Fed Rate Cuts: What Is the Bond Market Signaling to Investors?
Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s recent speech at the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole conference, which has been covered extensively in the media, reinforced that an interest rate cut in September is likely. Powell emphasized that while there is uncertainty around tariffs and inflation, these concerns need to be balanced against supporting the job market. Markets have […]
How Investors Can Keep Up With Inflation
When it comes to natural disasters, it’s important to be prepared for earthquakes and erosion alike. Even though one is immediate and dramatic while the other is slow and gradual, both require careful planning and protective measures. Economic forces are no different – the most challenging situations that households and businesses face aren’t always sudden […]
The Magnificent 7, AI, and Concentration Risk
The challenge facing investors today isn’t whether artificial intelligence will transform the economy, but how to maintain portfolio balance as the market climbs to new all-time highs. While it’s tempting to focus exclusively on companies that have performed well recently, investing for long-term goals requires a thoughtful approach to both growth and risk management. Mega-cap […]
Monthly Market Update for July: Market All-Time Highs Amid a Noisy Period
The S&P 500 notched ten new all-time highs in July, fueled by strong corporate earnings, resilient economic data, and new trade deals ahead of the tariff deadline. This included six consecutive record closes in the second half of the month, all of which contributed to year-to-date gains of 7.8% for the S&P 500. However, market […]
What Corporate Earnings Reveal About Tariffs
While investors always look to corporate earnings for clues about how businesses are performing, the current earnings season arguably carries greater importance due to tariffs. Although major stock market indices have reached new all-time highs as trade tensions have stabilized, there is still uncertainty as to how tariffs might affect consumers and businesses. Fortunately, new […]
The Fed and Politics: What Investors Should Know
Recent tensions between the White House and Federal Reserve have brought the topic of Fed independence into focus. This is because there can be a natural friction between elected officials and the Fed, since they each have unique goals and incentives. For instance, the President and Congress often prefer lower interest rates to spur economic […]
What the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Means for Investors
After months of negotiations, a new tax and spending bill was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4. This new budget is far-reaching, including making many parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, raising state and local tax exemptions, extending the estate tax limits, and much more. […]
5 Key Investor Insights for the Second Half of 2025
On the surface, the first half of 2025 has been challenging for investors. From a trade war and market correction to an escalating Middle East conflict and concerns over the growing national debt, investors may feel as if financial markets are stumbling from one problem to the next. Daily news headlines often present an endless […]
Quarterly Market Update for Q2 2025: Tariffs, Geopolitics, and All-Time Highs
The second quarter of 2025 showcased both the resilience of financial markets and their sensitivity to policy uncertainty. From the White House’s tariff announcements in April to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran in June, investors faced many challenges. Yet, the stock market went on to stage one of the fastest rebounds in history and […]
New Market All-Time Highs: How Investors Can Stay Balanced
President Dwight Eisenhower is often quoted as saying “what is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” This perfectly captures the challenges many investors face, since it often feels as if every breaking market and economic development is urgent and requires immediate action. That has certainly been the case this year […]