SECOND QUARTER 2026 MARKET REVIEW
After a difficult first quarter, equity markets roared back in the second quarter of 2026. Investors soured on stock markets in late February, when the outbreak of war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran sent a wave of fear through the markets and triggered a downturn that carried into
FIRST QUARTER 2026 MARKET REVIEW
The first quarter of 2026 saw two very different sets of market conditions. The beginning of the year picked up where 2025 left off and saw steady and consistent equity market gains, with the S&P 500 Index hitting new record levels. By the end of the quarter, investment markets were
THE POWER OF COMPOUND RETURNS
Compounding is one of the most powerful — and often underestimated — forces in wealth creation. While Albert Einstein is best known for reshaping our understanding of the physical world, he is often credited with calling compound interest the “eighth wonder of the world.” But in practice, it is compound
LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCIES: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR RETIREMENT?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently shared some good news when it reported that life expectancy in the U.S. reached a record high of 79 years in 2024. That is an increase of 0.6 years from 2023, and 0.2 years higher than life expectancies in 2019. The increase
THE 2025 MARKET REVIEW
Sometimes financial market returns don’t match the narrative conveyed by the news media or popular opinion. 2025 was one of those times. The US stock market experienced its third year in a row of double-digit gains in 2025, despite all the negative news incidents and dire expectations of many investors.
2026 TAX DEVELOPMENTS
Savvy Americans are aware of the impact that taxes have on their wealth. Since July, we have known that the reduced federal income tax brackets were extended indefinitely with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. What we did not know was the income ranges those tax brackets
THIRD QUARTER MARKET REVIEW
Equity markets extended their gains in the third quarter, propelling major US stocks indexes to new record highs along the way. Domestic stocks continued their strong run that began in the second quarter after their quick recovery from a volatile April precipitated by President Trump’s trade tariffs. Improving international trade
OWNING AI IN YOUR PORTFOLIO
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in the investing world today, dominating headlines everywhere. There does not seem to be a week that goes by where I do not meet a stranger who asks me, upon learning my profession, “what do you think about buying Nvidia (or
2025 Midyear Review: Volatile Markets Reward Disciplined Investors
US equity markets took investors on a wild roller coaster ride in the first half of 2025 amid notable swings and upheavals precipitated by global trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions. But by the end of the second quarter, investors were rewarded for their patience and discipline with stock market indices
How Does the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Impact Your Financial Plan?
On July 4th one of the most anticipated pieces of tax legislation in recent years was signed into law by President Trump. Approaching 900 pages in length the legislation includes a host of tax law reforms and makes the tax cuts in 2017’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent,
Q1 2025 Market Review
In a reversal of a trend in recent years, more investors sought opportunities outside of the US and moved to International Equities in the first quarter of 2025. Overall global equity markets lost -1.6% in the first quarter as measured by the MSCI All Country World IMI Index. US Equity markets led
Markets Look Forward. Investors Should Too.
Recent tariff announcements and activities have sent shockwaves through global investment markets, unnerving many investors and prompting sharp selloffs in equity markets around the world. Volatility, as measured by the VIX index, has spiked to levels not seen since the Coronavirus Pandemic five years ago.1 But when conditions change and economic uncertainty emerges, volatility is