Posts

Posted on

Omicron variant and unfriendly Fed are ‘double whammy’ to stock market: strategist

The stock market has been hit with a double whammy of unsavory news, explains Charles Schwab Chief Investment Officer Liz Ann Sonders.

“I think at this stage in the economic cycle and the market cycle, the move from very loose policy to tighter policy has been a factor in the volatility [we are seeing]. You add that to an environment where we started to see a tremendous amount of speculative froth and then add to that Omicron [concerns], you get the double whammy catalysts that sometimes can cause an eruption in volatility,” said Sonders on Yahoo Finance Live.

The heightened volatility reflects the one-two punch of Omicron variant concerns and surprisingly hawkish testimony to lawmakers by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell this week.

Indeed, the markets continue to endure a turbulent stretch as a result, which began with an awful 1,000-plus point loss for the Dow Jones Industrial Average on the day after Thanksgiving.

The Dow plunged 652 points in Tuesday trading, while the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 were also deeply in the red. All 30 Dow components were in the red for the session, except for Apple and Merck.

Tepid action persisted into Wednesday, with the Dow reversing a 520-point intraday gain to finish down 461 points. Markets were in the green by early afternoon trading Thursday, but traders remain on high alert.

Sonders is in good company with her view on the Fed injecting unknown into the markets. 

“I think the risk for the market generally is how the market responds to the Federal Reserve kind of tightening up financial conditions,” Pershing Square Capital founder Bill Ackman told Yahoo Finance. “I think that’s the risk for the market.”

As for what moves one should be making in this riskier market backdrop, there continues to be a firm bull camp on Wall Street who believe buying dips is prudent. 

“I think if there are certain names you have been wanting to add to your portfolio, you can use [weakness] to your advantage,” said Crossmark Global Investments Victoria Fernandez on Yahoo Finance Live. Fernandez believes the market reaction to this week’s news has been “overdone.”

Fernandez said she is buying Apple’s stock on weakness, for instance. 

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn

Posted on

Senate passes funding bill despite vaccine mandate flap, averting shutdown

Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram discusses the battle to avoid government shutdown amid vaccine mandates debate.

Senate lawmakers voted Thursday night to approve a bill that funds the government through Feb. 18, avoiding a government shutdown with roughly 24 hours to spare despite a partisan clash regarding President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate.

The Senate voted 69-28 in favor of the continuing resolution, which approves government funding at the prior year’s levels until a new bipartisan agreement is reached. The resolution includes $7 billion in new funding to support Afghan refugees.

The bill now proceeds to Biden’s desk for final approval.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (Associated Press)

“I am glad that in the end, cooler heads prevailed. The government will stay open,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “And I thank the members of this chamber for walking us back from the brink of an avoidable, needless and costly shutdown.”

Moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was among the senators who voted in favor of the continuing resolution.

“In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and as the new Omicron variant emerges, I will not vote to shut down the government for purely political reasons,” Manchin said in a statement. 

A standoff between Senate Democrats and a handful of Republicans over the federal vaccine mandate nearly derailed the vote. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Roger Marshall of Kansas demanded a separate vote on an amendment to bar funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the entity responsible for implementing Biden’s mandate. 

Schumer allowed the vote on the amendment to proceed ahead of the vote on the continuing resolution. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, to speak about immigration at the U.S.- Mexico boarder. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (Associated Press)

Senators voted to reject Marshall’s amendment on the vaccine mandate. The amendment fell short of the 51 votes required to pass. Manchin and fellow moderate Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona each voted against the measure.

Republicans widely oppose the mandate, which forces companies with 100 or more employees to ensure their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing. GOP lawmakers argue the mandate is too broad and constitutes federal overreach.

“No precedent exists in American history for punishing private employers who don’t enforcement government vaccination edicts,” Marshall said in a floor speech ahead of the vote on his amendment.

Lee said millions of Americans were “being threatened right now with losing their jobs” due to the mandate. He argued that Democrats, not Republicans, risked the shutdown in their effort to prevent a vote on the amendment.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, as a showdown looms with Democrats over raising the debt limit. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (Associated Press)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“Those in this chamber who shamefully were refusing over and over again to even let us cast a vote on that simple measure threatened to shut down all of government because they didn’t want us to have a chance, as the people’s elected lawmakers, to decide whether or not we should proceed with vaccine mandate enforcement,” Lee said.

The vote on the continuing resolution brought the Senate in sync with House lawmakers, who hours earlier voted 221-212 in favor of the continuing resolution to fund the government through Feb. 18. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., was the lone GOP representative to vote in favor of the resolution.

