The U.S. and Iran have signed an early-stage agreement aimed at ending the four-month conflict that has weighed on the global economy. Markets responded well: stocks moved higher and oil prices dropped on the news. What does this mean for everyday investors? The agreement, a memorandum of understanding, reopens the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil and gas shipping. Both sides now have 60 days to negotiate a final deal. The news is encouraging, but key questions

After a stretch of historically strong returns, the latest bout of volatility was bound to turn some heads. The Nasdaq had its worst single-day drop in a year, down 4.2% on Friday, June 5, and the cause was a little counterintuitive: a strong jobs report. Good news for the economy, but it raised the odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike before year-end. Layer in a brief flare-up of Middle East tensions, and you had enough uncertainty to rattle markets. None of this came out of

The Federal Reserve has become one of the most closely watched institutions in American financial life. From steering through the 2008 financial crisis to wrestling down the inflation surge of recent years, its decisions touch nearly everything — mortgage rates, savings yields, and your investment portfolio. So when leadership at the top changes, it's worth paying attention. It's also worth keeping things in perspective. Kevin Warsh has been confirmed by the Senate as the nex

It has now been more than three and a half years since this bull market began in October 2022. Think about where we were: inflation was running at its fastest pace in fifty years, the Fed was hiking rates aggressively, and ChatGPT was still a month away from being unleashed on the world. Since then, the S&P 500 has more than doubled, and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond index has fully recovered A lot has changed. What hasn't changed is the parade of market concerns making h

For most people, a home is their biggest asset, biggest expense, and biggest source of debt — all at the same time. That makes housing hard to ignore, even in a year dominated by geopolitical headlines and market volatility. And right now, with home prices still near all-time highs, it's worth stepping back and thinking about what that means for your financial plan. Housing activity is mixed but prices remain near record levels The housing picture over the past few years

As you may have seen in the news, peace talks between the U.S. and Iran broke down last weekend after 21 hours of negotiations in Pakistan. The two sides agreed to a two-week ceasefire earlier this month, which briefly sent stocks higher and oil prices lower, but without a deal in place, that uncertainty is back. The core issue for markets is the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, which Iran has effectively kept closed sin

Over the past several weeks, markets have reminded us, quickly and uncomfortably, that investing does not move in straight lines. The S&P 500 has entered a technical correction, declining more than 10 percent from recent highs. While never pleasant, this type of move is both normal and necessary when investing in risk assets. Viewed in context, the recent pullback looks far less extraordinary: 2023: +24.23% 2024: +23.31% 2025: +16.39% 2026 year to date: -5.38% After a three-y

Markets have been choppy lately — and if you've been paying attention, you know why. Oil prices have climbed back above $100 a barrel, which tends to slow economic growth and nudge inflation higher. Add in ongoing questions about Federal Reserve interest rate policy and whether stock valuations have gotten ahead of themselves, and it's easy to see why investors are checking their portfolios a little more often than usual. But here's the thing: a well-built portfolio isn't sup

Why oil has climbed to $100 In a matter of days, oil went from a quiet $70 a barrel to knocking on the door of $100. The escalating conflict in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz lit the fuse, and now Brent crude and WTI are at levels we haven't seen since Russia marched into Ukraine in 2022. Predictably, the word "stagflation" is making the rounds again, and the phrase "global economic downturn" is showing up in a lot of headlines. Before we go any furthe