In 2024, travel transformed with AI-assisted trip planning, a resurgence of luxury train journeys, and a growing emphasis on wellness through solitude and stargazing. Urban explorers embraced green spaces and foraged dining, while music enthusiasts traveled extensively for live performances. 

As 2025 approaches, the focus will shift toward deeper, experience-driven adventures. Literature-inspired tourism is on the rise, with book festivals attracting larger crowds and hotels celebrating their literary connections. 

Astrocartography is gaining traction, guiding travelers to destinations aligned with their personal astrological charts. Meanwhile, honeymoons are becoming more immersive, with newlyweds favoring extended, meaningful getaways over traditional weeklong retreats.

Finsum: While everyone is implementing AI to improve efficiency, don’t forget to leverage it for personal matters such as gift and vacation ideas. 

The debate over custodial pricing continues, with many questioning whether bundling all revenue sources into a single fee is fair. Since custodians don’t face significantly higher costs for a $10 million account versus a $100,000 one, a pay-for-services-used model may be more equitable. 

Another pressing issue is the slow adoption of automated onboarding, as many custodians still require paper forms and wet signatures despite available digital alternatives. Some speculate that firms hesitate to streamline transfers because it would make it easier for advisors to switch custodians, reducing client stickiness. 

Beyond pricing and onboarding, factors like service quality, cost, and additional features—such as dedicated support teams or integrated technology—shape custodian selection. 

Finsum: As the industry evolves, understanding these priorities will be key to creating a more efficient and competitive custodial marketplace.

Hedge funds saw mixed results in February as market volatility surged amid trade tariff uncertainties. Fixed-income strategies performed well, benefiting from falling interest rates, while macro and equity hedge funds struggled due to sharp declines in technology stocks. 

The HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index fell 0.47%, with relative value arbitrage and event-driven strategies posting gains that were outweighed by broader declines. Cryptocurrency funds took a significant hit, with the HFR Cryptocurrency Index dropping 16.8% as volatility spiked. 

Meanwhile, event-driven funds gained modestly, and fixed-income strategies extended their winning streak, marking another month of positive returns. 

Finsum: As hedge funds navigate volatile conditions, their ability to adapt remains key to delivering returns in uncertain markets.

Americans today allocate a larger share of their wealth to the stock market than in previous decades, a shift largely driven by the rise of target date funds (TDFs). These funds, which automatically adjust their asset mix as investors age, have become the default option in many workplace retirement plans since the mid-2000s. 

Research from MIT Sloan suggests that the widespread adoption of TDFs has led younger investors to hold more equities than they might have otherwise. The 2006 Pension Protection Act played a key role in this trend by allowing employers to use TDFs as default retirement investments, increasing participation in equity-heavy portfolios. 

While the impact of TDFs is strongest in the early years of enrollment, many older investors have also gradually shifted toward similar investment strategies. As TDFs continue gaining popularity, they could contribute to market stability by influencing stock price movements and reducing volatility over time.

Finsum: The default 60/40 portfolio is too passive for many young investors and holding larger equity younger, could accelerate their savings. 

Cryptocurrencies tumbled as concerns over a broader U.S. stock selloff overshadowed recent efforts by President Trump to support the industry. Bitcoin dropped more than 3% in early Asian trading, while Ether sank as much as 6% to its lowest level since October 2023 before recovering some losses. 

The decline followed a sharp selloff in technology stocks, with the Nasdaq 100 plunging 3.8%, its worst session since October 2022. Despite Trump’s executive order to establish a U.S. Bitcoin reserve, investor sentiment remained fragile as macroeconomic risks took center stage. 

Analysts noted that leveraged crypto-related ETFs were among the hardest hit, with some plunging more than 30% in a single day. While Bitcoin hovered around $79,300, traders were eyeing key support levels at $73,000 and $70,000, where stronger buying interest could emerge.

Finsum: While many think of crypto as hedge against market volatility, we need to remember that those hedges are a little effective on the currency side.