What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (Four Candidates for Market Mayhem)
By John Lau, CPA, CFP® August 1, 2025 – Since the market bottomed on April 8, stocks have been on a near uninterrupted climb, with the S&P 500 hitting new all-time highs. What’s driving this rally? A potent cocktail of improved trade clarity, stable economic data, a drama-free Washington (relatively speaking), a solid start to […]
FOMC Commentary – July 30, 2025
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Interest Rate Meeting concluded with a decision to leave the Fed Funds Target Range at 4.25%-4.5%. This decision was widely expected, as were the dissenting votes of Fed Governors Chris Waller and Michelle Bowman, both of whom voted for a quarter-point interest rate cut.
Q2 2025 Recap
July 29, 2025 – We provide you with a recap of the second quarter.
Wealth Planning Commentary – July 28, 2025
What Families Should Know about the New Trump Account Earlier this month, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law, which included a variety of new child-friendly tax provisions. Among them is a new child savings account called a “Trump Account”. While Trump Accounts may help some families on the margins, […]
Investment Commentary – July 28, 2025
Executive Summary We believe the tariff situation represents more of a consumption tax that will be more similar to a one-time price adjustment than stoking runaway inflation expectations. We also believe that housing is an important component of inflation metrics, where home prices have been recently deflating across the country, and mortgage rates remain elevated. […]
Economic Commentary – July 28, 2025
Occasionally, the amount of economic data made available in a short time can seem overwhelming. Such is the case this week, where the “main event” is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday, but inflation, employment, consumption, and housing data for Q2 and July all appropriately deserve equal attention. Thankfully, much of the important data will […]
One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Its Impact Webinar
Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty and Head of Wealth Planning Mallon FitzPatrick break down the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on your financial plan.
Robertson Stephens Continues Its Growth in New York
Wealth Manager Leah Hokenson Joins Robertson Stephens New York Office July 28, 2025 – Robertson Stephens Wealth Management, LLC (“Robertson Stephens”) continues to grow its presence in New York. Leah Hokenson joins as Managing Director and Principal, specializing in comprehensive wealth management for artists, art collectors, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Robertson Stephens manages $7.5 billion in […]
Deluge Ahead – July 28, 2025
Good morning, Futures are modestly higher this morning (+0.2%), building on Friday’s record close following news weekend news of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU. One more log of uncertainty has been removed from the fire ahead of what promises to be a deluge of data and earnings for the markets this week. […]
Five Charts for the Week That Was: July 25, 2025
Chief Economist Jeanette Garretty provides 5 economic charts covering topics including the Fed Rate, GDP estimates, home sales, oil prices, and Chinese exports and imports.
No Altering Forces on Momentum When News Flow is Skewed Positively- July 25, 2025
Good morning, Newton’s First Law of Motion—a body in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by an external force—is closely tied to the concept of momentum (mass × velocity). Both help explain why objects, or in this case markets, keep moving along the same vector (direction and velocity), or don’t. What looked like it […]
New Tax Law: 7 Big Changes You Should Know About
By John Lau, CPA, CFP® July 23, 2025 – You’ve likely heard about this from every possible media channel. A sweeping new tax law just hit the books: the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and it could represent a big overhaul to household finances. Think of it like a home renovation. The 2017 tax cuts […]