In this week’s episode, the team breaks down a market that flipped from fear to optimism in just weeks—reminding investors how quickly narratives can change. From a ceasefire headline to a surge in tech and software stocks, the rebound has been sharp… but what’s actually driving it?
Here’s what you’ll hear:
• Why markets bounced back so quickly—and what changed
• The surprising shift in the Fear & Greed Index (and what it signals)
• How AI, innovation, and software stocks are staging a comeback
• What interest rates, inflation, and Fed expectations mean right now
• Tax season surprises—from unexpected refunds to costly mistakes
• Smart planning moves: Roth conversions, deductions, and timing strategies Plus: real client stories that highlight how small tax details can lead to big outcomes.
The takeaway: Markets may change overnight—but your strategy shouldn’t.
Because the real edge right now isn’t reacting faster… it’s planning smarter.
WWM Financial is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor
The opinions expressed in this program are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry and how we may be able to assist. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Tax considerations presented may not be appropriate every individual circumstance. A tax professional should be consulted before making any decisions about your tax liability. wwmfinancial.com | 760.692.5190
Markets may have felt calm on the surface this week, but underneath, there’s plenty moving that smart investors should be paying attention to. In this episode, the team breaks down why small-cap stocks (hello, Russell 2000 👀) are suddenly stealing the spotlight, while mega-cap tech takes a breather. We also unpack what today’s interest-rate environment means for CDs, Treasuries, and the housing market—and why that “magic mortgage rate” could unlock real estate activity.
Beyond the headlines, the conversation dives into real-world planning issues clients are facing right now:
Why naming a trust as an IRA beneficiary can create unexpected tax headaches
How Secure Act 2.0 changed the estate planning landscape
Backdoor and Mega Backdoor Roth strategies—and who they actually work for
A timely reminder to review tax withholding before surprises show up in April
A lesser-known planning tool: ABLE accounts for families supporting loved ones with disabilities
Add in a look at the Fear & Greed Index, market rotation trends, and a little friendly golf rivalry, and this episode delivers insight with personality.
WWM Financial is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor
The opinions expressed in this program are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry and how we may be able to assist. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Tax considerations presented may not be appropriate every individual circumstance. A tax professional should be consulted before making any decisions about your tax liability. wwmfinancial.com | 760.692.5190
The markets have returned to volatility lately. Every time the market looks like it’s headed down, we see people on TV start predicting that this is the start of a down market.
So here is how we see things right now.
First, the stock market has not had a big correction for a long time, so we all know that at some point it will correct. There are a lot of global events going on that are causing angst in the markets. Russia and Ukraine is probably the greatest of these issues, but certainly not the only issue. Israel and Hamas, Isis, Iran, Italy sinking into a recession and more are all adding to investors’ fears.
On the other hand, earnings reports have been generally pretty good. On Monday morning, August 5th, Bob Pisani of CNBC reported that of the 76% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far for the quarter, on average, earnings are up by about 9.7% and revenues up about 5%. Those are actually fairly decent numbers.
The bears (those who believe the market is going to go down) believe the companies’ earnings are going to slow down. The bulls (those who believe the market is going to go up) say the companies’ earnings are strong, the interest rates are still low, so stocks are the place to be.
The bears say that rising interest rates will be a competitor to dividend paying stocks so stocks will get sold off. The bulls say that if interest rates go up, then bonds will go down in price, so you want to remain in stocks.
So the pessimists and the optimists are both trying to figure out where the market should be, hence the volatility. For the year, the stock market has been hovering around the flat line, with some months good and some months bad. So there has not been a real direction one way or the other.
We have heard several prognosticators say it looks like we are heading for a growth rate of about 3% to 4% in the U.S. for the year. If that growth rate is accurate, that is normally not the underpinning of a major bear market. But that does not mean there can’t be corrections along the way.
As we have said many times, no one knows with certainty where the market is going to go. We certainly don’t know if the bulls or the bears are going to be right in the short term. So we say that now is a good time to look at your portfolio, make sure you are in the proper asset allocation, and then be sure it is something that will not cause you to panic if the market goes down by 15 or 20% (which is a normal market correction). As most of our clients have heard us say, it is panicking out of the market at the bottom that causes the most damage to investors’ returns.
If you are not sure of where you are or just want to review your account, please call us. We are always here for you.
This quarter we are focusing on behavioral investing. Each quarter as we focus on a different topic, we will provide you information and opportunities for further discussions.Please check out this ShaveMagazine.com article.
