Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Jeff Weniger, head of equity strategy at WisdomTree Asset Management, seems to only be half joking when he says investors might want to be bullish right now just because they would be the last bull standing, but he also notes that long-term investors, in conditions like these, must bite their lip and keep buying equities. That said, he thinks some of those equities should be international, and he particularly likes Japan right now. In an extended Danger Zone segment, David Trainer, founder and president at New Constructs, taslks about how the market's turmoil is putting an end to the momentum trades which made it harder for him and his analysts to find a catalyst that would trigger the troubles in a Danger Zone stock; he says that more Danger Zone picks are likely to realize their downside potential quickly now, and then singles out Tesla — which his firm has had in the Danger Zone for years as it kept growing to new heights — in line for a haircut of as much as 80 percent from already falling levels. In the Market Call, Bryan Lee, chief investment officer at Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, discusses "opportunistic value" and whether the current market conditions have created those opportunities yet.

Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, says that investors should allow the market to settle down and they regain solid footing with their investments, but should use current nervousness and anxiety as a guide on how to remake their portfolio to be more stable regardless of conditions. Frick says he felt that the market was getting scary at the beginning of the year, so he reduced his exposure to stocks and started to prepare against sequence-of-returns risk because he is nearing retirement, and he says investors need to be much more focused on their internal risk-tolerance measures than anything that the market is doing to get through current conditions and plot for a future that is different economically, and that may not come back to the norms of recent years until there is more clarity on policies. Michael Kahn, senior market analyst at Lowry Research Corp., says the stock market had gotten "extremely oversold" before the government's tariff announcements were made, which made for a perfect set-up for a big market decline. While the cause of the downturn is unusual, Kahn says that the technicals are not, and that investors should be looking for confirmation that the tide is turning; even then, however, he warned that investors should be cautious buyers, at least until tariff plans are more clear and certain. Plus John Cole Scott, president of Closed-End Fund Advisors — the chairman of the Active Investment Company Alliance — checks in on how closed-end funds have performed since the tariff announcement, particularly bond funds that have seen yields changing as part of the fixed-income market's response to the news; he discusses discount levels, strategies that closed-end fund investors might use now, and how the current situation compares in closed-end funds to the market decline around the Covid pandemic.

Megan Horneman, chief investment officer at Verdence Capital Advisors, says that despite the painful volatility and the rising potential for recession, investors should be looking for opportunities, particularly in the areas that have been most hurt by the market decline after recent tariff announcements. She notes that global small and mid-cap stocks are in bear-market territory, pricing in a recession, heightened inflation and more. "The times when everybody is running for the doors, that is when you want to go in," Horneman says. She's not racing into the market and urges patience, but she believes investors can be aggressive now and be happy long-term with the results. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, turns to a commodity fund for his ETF of the Week, looking for a portfolio diversifier that will not move in sync with the market. Brian Mulberry, portfolio manager for Zacks Investment Management, talks stocks in the Market Call, and Chuck looks at what was, for most investors, the largest single day's gain they have seen in their lifetimes and how to use the recent stress and relief as a means of gauging if your portfolio is properly positioned for your needs and mindset now.

Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, says that unless an off-ramp to current government policies can be found, he expects a recession that is starting now and likely to last nine months. He has raised his likelihood of recession to 55 percent, but said you can see already a pullback in orders, which in turn will lead to a price shock, and then pullbacks in spending and ultimately labor that will complete the slowdown process. Brusuelas expects a 1 to 1.5 percent spike in inflation in the next two to three months, which would push inflation above 4 percent, yet he does not foresee the Federal Reserve acting quickly to mitigate the downturn. "They're going to be a bit late," Brusuelas says, in forecasting the first rate cuts no sooner than June. Also on the show, Roger Conrad, editor of Conrad's Utility Investor and The REIT Sheet talks dividend investing and how it is being impacted by the market moving away from all-time highs and staring down bear-market conditions.

