What 7% Mortgages Mean for Housing and the Economy
The housing market is important both on a personal level as well as for the broader economy and financial system. For many households, owning a home is an accomplishment that requires years of planning and saving, representing their largest asset, most significant monthly expense, and main source of debt. The housing market is also a […]
Beyond the Headlines: Fed Rate Hikes and Long-Term Portfolios
Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve Chair, often said that “monetary policy is not a panacea.”1 Just as there is no cure for the common cold, except to let it run its course and address the symptoms, the Fed’s tools often cannot fix the underlying issues in the economy. In theory, monetary policy is meant […]
How to Introduce Wealth Conversations to the Next Generation
For many parents and grandparents with significant wealth, the hardest financial conversation is not about investments or estate plans — it is the one with their own children. When should they learn about the family’s wealth? How much should they know? How do you talk about money without distorting values? These questions are not theoretical. […]
A Closer Look at the Stock Market: Style, Size, and Regions
Investors often use major indices like the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average as a way to understand how financial markets are performing. While this is a helpful place to start, the reality is that the stock market is made up of many thousands of companies, each affected by economic and market […]
The Fed’s AI Dilemma: Long-Term Perspectives
The Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer once wrote that “economic growth springs from better recipes, not just from more cooking.”1 This key idea in economics is that raising our standard of living is not just about adding more workers or more equipment, but about enabling each worker to produce not only more goods and services, […]
Maximizing Employer Benefits: How Young Adults Can Make the Most of 401(k) Matches and HSAs
Starting your career is exciting, but it’s also an important time to build a strong financial foundation. Beyond your paycheck, your employer may offer benefits that can have a significant impact on your long-term financial health—if you use them wisely. Two of the most valuable benefits available to many young professionals are 401(k) retirement plans […]
What’s Driving Portfolios: The Impact of High Oil and Copper Prices
The 19th century geologist Charles Lyell popularized the concept of “uniformitarianism,” a long word that reflects the simple idea that the natural forces shaping the earth today are the same ones that have consistently affected it across history. A similar principle applies to commodities we extract from the ground like oil and copper. While there […]
The Wealth Gap: Your Business Value vs. Your Retirement Number
There is a conversation Vertex Planning Partners has had dozens of times with business owners across Chicagoland and the broader middle market. It goes something like this: “I think the business is worth somewhere around eight million. That should be more than enough to retire comfortably.” Then we run the business value estimate. And the […]
Monthly Market Update for August 2026: Rising Yields, Strong Earnings, and Trade Uncertainty
August was another example of the idea that strong markets do not require a picture-perfect backdrop. While there continues to be uncertainty around oil prices, the Fed, new tariffs affecting global trade, and interest rates that are at their highest in decades, many positive factors drove broad market indices higher. For investors, the key takeaway […]
Tariff Refunds and the National Debt: What They Mean for Investors
Since new tariffs were announced last year, global trade has been a source of uncertainty for financial markets and the economy. In February, the Supreme Court ruled that the original “Liberation Day” tariffs were illegal, resulting in a wave of refunds to businesses that are now well underway.1 New tariffs have been implemented since then […]