Keeping You Informed 

There's an old saying that criminals rob banks because that's where the money is. However, in today's financial system, money isn't just in banks anymore, but across different types of financial institutions. While the hope among policymakers was to reduce the risk to banks after the global financial crisis, this has created new challenges. With recent bankruptcies leading to investor concerns of cracks in the credit market, it’s important for long-term investors to maintain perspective on what this truly means. Why is the credit crisis coming up in the news today?

The Week In Perspective combines market activity, financial events, commentary and analysis for individual investors.

What are the Key Market and Economic Drivers for November? The stock market continued its strong performance in October despite uncertainty from a government shutdown and renewed trade tensions with China early in the month. Many major indices reached new all-time highs after recovering from a brief period of volatility. Bonds also contributed positively to portfolios as interest rates declined, fueled partly by the Federal Reserve's second consecutive rate cut.

For long-term investors, understanding how inflation affects retirement income, and how to position portfolios to maintain purchasing power, remains as important as ever. What should retirees and those planning for retirement know about navigating today's environment?

The Week In Perspective combines market activity, financial events, commentary and analysis for individual investors.

Are Investors Holding Too Much Cash? For long-term investors, a growing challenge today is how to manage cash as short-term interest rates fall. What appears safe actually comes with real costs beneath the surface, since holding too much cash can quietly undermine long-term financial goals. This comes at an important time, when some investors find themselves with “cash on the sidelines,” including a record $7.3 trillion held in money market funds.

The Week In Perspective combines market activity, financial events, commentary and analysis for individual investors.

The market recently experienced its largest one-day decline since April, driven by escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over rare earth metals and tariff threats. While the brief selloff rattled some investors, markets quickly improved following softer language from the White House around trade. For long-term investors, these swings may feel like déjà vu after a period of relative market calm.

Explore how the One Big Beautiful Bill may affect taxes, deductions, and credits now and in the years ahead.

The Week In Perspective combines market activity, financial events, commentary and analysis for individual investors—Check-in weekly for the most current happenings.

What Is the Impact of a Government Shutdown on the Markets and Economy?

The famous investing principle "don't fight the Fed" was coined in the 1970s but has only grown in significance. The idea is simple: the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decisions can have important effects on markets and the economy, so investors should consider them carefully. At the same time, perspective is needed to focus on the overall path of interest rates, and not individual Fed decisions. This is relevant today as the Fed continues its rate-cutting cycle amid a complex economic environment.

Learn how to coordinate your retirement accounts like an orchestra to help maximize your retirement strategy.

A look at what you need to think about when buying a home.

The Week In Perspective combines market activity, financial events, commentary and analysis for individual investors.

The Federal Reserve emphasized that while there is uncertainty around tariffs and inflation, these concerns need to be balanced against supporting the job market. Markets have hovered near all-time highs recently, suggesting that investors agree with the trajectory of Fed policy and have confidence in the economy. What does a potential rate cut mean for long-term investors given the overall outlook?

The challenge facing investors today isn't whether artificial intelligence will transform the economy, but how to maintain portfolio balance as the market climbs to new all-time highs. While it’s tempting to focus exclusively on companies that have performed well recently, investing for long-term goals requires a thoughtful approach to both growth and risk management.

How reliable is Government Data? Conflicting data points create uncertainty for investors and policymakers, making it challenging to make financial decisions when the numbers themselves are questioned.

What do corporate earnings reveal about tariffs? While investors always look to corporate earnings for clues about how businesses are performing, the current earnings season arguably carries greater importance due to tariffs. Although major stock market indices have reached new all-time highs as trade tensions have stabilized, there is still uncertainty as to how tariffs might affect consumers and businesses. Fortunately, new trade agreements are being announced, and corporations are reporting earnings that are beating expectations.

Recent tensions between the White House and Federal Reserve have brought the topic of Fed independence into focus. This is because there can be a natural friction between elected officials and the Fed, since they each have unique goals and incentives.