Posted on

RBC Wealth Management Moved To A Modern Integrated Platform As Covid-19 Hit

By integrating systems and unifying data across 26 siloed legacy services, RBC Wealth Management — U.S. has reduced new client onboarding from several days to an average of 24 minutes, eliminated 200 to 300 pages of paper documents, and gone from needing 30-plus signatures to signing packets with just one digital click. 

“We were very forms-based,” said Greg Beltzer, head of technology at the wealth management firm. And while hundreds of pages sounds like a lot, much of it was disclosures, and forms for client information, from KYC to beneficiaries to investment preferences and risk tolerance. 

The firm, a subsidiary of what used to be called Royal Bank of Canada and is now RBC, used MuleSoft, a Salesforce subsidiary since 2018, to integrate its systems. RBC Wealth Management — U.S. is headquartered in Minneapolis and has 181 branches, more than 2100 advisors.and $528 billion in total client assets. 

It has managed to replace separate systems, not to mention paper files and Post-it notes, with Salesforce Financial Services Cloud and MuleSoft. 

“If we take MuleSoft and build the integrations, that piece of paper isn’t important any more and it should become an artifact that can be reproduced at any time while we keep it digital. RBC was late in its digital transformation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it put us behind — we got to take advantage of newer technologies.”

Before getting to technology, RBC Wealth Management got down to basics.

“It wasn’t just taking a paper form and making it a PDF. That’s not digital transformation. It really is taking a look at the process of why are we collecting certain pieces of data, what is the approval or the process flow, whether that’s from a branch to director, a branch supervisor or going to compliance.”

Financial services is, of course, heavy with regulation, and that meant the project had to satisfy legal and compliance where tangible paper forms provide a certain level of comfort. Beltzer said the tech team explained it was not cutting corners.

“We said we will make it better, give more transparency and provide reporting they never had in the past. While a paper form can have a tracking number, you might not know where the form itself is.” 

They did road shows to explain how the system would work.

Beltzer’s plan is to replace all the legacy systems with more modern tools, but since he doesn’t have an unlimited budget, he is taking a phased approach. 

MuleSoft is a good fit for digital transformation “because it will not only get me to the new, but I also need something that could talk to my legacy stack until I can upgrade it, replace it, or in some cases leave it there.”

RBC is using a mix of on-prem and cloud — legacy will be on-prem and almost every new solution is cloud based.

The front end is all new, he added. 

“We brought in a bunch of UX designers and had lots of focus groups. If you loved Windows 3.1 you’d have loved our old portal. Now we have a very modern looking front end that can work on multiple form factors — we let our clients really drive that experience.”

The firm does new releases about every two weeks, while with the old system new releases were quarterly.

“They’re obviously smaller releases. But again we’re able to be much more nimble.”

Their timing was good. They started the transformation in August 2019 and finished around Christmas, just before Covid-19 disrupted business.

“ I can definitely say that getting the new system rolled out pre-pandemic was a game changer for us because it meant having everyone on the same platform. We doubled down on Salesforce to have a single 360 view of clients to be able to show to everyone, whether they were calling into a support group, product teams, compliance and especially to advisors and their staff. It was one view of the client so everybody had the same information.”

For a time the firm’s offices were closed, but advisors working from home had access to full client information on one platform. They could pull up real-time balances on assets on their phones. RBC was prepared with VPN. Although some advisors had never used it, within two or three weeks everyone had their secure access figured out.

“That first year of digital transformation has definitely paid off.”

Posted on

Finance jobs: All your options

Finance jobs: All your options

Finance jobs can offer practical experience, in a diverse set of roles, for graduates with strong financial and analytical skill sets. Graduates may apply their industry knowledge and explore a broad range of finance careers, Alternative Medicine.

From accountants and economic analysts to other fulfilling career options, such as investment bankers and portfolio managers, the opportunities are limitless.

What’s it like to work in a finance job?

Personal finance, corporate finance, and government finance are widely recognized as the three finance subfields. Other subfields include investments, money and credit markets, and financial management.

Graduates and working professionals can pursue careers in corporate financial management, securities analysis, and commercial lending, along with several other financial career institutions. Finance professionals typically interact with attorneys, accountants, and insurance agents. In the right work setting, both introverts and extroverts can enjoy rewarding financial jobs and long-term careers.

