1. Why Wall Street’s Rally Is Ignoring Inflation, Tariffs, and the Fed
Markets continued to climb the wall of worry, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting fresh all-time highs. Year-to-date, both are up around ~8%, boosted by falling inflation expectations, resilient consumer spending, falling initial jobless claims, and still upbeat corporate earnings. CPI for June rose 2.7% year-over-year (core CPI 2.9% YoY), just above forecasts, while PPI came in cooler than expected at 2.3%, helping ease fears that tariffs are turbocharging prices. Despite the increased distance from the Fed’s 2% target, these reports represent a cooler-than-worst-expectations result, and that’s all that matters to markets. — Stephen Kates
2. Trump Eyes Powell’s Job: What It Means for the Fed—and the Economy
It appears President Trump set a test for the market to see what investors would think of him firing Jerome Powell. The bond and stock markets provided a swift answer to Trump’s test. The test originated inconspicuously from a post on X by Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna, who had been on the phone with Trump earlier that day. She tweeted the following in regards to Powell: “I’m 99% sure firing is imminent.” Minutes later, Bloomberg ran an article entitled: Trump Likely to Fire Powell Soon, White House Official Says. 30-year bond futures, as shown below, fell by nearly 1.5 points as the rumors quickly spread through the market. — Michael Lebowitz
3. When Divorce Happens: A Guide To Helping Clients Navigate Transitions
Divorce can be complicated and messy, even under the best circumstances. For financial advisors, helping clients make the transition with their financial health intact can be equally fraught. In this case, it helps to understand not only how you’re uniquely positioned to help but also your limitations. — Ashley Treangen
4. Defer, Delay, Postpone: The Current State of Retirement Affairs
The S&P 500 is up about 73% for the three years ending July 18 and as of that date, the benchmark domestic equity gauge was hovering near all-time highs. Obviously, that’s good news for equity investors, many of whom are market participants by way of employer-sponsored plans. — Todd Shriber
5. Integrating Bitcoin Into Modern Investment Portfolios
Investors worldwide can no longer ignore Bitcoin’s evolution from an experiment to an institutional mainstay. Individual investors, financial advisors, institutions, corporations, and sovereign entities are all seriously considering or already have exposure to Bitcoin. — Calamos
6. Trump’s First 6 Months: What’s Changed—and What’s Ahead for the 2025 Stock Market
It’s been six months since president Trump re-entered the Oval Office and the early days of his second term has been anything but dull. It’s served up the kind of volatility, and resilience, that investors have come to associate with his leadership. We’ve seen tariffs with bite but not yet inflation, tax cuts without funding, and stock market rallies built more on hope than clarity. Following a steep crash earlier in the year, US stocks are back at all-time highs, but in dollar terms. For UK investors, returns have been dulled by a weaker dollar as the buck seems to have lost its bite. — Ziad Gerji and Roger Clark
7. AI Is Powering Markets
On May 6, 2010, the US stock markets dropped nearly 10% within minutes. What would be called a “flash crash” wasn’t caused by news, economic data, or a Fed policy decision. According to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a large sell order on E-Mini S&P 500 futures, executed by a mutual fund and triggered by an algorithm, was the culprit. Furthermore, the sell order triggered other high-frequency trading (HFT) algorithms to follow suit and sell. Before the 2010 Flash Crash, algorithmic trading was limited. Since then, it has become the dominant form of trading. More recently, the rise of AI has become a key element in powering trading market algorithms. As a result, AI is powering markets. — Lance Roberts
8. How Americans Really Feel About Their Finances
According to our latest Logica® Future of Money Study, more than half of Americans (54%) consider their financial well-being to be very or somewhat good. But even among this group, half (51%) report feeling stressed about their finances at least some of the time. It’s a clear sign that confidence and concern coexist and that even those who feel financially stable are still navigating uncertainty. — Lilah Raynor
9. Magnificent 7 Earnings Preview: What To Watch From Apple, Nvidia, Tesla & More
US earnings season is upon us. From Google and Tesla to Apple and NVIDIA, here’s what we’re looking for from some of the largest tech companies on the planet. This article isn’t personal advice. If you’re not sure an investment is right for you, seek advice. Investments and any income from them will rise and fall in value, so you could get back less than you invest. Ratios also shouldn’t be looked at on their own. Investing in an individual company isn’t right for everyone because if that company fails, you could lose your whole investment. If you cannot afford this, investing in a single company might not be right for you. You should make sure you understand the companies you’re investing in and their specific risks. You should also make sure any shares you own are part of a diversified portfolio. — Matt Britzman
10. Behind the Buzz: Are “Trump Accounts” Failing American Families?
The new “Trump Account” provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is being promoted as a game-changing way to help American families. Every new US citizen born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, gets a $1,000 deposit from the government. Parents and family members can add up to $5,000 a year. If parents don’t sign up, the account is created automatically. — Rick Kahler
11. Get More Clients This Summer With These Easy, High-Impact Tactics
Micah and Jarvis discuss strategies for acquiring more clients, maintaining momentum in business, and the importance of tracking and systems in financial advising. They emphasize understanding the client journey, setting realistic expectations for growth, and the role of curiosity in learning from successful peers. The conversation culminates in actionable steps for listeners to implement in their practices. — Matt Jarvis and Micah Shilanski
