Jesse Hill, VP, International Finance & Corporate FP&A, eXp Realty, named eXp World Holdings Interim Chief Financial Officer, effective April 1, 2025

eXp World Holdings Announces Interim CFO, Provides Chief Financial Officer Transition Update

BELLINGHAM, Wash., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), the holding company for eXp Realty^®, FrameVR.io and SUCCESS^® Enterprises, today announced that Jesse Hill, VP, International Finance & Corporate FP&A of, eXp Realty has been named Interim Chief Financial Officer of eXp World Holdings, Inc., effective April 1, 2025. It is anticipated that current Principal Financial Officer Kent Cheng will transition into an advisory role on March 31, 2025, and will remain at the Company until August 31, 2025 to support the transition.  The Company and its Board of Directors continue to conduct an active search for a permanent Chief Financial Officer among highly qualified external and internal candidates.

“As VP, International Finance & Corporate FP&A, Jesse Hill has been an important part of our growth and expansion plans,” said Glenn Sanford, Founder, Chairman and CEO of eXp World Holdings, Inc. and eXp Realty. “Under Jesse’s financial leadership, International Realty has expanded into eight additional markets, increasing revenue nearly five-fold and significantly improving segment operating margins. Jesse has also been recognized as one of the most impactful finance executives in the mortgage and real estate industries, awarded a 2025 Finance Leader by HousingWire. I would also like to recognize Kent Cheng for the contributions he has made across eXp World Holdings, Inc.’s business segments over the last five years. We look forward to working closely with Kent in his strategic advisory role as we continue our search for a permanent CFO.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer of eXp World Holdings beginning next month,” Jesse Hill said. “One of my top priorities as Interim CFO will be to ensure that our agent-centric investments deliver the highest ROI to our agent base as we remain focused on operating efficiently at scale. I am grateful for the trust placed in me by Glenn and the eXp Board, and I am honored by the opportunity to lead a high-performing finance organization at eXp, the most agent-centric real estate platform on the planet.”

Randall Miles, member of the Board of Directors and Chairperson of the Audit Committee, said, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Kent for his significant contributions to eXp, and to congratulate Jesse on his new role as Interim CFO. We are confident in eXp’s long-term outlook due to the platform’s leading scale, superior profitability, cash flow profile and highly talented team, and look forward to naming a permanent CFO to help lead eXp through its next phase of growth.” Cheng’s planned departure is not a result of any disagreement regarding eXp World Holdings, Inc.’s  financial statements or disclosures.

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• Older Americans are facing retirement uncertainty due to market dips and Trump policy changes.
• Financial advisors urge against drastic investment changes, despite recession fears.
• Diversifying income sources and delaying taking Social Security can help stabilize retirement plans.

With dips in the stock market, planned staff cuts to the Social Security Administration, and rapidly changing economic policy, nearly a dozen older Americans told Business Insider they aren’t sure how to navigate retirement under Trump 2.0 — so we asked financial advisors.

It turns out that they have also been fielding an uptick in queries about how this political moment will impact clients’ finances.

Some retirees are tempted to make drastic changes to their investments, while others feel anxious about how their Social Security benefits may fare. This comes as the White House makes sweeping cuts to the federal workforce, the Department of Government Efficiency slashes budgets for government programs, and Wall Street braces for a potential recession.

The biggest advice for older Americans right now from financial advisors: don’t panic. The news cycle since President Donald Trump’s inauguration has moved quickly, and most advisors caution older adults against making any major changes to their retirement or savings accounts. Advisors told BI that building emergency funds and cutting back on spending are smarter ways to approach economic uncertainty.

“While it’s difficult not to react when stocks are falling, this has often been the best course of action, or you risk locking in potential losses and missing out on any market recoveries,” said Rita Assaf, vice president of retirement offerings at Fidelity Investment. “If you are saving for retirement, continue to stick to your plan. If you haven’t created a plan, you should.”

Here are the three top tips on retirement planning in the current economic climate from financial advisors, economists, and wealth managers.

Avoid drastic investment decisions

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq have fallen recently, sparking nervousness among older Americans who have invested their retirement savings. A potential recession could also impact the value of some retirees’ assets, like homes.

“Putting the possibility of a recession into perspective can be hard to do,” said John Canally, chief portfolio strategist at TIAA, Wealth Management. “Emotion is a big part of investing, for better or worse, and investors often see short-term volatility as extremely disruptive.”

However, Gordon Whittaker, a Merrill wealth management advisor, told BI there is nothing about this period in the market that is different from other times of elevated volatility. If Americans have a smart retirement portfolio with adequate risk allocations, he said they shouldn’t make any major money changes.

