A bi-weekly newsletter from our Founder & Portfolio Manager, Ryan A. Hughes. Straight talk on markets, taxes, and money. Read by 2,700+ people who value clear thinking.
Twice a year, in January and July, we record a portfolio update that walks through the markets, how we build portfolios, and where we think things are headed. This is the mid-year 2026 edition. The economy: good, not great The U.S. economy is still expanding. Growth ran about 2.1% in the first quarter, and the...
Stocks have been on a tear lately, which, of course, everyone seems to hate. Pick your poison: a slowing labor market, the Strait of Hormuz closure, a new Fed Chairman, midterm elections, $39T in national debt, etc. There’s plenty to be worried about. On paper, things should be worse off than they actually are. So,...
Where should you save your next dollar? Should you prioritize an emergency fund or pay off high-interest debt? Max out your 401(k) or fund a Health Savings Account first? These are not trivial questions. The order in which you save and invest your money has a direct impact on your long-term wealth and tax efficiency....
The S&P 500 was up 16% last year, despite the many concerns we had this time last year. If you recall, we entered the year concerned about how the market would respond to Trump’s proposed policies (import tariffs, immigration crackdown, a Bitcoin Reserve, etc.). Some of the concerns we had at the time were warranted,...
There’s a new-ish investment strategy out there (new-ish to retail investors, at least), direct indexing, that’s gaining popularity among high-income earners. It seems to be on the radar of many people, as we’ve had numerous conversations with prospects and clients on this topic lately. Direct indexing, in a nutshell, is a pretty straightforward process: create...
I recently sat down with ABC 10News to share some thoughts on how investors can approach today’s stock and crypto markets. The key takeaway? Know what you are investing in and have patience. The point of investing is to prepare for the future. Not just your goals, but also to stay ahead of inflation. If...
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make with their money isn’t investing haphazardly. It’s the opposite. They’re too conservative. Convinced the market is overvalued and due for a correction, these people stay on the sidelines, waiting to buy back in. They may have hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars sitting in cash...
Economic downturns can feel scary, especially when considering one’s own financial well-being. ‘If the market falls, can I retire on time?’ Or, ‘I’ve worked too hard to see my wealth disappear like this.’ Or, ‘If I lose my job, how far will that set me back?’Uneasiness is completely justified under dire economic conditions. However, if/when...
Trump announced a sweeping tariff plan today, a date which he has dubbed “Liberation Day.” A full breakdown of the list of tariffs from the White House is below. These are some massive moves, ones that definitely change the status quo. China is hit with a reciprocal 34% tariff and the European Union a 20% tariff. The...
One of my favorite stats to share with market-weary clients is that the average intra-year decline for the S&P 500 since 1980 is –14.1%. Think about that. During any given year, you should expect the market to fall on average by 14%. Of course, this average has quite the range: –3% to –49% (!!). The...
A lot has been happening since election day. Tech stocks are up, value stocks are down, and crypto has been on a tear (we’ve had an allocation to Bitcoin for years—yes, we’re bragging a bit). So, basically, your cousin, who considers himself a professional day trader on Robinhood, has been doing well the past month....
ETFs are increasingly central to many traders’ and investors’ portfolios. Today, more than 15 million Americans (12% of the total population) hold one or more of the 3,100+ individual ETFs in US markets that offer wide-ranging exposure to asset classes, sectors, and more – for much cheaper and with greater flexibility than past options. To...
Are you retirement R.E.A.D.Y.? Download our free 5-step guide on building wealth, lowering taxes, and retiring on your own terms.
