Geopolitics and the U.S. Financial Markets International conflicts and other global events dominated the news in early 2026, most notably the U.S. action in Venezuela and pressure to obtain control of Greenland, as well as anti-government protests in Iran and a snap election in Japan. These are all serious issues that can have far-reaching consequences […]

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) and Division of Enforcement warn investors that scams involving stock recommendations may be conducted through social media. Investors should never make investment decisions based solely on information from social media platforms or apps. Watch Out For Stock Tip Red Flags. Did you click on an advertisement online […]

Taxing Social Security Benefits: Clearing the Confusion When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was passed in the summer of 2025, there was some confusion in messaging from the Social Security Administration about taxation of benefits.1–2 Here is an overview that may help clarify any questions you have about the new law and taxing Social […]

Wall Street Expects the Market to Keep Rallying in 2026 Despite Lofty Valuations Wall Street is betting that falling interest rates and strong corporate earnings will be enough to eke out yet one more year of stock-market gains. It’s going to be close. After posting double-digit percentage increases for three straight years, from 2023 through […]

Annual Market Review 2025 Overview The year 2025 was extraordinary for the economy and the markets. Sweeping tariffs, a cooling labor market, rising consumer prices, a prolonged U.S. federal government shutdown, turmoil in the Middle East, and the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war were some of the many factors that should have signaled economic contraction and a […]

Fed Cuts Rates Again, Signals It May Be Done for Now Federal Reserve officials cut interest rates at their third consecutive meeting but signaled little appetite for more amid unusual internal divisions over whether inflation or the job market should be their bigger worry.   The Fed voted 9-3 for the reduction on Wednesday, the […]

Market Summary November 2025 Healthcare Surges, Key Economic Data Canceled as Rate Cuts Remain In Play Equity Performance Value Shines Amidst Volatility, Healthcare Surges While Technology Pulls Back Markets were relatively flat in November despite heightened volatility as the S&P 500 posted a gain of 0.3%. Emerging markets took the biggest hit, ending the month down 2.4%, followed by the Nasdaq, […]

Why the Dot-Com Comparison Falls Short in 2025 AI Leadership and Market Anxiety 2025 has been defined by an increasingly concentrated market led by a handful of mega-cap names. The top ten holdings in the S&P 500 now comprise roughly 39 percent of the entire index, a level of concentration that raises questions about the index’s […]

Sudden Wealth What would you do with an extra $10,000? Maybe you’d pay off some debt, get rid of a college loan, or take a much-needed vacation. What if you suddenly had an extra million or 10 million or more? Now that you’ve come into a windfall, you have some issues to deal with. You’ll […]

Market Summary October 2025 Tech Leads While Materials Lag All Indices Positive as the Fed Cuts Rates Again Nvidia Overtakes Entire Nations Nvidia (NVDA) has officially entered uncharted territory. The company’s market capitalization has surged past $5 trillion, making it larger than the entire GDP of every country globally except the United States and China. At this scale, […]