Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Brendan Ahern, chief investment officer at KraneShares, says that any recession or economic downturn in the United States will wind up having spillover effects in China, where the economy is so geared to the West that it is the proverbial 'canary in the coal mine,' because if manufacturing there is slowing and exports are down, it reflects a sluggish economy in the U.S. and Europe. He sees improved potential for China and emerging markets, provided that the politicians on both sides can avoid trade conflicts and allow for improved trade. Rob Shaker of Shaker Financial Services, says that the stock market hasn't been climbin a wall of worry so much as a 'Wall of Meh,' but notes that economic mediocrity is creating opportunities for long-term investors in closed-end funds to buy into discounts now and get paid off as early as the second half of this year, when he expects a 'generalized recovery' from today's worrisome issues. Plus, Gene Peroni of Peroni Portfolio Advisors talks technical analysis and says the range-bound market is likely to see the upper limits on the current market swings move higher -- by more than 10 percent -- before the year ends.

Kristof Gleich, founder and chief investment officer at Harbor Capital Advisors, says investors should be surprised that the economy hasn't gone into inflation, but notes that the market has a 'genuine inflation problem' that is persistent and structural and likely to linger for a year or two, at least, as the Federal Reserve struggles to get the pace of rising costs down to 2 percent. As a result, he expects more volatility from the market, with more vibrant rallies like we are seeing now balanced out by more vicious snapbacks/ Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi responds to the market's narrow leadership with a counter-intuitive play, making the equal-weighted version of a popular index his ETF of the Week, Christian Mitchell discusses the first data release of Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Progress and Planning Study, noting that investors are braced for impact with a downturn, and Chuck answers a listener's question about the resources he reads and uses for help in guiding his portfolio.

Michael Sansoterra, chief investment officer at Silvant Capital, says the artificial intelligence boom currently fueling a Wall Street rally is here to stay -- though he notes the stocks are not recession- or crash-proof thanks largely to real earnings and sustainable growth curves. During the Internet bubble days around the turn of the century, companies were bid up on hope and hype, but Sansoterra notes that artificial intelligence stocks -- a surprisingly small group that is growing rapidly --- have substance that should give them longevity. Also on the show, financial adviser Brian Kuderna discusses his recent book, 'What Should I Do with My Money?' and Bankrate.com's Ted Rossman discusses side hustle activity and why people keep working side jobs, what they're trying to achieve and how many hustlers think they'll be doing odd jobs forever.

David Trainer, president at New Constructs, says that the initial public offering for fast-casual restaurant chain Cava Group is another poster child for bad new issues, a 'rip-off' with 'the private equity holders hoping to get bailed out by unsuspecting public investors.' He compared Cava to WeWork, an IPO so troubled that it wound up being canceled; he's hoping the Cava deal suffers a similar fate. In the 'Find Me The Money' segment, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen discusses financial infidelity and the slippery slope that many people take in crossing the line from normal financial behaviors to troubling ones, Allison Hadley discusses a RetirementInvestments.com survey looking at the ways and the extents many parents are going to in order to support their adult children, and The Book Interview features author and comedian Jamie Loftus on her book 'RawDog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs," a look at both the meat-packing industry and some of the best hot-doig joints in America.

Andy Kapyrin, co-chief investment officer at CI RegentAtlantic Private Wealth, says that in past debt-ceiling debates -- notably heated times like 2011 and 2013 -- stock market investors made times volatile, creating an incentive for Washington to act, but with current volatility being muted, Kapyrin sees ratings agencies like Fitch applying pressure that should help politicians to resolve the issue. While Kapyrin notes that the Federal Reserve has always struggled to deliver a soft landing, there are signs that it can at least escape the current cycle with nothing worse than a mild recession. Also on the show, Duncan Farley of the BlueBay Destra International Event-Driven Credit Fund discusses how rising rates and inflation have created more and different opportunities in the public and private credit markets, delivering the potential for double-digit returns without correlation to the stock market, Jerremy Newsome of Real-Life Trading talks about how investors can make money playing both sides against the middle of the current range-bound market, and Tom Plumb of the Plumb Funds discusses innovative, disruptive companies in the Market Call.

Mike Foss, former partner at Brown Advisory and former manager of the Brown Advisory Equity Income fund, says he expects a slowdown, but high inflation and low unemployment leave us without the makings for a strong recession. Meanwhile, he believes interest rates will remain 'higher for longer than bond market investors actually think.' Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi makes his ETF of the Week pick an issue that builds its portfolio around stocks that are popular among hedge funds, Claire Martin-Tellis discusses a survey showing that people living in higher-income areas are much more likely to be targeted by scammers, plus we revisit a recent Market Call interview with absolute-value investor Brian Frank of the Frank Funds.

