Investors sometimes ask whether they should reduce their stock exposure when uncertainty is rising. The concern might be an upcoming midterm election, escalating geopolitical tensions, worries about government debt, elevated valuations, or simply a known date when the money will

Most prognosticators focus on one single idea to predict where the market is headed, they focus on earnings growth. This common idea is straightforward, if corporate earnings continue to rise, stock prices should follow. The reality is for more nuanced.

For decades, the largest financial institutions represented the center of economic power. Banks controlled capital flows, financed businesses, and served as the backbone of trade & business. Today however, technology companies are increasingly becoming the infrastructure upon which the modern

Looking at the chart, the takeaway is subtle, and widely misunderstood. Oil and stocks do not have a clean dependable relationship. Using financial jargon, they are NOT highly correlated over time. What this means, sometimes they move in the same

It is. The system is rigged. IT IS RIGGED. I’ll say it again; THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED. Yep, I said it. I’m sure you’ve been told at some point the system is rigged. What you won’t believe is—it’s rigged in

The media often talks about volatility as if it were a design flaw in markets, an inconvenience to be engineered away. It is not. Volatility is the admission price to the long-term compounding machine that is the equity market. Savings

Market declines can be uncomfortable, when headlines turn negative, fear starts to rise, and the media reinforces and amplifies the negative sentiment. Paradoxically, some of the most powerful wealth-building opportunities emerge precisely during these periods. In late March and early

We live in an age where data is no longer scarce; in fact, it’s overwhelming. We carry supercomputers in our pockets, can find out any fact or figure to even our most outlandish questions in seconds. Access to data has

Investors and the media love stocks until they don’t. The image above plots the one-month daily price-change volatility of Apple (AAPL), NVIDIA (NVDA), Amazon (AMZN), and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) over the last 10-years. The monthly values gyrate in different directions

Wayne Gretzky famously said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” In many ways, that single line captures the core philosophy of successful long-term investing. As investors, our job is not simply

You’re doing everything you should be doing, or so you think. You’ve been pouring savings into traditional IRAs and 401k’s, lured by tax-deferred growth. It’s a solid strategy—contribute pre-tax dollars, watch your investments compound without Uncle Sam skimming off the

The United States Federal Reserve employs more PhD economists than any other institution; north of 400 at any one time. The allure of predicting the future keeps us glued to what the Fed says and their view on the economy.

Financial freedom and generational wealth is accomplished by owning assets that appreciate over time. Real estate, business ownership, and investable public market equities are all assets with the capacity to grow in value; providing the opportunity for long-term wealth creation.

As a financial advisor, I often recommend strategies that align everyday spending with long-term wealth creation. The Schwab Investor Card® from American Express is a compelling option for investors looking to enhance their portfolios effortlessly. This no-annual-fee credit card offers

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often called the “fear gauge,” measures the market’s expectation of 30-day volatility based on S&P 500 index options. The US Investor Sentiment % Bull-Bear Spread, derived from the AAII Sentiment Survey, reflects the difference between

Exponential growth can transform modest amounts into substantial wealth over time. What’s interesting is that 20% returns don’t just grow to be twice as large as 10% returns, due to the exponential nature of compounding. Let’s compare these returns over

As of April 2025, U.S. inflation, measured by the U.S. inflation rate, stands at 2.3%, while core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices, is at 2.8%. These figures align closely with the 25-year historical average for headline inflation (2.4%)

The investment industry often champions international diversification, touting lower valuations and uncorrelated returns as key benefits. However, this perspective overlooks the unique strengths of the U.S. market, driven by a culture of innovation, world-class education, disruptive entrepreneurship, and dynamic immigration.

If you hadn’t checked the markets since January, you’d have avoided the anxiety many investors and headline readers experienced—because despite some startling volatility, the stock market has now completed a full round trip. The market is now positive territory for

At the annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska over the weekend, Warren Buffett, the legendary investor known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” announced his retirement as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year, marking the end of

Who wouldn’t want a working crystal ball or know what the news headlines are going to be, a day or two in advance? A research paper titled “When a Crystal Ball Isn’t Enough to Make You Rich” by Victor Haghani

Explanation Dot-Com Crash (2000-2002): This major drawdown, spurred by the collapse of internet stocks, resulted in a 50% decline but saw a substantial recovery thereafter. 2008 Financial Crisis: Marked by the housing bubble burst, this period showed the deepest loss

Are you a glass half-full or half-empty type of person? Why? Because it might have some impact on how you view the markets. What’s ironic, either way, it doesn’t matter what type of person you are, because the stock market