Last week I talked about the upward sloping Treasury yield curve, a welcome change from the inverted yield curve that lingered for years. The upward sloping curve means that investors are rewarded more for taking on duration.
President Trump’s tariff maneuvers sent financial markets on a rollercoaster. The shock from his aggressive trade policies triggered a surge in volatility, briefly pushing the VIX above 50 – an extremely rare event.
Chief Economist Eugenio J. Alemán discusses current economic conditions.
Technology and trends have made individual investors an important part of the private market.
The 90-day reduction on tariffs between the US and China is a positive development, but some questions remain.
Keeping your financial plan aligned with your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.
The more duration risk taken, the more reward or yield demanded by investors. This is why, historically, the yield curve provides incrementally more yield for longer-maturity bonds.
The roller coaster continues! A stronger than expected first quarter earnings season and encouraging signs on the trade front—highlighted by the US-UK trade deal—helped lift the S&P 500 from its April 8 near-bear market lows, reversing nearly all post-Liberation Day (April 2) losses.
One of the advantages of individual bonds is the ability to custom-select bonds that fit individual needs and/or goals
This week marks the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term in office—and what a rollercoaster it has been for the financial markets! While presidents often enjoy a ‘honeymoon period’ at the start of their tenure, Trump wasted no time ‘flooding the zone’ by pushing forward many of his key initiatives.
The GDP report for the first quarter of the year showed a very engaged business sector as it rushed to try to minimize, as much as possible, the future impact of higher tariffs.
Uncertainty reigned through April and likely will continue to do so, at least in the near term. Markets have reacted, both negatively and positively, to every headline coming out of Washington.
Doug Drabik discusses fixed income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.
Think of the drafting process like investing—scouts meticulously rank players based on their strength, speed, flexibility, and mental acuity, much like we analyze the economy and financial markets to shape our outlook. The true value of these players might take years to unfold...
A tax-advantaged account offers certain tax benefits to encourage individuals to save or invest for specific purposes, such as retirement, education or healthcare. These accounts can help you lower your taxable income, defer taxes or avoid taxes altogether if used for qualified expenses.
Chief Investment Officer Larry Adam notes with volatility on the rise, maintaining a long-term view is key.
Many investors are wondering what to think of the volatility and uncertainty that has been pulsing through financial markets over the past few weeks.
Nick Goetze discusses fixed income market conditions and offers insight for bond investors.
Some of the reasons, but not the only ones, why our trade deficits are so large is because government expenditures are too high and/or we are not collecting enough taxes.
After sparking the steepest plunge in financial markets since the global pandemic five years ago, President Donald Trump’s administration made another dramatic pivot in its trade war strategy on April 9: It paused for 90 days the “reciprocal” tariffs that had been in effect for less than 24 hours.
President Donald Trump announced on April 9 that he was pausing the majority of the “reciprocal” tariffs scheduled to go into effect the same day.
The April 2 “reciprocal” tariff announcement has introduced a considerable amount of uncertainty and confusion about the path ahead and the end game for President Trump.
Tariff Turbulence. The President’s long-anticipated tariff announcement on April 2 has come and gone. Our hopes for some clarity, so the uncertainty weighing on confidence and the equity market could subside, were dashed after we heard the breadth and magnitude of the administration’s tariff plan.
The international trading system is not perfect, but as we have said so many times, freer trade is better than no trade and tariffs are, typically, the worst solution to trade issues between countries.
The incremental tariffs were bolder than market expectations and ushered in new uncertainty.
Turbulence is expected to continue until markets gain more clarity.
Economic activity hit a soft patch in the first quarter—whether it was fueled by the big pullback in confidence or one-off factors such as cold weather, a harsh flu season and an acceleration of imports ahead of pre- announced tariffs, our economist expects the slowdown will prove short-lived.
We were in the camp that the new administration was using the threat of tariffs as an instrument to negotiate deals with other countries, especially with our largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.
Since May 2020, inflation (CPI) has gone from a low of 0.1% to a high of 9.1% and back to 2.8%. It is no wonder why any investor might at least pause in this period of uncertainty.
This week, and according to many, Federal Reserve (Fed) officials jumped onto the uncertainty bandwagon, along with consumers and businesses, waiting for more policy clarity from the Trump administration.
Happy National Countdown Day! Yes, you read that right—today is a day to celebrate the excitement and sometimes anxious anticipation that comes with planning for an upcoming event.
This week, and according to many, Federal Reserve (Fed) officials jumped onto the uncertainty bandwagon, along with consumers and businesses, waiting for more policy clarity from the Trump administration – and who could blame them with policies in daily flux?
Despite the increase in policy uncertainty, the Federal Reserve held its forecast steady at the March FOMC meeting with two rate cuts projected in 2025.
Several indicators used by fixed income investors to measure value have recently taken a positive turn, potentially flashing an entry-point opportunity for investors with money to put to work.
Keep calm and carry on. Recent weeks have seen financial markets rattled by swirling news headlines, tariff whiplash, and rising economic uncertainty.
Markets have been overwhelmed lately by the administration’s fast-paced and, many times, highly uncertain tariff measures.
Most of us associate 529 accounts with college savings. They’re flexible, allowing you to transfer assets to anyone, including yourself, for the express purpose of furthering the education of your beneficiary. But did you know that a 529 can be a powerful estate planning tool?
Volatility across financial markets has become a persistent theme in 2025. The recent volatility has stemmed from a range of factors, including:
At the start of the year, our Investment Strategy Committee outlook was positive for both the economy and the equity market, supported by strong consumer, labor market, and corporate fundamentals.
On March 4, 2025, the Trump administration imposed tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico and increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 20% from the previous 10% imposed earlier in the year.
We highlight some underreported positive developments that could keep economic growth on track and support higher equity prices in the months ahead.
As daily headlines drive volatility, the market has avoided overreacting thus far.
We detail some key factors driving the recent market volatility and provide our perspective on how we believe these events may unfold and impact the economy and financial markets.
We understand that in the business world the word ‘monetization’ of a service a company provides has become one of the most important words as, if successful, this monetization increases the valuation of that company’s stock price.
The overall size of the municipal bond market is over $4 trillion. While this a very large market, an investor’s personal situation combined with the nuances of the municipal bond market can sometimes make it feel much smaller.
Are European equities poised for a sustained recovery relative to U.S. equities? We outline five reasons why, as long-term investors, we continue to favor U.S. equities over European equities.
Back in May of 2024, we wrote a weekly commentary called: “We Can’t Import Cheap Homes; But We Could Import Cheap EV Cars.” In that weekly we argued that since the U.S. auto industry, does not want to build small cars because it is not competitive, then we should open the lower-end EV automobile industry to imports from China.