Scott Wren, senior global market strategist for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, says that he is expecting economic contraction for the last half of the year and into 2024, but notes that the market looks ahead and tends to get optimistic about half way through a recession. He's not expecting the economic slowdown to bring a major market meltdown, but by the middle of the downturn he expects signals to turn to where opportunistic investors with multi-year time horizons will want to use the pullback as a chance to buy on the cheap. Also on the show, Greg McBride of Bankrate.com discusses research showing that about one-in -four investors has moved money this year out of stocks and to fixed income or savings accounts, Chuck answers a listener's question about the process for becoming an accredited investor -- the kind who can invest in hedge funds, private-equity deals and equity crowdfunding -- and Francisco Bido, senior portfolio manager at F/m Acceleration talks stocks in the Market Call.

Alan McKnight, chief investment officer at Regions Asset Management, says that the market is being buffeted by a lot of forces, but is mostly climbing the wall of worry, making it a time to be neutral between stocks and a recovering bond market, staying more domestic over international in both fixed income and equity due to international risks and despite good valuations overseas, while waiting for the market and economy to negotiate a soft landing and possible brief recession. Likewise, D.R. Barton Jr., chief investment strategist at Finiac, says that technical analysis supports the current range-bound market staying within its range for a while longer, thoug he notes that if the market can break out of the range to the upside -- which it is close to right now -- it could pick up 10 percent by year's end. Plus, Julie Ramhold of DealNews.com discusses what to shop for in Memorial Day sales and what to leave for later in the summer, and forensic accountant Tracy Coenen talks about proving your case and using the results to get money back in the latest episode of 'Find Me The Money.'

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgensen, co-author of 'These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs—and Wrecks—America,' discusses the wide-ranging impacts that private equity firms are having in America, running a large percentage of nursing homes of private equity and hospital emergency departments, media companies and much more. She notes that leveraging companies in order to purchase them and re-sell them at a profit is detrimental to the business, while enriching the wheeler-dealers, leaving a 'circle of pain' after private equity takeovers. Also on the show, Laura Geritz of Rondure Global Advisors says that the entire world is dealing with the inflation problem, but that it impacts smaller companies less, meaning there are good buys among small firms around the globe. She notes that she particularly likes the Mexico market now, dislikes Korea and is working through the complexities of China. Plus, David Trainer of New Constructs revisits an old Danger Zone pick -- a zombie stock that he says is headed to zero -- after a recent earnings surprise made the market consider whether the troubled company remains viable.

Ed Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA, sees the stock market as being stuck in its current range for months, possibly testing October lows while it waits to get more clarity on the Federal Reserve's position on ending the rate-hike cycle and starting cuts. Declines and weakness are buying opportunities, Moya says, because 'this market is looking for a big move,' with money on the sidelines looking for a breakout that will happen only once investors are confident with where inflation and rates are heading. In The Big Interview, Barry Martin of the Shelton Equity Income Fund discusses defensive investing and covered-call strategies and how they are working in the current period of volatility without much direction. Also, in The NAVigator segment, Matt Freund, co-chief investment officer/head of fixed-income strategies at Calamos Investments, says he expects interest rates to settle in and remain stable for quite a while before trending down, though he expects heightened volatility in longer-term bonds; and in the Market Call, Brian Huckstep, chief investment officer at Advyzon Investment Management, talks the macro picture and the exchange-traded funds best suited for his current outlook.

George Bory, chief investment strategist for fixed income at Allspring Global Investments, says that investors should lean into the currently inverted yield curve and buy bonds for f longer maturities so that they can lock down. High current interest rates before the Federal Reserve decides to cut rates. Bory also notes that he expects the federal government to avoid a true default but explains that a downgrade from ratings agencies won't be the big deal most authorities expect. Plus Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi turns to a small-cap co weed-call fund for his 'ETFof the Week,' and Raymond Bridges, portfolio manager of the recently opened Bridges Capital Tactical ETF talks stylized stock investing in the Market Call

John Porter, chief investment officer at Newton Investment Management, says the market has traded in a tight range for almost 10 months and he expects it to stay in that range while the economy sorts out its unknowns until a clear picture emerges, which he thinks will take another six to nine months. Meanwhile, to produce reasonable results in a choppy market, he says money managers will need to increase their turnover and trade more, taking advantage of the short, tight fluctuations even as the market has no bigger trend. Also on the show, Jill Gonzalez discusses the new study from WalletHub.com showing that U.S. households now have $17 trillion in household debt, more than $140,000 per household, Carter Malloy of AcreTrader.com discusses the benefits and expected returns to investing in farmland and timberlands, and Chuck celebrates what would have been the 70th birthday of his brother by talking about the delicate balance between making money and enjoying life.

