Category Archive: 9a.) Real Investment Advice

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4-2-26 The Fed Is TRAPPED… And Oil Is The Problem

2026-04-02

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#CrudeOil rices are rising, and that’s creating a roblem the Fed can’t fix. Higher oil ushes inflation u, but it also slows growth by hitting consumers and businesses. This is a suly shock driven by geoolitics, not demand, so rate olicy has limited imact. As a result, the bond market is starting to shift focus from inflation risk to weakening GDP. Historically, oil shocks lead to slower growth, and this time the economy was already soft...

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4-2-26 Dynamic Learning Series – Tax Strategies: Beyond Filing: Avoid Penalties & Plan Smarter

2026-04-02

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Tax planning is no longer seasonal—it’s strategic. In this Dynamic Learning Series presentation, Danny Ratliff and Sarah Buenger break down the new tax landscape and walk through actionable strategies investors, retirees, and business owners can use right now to reduce lifetime tax liability and improve long-term wealth outcomes. We begin with the biggest shifts shaping today’s tax environment and highlight the “low-hanging fruit” opportunities...

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4-2-26 Fed Trap? Markets Face Inflation, Oil & Treasury Sell-Off

2026-04-02

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Markets are hitting a critical inflection point—and the stakes are rising fast. A major policy speech from Donald Trump sparked volatility, just as markets tested a key cluster of technical resistance. Now investors are facing a bigger question: is the market environment shifting from a short-term rally to something more structural? Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz break down: * Why elevated oil prices could reignite inflation and complicate...

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Volume Profiles: Eyeing Resistance From Trapped Longs?

2026-04-02

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2026-04-02

Volume profiling provides unique insight into the profit-and-loss position of recent investors by identifying price levels at which significant buying and selling have occurred. Areas of high volume can act as powerful support and resistance levels because they represent prices at which a large number of investors have established positions and are therefore likely to …

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4-1-26 Why Trading More = Less Money (No Fooling!)

2026-04-01

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Trading more doesn’t mean making more. In fact, the data shows the opposite. Most traders combine leverage with short-term speculation, which works in strong trends but falls apart quickly when conditions change. That’s why 97% of traders lose money over time. The problem isn’t the market, it’s the behavior. As holding periods shrink and activity increases, returns decline. Long-term investing may feel slower, but it’s far more consistent....

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3-31-26 The Truth About Market Corrections

2026-04-01

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Markets have declined for five straight weeks, pushing conditions into deeply oversold territory across stocks, bonds, and commodities. This kind of stretch typically leads to a short-term reflex rally lasting one to two weeks as positioning resets. While volatility has increased due to external shocks and shifting expectations, the broader bullish trend remains intact. Corrections of this size are normal and occur every year. The key is to...

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4-1-26 Wives Take Over: Money, Marriage, and Real Talk

2026-04-01

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What happens when the wives take over the show? For this special April Fool’s Day edition of #TheRealInvestmentShow, the tables are turned as Michelle Ratliff & Christina Roberts step in to answer the questions investors never hear. From what Lance and Danny would really be doing outside of wealth management, to what happens if they suddenly win the lottery, we blend humor with surprisingly real financial insight. We also dig into the...

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The Kohn Solution For An Uncertain Fed

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

Dario Perkins of TS Lombard wrote a piece titled "How to Respond to Oil Shocks." His analysis draws on the Fed's history to address how it should respond to today's oil shock. While researching Fed transcripts from the 1990 Gulf War, he discovered a proposal by Don Kohn, senior Fed staffer, that offers a solution … Continue reading...

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Beta: A Powerful But Faulty Tool For Managing Risk

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

When investors want to reduce risk, one commonly used tool is beta. For instance, an investor may sell higher-beta stocks and replace them with lower-beta ones to cushion against an expected market decline. Such a strategy is intuitive and widely used; however, it can be greatly flawed. We recently received a question from a client …

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3-31-26 Are Markets Becoming Gambling?

2026-03-31

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A major shift is happening in how younger investors approach the markets—and it may be the most important risk investors are ignoring. From AI-driven investing decisions to social media influencers shaping financial behavior, markets are increasingly influenced by speculation, speed, and hype. At the same time, the rise of options trading, crypto, and leveraged products is blurring the line between investing and gambling. Lance Roberts & Jon...

