Guest commentary: What to watch for this holiday season
By Kris Batch The holidays are usually called the most wonderful time of the year, but they are also typically the most expensive time of the year. In a recent survey from Bankrate, 54% of respondents said they’d made an unplanned or impulse purchase during the last holiday season. Beyond purchasing gifts, many different expenses that Read More →
Guest commentary: The geometry of organizations in the age of AI
By Gerhard Apfelthaler For decades, business leaders have sketched their organizations as pyramids. At the top: executives. At the bottom: workers. In the middle: layers of managers. Some variations reflected distinct values of national or organizational cultures — steep and hierarchical in some environments, or flat and collaborative in others — but the basic shape Read More →
Guest commentary: BofA hiring more military vets and Tri-County locals is good business
By Midge Campbell-Thomas & Greg Bland Research consistently shows that when people have long-term career opportunities and earn more, they spend more on durable goods, dine out more, save to buy homes that plant roots in neighborhoods, and invest more in their communities. That is why Bank of America is doubling down on its workforce, Read More →
Guest commentary: Economic analysis of Q3 2025
By Eric Kelley UMB Private Wealth Management The third quarter of 2025 was marked by improving market sentiment, driven by growing confidence that the Fed will initiate an ongoing easing campaign throughout the year-end and into 2026. Inflation continued to build as new tariffs were implemented, but concern over the labor market pushed the Fed Read More →
Guest commentary: What is a fiduciary and why would you need one?
By Tamara Skov & Shannon Dalton As licensed professional fiduciaries, the first question we often hear when we mention our line of work is: “What’s a fiduciary?” It’s a good question, and the answer is both simple and complex. After years of hearing the same inquiry, we thought it would be helpful to explainwhat fiduciaries Read More →
Guest commentary: The global race for talent
By Vlad Vaiman California Lutheran University In the twenty-first century, oil and steel matter less than an infinitely scarcer resource: talent. A small number of people in a wide range of fields – from artificial intelligence or biotechnology to finance or the arts – are capable of producing disproportionate economic and cultural value. The top Read More →
Guest commentary: The steady growth of UC Santa Barbara’s Technology Management Program
By Jillian Tempesta Santa Barbara’s business community has helped shape a talent incubator in their own backyard: UCSB’s Department of Technology Management. From its beginning as an undergraduate certificate program, the Department of Technology Management has grown to offer real-world experiences and advanced degrees for students who aim to lead technology-driven businesses. In just 15 Read More →