Finance job seekers may seek remote opportunities as financial analysts, financial advisors, accountants, and other offsite career opportunities. Industry professionals may work between 50 and 70 hours per week. Investment bankers may log as many as 70 to 100 weekly hours. Long hours can contribute to burnout.

Salaries range from $61,000 to $137.000 plus. Finance professionals are driven by a lively, exciting, and challenging workplace with advancement opportunities and unlimited career opportunities around the world.

Finance career options

The finance industry is ever-growing for those who possess a finance degree and strong analytical and accounting skills. Explore your finance career options below and check out the best online finance master’s programs.

Accountant

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $73,560

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are organized professionals
  • Are skilled at working with numbers
  • Possess strong analytical skills
  • Like collaborating with diverse clientele
  • Are current with accounting trends

Accountants assemble, examine, validate, and organize financial documents. They also monitor the organization’s cash inflow and expenditures and ensure the legalities of financial transactions. Accountants operate with integrity, comply with accounting control procedures, and resolve accounting discrepancies.

Actuary

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $111,030

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are detailed-oriented professionals
  • Are organized and self-motivated
  • Possess strong project management skills
  • Possess advanced statistical analysis and database manipulation training

Actuaries investigate financial outcomes and risk. They also apply financial theory alongside math and statistical data to examine the uncertainty of events and reduce their organization’s risk. Actuaries assist top executives with preparation for risk management, strategic solutions, and company-wide growth.

Budget analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $78,970

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Possess advanced mathematical and analytical skills
  • Have strong knowledge of economic trends
  • Are well-versed in financial markets and banking
  • Are experienced in resource allocation

Budget analysts prepare income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Additionally, budget analysts review the organization’s accounting documents, expenditures, and revenue. Budget analysts oversee payouts, resolve accounting issues, and generate regulatory reports.

Chief financial officer

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $137,390

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are results-oriented professionals
  • Possess leadership and team-building skills
  • Have excellent communication skills
  • Have cash management, financial accounting, and corporate finance competencies

The chief financial officer (CFO) is the organization’s top-ranking finance executive, balancing expenditures and revenue, monitoring financial planning and analysis, and overseeing the company’s overall fiscal health. Additionally, CFOs manage cash flow along with the organization’s assets, mergers, and funding.

Corporate finance manager

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $93,714

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Have management consultative experience
  • Possess communication and organizational skills
  • Are proficient in math
  • Possess solid technical skills

Corporate finance managers identify the organization’s financial resources, evaluate and forecast financial earnings and risks, and offer investment recommendations. They also guide leadership on achieving targets, generating capital, and preparing legal records.

Credit analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $86,170

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Can communicate effectively with colleagues, superiors, and subordinates
  • Enjoy collecting and processing data
  • Like programming and writing software
  • Can evaluate information
  • Enjoy gathering information from resources

Credit analysts evaluate prospective borrowers’ eligibility for loan approval and repayment. They also evaluate credit data and financial records and generate reports for credit risk. Credit analysts validate financial and credit operations and collect debt for past due balances.

Economic analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $61,322

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are organized
  • Possess analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • Have programming expertise
  • Possess statistical and database software experience

Economic analysts study economic trends and develop forecasts about the economy. Additionally, economic analysts use their math and programming knowledge to gather financial data and predict financial outcomes. Economic analysts perform microeconomic analyses and determine the best times to invest the organization’s assets.

Financial analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $83,660

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are analytical and strategic thinkers
  • Have excellent presentation skills
  • Are technologically proficient
  • Are detail-oriented

Financial analysts research business and economic trends, analyze financial records, and define the organization’s value. Financial analysts also explore the organization’s financial projections, weigh the leadership team’s capacity, and propose assortments of investments.

Financial examiner

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $81,430

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Possess strong analytical skills
  • Are detail-oriented
  • Are proficient in math, economics, and accounting
  • Have experience with compliance software

Financial examiners evaluate the organization’s profits and losses along with their assets, equity, and liabilities. Additionally, financial examiners guarantee compliance with governing laws for financial institutions and form guidelines that abide by the most improved and latest regulations. Financial examiners generate reports of the organization’s safety and soundness.

Financial manager

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $134,180

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are proficient in math
  • Possess strategic and analytical skills
  • Have strong oral and written communication skills
  • Have commercial awareness
  • Possess problem-solving skills

Financial managers monitor assets of large-scale and small-scale organizations. Additionally, financial managers and their team members manage accounting processes and prepare fiscal reports, cash flow statements, and profit and loss forecasts. Financial managers adhere to laws and regulations and assist employees with understanding the organization’s reports.

