MARKET COMMENTARY

Read monthly updates on economic events and market trends

Ryan Redfern

Chartered Market Technician® (CMT®)

Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)

INVESTMENT RESEARCH

Learn more about active management form the author of “Why Bad Things Happen to Good investments”

Will Hepburn

Vice President of Investment Research

BEHAVIORAL FINANCE

Discover how your values influence your financial behavior

Phil Lebkuecher

Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA)

PERSONAL FINANCE

Take the fear out of finance by understanding how personal decisions affect long-term goals

Laura Redfern

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Professional

Certified Financial Transitionist®

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Blog

February 2025 Market Commentary

February 2025 Market Commentary

The market volatility continues! After a positive January that recovered December losses, we’re now seeing another market pull-back that has the S&P 500 Index back below even for the month of February. But so far, this is all just in-line with what typical...

Should You Hire a Financial Planner or Ask AI?

Should You Hire a Financial Planner or Ask AI?

With the rapid popularity of AI tools, I’ve seen the whole spectrum of reactions from friends and clients: fascinated, excited, hopeful, fearful, terrified, elated - you name it. Personally, I think the most helpful approach while we are still in the mid-to-early...

The Age of Autonomous Cars is Upon Us

The Age of Autonomous Cars is Upon Us

A year or so ago when I was down in “The Valley,” as we highlanders call the Phoenix metro area, I saw several Waymo driverless taxis and said to myself, “I want to try that.” I was in Scottsdale recently and was surprised at the number of Waymo cars I saw. They were...

Financial Planning for Aging Parents: A Labor of Love

Financial Planning for Aging Parents: A Labor of Love

Today, we’re diving into a topic that touches so many lives: Financial Planning for Aging Parents.   I call it a Labor of Love because supporting our parents as they age is not just a financial responsibility—it’s a heartfelt commitment to their well-being.  Let’s...

January 2025 Market Commentary

January 2025 Market Commentary

The new year is off to a volatile start. It's not exactly bad, but it's not that great either. If you look at January by itself, the market looks strong. But if you look at it next to December or even back to November, the S&P 500 hasn’t made much progress...

How to Love Your Finances: The Art of the Money Date

How to Love Your Finances: The Art of the Money Date

February is right around the corner, so what better time to talk about the concept of a “money date”?   A money date is just like it sounds: time to shut out the rest of the world and focus on just you and your money for a little while. Think of it as you and your...

TikTok: What’s All the Fuss?

TikTok: What’s All the Fuss?

Tech guru Kim Kommando runs one of my favorite newsletters, chock full of the kind of tech tips we all can use. She recently wrote about how far TikTok reaches into the lives of those who use it, which is most young folks today. (Not me!)   At the core of the issue is...

December 2024 Market Commentary

December 2024 Market Commentary

2024 has been a surprisingly mixed year. While the main US indexes (the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100) showed solid performance, most diversification beyond these two indexes did little to help portfolios. The US Small Cap, International, and Emerging Markets Indexes all...

Fun Facts from 2024

Fun Facts from 2024

Mutual Funds & ETFs  The Refinitiv Lipper database gives the median turnover of a US mutual fund as 39%, implying a holding period of just 2.5 years. (source link)  This suggests an average holding period of around 2.5 years.  Clearly investors are waking up and...

Embracing the Spirit of the Season

Embracing the Spirit of the Season

There are certain activities, songs, food/drink, and traditions that help me get into the Christmas spirit.  A lot of it is kind of frivolous, like watching the movie Scrooged with Bill Murray or the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss. My wife loves...