John Blank, chief equity strategist/chief economist at Zacks Investment Research, says the range-bound market is going to stick around unchanged until the Federal Reserve changes its policies. Once inflation comes down, Blank says 'the market is going to rally like you've never seen.' But even now, Blank says the economy is having its soft landing -- and has been in one for some time -- no matter how much most economists protest that there hasn't been any landing yet. Also on the show, Scott Fulford, author of 'The Pandemic Paradox: How the COVID Crisis Made Americans More Financially Secure,' survey researcher Jenn Tracy on a study showing about how Americans are -- or aren't -- pampering themselves during tough economic times, and, in the 'Find Me The Money' segment, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen talks about the documents and paper trail that you need and how to follow them to find the proof of financial infidelity.

John Jennings, author of 'The Uncertainty Solution: How to Invest with Confidence in the Face of the Unknown,' says that investors have proven throughout times by their actions that less is more effective during times when every move looks sketchy. Getting over your compulsion to do something, he notes, will help your portfolio thrive in times when the market isn't doing so well. Also on the show, Megan Moncrief, chief executive officer at the travel-insurance platform Squaremouth, discusses the high prices travelers are facing, paying and insuring for their summer vacations, David Trainer of New Constructs puts a popular stock name back in 'The Danger Zone,' noting that popularity can't save it, and Chuck takes a listener's question on how to deal financially with adult children returning home to live.

Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial, says that the market is suggesting the possibility of a rate cut coming from the Federal Reserve by September, and that won't happen if conditions are fine. With a solid labor market and low unemployment, Krosby says the market is still range-bound and struggling to sort things out, but the futures market is signalling that trouble must be afoot. Also on the show, Jim Baker, co-head of energy infrastructure at Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, talks about the strong opportunity in the sector over the next few years, despite recession concerns, and Wade Pfau returns to the show to discuss the new edition of his 'Retirement Planning Guidebook.'

Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for the Independent Advisor Alliance, says the resilience of the economy has been surprising, staving off recession longer than he expected and allowing the market to fight off headwinds that still seem poised to create a recession, whether it comes late this year or into 2024. Zaccarelli does say the economy's strength will put the Federal Reserve in a tough spot, having to decide if it needs to increase rates again, and potentially pushing the eventual recession into a hard landing for the market. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi makes his 'ETF of the Week' an agriculture strategy fund powered by artificial intelligence, Matt Brannon of Clever Real Estate discusses a survey of home renters who say at alarmingly high rates that they have been priced out of the American Dream of home ownership, and Peter Crane, president of Crane Data, discusses money-market funds and their suddenly competitive yields and how they will hold up in a world looking at banking crisis and possible government default.

Herb Greenberg, senior editor at Empire Financial Research, says that the overlooked story in the drop in bank stock prices is the role that exchange-traded funds likely played in making it happen. He discusses his recent article on the subject, which points to the way ETFs are traded as a significant contributing factor to the big drop in banking stocks, and notes that the same phenomenon could impact other market sectors that get hit with bad news in the future. Also on the show, Ed Carson, news editor at Investor's Business Daily, discusses the huge drop in investor sentiment during April and how it impacted all major components of the Economic Optimism Index, and portfolio manager Andrew Graham of Jackson Square Capital talks stocks in the Market Call.

John Kosar, chief market strategist at Asbury Research says the current range-bound market is 'building up energy' and if the market can break through 4,200 on the Standard and Poor's 500, it is feasible that the market can reach new, record highs by the end of the year. But there is no clarity on the direction of the market, and if there is continued small-cap weakness and other trouble spots and the SP500 drops below 3,800 it could fall as low as 3,400 before any rally can start. Kosar notes that until the market shows more signs of clarity, he'd avoid betting on the direction of the market. Also on the show, Find Me the Money with forensic accountant Tracy Coenen focuses on how 'fair and honest' disclosure can't be taken for granted in many divorce cases, Chuck discusses the NASDAQ Composite officially exiting bear-market territory, and author Rob Cross, discusses 'The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems--and What to Do About It.'

Absolute-value investor Brian Frank of the Frank Value Fund says that with cash now paying close to 5 percent, it's 'gotten a lot easier to go to cash,' but it also has raised the bar on stocks and for how investors should set their expectations. 'If you don't think you're going to be making more than 5 percent on a stock,' Frank says in the Market Call, 'why are you buying it if cash is paying you [5 percent] now?' Also on the show, Lewis Black, chief executive officer at Almonty Industries, talks about the market for tungsten and how the metal has the potential to be the cause of tough economic conditions and geopolitical football; David Trainer of New Constructs puts Kenvue -- the spin-off of Johnson and Johnson consumer brands -- in the Danger Zone in its first few days after going IPO, and Chuck answers a listener's question that goes to the heart of Brian Frank's discussion on going to cash, about whether cash returns are so good right now that a nervous investor might use bank accounts to ride out whatever the market dishes out next.