Financial planner

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $64,993

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are knowledgeable about personal finance
  • Have budgeting and investment experience
  • Possess analytical skills
  • Have debt management experience

Financial planners assist clients with investing, retirement savings, and maintaining wealth. These professionals also develop and monitor financial programs for employee benefit packages. Financial planners may specialize in niche areas such as estate planning, risk management, and tax planning.

Insurance agent

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $52,180

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Possess strong customer service skills
  • Have sales and marketing experience
  • Possess solid math and critical thinking skills
  • Are knowledgeable about legal codes and laws

Insurance agents market health, long-term care, life, and property and casualty insurance along with several other insurance types. They also review insurance policies, personalize insurance plans, and maintain policy renewals with new and existing clients.

Investment banker

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $101,237

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Possess analytical and numerical skills
  • Have interpersonal Skills
  • Are well-versed in financial markets
  • Have a background in investment trading

Investment bankers raise capital for an organization’s expansion and improvement efforts. Investment bankers also negotiate mergers, arrange bond offerings, and organize confidential placement of bonds. Investment bankers crunch numbers and effectively communicate with financial institutions.

Loan officer

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $63,960

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are data-driven and organized
  • Are accountable and responsive
  • Possess excellent communication skills
  • Welcome and encourage questions

Loan officers communicate with applicants to assess their needs for loans. Additionally, loan officers discuss loan options and terms, respond to applicants’ questions, and review financial documentation. Loan officers approve or deny applications, examine loan agreements, and adhere to federal and state regulations.

Management analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $87,660

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are accounting professionals
  • Have auditing experience
  • Possess analytical and communication skills
  • Have a background in computer systems analysis

Management analysts evaluate financial records such as profits, costs, and employment reports. These professionals also propose organizational changes, methods, and systems. Management analysts interview staff and administer in-person observations to assess the organization’s needs.

Personal finance advisor

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $89,330

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Have a background in accounting and economics
  • Possess math and analytical skills
  • Are good at public speaking
  • Have sales experience

Personal finance advisors communicate with clients and ascertain their income, costs, and insurance coverage while assessing their financial goals and risk tolerance. Additionally, personal finance advisors develop financial plans, oversee clients’ portfolios, and provide cash management and investment planning strategies.

Portfolio manager

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $89.286

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are leadership Professionals
  • Are goal-oriented
  • Possess analytical and quantitative skills
  • Exhibit initiative

Portfolio managers invest mutual, closed-end funds or exchange traded holdings. They also institute investment plans and monitor daily portfolio trading. Portfolio managers develop investment strategies and determine best times for purchasing and selling assets.

Quantitative analyst

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $83,660

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are economics and accounting professionals
  • Possess statistical and complex problem-solving skills
  • Have expertise in computers and electronics
  • Are good critical thinkers

Quantitative analysts apply math techniques to assist organizations with business and financial decisions. Quantitative analysts also determine lucrative investment opportunities and minimize risk. Quantitative analysts evaluate cost effectiveness and benefits of the organization’s developments, products, and services.

Risk specialist

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $83,660

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Possess analytical or scientific software skills
  • Have financial analysis and word processing software skills
  • Are good problem-solvers and project managers
  • Pay attention to details

Risk specialists investigate potential risks that could reduce cash flow and increase the organization’s insurance rates. They also develop strategic plans to lessen the organization’s losses. Risk specialists examine financial records, design risk assessment models, and institute contingency plans.

Trader

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $131,000

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are analytical professionals
  • Are excellent at product sales
  • Enjoy working with financial data
  • Are detail-oriented
  • Possess solid customer service skills

Traders purchase and sell securities such as stocks and profits to generate revenue. These professionals may work for large-scale investment management firms, banks, or exchanges. Traders are typically hired by hedge funds or partnerships investing in stocks, currencies, and other investment options.

Venture capitalist

Minimum degree level required: Bachelor’s

Salary expectations: $192,525

Good fit for individuals who:

  • Are detail-oriented
  • Have excellent decision-making skills
  • Are excellent notetakers
  • Have experience in the financial sector
  • Are proficient in locating new profit opportunities

Venture capitalists supply investments at various stages of the venture process. These professionals are also private equity investors that allocate capital to organizations with strong potential to generate large financial gains. Venture capitalists provide capital for startup companies and small businesses seeking to expand their products and services.

Visit : https://genealogyinternational.com/

Posted on

Stock futures extend gains after S&P 500’s best day in seven weeks

Stock futures opened higher Thursday evening to hold gains after a recovery rally, with an initial wave of concerns over the economic impacts of the Omicron variant at least temporarily easing.

