2 Question Tuesday Presented by Focused Wealth Management

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about President Trump putting 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and 10% on China, how this will affect the economy and if this will cause a big stock market selloff. They then discuss Trump’s attempt last week to freeze millions of dollars of Congressional spending before the judiciary stopped it. If he tries again, which agencies will be affected and how will that impact...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about China unveiling over the weekend a new artificial intelligence from its start-up DeepSeek that is much lower in cost than the AI currently in the US, and whether this will be a viable threat to the big AI purveyors. They then discuss what the impact will be on the U.S. economy of President Trump pulling out of the Paris climate accords. Submit your questions to que...

This November, we hosted our 9th Firm, Economic & Market Update, covering key topics like strengthened cybersecurity, enhanced client engagement through Salesforce, and our disciplined investment philosophy focused on long-term value creation. Despite 2024's challenges, we stayed focused on guiding clients through volatility while positioning for future opportunities. Thank you for your l...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about the California wildfires and what affect this will have on the American insurance industry and the stock market. They then discuss the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which hit 7% last week, an eight-month high, after rising for five weeks. They address how this is squeezing would-be homebuyers already facing rising house prices and limited...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about how after a better-than-expected jobs report, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond climbed to 4.8%, its highest level in more than two years. This followed a week which saw bonds sell-off on fears that Trump’s policy proposals of tariffs, lower taxes, and mass deportations could spark a rebound in inflation and recreate the market seen in 2022, when stocks a...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss commodities, how to use them in a portfolio, and their view on the high prices of gold and silver. They then talk about the big investment banks’ outlooks for the S&P 500 Index in 2025. These outlooks look very similar to the predictions they made last year and most predictions over the past 25 years. Should investors pay attention to these forecasts or are they j...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss the U.S. dollar’s 7% rise 2024 being the best year it’s had since 2015, and whether this is good for consumers and investors. Then they talk about how even as the Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond has been rising and what effect this will have on the markets. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday....

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about last week’s sell-off in the bond market, which pushed the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond to 4.4%, and what this means for the Fed meetings next week and next month. They then discuss the details of the increase in estate and gift tax exemptions for 2025. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about the stock market continuing to rally into the new year, a “melt up”, and then the possibility of a "melt down" – a big selloff – next year. They then discuss Bitcoin’s crossing the $100,000 level and if this means Bitcoin has now entered into the financial mainstream. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questi...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about the financial planning moves investors should make before the year ends, such as tax-loss harvesting. They then discuss the possibility of the stock market experiencing a Santa rally over the next month. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call your adviser directly at (845) 69...

Phil, Mike, and Larry talk about Donald Trump’s choice of Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary, and what this will mean for the market and the economy. They then discuss what will happen to the economy if the countries we impose tariffs on decide to impose tariffs on American goods and exports. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time,...

Phil, Mike, and Larry examine why Warren Buffett’s firm, Berkshire Hathaway, has been a net seller of stocks this year, selling large parts of Berkshire’s holdings in Apple, Bank of America, Capital One and T-Mobile. Does this mean Buffett is expecting a market crash? They then discuss if the combination of giant deficits and tariffs will cause inflation and interest rates to rise and lead to an e...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss how the October jobs report and the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, which hit a three-and-a-half-year low of 2.1%, will affect the Fed’s thinking on cutting interest rates in November. They then talk about the new IRS 2025 catch-up contribution limits for 401(k)s and other retirement accounts. Submit your questions to...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss last week’s jobs report which came in much stronger than Wall Street expected and forced market participants to drastically change their views on future interest rate cuts this year. They then talk about how it’s been a year since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, how the conflict has expanded to now include Iran, and what this means for the oil and stock markets....

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss last week’s economic reports – the personal consumption expenditures price index, which showed the 12-month inflation rate is at 2.2%, the lowest rate since February 2021, and a report that showed U.S unemployment benefits fell to a four-month low – and what those reports mean for future interest rate cuts this year. They then talk about trusts and when people should...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut the Federal Funds interest rate by half a percentage point last week and what it means for investors lives. They then talk about the strange moves by the yields on U.S. Treasury bonds. Specifically, they address why yields declined before the rate was cut, but rose after the Fed’s announcement. Submit your questions to question@2q...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss the consumer price index hitting its lowest level in three years and what they expect the Federal Reserve to do at its policy meeting this week. Will it be quarter-percentage-point cut or a half-percentage-point? And how will the market react? They then discuss the estate tax exemption, which will be cut nearly in half at the end of 2025, and what people should do to...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss last week’s drop in the stock market, which was the worst on the S&P 500 since March 2023, and whether there will be another correction in September. They then talk about what Focused Wealth Management is doing to prepare client portfolios in anticipation of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rate soon. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As a...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss reports from earlier this summer that Warren Buffet’s company Berkshire Hathaway sold half its stake in Apple and how this enormous amount of shares hitting the market will affect the benchmark indexes? They then talk about last week’s news that Berkshire sold 13% of its stake in Bank of America and why would it do this before the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates....

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss reports that bond traders are taking on a record amount of risk, betting big on a Treasury market rally fueled by expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates next month. They then talk about the Labor Department revising its last jobs report 30% lower by 818,000 fewer jobs than originally reported in the 12-month period through March 2024, and what this means...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss the stock market’s rapid recovery after last Monday’s plunge and whether the markets will experience another significant drop or if that was it for the correction. They then discuss financial planning moves investors can make if another downturn occurs. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time, please feel...

In a Special Monday Edition, Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss why global markets are plunging on Monday and whether this is a short-term blip or a long-term decline. They then talk about what they expect the Federal Reserve’s next move will be. Join us for expert insights and analysis! Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time, please feel...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss former President Trump wanting a weaker dollar to help American manufacturers sell their products overseas, how the government could weaken the dollar, and how this would affect inflation. They then talk about spousal lifetime access trusts, better known as SLATs. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you have any questions at any time,...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss last week’s sell-off in global chip stocks after reports that the Biden administration is considering tighter export restrictions on chips being sent to China. They then talk about what will happen to the election and the markets now that President Biden has dropped out of the presidential race. Submit your questions to question@2questiontuesday.com As always, if you...

Phil, Mike, and Larry discuss the S&P 500 Index and the Dow both hitting all-time highs on Friday, and the rising number of Wall Street pros that feel the market is overheated and fear we may have a pullback in the third quarter. They then talk about the assassination attempt on former President Trump over the weekend, and if and how this will affect the market, the economy, and the election....