An Investment Fiduciary

The Markets Investors may have a rosier view of the future than consumers do. In 2026, markets have been volatile with major U.S. stock indexes posting new highs and new lows. “The S&P [Standard & Poor’s] 500 posted 30 new highs and one new low; the Nasdaq ⁠recorded 155 ​new highs and 85 new lows,” reported Noel Randewich and Avinash P. of Reuters in mid-August. The ups and downs of the market reflect investor enthusiasm and uncertainty. In general, investors make decisio

The Markets Reading the economic tea leaves. The stock market is forward-looking, which means that it reflects investors’ expectations for the future. No one knows exactly what will happen in the months ahead, but investors try to gain an edge by interpreting economic information. Last week, we saw information about inflation, consumer spending, and consumer sentiment push the market in different directions. Here’s what happened: Markets rejoiced that inflation slowed

The Markets The rally continues. A lot of factors influence the United States stock market, including economic trends, market sentiment, and government and Federal Reserve (Fed) policies. However, many investors consider earnings, which reveal how profitable a company is after paying expenses, one of the most important indicators of company and market health. Companies have been more profitable than analysts expected. In 2026, most companies in the Standard & Poor’s (

The Markets Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Warsh shakes the market's confidence. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has said that "monetary policy is 98 percent talk and only 2 percent action.” He meant that public statements are powerful tools that can shape the market’s expectations around future Fed actions. That proved true last week, when the Fed appeared to lose credibility during a relatively brief press conference held by its new Chair Kevin Warsh. The Fed did what mark

The Markets Sometimes, the road is rough. In the early 1900s, riding in new-fangled automobiles was a bone-jarring and physically exhausting experience. Roads were unpaved and rutted, jolting passengers relentlessly. Shock absorbers changed that. Working in tandem with the spring suspension, they made the ride a lot smoother. A two-part system smooths the ride for investors, too. It includes asset allocation and diversification. Asset allocation can help smooth port

The Markets Rethinking expectations for inflation and artificial intelligence (AI). It was a rough week for Wall Street. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) fell about 1.5 percent, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.8 percent, and the Dow posted its weakest weekly performance since late March, reported Naomi Buchanan of Barron’s. Here’s what happened: Price increases slowed. The week started with encouraging news. Price pressures eased in June, in part because of lowe

The Markets America's wealth looks different than it did just a couple of generations ago. A lot has changed since 1989. Back then, there were no smartphones or streaming services. There wasn’t an app for anything. The first digital camera arrived the previous year, and the first handheld global positioning system (GPS) became available in 1989. While technology began reshaping everyday life, another change began unfolding, too. Between 1989 and 2022, after adjusting

The Markets The market spent the first half of 2026 floating like a butterfly. The market slipped every punch during the first six months of 2026, and there were a lot of them: the Iran War, gyrating oil prices, rising inflation, changed interest rate expectations, employment concerns, and mounting national debt. Each issue stepped into the ring swinging and, while the market staggered occasionally, it recovered every time. Teresa Rivas of Barron’s reported, “Bolstered

The Markets Lowering inflation may prove to be a challenge. Last week, inflation was on the minds of investors after one of the Federal Reserve (Fed)’s favorite inflation gauges showed inflation at a three-year high. Both headline and core inflation were well above the Fed’s two percent target. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index May 2026 Price Increase (year over year) Headline inflation + 4.1 percent Core inflation (excludes volatile food and energy prices

The Markets Americans hope for a peace dividend – lower prices. Last week, President Trump signed a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. Stock and bond markets welcomed the news. “Investors are hopeful the 14-point framework will lead to the Strait of Hormuz reopening, which could drag down oil prices and help tame inflation,” reported George Glover of Barron’s. It will take time for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to resume and inflation to

The Markets Markets rarely move in a straight line. Investors had a lot to consider last week. Rising inflation, interest rate uncertainty, and ongoing conflict in the Middle East weighed on markets. Yet stocks finished the week higher amid hopes for peace, enthusiasm for a stock launch, and improved consumer sentiment. Here’s a recap: Consumer prices rose. The Consumer Price Index showed inflation accelerating to its fastest annual pace in more than three years. Inflat

The Markets There was some good news and some bad news last week. Let’s start with the good news: Employment gains exceeded expectations last month. Employers in the United States added 172,000 new jobs in May, similar to April’s 179,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3 percent, the average work-week length was about 34 hours, and wages rose. “The strong payroll growth, steady unemployment rate, and broad-based job gains are unambiguously good ne

The Markets It was a record-setting month. “Sell in May and Go Away” was an investment strategy promoted by the Stock Trader's Almanac. The idea was based on historic research that suggested holding stocks, as represented by the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow), from November to April delivered better returns than holding stocks all year round. “What [the research] didn't note is that if one used the S&P 500 index, which dates to 1927, one would have found the opposite:

The Markets Feeling the pinch of rising prices. The cost of living is increasing in many places around the world. “The war has sent oil prices soaring and led to shortages of products like jet fuel. Coal prices have also risen as some power companies switch to coal from natural gas to generate electricity. Countries that depend on other fuel sources—from renewables to nuclear power—have been spared some of the economic hardship so far,” reported Avi Salzman of Barron’s In Apr

The Markets The bond market was not happy last week. The bond market typically doesn’t get as much attention as the stock market does, but it is a powerful force in the financial world. When a government, company, or other type of organization needs financing, it may issue a bond. In return for borrowing money, the bond issuer promises to pay a set amount of interest for a certain period and then return the lender’s money. The United States government issues a lot of bond

The Markets Looking beneath the surface of the rally. Stock markets in the United States moved higher last week on enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), strong corporate earnings, and signs of resilience in the U.S. economy, reported Connor Smith of Barron’s and Michael Msika of Bloomberg. What makes this rally interesting is not just its momentum, but also how unusual it is from a historic perspective. It’s rare for the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index to delive

The Markets The stock market rally continued. April ended with the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) and Nasdaq Composite Indexes at record-high levels, having delivered their best monthly returns since 2020, reported Connor Smith of Barron’s. In April, investors: Leaned into optimism, remaining hopeful for progress in the Middle East. Paul R. LaMonica of Barron’s reported, “Markets are looking beyond the Iran war to a year of healthy profits and stock gains. Investors in

The Markets It’s all about how you slice the index pie. Last week, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) closed at a new record high even though 329 of its 500 stocks lost value, reported Connor Smith of Barron’s. How is that possible? The S&P 500 is a capitalization-weighted index. Imagine the S&P 500 as a pie. Each stock in the index is one slice of that pie, and all of the slices are different sizes. The size of each company’s slice is determined by its market

The Markets The market completes a 180. One of the most exciting driving sequences in movies may be the scene from Baby Driver when “Baby” (a reluctant getaway driver) slings a red Subaru into a narrow 180-degree turn, slides backward between obstacles, and immediately pivots into another 180-degree turn, all while perfectly in sync with the beat of his music. Since mid-February, the U.S. stock market has offered a similarly exciting ride. The Standard & Poor’s 500 I

The Markets Sunny with a chance of rain. Last week, news of a two-week pause in the Middle East conflict was like a sunny day. Investors celebrated and the relief rally lifted U.S. stocks higher. “The cease-fire announced on Tuesday led to the best day for the stock market in almost exactly a year,” reported Avi Salzman of Barron’s. On Friday, though, some clouds appeared on the horizon. U.S. economic data and Middle East damage assessments gave investors pause, and the