Contracts on the S&P 500 advanced. The blue-chip index closed higher by 1.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} during the regular session, marking its biggest jump since Oct. 14 Thursday. The Dow and Nasdaq each also advanced. Volatility from earlier this week retreated, and the CBOE Volatility index (^VIX) dipped 10{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to below 28. And travel stocks including airlines, hotel and lodging firms held onto earlier gains in late trading as traders bought the pullback in these virus-sensitive areas of the market. 

The move higher in stocks on Thursday came as market participants digested recent headlines on the Omicron variant, including the discovery of multiple cases in the U.S. While vaccine-makers and epidemiologists have still been assessing the new variant’s transmissibility and severity of infection, investors have at least temporarily eased back from peak levels of concern. 

“The markets … have been pricing in, really, a worst-case scenario,” Jim Smiegiel, SEI chief investment officer, told Yahoo Finance Live. “So obviously, there was a ton of uncertainty … [but] you’re seeing today some signs of positive outlooks coming into play. The cases that we’ve seen so far in the States have been mild.” 

“I think the market is now switching gears a little bit and perhaps lessening the intensity on the potential for negative outcomes,” he added. “The big issue still remains more about the world government’s reaction to the variant and what that means from a lockdown perspective. And that’s what the market is still kind of struggling with at this stage.” 

Others have struck an even more optimistic tone, suggesting the economic impact of the Omicron variant will ultimately prove less drastic than initially feared. 

“If you look back at Delta, there really wasn’t a meaningful impact in terms of actual consumption … maybe we saw a little bit of a shift away from services in the early stages of the reopen back towards goods, but overall consumption held up just fine,” Garrett Melson, Natixis Investment Managers Solutions portfolio strategist, told Yahoo Finance Live on Thursday.

“And on the capex front, we still see signs that companies are saying they’re going to invest in their businesses and they’re doing just that,” Melson added. “Lockdowns are certainly not happening here in the U.S. There’s no appetite from the government and certainly no appetite from consumers.” 

Traders are also awaiting the U.S. Labor Department’s latest monthly jobs report Friday morning. The November jobs report is expected to show another more than half a million payrolls returned last month, with the unemployment taking another step down to reach a March 2020 low of 4.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. The report comes following a slew of other positive data points on the labor market in recent days, with weekly unemployment claims coming in lower than expected, and ADP’s private payrolls report topping expectations on Wednesday.

—

6:31 p.m. ET Thursday: Stock futures jump ahead of jobs report

Here were the main moves in markets during the overnight session:  

  • S&P 500 futures (ES=F): +11.5 points (+0.25{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}), to 4,587.25

  • Dow futures (YM=F): +94 points (+0.27{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}), to 34,716.00

  • Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +34.50 points (+0.22{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 16,023.00

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 10: People walk by the Wall Street Bull near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 10, 2021 in New York City. Markets were up in morning trading as investors look to a rare bipartisan effort in the Senate to pass a massive infrastructure bill that, if passed, will infuse billions into the American economy. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: People walk by the Wall Street Bull near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on August 10, 2021 in New York City. Markets were up in morning trading as investors look to a rare bipartisan effort in the Senate to pass a massive infrastructure bill that, if passed, will infuse billions into the American economy. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

—

Emily McCormick is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter

Posted on

14 Ways Remote Teams Can Impact A Company’s Financial (And Overall) Health

Around the world, the pandemic spurred a significant rise in remote work arrangements. Regardless of industry or business model, remote teams can have significant impacts—both positive and negative—on a company’s overall financial health. In some cases, remote teams require a company to buy new technology in order for employees to accomplish their work. On the other hand, many companies are saving significant amounts of money by not maintaining a physical office—and some are even seeing increased productivity.

As more companies are beginning to make the decision on whether to continue with remote work, head back to the office or settle on an arrangement that combines the two, it’s essential for leaders to carefully consider what’s right for their unique situation. Below, 14 members of Forbes Finance Council share ways your remote team may be impacting your company’s finances.

1. Increased Procrastination And Competition For Resources

I faced one of the negative effects of remote work: increased procrastination caused by a lack of communication. Additionally, there was a cost increase caused by remote market globalization—more and more businesses began going remote, so they started hiring employees globally. Before the pandemic, we had to compete for resources locally. Now we have to compete globally. – Peter Shubenok, RNDpoint

2. Potential Communications Breakdowns

A lack of communication can create headaches for remote teams. I have worked remotely since 2005, and I have found that increased communication is critical to meeting deadlines and avoiding misunderstandings. – Paul Davis, Strategic Resource Management

Forbes Finance Council is an invitation-only organization for executives in successful accounting, financial planning and wealth management firms. Do I qualify?

