What's Trending: Surging Debt, Surging Vacancies

Mark Mersman sits down with longtime friend and advisor marketing expert Matt Halloran, now Chief of Angels at Zocks, to unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping financial advisor marketing, client experience, and growth. From freeing up time through smarter systems to using AI-powered insights for better content, niching, and follow-up, Matt shares real-world examples advisors can learn from today. The conversation also covers why advisors still struggle to differentiate themselves, how trust is built in a tech-driven world, and why podcasting, events, and niche marketing remain powerful when done correctly. If you’re thinking about how to grow smarter—not just faster—this episode delivers practical insights worth considering.

Delegation is essential for growth, but many advisory firms unknowingly limit their progress by delegating tasks instead of responsibility. In this episode of The Rare Advisor, host Aaron Grady explores a powerful insight shared by USA Financial CEO Mike Walters: true scale happens when advisors delegate ownership, not just checklists. Aaron breaks down why task-based delegation creates bottlenecks, how responsibility-driven delegation builds stronger teams, and a practical framework advisors can use to start making this shift inside their practice.

Q1 2026 delivered no shortage of surprises, from record highs and geopolitical conflict to one of the largest oil price spikes in modern history. In this episode of The Trending Report, we move beyond the headlines to examine what the underlying data is actually telling us. We break down why U.S. stocks struggled while international and emerging markets held up, how commodities and energy surged into leadership, and why volatility spiked so sharply. We also explore the larger forces still shaping the long-term outlook—including global AI investment—and what disciplined investors should keep in mind during periods of heightened uncertainty.