18 Resources To Help Finance Professionals Keep Track Of What’s Trending

Original content can be found on the Forbes Finance Council website. 

Additional Published Content by Julie DeLong

Staying well-informed and continually enhancing one’s knowledge base is not just a choice but a requisite for success. With industry trends shifting rapidly, finance leaders and professionals must proactively seek resources that keep them abreast of the latest developments and best practices.

Here, Forbes Finance Council members share resources that will empower you to stay current and excel in the dynamic world of finance. Embracing these tools and platforms is the key to ensuring your financial acumen remains sharp and relevant, whether you’re a seasoned industry leader or an aspiring finance professional.

1. Financial Advisor Nick Murray

Nick Murray’s guidance is in line with financial planning philosophy and theory, but he also ties in a very pragmatic approach. As financial professionals, we should also educate ourselves in what the average everyday American might tune into: The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance and many others. This balanced approach will allow leaders to give sound guidance. – Loren Rojas, Northwestern Mutual

2. Family Wealth Report

Family Wealth Report produces the most relevant insights regarding best practices in the family office sector. Their daily content offerings help me determine how the latest financial world movements will affect my team and the clients we serve. The in-depth analysis provided by their diverse roster of contributors allows me to stay one step ahead in my professional development. – Evan Jehle, FFO LLC

3. Finance News On Reddit

One solution that covers all markets, trends and industry sectors is the Finance News column on Reddit. AlphaSense, FactSet and Morningstar are also all good but expensive. Reddit’s thread is great because it offers real-time discussions, it’s community-driven and free. It can be biased and have inaccurate or low-quality content, but for real-time market news aggregation, while staying alert, it is a great resource. – Karim Nurani, Linqto

4. Other Industries

Finance may be its own industry, but every other industry also uses financial services. Attend events, access networks and read articles in other industries and look at how their financial practices are changing. Business owners and finance professionals in other industries represent the true frontier of what is best, what is possible and what is needed in the finance industry as a whole. – Julie DeLong, Backyard Bookkeeper

5. Financial Industry Groups

To stay informed as a finance professional, consider a range of formal and informal resources. Industry groups, such as the Investment Adviser Association or the CFP Board, provide excellent educational opportunities. You can also gain valuable insights in less formal settings. Never underestimate the power of an exchange of ideas among industry peers. – Sonya Thadhani Mughal, Bailard, Inc.

6. Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review offers in-depth articles, research and case studies on the latest financial trends, strategies and best practices. We also very much like McKinsey Insights (free). By regularly engaging with such reputable publications, leaders can gain insights, stay ahead of industry shifts and continuously refine their expertise for optimal decision-making. – Andreas Schweitzer, Artis Trade Invest

7. Mentors

While there are many online resources available, it’s important to make time to find a mentor. This is because a mentor can provide personalized advice and guidance tailored to your specific situation. While online resources can be helpful, a mentor can give you more flexible and customized support to help you navigate your unique challenges and opportunities. – JD Morris, RHC 21 LLC (a SPE Fund) with family of Special Purpose Entities (SPE or SPV)

8. Bloomberg News And Financial Times

Bookmark financial news websites like Bloomberg and Financial Times, and make a point to check them at least once every week. They’re like cool, reliable friends who always have the latest scoop on market trends and best practices. – Ryan Carroll, Wealth Assistants

9. X, formerly known as Twitter

One go-to resource for leaders and finance professionals to stay up to date on industry trends, leadership best practices and a wide range of topics is X, formerly known as Twitter. The platform is a powerful resource to go directly to publications such as Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal and many others. X highlights valuable insights that industry leaders share, CEO experiences and everything in between to help guide decision-making. – Matt Bochenek, Avant

10. The Wall Street Journal

One go-to resource for leaders and finance professionals to stay updated on industry trends and best practices in financial news and analysis publications like The Wall Street Journal. Publications like this provide in-depth coverage of global financial markets, emerging trends and insights from industry experts. – Jared Weitz, United Capital Source Inc.

11. Financial Executives International

Join a business network with educational programs and webinars on the financial trends that should be learned. Financial Executives International is my educational resource on financial topics and best practices. – Dave Sackett, AIOne, Inc.

12. Reliable Authors

In today’s financial world, there is a ton of noise and lots of opinions that get repurposed that it’s getting harder and harder to sift through it all. I have found about five trusted publications and newsletters that are reliable and consistent from authors such as John Mauldin, Barry Habib, Lacy Hunt, Peter Boockvar and David Rosenberg. – Quinton Harris, Bank of England Mortgage

13. White Papers

Keeping up with industry trends is more complex than it sounds, you don’t become a leader in space by knowing about trends along with the crowd you need to be ahead of the crowd and what helps me a step ahead is going through white paper research work of leading companies, going through their next five-year roadmaps and listening to as many earnings calls as possible. – Raghavkumar Parmar, MMA Pan Asia Fund Management

14. Internal Experts

While there are a plethora of resources available to help keep leaders up to date with trends in the finance industry, your most reliable will always be your people. Consult with your CPAs and in-house accounting department as well as rely on any audit tools you have at your disposal. You can also utilize industry forums and groups to discover additional best practices. – Xan Myburgh, Backd Business Funding

15. Tech Leaders

In addition to industry content on social media, there’s value in following tech leaders shaping the future of finance. This includes Kristo Kaarmann, founder of Wise; Alex Rampell, partner at a16z; and Lyn Alden, investment strategist, content from the Stratechery Newsletter on business and strategy and American Banker for newsworthy industry updates. – Ram Palaniappan, EarnIn

16. Financial Peers

Financial leaders should look to network outside their organizations with other finance peers through financial as well as economic associations. Additionally, financial leaders should also participate in industry-specific events and read the latest developments in their industry along with analyst reports to be fully informed. – Geetanjali Tandon, Ceridian

17. Conferences, Webinars And Online Forums

Financial leaders should diversify their information sources. Attend industry conferences, participate in webinars and engage in online finance forums. This blend of hands-on learning, peer discussions and real-time updates ensures a well-rounded grasp of emerging trends and best practices. – Matt Johnner, BankLabs

18. LinkedIn