Tariff Headwinds Insignificant Compared to Tailwinds from $2T in American Investment
With new tariffs either imposed or threatened, there certainly has been a rising wall of worry regarding international trade. I have been (and still am) in the camp that sees the talk of tariffs as [...]
Rising Gas Prices Could Signal an Economy About to Tap on the Brakes
In all the world’s economic uncertainty—one thing is for sure. We haven’t seen manufacturing activity like this in America for a very long time. We continue to see manufacturing increase, and it would appear that [...]
Attention: An Important Notice Leading Up to the November Elections
What will be the next big uncertainty or concern that will push the markets into a major downturn? If we assume there could be one between now and the end of the summer, I suspect [...]
Where Will Trump’s Focus Shift: Trade, Tariffs and Tweets or Facts, Fundamentals and the Fed?
Trade, tariffs, tweets or facts, fundamentals and the Fed. I think I would choose the latter, and hopefully that’s the direction we will begin to take as we look at the markets—and, more importantly…
Struggling to Grasp Economic Fundamentals
Despite a wealth of information at our fingertips, I’m wondering how we will ever get a true assessment of current economic conditions. There was a time when you could look at economic data and related indicators, along with technical information, and understand where the economy and the markets were heading. The correlation between these factors lined up to give us some sense of our economic [...]
What Has Happened to Wall Street?
It’s amazing to see that politics seems to be the main concern of the markets. What happened to the fear of inflation and interest rates? Think about how much things have changed. For weeks, we have seen nothing but good news continuing to come out in the markets. Last week was another great week of 50-year lows in unemployment, job openings for the month of [...]
What You Need to Know About Trump’s Tariffs
President Donald Trump is moving ahead with tariffs on steel and aluminum, hoping to revitalize U.S. industry and to protect our national security. Here are some facts to know...
Focus on Markets Overlooks Strong Fundamentals
Trump’s announcement Thursday of steel and aluminum tariffs served as the ammunition to blow up the markets, re-load it with uncertainty and double-down on worries of inflation. This move must have a concise, detailed, well-thought-out walk-back very soon. But all that aside, here is where we really are. I’ve been trying to put everyone’s mind at ease with reminders that economic growth and corporate profits...
The Time for Trump to Make Cuts Is Now
When President Donald Trump signed a major budget deal into law last week, it may have been a temporary fix for a government shutdown, but the spending continues. In fact, Trump claimed Republicans were “forced to increase spending” in order to attract Democratic votes, CNNreported. But President Trump should start talking about . . .
The Freight Train of the Economy Could Be Derailed
Many market observers are talking about how higher interest rates and the prospect of increased inflation could threaten a sustainable and growing economy. People are also talking about the Federal Reserve and whether they will raise or lower rates, and how that could affect the economy. Yes, it sounds a little bit like 2010—with too much attention on the Federal Reserve. All of this negativity [...]
Can’t Bear the Stress of the Stock Market?
With this week’s wild market fluctuations, including a pair of 1,000-plus-point drops in the Dow Jones average and officially in correction territory at Thursday’s close, I spent a lot of time trying to keep investors focused on their plan and reminding them why they’re investing. Consider that the vast majority of stocks, bonds and other instruments in the United States are held in 401(k)s, IRAs [...]
A New Track of Leadership and Functioning Government
As I have said many times before, and particularly over the past four weeks, we can't allow the markets to be our barometer of the success of this president or the growing success of the U.S. economy. Certainly, we will likely look at the markets to give us a sense of how we might perceive the direction of the economy. But we are seeing a [...]
Living in an Economic ‘Twilight Zone’
In a White House press briefing last week, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin made numerous comments about the economy and where things are going. One reporter asked about the national debt. Mnuchin answered by referring to the incredible growth the country is experiencing, which he said is likely to continue. Mnuchin also mentioned the positive impact of less regulation and tax reform. There’s no denying that [...]