We wrote last week about the increased importance the labor component of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. This week, the second part of the mandate (inflation) got its turn in the spotlight yet again. First up – Consumer Price Index (CPI) report was released for May and it showed favorable results. The CPI rose 2.4% […]

It’s that time of year – second quarter estimated tax payments are due June 16, 2025 (you get an extra day as a result of the 15th falling on a weekend!) I talked with a client this week about adjusting tax payments mid-year (due to a change in business earnings). It’s a great question that […]

Don’t look now but as of the time I’m writing this post, US equity markets are fast approaching new all-time highs. I know – that is hard to believe after what we went thru just a few months ago. The recovery off the April lows has been staggering – yet remains a very hated and […]

Markets tend to focus on one “hot topic” per week – and this week, jobs took center stage. As you know by now, the Federal Reserve Bank in the US has a dual mandate – meaning it has to balance two priorities as it considers interest rate levels and monetary policy. That dual mandate includes […]

If you’re feeling a bit better about your portfolio and investing outlook than you were in April, you are not alone. In early 2025, there was a high level concern about weakness in “soft” data (ie: consumer and investor sentiment surveys). While this data is not as conclusive as “hard” data (actual measurable statistics and […]

I’m endlessly amazed (and amused) by the acronyms that market participants come up with. Anyone remember what FANG, BRIC, and/or TINA stood for? Well, don’t worry about those because there is a new acronym starting to take hold. It’s a catchy take on a favorite food – TACO.. which stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out” […]

Another investing week is behind us and a long weekend is in front of us! There was no shortage of market-moving news this week as Moody’s downgraded the US, interest rates marched steadily higher, and the budget/tax bill was passed in the House and moved on to the Senate. However, as we enter the long […]

I’ve received a few questions this week about the recent downgrade of the US. Let’s take a look. Earlier this week, Moody’s (a credit rating agency in the US) downgraded the United State’s credit rating to Aa1 (one level below the highest available AAA). Moody’s was the last of the three major credit rating agencies […]

I’m not sure there has been a time in my investing career where I have felt as compelled to use roller coaster imagery as the past six weeks! Somehow, it seems the most accurate depiction of what investors have been experiencing as of late. Fortunately, for the last several weeks – and most notably the […]

If you took a break from all market news for the past month and a half, you might think April thru early May was an uneventful time. The S&P opened at on April 1 at 5597 and closed at on May 14 on 5893, resulting in a nice 5%+ return in just over a month. […]