Alaina Anderson, co-portfolio manager of the William Blair International Leaders Fund, says investors should be looking abroad with their money right now because the market has reached an inflection point with international stocks being much more attractively valued than domestics, and having improved profitability and sustainable results now. Anderson warns that the global rate-hiking cycle may not be done, but says foreign stocks may be better positioned to ride out whatever central banks dish out next. Buck Klintworth, portfolio manager at Chase Investment Counsel, says it's a market of conflicting signals where the technicals can make a case for just about any outcome. He sees a bullish Standard and Poor's 500, but notes that much of the strength has been among the largest names, suggesting that the rally is not sustainable long-term. In The NAVigator segment, Christian Munafo, chief investment officer, in Liberty Street Advisors -- which runs the Private Shares Fund -- says there are two stories dominating the private equity markets, with high-performing well-financed private innovation companies being proverbial unicorns compared to less- differentiated, less-capitalized companies which are more prone than ever to failure due to conditions in the capital markets. In the Market Call, Daniel Dusina, director of investments at Blue Chip Partners, talks brand-name, large-cap stocks.

Kevin Mahn, president and chief investment officer, Hennion and Walsh Asset Management, says that while the Federal Reserve has been trying to kill or diminish demand, it hasn't done a great job bringing inflation closer to its target level of 2 percent. As a result, Mahn thinks that the Fed and investors will have to live with inflation around the 3 percent level into 2024, and says that the Fed may ultimately have to accept that higher inflation is here to stay and strongly resistant to the traditional methods for curtailing inflation. Also on the show, Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, makes the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR his pick for 'ETF of the Week,' noting that while the sector is defensive in nature, the fund has been on a roll that has pushed it to all-time high levels; and Joe Boskovich Sr., chief investment officer and portfolio manager at Old West Investment Management makes his debut in the Money Life Market Call talking value stocks and concentrated portfolios.

Christopher Mizer, founder of Vivaris Capital, says that alternatives were in a hot spot a year ago -- when stocks were 'frightfully overvalued' -- and investors needed investments that had building cash flows and organic growth potential, but now with the market valued more reasonably, the role that alternatives are playing is to reduce long-term volatility and to offer a steadiness that the market doesn't seem to have right now. He discusses climate technology and other alternative investments that investors might consider now. Also on the show, James Nelson, author of 'The Insider's Edge to Real Estate Investing,' talks about investing in real estate at a time of high interest rates and wild fluctuations in property prices, Ted Rossman of Bankrate.com discusses the site's survey of how consumers are planning for summer vacations but altering their itineraries to deal with inflation, and Chuck answers a listener's question about whether there are any star mutual fund managers left and if investors should seek them out.

Willie Delwiche, investment strategist at Hi Mount Research, says that with the domestic stock market showing more stocks making new lows than highs, the U.S. market is increasingly challenged. Witht hat in mind, Delwiche says investors should be looking overseas because 'the rest of the world increasingly looks like it is in an uptrend and poised to continue making new highs.' Also on the show, in 'Find Me the Money,' forensic accountant Tracy Coenen discusses financial infidelity and how and when people cross the line and create relationship problems with their money behaviors, Chuck answers a listener's question about how any potential government default will hit home, and we revisit a recent Market Call conversation with Jeff Muhlenkamp of the Muhlenkamp Fund.

David Trainer, founder and president at New Constructs, makes pet-insurer Trulanuon the 33rd member of his firm's list of 'zombie stocks,' nothing that the company still has a long runway — nearly two years before he expects it to be bankruptcy — but almost no hope. Chuck discusses real expertise and the importance of vetting experts at a time when most news and information sources are looking to fill space. Plus Craig Martin discusses the latest research from J.D. Power showing how unhappy self-determined investors are with their results, and Charles Rotblut of AAII Journal gives his take on last week's Morningstar Investment Conference, as well as on the current sentiment of investors.

It's the third and final day of interviews from the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago, and Joel Dickson, global head of advice methodology at Vanguard, carries the dicussion on the classic 60-40 portfolio further -- rivaling Catherine LeGraw from GMO who you heard on Thursday's show -- saying that the classic stock-bonds mix remains the most simple, straightforward, cost-effective solution for investors who can ride out the bumps and bruises along the way. But he's the closer on a show that starts with Super Mario -- Mario Gabelli of the Gabelli Funds -- returning for The NAVigator to discuss his long-time love for closed-end fund investing. Plus, Chuck chats with Wade Pfau, a leading authority on annuities, reverse mortgages and structured income products, Tara York of the alternatives platform Luma Financial Technologies, Morningstar's director of personal finance Christine Benz, ETF product specialist Nick Elward of Natixis Investment Managers, and global deep-value investor Michael Campagna of Moerus Capital.

