The end of the year is coming quickly, offering a valuable window to make strategic tax moves before December 31. With economic shifts, ongoing market volatility, and evolving tax laws, waiting until the last minute can leave you scrambling and potentially missing out on meaningful tax savings. Rather than reacting to surprises in the new year, proactive planning now can help position your wealth more efficiently. These final months are critical, whether you’re preparing for retirement, selling a business, or […]
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Lots to cover today and not enough time. First, I am traveling the next four business days so my publishing schedule may be off. Today the FOMC concludes its meeting where they will cut interest rates by 1/4%. The stock market model is plus or minus 0.50% until 2pm and then a rally. With stocks at all-time highs and having rallied so smartly into the meeting, the success rate for a final two hour rally declines and the odds increase […]
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When markets are unpredictable, inflation is persistent, and interest rate policy keeps shifting, it’s natural to feel uneasy about the future of your retirement plan. This uncertainty raises real questions for high-net-worth individuals in Connecticut relying on consistent investment performance. Is your current portfolio strategy built to adapt? Or has it been slow to respond when conditions change? Passive investing, often known as “set it and forget it,” has become a popular approach. However, in today’s environment, many investors wonder […]
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FYI, the annual Medicare enrollment period is now open through December 7th. Friday was the fourth Friday of October if I read my calendar properly. Very strong seasonal tailwinds begin today with the stock market already at all-time highs. Additionally, this is the last week of October where more strong seasonal tailwinds begin. I had thought the big down day with the long red candle a few weeks ago would not be the lowest low, meaning that I saw more […]
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So much non-market moving news that folks seem to fixate on. I guess we’re back to chirping about tariffs which you already know how much I oppose them. However, at the same time, I have also stated that contrary to many economists and academics I did not believe they would cause recession, befall the markets nor have a major impact on prices. There is ad that went viral with video or quoting Ronald Reagan that supposedly said tariffs hurt America […]
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The Federal Reserve’s decisions don’t just make headlines; they ripple across portfolios, especially for high-net-worth individuals. In particular, interest rate cuts can shift the entire dynamic of how investments behave and how long wealth lasts in retirement. Rate cuts can impact everything from bond income and real estate performance to equity market volatility and inflation pressure. And if your wealth strategy was built around the assumptions of a high-rate environment, now is the time to revisit it. At Heritage Capital, […]
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Last week I wrote about gold, silver, rare earths and quantum computing sectors showing classic signs of greed and euphoria. Recall the man on the train to NYC who told me to “buy gold” and “those AI stocks”. Then I had a friend advise me to load up on silver. This friend had never offered me investment advice. Of course, the gold commercials are back. And the pundits on TV have revised history about buying gold 50-75% lower than current […]
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During the 2.8% plunge two Friday’s ago, I stated that the data suggested bullish implications over the ensuing five and ten days. Although I heard the media discuss the volatility and difficulty of last week, the markets were up and they look higher in the pre-market. As I always say, check the narratives and spin at the door. Use non-emotional data for decisions and analysis. Seasonal headwinds start to lighten up at the end of the week and the indices […]
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I have been discussing a 2-5% pullback for a few weeks, certainly not knowing why the market would pull back, only that it was set up. We now know the culprit, private credit and regional banks. For months, the alternative asset managers have been falling and hit with the ugly stick. Ares, KKR, Blackstone and Blue Owl are among the major ones. I had no idea why other than thinking there was an interest rate dislocation somewhere. That assumption was […]
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Volatility has certainly increased. From less than 15 to over 22. That’s almost 50% in short order. Stocks are int he midst of the mild pullback I have written about. 2-5% is the range on the downside. Weakness remains buyable. You know where money is going on an index level? The same place I have written about for six months, small caps. Below is a chart showing the small caps relative to the large caps. When the link goes up, […]
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