Category Archive: 9a.) Real Investment Advice

Richard Rosso & Danny Ratliff tackle one of the most misunderstood retirement tools: annuities—what they are, who they’re actually for, and where investors frequently get trapped by slick marketing and incomplete comparisons. We start with why annuities aren’t for everyone, then walk through three clear use-cases where an annuity can make sense—especially for households prioritizing guaranteed lifetime income and a more stable retirement...

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The Supreme Court struck down the structure used to impose prior tariffs, ruling they must go through Congress. The administration quickly shifted strategy: Trump imposed a temporary blanket tariff — initially 10%, later raised to 15% — set to last 150 days. This effectively resets the framework while keeping tariffs in place, just under a different legal justification. Even with Monday’s sharp selloff, from a market perspective, this changes...

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Is China really “dumping” U.S. Treasury bonds—or is that headline missing key context? Lance Roberts examines what Treasury International Capital (TIC) data does (and doesn’t) show, why China’s reported holdings can shift for reasons that have nothing to do with panic selling, and how custody chains and financial centers can complicate the narrative. Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO Produced by Brent Clanton,...

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Social media reactions to recent comments made by Ray Dalio at the World Economic Forum in Davos are exaggerated and misrepresented. He is not predicting imminent hyperinflation or a dollar collapse. He is reiterating a long-term structural warning about unsustainable debt growth relative to economic growth. In this Short video, Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz discuss that history shows that high debt levels do not automatically lead to...

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In this short video, Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz discuss how investors are piling into anything labeled “value,” “staples,” “industrials,” or “energy” without asking whether the stocks themselves are actually cheap. Many of these names have gone parabolic — trading far above their historical norms — even though revenue growth is flat and earnings aren’t accelerating. At the same time, some large-cap “growth” stocks like $NVDA $GOOGL may...

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Some 401(k) plans let you put in extra after-tax money and move it into a Roth so it can grow tax-free—but you have to know what your plan allows. Richard Rosso & Jonathan McCarty share 10 questions to ask your 401(k) provider so you don’t miss it. Rich & Jonathan also explain a new bill that would make the $6,000 senior deduction permanent. It’s not the same as “no tax on Social Security” for everyone—and the Social Security tax rules...

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In this short video, Lance Roberts and Michael Lebowitz discuss $WMT and that it is trading at valuations not seen since 1999. Staples are no longer “cheap defensive value.” They have become expensive. Walmart is trading at roughly 48x forward earnings—valuation levels typically associated with high-growth tech companies expanding 20%+ annually. Yet, its growth rate is closer to 4–5%. The bigger risk in this market isn’t AI or geopolitics —...

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Ray Dalio’s Davos comments aren’t a “next-week collapse” call—they’re a long-cycle warning: rising debt supply can eventually force higher yields and tough policy trade-offs. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 looks calm on the surface, but sector/factor dispersion and low correlations show a fierce rotation under the hood. Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz examine the calm index ≠ calm market—watch dispersion and correlations for the next regime...

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Markets aren’t breaking — they’re rotating. The smart move isn’t going all in or all out. Trim overbought sectors like energy $XLE, materials $XLB, and industrials $XLI, and gradually add to oversold areas with strong forward growth, such as software $XLK $IGV. If you’re up this year, don’t rush to cash out and risk chasing back in later. Stay allocated, rebalance, raise selective cash, and let process and risk management guide decisions instead...

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It’s Q&A Wednesday—your questions drive the show. Lance Roberts & Danny Ratliff break down what’s moving markets right now, key economic and Fed signals to watch this week, and the practical portfolio decisions that matter most (risk, allocations, income, taxes, and retirement timing). Drop your question in the live chatroom and we’ll tackle as many as we can. Topics we often cover: market volatility & trend levels, rates/inflation,...

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The market is deeply split. Energy $XLE, materials $XLB and industrials $XLI are stretched and overbought, while technology $XLK, discretionary $XLY and communications $XLC are oversold. Equal-weight has led recently, but tech still carries massive index weight. If oversold tech rebounds, leadership could flip quickly. This is a risk management environment where trimming extended cyclicals and rebalancing exposure may matter more than chasing...

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