It's Day Two of Money Life at Morningstar, featuring interviews from the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago. One of the themes of this year's event has been the rise and fall and rebirth of 60-40 portfolios and Catherine LeGraw, partner at GMO, takes the side that the default allocation is too blunt to work for everyone, leaving them with too much risk which ultimately short-circuits their ability to reach their goals. Also on this show, Steve Romick of the FPA Crescent fund, Morningstar's John Rekenthaler, John Hoffman of Invesco, Hunter Hayes of Intrepid Capital Management, Brian Portnoy of Shaping Wealth and Shana Sissel of Banrion Capital. Plus Tom Lydon of VettaFi with the ETF of the Week!

It's Money Life at Morningstar, the first of three days of interviews from the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago. Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab and Co., says that the market appears to be banking on a near-term recession, in which it takes the pain and the ill-tasting medicine, thereby allowing the Federal Reserve to take its foot off the economic brake. As a result, a recession sooner rather than later would be helpful for the economy. She kicks off seven interviews, including "Super Mario" -- legendary fund manager Mario Gabelli of the Gabelli Funds -- bond fund manager Warren Pierson of the Baird Funds, asset-allocation strategist Som Priestley of T. Rowe Price, Dan Lefkovitz of Morningstar Indexes, Nate Velarde of Chautauqua Capital talking international investing, and Alison Susko of Asset Map, a fin-tech company helping investors get a better handle on their finances.

Perth Tolle, founder of Life and Liberty Indexes -- the basis for the Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF -- says that companies based in countries run by autocrats are held back in many different ways, not the least of which is that they must compete for the favor of the government and the people in power, rather than being able to focus on serving the market and customers, and that investors who want to avoid much of the headline-making geopolitical risk present globally today from creeping into their portfolio will make freedom a factor in where they invest. Also on the show, forensic accountant Tracy Coenen, introduces us to Jackie and Derrick, the main characters in her book 'Find Me the Money,' and discusses financial dishonesty and the breakdown of joint financial control in marriage. Plus, former Wall Street Journal personal finance columnist Jonathan Clements -- now the editor at HumbleDollar.com -- discusses his new book, 'My Money Journey: How 30 People Found Financial Freedom and You Can Too,' and in the Market Call, Matt Lockridge, head of U.S. value for Westwood Holdings talks about finding the right kind of underpriced stocks to benefit from current market conditions.

Simeon Hyman, global investment strategist at ProShares, says that investors are tempted in today's high-inflation environment to pursue stocks with high-but-fixed dividends, trying to generate any sort of positive real return. Instead, Hyman says investors should be looking for dividend growers -- companies consistently raising payouts -- rather than high current yields, because a stock with a dividend that's not growing 'is basically a fixed-coupon bond, and that's the worst thing to have in an inflationary environment.' Also on the show, Kyle Guske of New Constructs looks at an energy company that is underpriced and has room to do particularly well in a sector that he says is poised for solid growth, Sam Huisache discusses the latest survey from Clever Real Estate, showing that two thirds of the members of Generation X don't think they will be able to retire by age 65, and Hunter Doble of Hotchkis and Wiley Mid Cap Value talks growing value stocks in the Market Call.

Que Nguyen, chief investment officer of equity strategies at Research Affiliates, says that the high probability of an upcoming recession is being priced into the market, and the more a downturn gets priced into stocks, the less investors have to fear because the damage is being done in advance. As a result, she says investors need to be looking for the inflection point where they want to buy in to get ahead of a recovery, even if that means digging in and holding for as much as three years to see the rebound play out. Also on the show, Roxanna Islam of VettaFi discusses how exchange-traded funds that invest in closed-end funds give investors diversified portfolios -- and all the benefits of investing deeply in the closed-end space -- in a one-stop shopping wrapper. In the Market Call, Jeff Muhlenkamp of the Muhlenkamp Fund talks about how the fund is dealing with high inflation -- since inflation is a component of its stock-picking methodology -- holding more cash and waiting for the right opportunity to put more cash to work.

Jake Jolly, head of investment analysis at BNY Mellon Investment Management, says that recent turmoil in the banking industry 'will do the additional work' of tightening credit conditions to get inflation down, but creating a recession in the process, with the downturn taking hold late this year or in 2024. Because this recession is 'a typical, monetary-policy induced recession,' Jolly expects that policy can normalize quickly, which should limit the downturn to the short time it takes to slay the inflation dragon. Also on the show, Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, makes a niche-focused financial-services fund his ETF of the Week, noting that it could start trending positively as the banking sector moves past recent problems. Plus, we revisit a recent conversation with Whitney Tilson of Empire Financial Research.

James St. Aubin, chief investment officer at Sierra Investment Management, says that we are looking at 'unusually uncertain times given what the market is trying to process right now,' specifically how the increased cost of credit and the decreased availability of credit will work its way through the economy. St. Aubin -- who uses a quantitative, tactical approach -- says the market could go in any direction from here, but he notes that there is more downside risk here even though the economy appears to be only facing a mild recession. He says that equity markets look vulnerable now, which should make investors consider risk management to ride things out. In the Market Call segment, David Rolfe, chief investment officer at Wedgewood Partners, talks about picking highly concentrated stock portfolios, plus Chuck answers a listener's question about whether or not to pay down debt -- rather than plow money into savings -- while inflation is running higher than standard dividend yields or interest rates on bank deposits.

