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Stocks had another strong quarter in 3Q. The Morningstar Global Markets index rose 7.57% for the quarter, ending just below the all-time high set in September. Gains were powered by enthusiasm for Artificial Intelligence, hope for Fed rate cuts, and strong flows from individual investors. However, there are a number of risks that also became ... Read more
The Federal Reserve cut its target interest rate by 0.25% at the September 17 meeting. This has Wall Street wondering what comes next. Is this the start of a series of rate cuts? Or will lingering inflation problems make future cuts difficult? Here are our views on these questions and more. Weakening labor market convinced ... Read more
The world of private investing can be challenging. There are some good investment opportunities out there, but there are also a lot of overly optimistic claims, false promises, and even outright scams. We happened to uncover an alleged scam when a Facet member asked us if they should invest in a certain private investment opportunity. ... Read more
Does this sound familiar? It’s that time of year again. The mailbox starts filling up with envelopes marked “Important Tax Document Enclosed.” You start a frantic search for receipts, log into a dozen different accounts to download statements, and feel a growing sense of unease. All kinds of questions come up. Did you sell any ... Read more
There’s a lot for investors to worry about right now. I’m pretty worried that a recession could be on the horizon. Job growth has recently slowed rapidly, while consumer confidence remains low, and tariffs are just starting to have an effect. Meanwhile, the stock market is trading near all-time highs. I’ve got some concerns that ... Read more
We appear to be getting closer to President Donald Trump making a decision on who he will nominate to be the next Chair of the Federal Reserve. Current Chair Jerome Powell’s term ends in May of 2026, but Trump has said he wants to nominate a replacement “soon.” Recent reporting suggests the search is down ... Read more
Although the Federal Reserve took no formal action at its July 30 meeting, this meeting was filled with intrigue. The market expected Fed Chair Jerome Powell to hint at a rate cut in September, but the Chair instead emphasized uncertainty. The job market is showing some signs of slowing, but inflation is probably also on ... Read more
For the roughly 7.7 million student loan borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan, the past year has been defined by uncertainty after lawsuits halted the program in June 2024. Before we break down your options, here’s a simple, scannable breakdown of the most critical updates based on guidance from the Department of Education. Your payments ... Read more
For many investors the appeal of creating passive income from their portfolio is strong. The idea of generating a steady stream of cash flow from income-based investments is intuitively attractive. However, focusing too narrowly on income can often lead to unintended consequences, such as lower long-term growth and tax inefficiencies. A more effective approach for ... Read more
REITs have long been a popular asset class for income and diversification. However, the current economic landscape presents a challenging combination of headwinds for REIT investors. Here is why we're cautious about REITs today.
A major new law, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), was signed on July 4, 2025, and it’s set to make some significant changes to your financial life. Think of it as an update to the tax cuts of 2017, but with new rules for everything from your paycheck to saving for college and ... Read more
The second quarter was a period of extremes. In early April, the S&P 500 briefly fell into bear market territory, having declined more than 20% from its highs on worries about the “Liberation Day” tariff announcement. But after the initial tariff plan was put on “pause” stocks began to recover. By the end of the quarter global stocks were trading at all-time highs. Here are our thoughts on what happened this quarter, how it impacted our strategies, and what we expect in the coming quarters.