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Why Gold Is Failing As A Safe Haven

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

There seems to be widespread disbelief among gold investors, as gold prices have fallen by over 10% since the US and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28th. Many investors think that gold is a safe haven that should do its best during crisis periods, as we are in. This assumption fails to consider the … Continue reading »

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3-30-26 Why This Private Credit “Crisis” Won’t Crash The Market

2026-03-30

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Private credit fears are being misread as systemic risk, but the reality is far more contained. Gating investors simply reflects a liquidity mismatch between long-term loans and short-term redemption requests, not widespread defaults or fund failures, as most tend to think. Unlike the 2008 subprime crisis, exposure is concentrated among institutions and high-net-worth investors, limiting any direct hit to regular consumer spending. While...

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3-30-26 Subprime Crisis 2.0? Private Credit Risks Explained

2026-03-30

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Lance Roberts breaks down the growing stress in private credit markets, rising default risks, and the recent wave of gated withdrawals across major funds. With comparisons to the 2008 financial crisis gaining traction, investors are asking a critical question: are we facing Subprime Crisis 2.0? We examine what made the 2008 collapse so catastrophic—leverage, derivatives, and systemic contagion—and compare it to today’s private credit landscape....

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Stock Market Breadth: Warning Or Opportunity?

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

The S&P 500 is down roughly 7% from its January 27 all-time high. Unsurprisingly, the media is full of "red" headlines discussing the seemingly "endless" correction we are in. Unsurprisingly, previously complacent investors are now anxious, as nothing seems to be working. But that index-level headline conceals something far more alarming: stock market breadth has …

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The VIX Is Lying: Or Is It?

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

Expected and historical (realized) volatility are sending investors a puzzling signal. Because of the Iran conflict, intense oil price swings, and rising interest rates, the VIX, or implied volatility (what options markets are pricing in as future fear), is elevated. However, actual realized volatility has been much more subdued. That gap between the VIX and …

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3-28-26 AI Won’t Crash The Economy — This Will

2026-03-28

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AI itself isn’t the real threat to the economy. The real risk is how quickly it replaces jobs before workers and industries can adapt. Data already shows that higher AI adoption is driving productivity up while putting pressure on wages and reducing the need for labor. That trade-off becomes dangerous if income falls faster than new opportunities are created, weakening consumer spending that drives growth. The outcome depends on speed: a...

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Subprime Crisis 2.0: Will Private Credit Be The Trigger?

2026-03-28

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2026-03-28

🔎 At a Glance 🏛️ Market Brief - A Tough Market Week This past week was another disappointing one. Markets opened the week surging after President Trump posted on Truth Social that U.S.-Iran talks had been "very good and productive" and that he was halting strikes on Iranian power plants. Brent crude fell more than … Continue...

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4-3-26 Taxes Never Go Away

2026-03-27

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Most retirement plans focus on savings and returns—but that’s not what truly puts retirement at risk. Richard Rosso, Sarah Buenger, & Jonathan McCarty commiserate on the annual chore of paying taxes...but, provide helpful guidance in planning so that your tax bite might be lessened. Hosted by RIA Advisors Director of Financial Planning, Richard Rosso, CFP, w Senior Investment Advisor, Sarah Buenger, CFP, and Senior Investment Advisor,...

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3-27-26 Why Safe Havens Fail In An Oil-Driven Market

2026-03-27

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Safe havens like $GLD aren’t working because this market isn’t driven by traditional risk-off behavior. It’s driven by #crudeoil and liquidity. Energy $XLE, #gold, and defensive stocks already ran and are now being sold to fund broader de-risking. When correlations rise, everything becomes a source of liquidity. The key variable isn’t whether the war ends, but where oil prices go next. If oil normalizes, many of today’s “defensive” trades...

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3-27-26 How to Beat the 4 Biggest Retirement Risks

2026-03-27

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Most retirement plans focus on savings and returns—but that’s not what truly puts retirement at risk. Richard Rosso & Jonathan McCarty break down the four biggest threats retirees face: longevity, inflation, market volatility, and emotional decision-making, and more importantly, how to navigate them. Hosted by RIA Advisors Director of Financial Planning, Richard Rosso, CFP, Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer 0:00 - INTRO 0:18 -...

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