Terri Spath, chief investment officer at Zuma Wealth, says that investors should be looking for ways to play a slowing economy and a light recession, and she says that international stocks are likely to outperform U.S. stocks while that plays out. She also is adding to domestic fixed-income exposure with both Treasuries and high-yield corporates, noting that the latter is an asset class she would not have touched as recently as last year. The show also debuts a new regular feature called 'Find Me the Money,' featuring forensic accountant Tracy Coenen talking all about the importance of honest family conversations and disclosures about money. Plus, Matt Brannon discusses a recent Clever Real Estate survey on how Americans are feeling and handling financial stress, and Chuck answers a question about the new Apple savings account, the technology giant's latest foray into the financial world.

Jeffrey Hirsch, editor-in-chief of the Stock Traders' Almanac, discusses 'calendar effects' -- the traditional 'Sell in May and go away; buy in October to get yourself sober' strategy that may not kick in this year until as late as June, but which should involve avoiding the worst of the year and a lot of market softness but no recession. Hirsch notes that since World War II the market has made most of its gains between October and April and this year is no exception, which will leave the market looking at a squishy, back-and-forth summer before things pick up again near the end of the year. Also on the show, Liz Weston of NerdWallet discusses how people can and should consider Social Security in ways that will maximize their payouts, delivering the best long-term impacts of the program; David Trainer of New Constructs puts First Solar -- a stock that's a darling of ESG funds -- into the Danger Zone, anticipating an earnings miss, and Matt Schulz of LendingTree discusses the site's latest survey showing what happens when parents give children access to their credit and debit cards.

Mona Mahajan, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones, says that the economy is headed for a mild recession likely to hit home during the second half of 2023, but she notes that last year's big drop in the stock market did a lot of work to the downside, and while the market's hot start to this year means there is room for more back-sliding, she thinks those declines are mostly buying opportunities for the recovery that will follow the recession. Mahajan isn't expecting a blockbuster bounce-back, but says that recoveries tend to be at least as long and strong as the downturns they follow. Also on the show, Jonathan Mondillo, head of North American fixed income for abrdn, discusses the municipal bond market thus far in 2023 -- when it has been swinging wildly around headlines and macro changes -- and says investors need to drill down to look at individual issuers to deal better with the mixed signals the market is sending. In the Market Call, Clark Kendall, chief executive officer at Kendall Capital Management, talks stocks.

Harin De Silva, manager of the Allspring U.S. Long/Short Equity, says that there are a lot of companies 'priced for perfection in a slowing economy in a slowing global business cycle,' creating a big opportunity for investors who are shorting stocks, betting that they will fall in price. De Silva says that the long side of his job -- finding stocks to buy -- is challenging, and he notes that his biggest concerns right now are wildcard risks like the banking crisis, war and more. De Silva expects the situation to return to more normal times -- favoring the buys and moving away from the shorts -- by the fall. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of VettaFi makes a big, brand-name fund full of giant brand-name stocks his ETF of the Week, financial adviser Robert Levitt talks about how Americans may find that their retirement savings lasts longer abroad, but notes that there are challenges to making the move, and Chuck discusses what Wednesday's inflation news does for the future attractiveness of inflation-protected U.S. savings bonds.

Craig Callahan, chief executive officer at ICON Advisers, says that the stock market is close to its fair value right now, but that 'the expensive industries the way we measure value are leading and the bargains are lagging and very sluggish,' a situation that is unsustainable and that will lead to volatile, choppy, sideways markets for the next few months. Callahan says he is holding more cash than normal but he expects to be fully invested by the fall of 2023, when he expects the market to be 5 to 7 percent higher than it is today. Also on the show, Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American Financial Corp., discusses the 'golden handcuffs' that the rapid increase in mortgage rates have put on many long-time homeowners, locking them into their properties and altering the housing market's prospects in ways typically overlooked by buyers and sellers, Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at BankRate.com discusses the site's recent survey showing that a majority of Americans are considering job changes despite of or because of current economic uncertainties, and Chuck answers a listener question on how the government's debt-ceiling problems could affect investors in ultra-safe money-market funds.

