The Real Investment Show Podcast

Inflation remains stubbornly elevated, raising fresh questions about the Federal Reserve's next move on interest rates. Will the Fed hold rates higher for longer, or will slowing economic growth force policymakers to reconsider? Lance Roberts and Michael Lebowitz examine the latest inflation trends, the Fed's interest rate outlook, and what persistent price pressures could mean for the stock marke...

Hotter-than-expected CPI inflation data sent stocks lower Wednesday, erasing the S&P 500's recent breakout to all-time highs and pushing markets back into the trading range that has persisted since August. With the index now threatening to test its 100-day moving average, is a larger correction developing, or is this simply normal October market behavior? Lance Roberts examines why improving marke...

What do the latest economic developments, stock market trends, Federal Reserve policy, and geopolitical events mean for your investments and retirement plans? Join Lance Roberts and Danny Ratliff for Q&A Wednesday as we examine the past week's financial headlines, market volatility, interest rates, Treasury yields, and investment opportunities. 0:00 - INTRO 0:56 - CPI Day & Financials 3:23 - Rotat...

The S&P 500 continues to hold steady, but beneath the surface, market weakness persists as investors rotate from growth stocks into value. Technology and semiconductor stocks are facing selling pressure, while mega-cap names like Apple, Alphabet (Google), and Nvidia help support the market-cap-weighted S&P 500. Meanwhile, the Russell 2000, S&P SmallCap 600, and S&P MidCap 400 reveal a different pi...

Is Gen Z gambling away its financial future? And with 10-year Treasury yields near 5%, are bonds finally offering investors a safer bet? Lance Roberts & Jon Penn examine two very different approaches to financial risk: the growing popularity of sports betting, online gambling, and speculative trading among younger Americans, and the potential investment opportunities emerging in the U.S. Treasury...

The S&P 500 remains near all-time highs, but Technology and Energy are doing most of the heavy lifting. Financials, Utilities, and Real Estate continue to lag, exposing weakness beneath the broader market. In today's Before the Bell, Lance Roberts examines the pressure on bank stocks, including JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Goldman Sachs (GS), as oversold conditions, earnings reactions, and emerging te...

What happens to the economy when population growth slows—or goes into reverse? Lance Roberts & Bill King explore the demographic forces reshaping the United States and the world, from falling birth rates and China's One Child Policy to immigration, aging populations, Social Security, housing, inflation, and the future of work. We examine what depopulation really means for economic growth and retir...

Estate planning is about more than deciding who gets what. Poor planning, unequal circumstances among children, prior financial assistance, caregiver responsibilities, and mismatched inherited assets can create family conflicts that last for years. Richard Rosso and Jonathan McCarty discuss how to have the important conversations before an estate plan is finalized, including treating siblings diff...

Is the Federal Reserve relying on a metric that cannot be reliably measured? Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan recently discussed the role of the Treasury term premium in determining whether rising long-term interest rates are doing some of the Fed's work for it. Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz examine what the term premium actually represents, why different models disagree, and whether policymake...

The S&P 500's breakout to all-time highs is losing momentum. With stocks retreating into their recent trading range, is this a failed breakout or a healthy pullback before a stronger fourth-quarter rally? Lance Roberts examines the market's weakening breakout, key support levels at the 20-day and 50-day moving averages, and why a short-term correction could help relieve overbought conditions. With...

Markets are pushing to record highs, but investors have plenty to question. Can the rally keep going as Treasury yields remain elevated, the labor market cools, AI enthusiasm drives Technology stocks, and geopolitical tensions continue to influence oil and inflation? Lance Roberts and Danny Ratliff answer your questions from the YouTube live chat and examine the economic, geopolitical, and investi...

The S&P 500 is on the cusp of breaking out to new all-time highs after the NASDAQ has already pushed into record territory. With futures pointing higher and momentum turning positive, the question now is whether the S&P 500 can break above resistance and, more importantly, hold those gains. The setup has several potential tailwinds. Earnings season is approaching, oil prices have retreated sharply...

