A Market Rally on Fed Hints, Fading Geopolitical Risks & Equity Index Annuities
The Money Wise guys kick off this week’s show with a review of last week’s numbers from Wall Street before diving into a discussion on current political tensions.Markets rallied hard this past week, capping off a strong June with gains across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1,612 points, or 3.8%. The S&P 500 climbed 205 points, a 3.4% jump, and the NASDAQ led the charge, adding 826 points for a 4.2% gain. Year-to-date, the Dow is now up 3%, the S&P 500 is up 5%, and the NASDAQ is also up 5%. This strong week was […]
Adjusting Your Financial Plan to Stay on Track in 2025
As the financial landscape continues to shift in 2025, staying on course means more than setting a plan, it means adjusting your financial plan when circumstances change. From changes in interest rates, evolving tax policies, life events, and market performance, there are plenty of reasons to pause and recalibrate. Here’s the good news: revisiting your plan mid-year or in response to new developments doesn’t mean starting over. It’s about making informed updates, so your plan reflects where you are now and where you want to go.
Sideways Markets, Product Pitches, & What Wall Street Won’t Tell You
This week on Money Wise, the guys recap a flat week on Wall Street, with the Dow and NASDAQ barely budging and the S&P 500 hovering exactly where it was a month ago. Amid geopolitical tension in the Middle East and the looming July 9 tariff deadline, markets appear to be in a holding pattern. The Money Wise guys also preview a deeper discussion in the second half of the hour on how Wall Street continues to churn out new investment products, often more beneficial to sellers than buyers. They urge investors to tread carefully and stay focused on […]
Geopolitical Risk Sparks a Pullback, Insurance-Based Investments, & RIA vs Broker
The Money Wise guys kick this week’s episode off with another market review. Last week the markets pulled back, with the Dow down 1.3%, the S&P 500 off by 0.4%, and the NASDAQ falling 0.6%. Despite encouraging inflation data, specifically favorable CPI and PPI readings, geopolitical tension in the Middle East quickly overshadowed the good news. Thursday night’s developments between Israel and Iran led to Friday’s market drop, with investors hesitant to hold positions over the weekend. The guys discuss how these types of events often spark short-term volatility, not long-term shifts, and share insight into recent rebalancing decisions […]
Conducting a Mid-Year Financial Review: What to Look For
The halfway point of the year tends to sneak up fast, but with it comes a great opportunity to hit pause and check in on your financial life. Are you still on track with your goals? Have things shifted since January? Conducting a mid-year financial review doesn’t mean starting from scratch; it’s simply about taking stock of what’s working, what’s changed, and where you might want to adjust. Think of it as a financial tune-up to help you head into the second half of the year with more clarity and purpose. Here are the key areas to focus on […]
A Surprisingly Steady U.S. Market, Global Economic Warnings & The Best Investment Advice Ever
In the week that just passed, the markets posted another strong week, capping off a resilient stretch that’s pushing all three major indexes back into positive territory for the year. The hosts discussed how the market recovery—initially doubted to be V-shaped—is indeed shaping up like one, with the S&P 500 now within 2% of all-time highs. A better-than-expected jobs report helped fuel Friday’s gains, reinforcing economic strength despite political calls for rate cuts. The conversation also touched on the media drama between President Trump and Elon Musk, whose public fallout briefly rattled Tesla shares before markets recovered. Trump’s pressure […]
