPEC+ Once Again Moves to Cut Production

Photo by Tony Wu via Pexels

1 min read
Natural Disasters Cost the Insurance Industry $135 billion this year

Photo by Library of Congress via Unsplash

1 min read
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital Takes Big Step Into US Credit Market

Photo by Web Summit via CC BY 2.0

2 min read