3. Higher Travel Costs

As we start coming back to work, remote teams will need to begin meeting up with their broader team at a central location every few months. This will mean that employees who rarely traveled, such as product managers and engineers, will be making four to six trips in a year that they didn’t before. Finance teams need to account for enabling these remote employees to spend time together, along with the associated costs. – Robin Gandhi, TripActions Liquid

4. The Need For A Robust Culture 

Working for a remote-first fintech, remote teams are quite literally the lifeblood of our organization. It can be easy to dismiss the concept of culture in remote teams, but when created, supported and pushed to thrive, culture can have a dramatic impact on the financial and overall success of an organization. Happy, engaged employees undisputedly do better work. – Michelle Prohaska, NYMBUS

5. Lower Overhead Costs

Remote work enables companies to remove traditional fixed overhead costs from their financials. Specific expenses, including rent, office supplies, utilities and salaries based on “handcuffed” geographies tied to a central office, can be reduced or eliminated from forward-looking plans. With these savings, management can invest more in R&D or employee learning to drive top-line growth. – John Tytko, Caremerge, Inc.

6. Reduced Need For Physical Expansions

We had considered expanding the physical footprint of our business regionally and nationally before Covid. Then everyone became more comfortable meeting virtually using services such as Zoom. Now, without leaving our office, we’re meeting with clients nationwide. So we’ve expanded our business not through remote teams as much as a remote business model—working with clients in other cities virtually. – Bill Keen, Keen Wealth Advisors

7. More Time Saved For Working And Expense Savings For Employees

Remote workers don’t need to spend money on commuting, eating out, dry cleaning, pet care and so on. On average, Americans spend almost one hour per day in total commute time. If employees capture 100{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of their “no-need-to-commute” expense savings but allocate 30 minutes more per day to working—splitting the time savings differential with their employer—they win, and their employers win. – Sean Brown, YCharts

8. Boosted Productivity

A hybrid model with some team members working remotely seems ideal. Less office space and resources are required, and studies have shown that working from home has boosted productivity in many ways. This is also a keen “perk” or benefit in today’s competitive recruiting landscape. Many would even take slightly less pay to be able to work from home. – Leslie Heimer, American Liberty Mortgage | Stockworth

9. Savings On Health Benefits

Offering benefits to a remote team, often scattered across the country, presents its share of unique financial challenges—but also potential savings opportunities. Extra vigilance is required when selecting and structuring benefit offerings. A high-deductible health plan paired with an employer-sponsored health savings account program can realize short- and long-term financial benefits for both the company and its employees. – Tom Torre, Bend Financial

10. Compromised Company Security

When employees are too relaxed about security compliance, it can put your entire company at risk for cyberthreats. To mitigate risk, invest in implementing automated phishing simulations and training videos and set up two-factor authentication. Educating remote teams on cybersecurity is crucial for keeping your company secure from costly threats. – Jody Grunden, Summit CPA Group

11. Access To Global Talent Pool

Remote teams empower companies to access the global talent pool at a fraction of the cost, which in turn drastically reduces recruitment costs—thereby directly impacting the bottom line of organizations that rely heavily on the brainpower of their workforce. – Anil Grandhi, AG FinTax

12. More Focus On Teamwork, Communication And Goals

Remote teams can get the business to focus on teamwork, communication and goals. There are software tools to help you monitor all areas of your business and track the output of employees. This higher level of business monitoring can help focus teams on profitability and customer-centric actions. Trusted employees may be more productive remotely with the time added to the workday and measured output. – Dave Sackett, Visibility Corporation

13. Lower Tax Liability

Among the positive financial aspects of remote teams are the cost savings that come from reduced office spaces and insurance. But other savings include not dishing out huge local payroll taxes in cities such as San Francisco and New York. Utilizing remote teams can also lead to savings for the employees, including the elimination of commuting expenses—plus, they’re not losing any time commuting, which adds to the company’s benefit. – Kurt Kunselman, AccountingSuite™

14. Better Client Engagement

Unlike the days when client meetings meant costly travel and time away for commuting, remote teams can reach clients more frequently for video or call check-ins. Technology such as Zoom meetings also allows you to keep more members of your team engaged. – Sonya Thadhani Mughal, Bailard, Inc.