Zach Jonson, senior portfolio manager at Stack Financial Management, says there are 'so many different headwinds' facing the market that 'we feel we're not quite through this yet.' He says that macro-level indicators are suggesting that the market will either re-test prior lows or set new ones, noting that current conditions suggest that there are enough positive indicators that investors should 'sit on your hands' and stand pat while watching the technicals play out. Also on the show, Marty Fridson, chief investment officer at Lehmann Livian Fridson Advisors and publisher of the Forbes/Fridson Income Securities Investor newsletter, says that 'the very rapid, most aggressive tightening of of rates that we have seen in a number of decades is behind us,' and that the bond market is 'more normal' than it has been in years, even as pockets like junk bonds and others are still a big concern for investors. In the Market Call, Gerry Frigon, chief investment officer at Taylor Frigon Capital Management talks about buying growth stocks in a slow/no-growth environment.

Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist for Janney Montgomery Scott, says the market's wild swings after its hot start are the kind of action investors will have to put up with until the market sees inflation start to give way and confidence grows that the Federal reserve has made real progress. That said, he expects a recession this year but notes that the economy is lacking the conditions that typically make a downturn deep and protracted so he believes it will be mild and brief before a recovery starts. Also on the show, John Cole Scott, president at Closed-End Fund Advisors, discusses private equity and debt in closed-end funds as a way of diversifying yield and risk in portfolios now, Kyle Guske of New Constructs puts another electric vehicle firm onto the list of 'zombie stocks' in The Danger Zone, and Bill Davis of Stance Capital and the Stance Equity ESG Large Cap Core ETF talks stocks in The Market Call.

Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. says investors should minimize portfolio moves — mostly to place a slightly greater emphasis on bonds — as they won't be waiting long to see a mild recession lead to a reasonably robust recovery. Schutte expects small-cap companies and international investments to be among the leading group, with large stocks suffering during the decline Also on the show, Tom Rieman, head of wealth solutions at J.D. Power, discusses the firm's look at how investors are largely dissatisfied with their current financial advisers after struggling through 2022, and Tom Lydon from VettaFi makes a fund with an entrepreneurial focus his ETF of the Week

Alan Gayle, president of ViaNova Investment Management, says that positive economic fundamentals are being tempered and offset by higher inflation and interest rates, giving investors a laundry list of concerns over growth and the stock market, but he notes that the bond market is looking more like its old self than it has in years, giving investors asset allocation choices that will help them ride out the brewing economic storm. Also on the show, Everett Millman, precious metals specialist at Gainesville Coins, discusses why gold has been on the upswing despite not effectively playing its traditional role as an inflation hedge over the last few years, Ted Rossman of CreditCards.com covers a survey showing that consumers aren't effectively using credit card rewards, and Chuck talks about how now is a time when investors may want to focus on 'active holding' rather than buying or selling securities.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital Management, says a mild recession is coming, and he is diversifying internationally as part of his moves to deal with it, noting that international markets not only have valuation advantages against their U.S. counterparts, but as a currency play, noting that a rally in the yen or the Euro would create a tailwind for investors. In The Book Interview, Marc Lichtenfeld, chief income strategist of The Oxford Club and author of 'Get Rich With Dividends' -- the new third edition was released today -- talks about dividend strategies in a rising-rate environment. Plus, Chuck takes a contentious listener question about laddered portfolios now, and Sam Huisache of Clever Real Estate talks about the alarming rate of inflation in home prices compared to the higher prices consumers are paying on everything else.

Fritz Folts, chief investment strategist at 3EDGE Asset Management, says he is doubtful that the market's current rally can go on for too much longer, and when he sees profit levels decline it will be time to lighten up on equities and buckle up for a recession and downturn. In The Big Interview, he says the firm is diversifying and nimble, with real assets, TIPs and other fixed-income securities providing ballast to a portfolio that includes a lot of international exposure to balance out domestic equities. Greg McBride, chief financial strategist at BankRate.com discusses the firm's recent survey showing that online savings accounts have become much more attractive, but investors and savers aren't using them despite their improved payouts, David Trainer of New Constructs puts Carrier Global Corp. -- with highly overstated street earnings -- in the Danger Zone, and Charlie Bobrinskoy of Ariel Investments talks about 'Warren Buffett style value investing in The Market Call.

Carley Garner, senior commodity strategist at DeCarley Trading, says that 'people are way underallocated,' nervously sitting in cash and Treasuries while waiting for market troubles to play out, but when those investors get FOMO -- a fear of missing out -- and the money starts flowing back into investments, it will lift both the stock and bond markets. DeGarner expects a big comeback in 60-40 portfolios this year and says that several commodities markets are now trading at levels that present a good opportunity for investors to get back in, in turn spurring the FOMO of investors to help the rally pick up speed. In The Big Interview, Jeff Weniger, head of equity strategy at WisdomTree Asset Management, notes that the year has been a surprise due to the banking crisis and other problems that didn't stop the NASDAQ from having its best quarter in years, and he expects the market to digest problems and get healthier over the next six months. In The NAVigator segment, Cheryl Pate of the Angel Oak Financial Strategies Income Term Trust discusses the nation's banking concerns but notes that in those pains she sees 'a once-in-a-decade opportunity for the banking space.' And in the Market Call, Ken Laudan, manager of the Buffalo Large-Cap Growth fund, talks high-quality, defensive investing now.

