RIA Independence

Summer re-runs are popular on TV, but a repeat of last August's "yen-carry" market upheaval isn't likely on the schedule. A shift in positioning by investors is one reason.

What's the debt ceiling? Learn how the debt ceiling works and how a default on federal debt could impact the U.S. stock market and economy.

The global economy is continually evolving due to inflation, interest rates, and geopolitics. How could these and other factors influence the major asset classes over the coming decade?

The bill contains several tax-code changes that could affect municipal bonds, although we don't think it reduces the appeal of munis for high-income earners.

Bouts of volatility may continue in the second half of 2025 as bond market investors navigate evolving tariff policy, U.S. government debt, and economic uncertainty.

Investors may revisit international exposure in their portfolios amidst reduced market reactions to tariff announcements, uncertain U.S. policy and lagging U.S. stock performance.

A U.S. trade court has blocked most of the Trump administration's "reciprocal" tariffs, but the legal battle will continue. Here's what investors should know.

The "One Big Beautiful Bill" tax-and-spending plan was passed by the House of Representatives and now moves on to the Senate. Here's what's in it.

There is still a wide divergence between hard and soft data, and a recovery in the latter is likely to be weak absent a meaningful reduction in policy uncertainty.

There’s a lot to like about the travel industry right now from an investment standpoint. You just have to know where to look.

Shopping for bonds? The bonds you choose should align with your risk tolerance and goals. Discover what to consider before buying any bond.

Most investors would jump at the chance to add more money to their portfolio, but they often fail to consider the hidden costs associated with it.

QTR Family Wealth, a full-service wealth management firm owned and led by brothers Wes and Chad Hunter, proudly announces the official launch of its independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm.

A rushed exit from conservatorship could increase mortgage rates and worsen home affordability.

The Fed held the federal funds rate steady but noted that the risks of slowing economic growth and higher inflation have risen.

Private equity transaction volumes remain limited despite predictions for a boom in 2025. With interest rates remaining elevated and the economic backdrop increasingly uncertain, executing acquisitions and IPOs is proving a challenge, leading financial sponsors to hold portfolio companies for longer.

University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment is a so-called "soft" report, not reflecting "hard" data like GDP or CPI. It moved markets recently, so how much attention should investors pay?

Kestra Private Wealth Services (Kestra PWS), a registered investment adviser subsidiary of Kestra Financial, Inc., today announced it has welcomed Turas Wealth Partners (Turas), a wealth management firm led by father-son duo John and Shea Marmion, to its platform.

In nominal terms, the yellow metal set multiple new all-time highs this week, exceeding $3,300 an ounce for the first time ever on Wednesday. And on an inflation-adjusted basis, gold also notched a new record price, surpassing the longstanding record set in 1980.

LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Steve Jones of Tenacity Investment Group has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms.

The announcement that LPL Financial will acquire Commonwealth Financial Network marks another major shift in the wealth management landscape—and presents a pivotal career moment for Commonwealth’s nearly 2,900 financial advisors.

Global markets are in freefall in response to President Donald Trump’s universal 10% tariff on all goods being imported into the U.S., with as many as 60 countries facing “reciprocal” tariffs on top of that.

In the current installment of The Roundup, Oaktree experts explore various investment risks and opportunities, including the heightened demand for mezzanine financing, potential entry points for special situations investors, the limited competition for unrated asset-backed finance investments, and the growing need for specialized life sciences lenders.

Retail investors are expected to become more bullish about increasing equity exposure when markets rise.

While domestic politics can certainly influence asset prices, it is just one of many variables, and our research has shown it to be an inaccurate indicator of future returns. We caution investors against making changes to their portfolios based on political developments.

The threat of tariffs is ramping up ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. This is pushing up silver and copper prices.

Newly released research from State Street Global Advisors breaks down why financial advisors are embracing model portfolios more this year.

After the Fed's 50-basis-point rate cut, big banks kick off earnings season amid fears that lower rates could hurt the net-interest income that propelled growth the last two years.

Outlook 2024: A Turning Point, released in December 2023, featured our perspective on how stocks might respond to turning points in inflation and monetary policy.

Net interest income helped big banks, which begin reporting second-quarter earnings July 12, but there's concern about how long it can keep going.

Financial advisors get a bad rap. Some deserve it; most don’t. The problem for the entire investment advisory and portfolio management community stems from the “career risk” they inevitably face.

Goldman Sachs recently upped its price target to S&P 6300 for the end of this year, along with Evercore ISI upping its year-end target to 6000. Such is not surprising given the strong run in the markets this year.

Investors often ignore geopolitics, usually to their benefit. Now might be one of those times when we should pay attention. In the past few weeks, hostilities between East and West have accelerated. It’s a worrisome trend.

Financial markets have posed a number of vexing questions to investors over the past two years, not the least of which included the height to which interest rates could rise without negatively impacting US economic activity.

The latest consumer survey data from the New York Federal Reserve had interesting data.

In the second half of the year, investors will likely be navigating a potential divergence in monetary policy among the major economy central banks, a more normalized U.S. interest rate regime, and an equity market that may favor quality.

GMO’s Small Cap Quality portfolio managers, Hassan Chowdhry and James Mendelson, discussed why small cap valuations are attractive today and why they believe using quality is a better way of investing in the asset class.

In today’s complex global economy, currency fluctuations play a crucial role in shaping investment outcomes. While we’ve previously emphasized the importance of currency hedging in a U.S. investor’s international portfolio, there’s a subtle aspect that often goes unnoticed: the positive impact of weak currencies for Japanese and European companies and U.S. tolerance of it as a check on Chinese exports.

There was a significant reaction in the bond market to the latest job growth figures, which exceeded expectations. The positive surprise led to a sharp 10 basis point rise in long bond yields. Interestingly, equity markets remained resilient in the face of this increase, suggesting a collective market relief that we are not heading toward a slowdown or recession.

How and why more advisors are tapping into alternatives—Tony Davidow, Senior Alternatives Investment Strategist at Franklin Templeton Institute, shares insights from a recent gathering.

In the most recent report from FINRA, margin debt levels have surged as bullish investors leverage their bets in the equity market. The increase in leverage is not surprising, as it represents increased risk-taking by investors in the stock market.