Financial advisors told BI that it’s better to wait and see before making any immediate changes to 401(k) or Roth IRA strategies. Additionally, don’t make any changes now in an effort to “get ahead of the economy,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. He added that investors can miss out on gains more than avoiding losses when they try to outguess the market.

Market conditions will likely change again soon, and Canally said it is important to “stay anchored” to long-term wealth and savings goals.

Older Americans who have invested in the market should ensure their stock portfolio is diverse, said Christopher Scibilia, a private client advisor at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. People should invest in various stock options, ideally in stable industries without much risk. Scibilia added that retirees should also plan to withdraw their investments when the market is higher to avoid losses.

Evaluate your budget and pay down debt

Regardless of age, economists and financial advisors told BI it is a good time for Americans to reevaluate their spending.

The job market could slow down, and the price of everyday items could tick up due to tariffs and market volatility, especially if there is a recession. This is a good time to examine household budgets and see what can be trimmed or cut if income changes, McBride said. He added that people should prioritize paying down debt, building emergency funds, and focusing on liquid cash savings.

Scibilia said older Americans, especially, should have cash on hand in case of unexpected expenses, like a medical diagnosis. He said building an emergency fund alongside a traditional retirement account should be a top consideration for Americans who are retired or are looking to retire soon.

Don’t count on Social Security alone to pay your bills

BI previously heard from older Americans who are either unable to retire or must return to work after retirement due to financial constraints. Many said that Social Security isn’t enough to afford essentials, and millions of retirees don’t have adequate savings.

The Social Security fund is unlikely to be immediately affected by any of Trump’s planned policies, though Trump has suggested cutting some government healthcare coverage and resources for Social Security beneficiaries.

Financial advisors and economists told BI that having multiple income streams can help protect people from market volatility or any changes in government benefits.

Assaf and Scibilia said that older Americans should consider waiting to collect Social Security. Delaying their claim until age 70 could increase people’s benefits by 8%, which could be especially helpful for Americans worried about the Social Security fund dwindling in the 2030s, they said.

“Having multiple income sources, like Social Security, pensions, or part-time work, can also provide stability,” Scibilia said.

Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, also told BI that people with emergency funds, investment portfolios, and updated skills in their industry recover fastest from job losses. Scibilia added that pursuing part-time work and increasing health insurance coverage can help retirees weather unexpected expenses.

Do you have a story to tell about retirement plans and how you’re navigating finances under Trump 2.0? Reach out to these reporters at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com and nsheidlower@businessinsider.com

A European Central Bank (ECB) official says America’s embrace of cryptocurrency and non-bank finance could backfire.

“The United States risks sinning through negligence,” Francois Villeroy de Galhau, a member of the bank’s governing council, said in an interview with French weekly La Tribune Dimanche on Saturday (March 15).

“Financial crises often originate in the United States and spread to the rest of the world. By encouraging crypto assets and non-bank finance, the American administration is sowing the seeds of future upheavals.”

The U.S. government’s attitude toward cryptocurrency has changed under President Donald Trump. Trump championed the digital assets when running for office last summer, and has since pushed to make America the “crypto capital of the world” by calling for the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) seems to be rolling back its regulatory crackdown on the crypto sector, having dismissed several cases against crypto platforms since Trump’s inauguration.

As PYMNTS wrote recently, this change has upended the dynamic between America and Europe in how they approach crypto.

“The initial contrast between the rules-based approach to cryptocurrency in the European Union and the enforcement-driven strategy in the United States was once thought to shape the global crypto industry’s trajectory,” that report said.

All the same, the EU’s structured Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) policy framework, designed to harmonizing the fragmented regulatory landscape across the EU’s 27 member states, is already in place and continues to guide the some of the largest crypto companies in one of the biggest economic regions in the world.

“MiCA’s applications, and its endemic speedbumps, could hold many lessons for an eventual U.S. regulatory environment,” PYMNTS wrote.

Since MiCA’s approval in 2023 — the rule is being implemented in phases — market players have been hurrying to comply with its provisions. Crypto exchanges, stablecoin issuers and wallet providers now face strict licensing requirements, capital reserves standards and clear consumer protection rules.

While MiCA is designed to streamline crypto operations, it poses obstacles for existing virtual asset service providers (VASPs). All VASPs who were registered in the EU before 2025 must comply with MiCA requirements this year.

“Predictions suggest that around 75% of these VASPs may struggle to meet the new standards. Factors such as company size, compliance costs and requirements contribute to this potential contraction,” PYMNTS wrote.

“For example, many registered VASPs are small enterprises that may lack the resources to fulfill MiCA’s rigorous demands, including substantial share capital requirements and comprehensive compliance frameworks.”