Brian Levitt, global market strategist at Invesco, says the current troubles with the banking industry and the market's struggles with inflation are setting the stage for a new cycle, noting that if inflation comes down and the Fed backs away from its stance it typically will improve conditions for investors. Levitt notes that investors are wondering whether the current situation looks like the 1990s -- when a downturn represented a great opportunity -- or like the 2008 financial crisis, where recovery took much longer, noting that he doesn't see conditions looking like they will result in the protracted, painful downturn. Also on the show, Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, plays the uptrend in cryptocurrency with his pick for the ETF of the Week, and Nancy Tengler, chief investment strategist at Laffer Tengler Wealth Management, talks about finding growth at a reasonable price -- and what constitutes 'reasonable' -- in the Money Life Market Call.www.invesco.com/us

Whitney Tilson, chief executive officer at Empire Financial Research, says that while headlines are driving investors to distraction, the stock market right now is neither too hot nor too cold. Other than regional banks, he says there's no blood in the streets, the market 'isn't screaming cheap or hugely overvalued either,' making this a time for investors to grind it out and work on their holding, rather than buying or selling. 'The key,' he says, 'is not in picking the next calamity, but avoiding the crazy nonsense.' Sarah Foster discusses her recent story on Bankrate.com on how inflation is damaging the finances of younger generations and how that has the potential to damage the economy as Gen Z and millennials adjust their spending and savings habits. And, in the Market Call, Kathy Boyle, president of Chapin Hill Advisors looks at the macro picture and talks about which exchange-traded funds can take advantage of the current opportunities.

Steven Dover, chief market strategist at Franklin Templeton and head of the Franklin Templeton Institute, expects a modest recession where investors can benefit from riding it out with a greater exposure to fixed income and a more-balanced portfolio, but he also notes that there are plenty of worrisome wildcards that could impact the market and economy. Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, says the market is going through 'a bottoming process,' but needs more confirmation that a new uptrend has developed before shifting from a current-defensive stance to something more aggressive; he is looking for better performance from growth stocks moving forward, noting that they typically thrive about six months after a rate-hike cycle peaks. Plus, in The Book Interview, author Liz Hoffman tells tales of pandemic perseverance and recovery as detailed in 'Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink.'

Charles Rotblut, editor of AAII Journal, says the last 15 months have shown a persistent lack of bullish sentiment, with roughly 20 of the 70 lowest readings ever for optimism in the American Association of Individual Investors sentiment survey, a weekly poll that dates back to 1987. Likewise, bearishness has been near record levels consistently. Rotblut notes that the survey did not show this kind of consistent high-pessimism/low-bullishness sentiment during the global financial crisis, the dot-com bust, the Gulf War and more. Also on the show, Mervin Jebaraj discusses the National Association for Business Economics study released today showing that more than 70 percent of economists believe the Federal Reserve will not be able to get headline inflation numbers to or below 4 percent this year. In The Danger Zone, David Trainer of New Constructs, singles out MGM Resorts International as the stock with the most overstated street estimates, and discusses how that is likely to translate into continued deeper declines, and Gary Bradshaw od the Hodges Funds talks about blue-chip stocks and growth stories in the current market during the Money Life Market Call.

Tom McClellan, editor of The McClellan Market Report, says that the market is just starting a whole lot of market pain that will continue into 2026 before reaching a real bottom and the start of another long-term buying opportunity. McClellan says there will be great trading opportunities within the downturn -- including the month of April -- but emphasized that the economy has a lot to digest before real recovery begins. Jose Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers, expects a recession to begin in the second or third quarter of 2023, but says the decline is likely to be shallow, extending for six to 12 months depending on how the Federal Reserve responds to it. For investors looking to deal with those issues, Steve O'Neill, from RiverNorth says in The NAVigator segment that municipal bond closed-end funds are 'in the 99th percentile of cheapness,' making them a good relative bargain for investors willing to ride out the current storm. And in the Market Call, Allen Bond, head of research at Jensen Investment Management, discusses high-quality businesses at reasonable prices.

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at BankRate.com, says that the Federal Reserve made it clear on Wednesday that it still needs to fight to get the Fed Funds rate above the rate of inflation to put the brakes on the economy, and while the Fed seemed to hint that it would only hike rates one more time this year, it's entirely possible that there will be more increases. What there won't be are rate cuts; McBride sizes up what it all means for consumers in The Big Interview. Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi, turns to a popular and trending gold fund as an inflation/banking alternative with his 'ETF of the Week' and, in the Market Call, Brian Bollinger, president at Simply Safe Dividends talks about 'dividend safety scores' and finding appropriate income levels given rising rates and inflation.