You can earn a solid average return in retirement and still run out of money. The reason may be sequence of returns risk — the danger of suffering significant market losses early in retirement, while simultaneously withdrawing money from your portfolio. Lance Roberts & Jon Penn explain why the order of investment returns matters so much once you transition from saving to spending, and examine the...

The S&P 500 is on the cusp of breaking out to new all-time highs after the NASDAQ has already pushed into record territory. With futures pointing higher and momentum turning positive, the question now is whether the S&P 500 can break above resistance and, more importantly, hold those gains. The setup has several potential tailwinds. Earnings season is approaching, oil prices have retreated sharply...

Can a strong year for stocks carry its momentum through the fourth quarter? History provides an interesting backdrop for the Q4 market outlook. Lance Roberts examines the forces that could shape markets through year-end, including rising earnings estimates, corporate buybacks, investor sentiment, liquidity, interest rates, and the continuing dominance of Technology. We'll also look at the other si...

The S&P 500 remains resilient, but market breadth is telling a very different story. The percentage of stocks on bullish buy signals and those trading above their 50- and 200-day moving averages has fallen sharply, even as the major index remains well above key technical support. Volatility remains subdued, momentum has cooled, and the S&P 500's previous deviation from its 200-DMA has narrowed wit...

Funeral planning may not be anyone's favorite financial-planning conversation, but making decisions now can save your family money, confusion, and difficult choices later. Richard Rosso and Jonathan McCarty take a surprisingly entertaining look at the financial side of planning your own funeral, from traditional burial and cremation to cemeteries, niches, pet burials, aquamation, becoming a tree,...

For years, investors lived by TINA: "There Is No Alternative" to stocks. With interest rates near zero and bond yields offering little income, equities dominated the investment landscape. But that math has changed. Today, Treasury yields are above 5%, investment-grade corporate bonds offer competitive income, and real yields have climbed to levels not seen in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, stock v...

Treasury yields have spiked, with the 10-Year Treasury around 5.29%, but the technical picture suggests rates may be getting stretched. Historically, extreme deviations from longer-term trends have often been followed by a retracement in yields, potentially creating a short-term trading opportunity in longer-duration bonds. Lance Roberts examines the 20-year history of Treasury yields, the current...

The major indexes remain near record territory, but beneath the surface, the picture is considerably more complicated. Technology continues to provide important support while market breadth has weakened, Treasury yields remain elevated, and small- and mid-cap stocks have faced greater pressure. Meanwhile, investors are weighing the Federal Reserve's latest rate hike, higher bond yields, oil prices...

Markets remain stuck in consolidation, but beneath the major indexes, the picture looks considerably weaker. Only about 40% of stocks are trading above their 50-day moving averages, while small-caps, mid-caps, utilities, real estate, and financials have faced significant pressure. At the same time, the growing number of stocks hitting 52-week lows and falling below key moving averages may be pushi...

Can even the wealthiest investors consistently beat the market? Recent data comparing the Forbes 400 with the S&P 500 raises an important question about investment performance, indexing, and the pursuit of market-beating returns. Lance Roberts & Jonathan Penn examine why Americans across generations remain uncertain about their future financial needs, and what that says about the importance of pla...

The S&P 500 may look calm, but beneath the surface, the market is telling a very different story. Small-caps, mid-caps, utilities, real estate, and parts of Technology have been under pressure, while heavyweight stocks such as Nvidia have helped support the market-cap-weighted indexes. With the S&P 500 sitting near its 20-DMA and still trapped in a consolidation range, that growing market dispersi...

Can the S&P 500 really reach 9,000? Jefferies has set a 9,000 target for the index by the end of 2027, but getting there may require nearly everything to go right. Lance Roberts examines the assumptions behind that forecast, including earnings growth, historically high profit margins, AI-driven capital spending, market valuations, and interest rates. With earnings estimates moving higher instead o...

Markets are sitting near all-time highs, but underneath the surface, the picture looks very different. Technology and Energy have been leading while interest-rate-sensitive sectors, including Real Estate, Financials, Industrials, and Utilities, have come under pressure. That widening gap matters. Lance Roberts looks at market breadth, sector dispersion, rising interest rates, and why portfolios wi...