JoAnne Bianco, partner and portfolio manager at BondBloxx, says that investors should be re-assessing risk and deciding if the market's current moves are an over-reaction that could rebound or something more sticky, and she notes that some fixed-income assets have been the best performers this year. She notes that long-duration Treasuries and U.S. corporate bonds have been stellar and seem to have priced in a lot of the turmoil, and she expects those asset classes to be less volatile than the market generally. She also likes the big payouts — without heightened default rates — in high-yield bonds now. Andrew Guillette discusses the latest U.S. investor survey from Broadridge Financial Solutions, which showed that one of the best ways to get better performance is to add some individual stocks to a balanced portfolio of mutual funds, with the single names helping to boost gains and put a strategy over the top. Plus Kirk McDonald, portfolio manager at Argent Capital, makes his debut in the Market Call talking mid-cap stocks, and Chuck talks about the moves he thinks nervous investors can make now that give them more control without blowing up their portfolio based on short-term market moves.

Terri Spath, chief investment officer at Zuma Wealth, talks about actionable steps investors can take now — and that she has taken for her clients — to mitigate anxiety amid the uncertainty of the current US stock market. Specifically, Spath is diversifying into investments that have a negative or no correlation to the U.S. market, buying gold, long-duration Treasury bonds and stepping up exposure to Germany and Japan; despite the turmoil, she still expects the stock market to finish 2025 with a solid year and reasonable gains. Chuck discusses what he took away from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's speech last week at the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing Conference, and also lays out some key points that he believes will help investors get through what should be a very rough week. Plus Jillian Berman, a reporter and editor at MarketWatch, discusses her new book, "Sunk Costs: Who's to Blame for the Nation's Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It."

Duane McAllister, senior portfolio manager at Baird, says investors are right to be leaning into the fixed-income market as a safe haven amid current market turmoil, noting that the relationship between stocks and bonds has normalized, unlike 2022 when bonds moved in sync with stocks and investors lost money in both. With yields relatively high and holding steady, McAllister said bonds are proving their value as safe, stable holdings. Kerry Sette, head of consumer insights and research at Voya Financial, discusses the firm's latest consumer survey which showed that there is a growing fear that the economy and inflation will have a major impact on the ability to accumulate retirement savings. John Cole Scott, chief investment officer at Closed-End Fund Advisors, answers audience questions on finding the best closed-end funds, spotting pending distribution cuts and more, and in any sector, and Peter Tuz, president of Chase investment Counsel, talks growth stocks in the Market Call.

Tom Samuelson, chief investment officer at Vineyard Global Advisors, says the market's long-running bull market is "on thin ice right now," from a technical standpoint, having fallen below its 200-day moving average, leaving the market "at a really interesting juncture," and making him defensive, building more cash, loading up on utilities and safe sectors and waiting to see how it plays out. Samuelson says that if the market breaks down -- with a decline accelerated by reactions to government tariff policies -- it could drop another 15 percent or more, putting the market squarely into correction territory off of its February highs. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, is more interested in the recent rally in international stocks than he is in the possible impact of tariffs on the markets there, and picks a T. Rowe Price international fund as the ETF of the Week. Susan Fahy discusses the latest Credit Gauge from VantageScore, which shows that the resumption of student loan payments has negatively impacted credit scores and will drop them further, as other indicators suggest consumer finances are slowly declining. Plus Mike Bailey, director of research at FBB Capital Partners, brings his "beat and replace" approach for stocks to the Market Call, and Chuck gives his initial take on what Wednesday's tariff news means for consumers.

Jim Masturzo, chief investment officer for multi-asset strategies at Research Affiliates, says that despite the uncertainty surrounding tariff policies and geo-politics, international markets remain attractive and with a better valuation than domestic markets. But those global markets may also get a boost from the Trump Administration's plans to weaken the dollar — a dollar that Masturzo says his firm believes is currently 25 percent overvalued — so he emphasized that investors should not "fight the Treasury," and should instead follow its actions to more international exposure in their portfolios. Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association, discusses the latest Beer Purchasers Index, which shows that forward-looking demand for beer is contracting, a sign that consumers may be looking to pull back on spending. Plus, Taylor Krystkowiak, vice president and investment strategist for the Themes ETFs discusses some popular investment themes — and the stocks that best represent them — in the Money Life Market Call.

Lawrence McMillan, president of McMillan Analysis, says the market has been in an oversold rally and is currently correcting as it comes out of that. He sees deteriorating breadth but still thinks this could be what he called "a healthy correction." McMillan says if the Standard & Poor's 500 can't hold the 5400 level, he would expect it to drop to 5000, a move big enough to put the stock market into bear market territory, a decline of 20 percent from market peaks in February. Wade Pfau, professor of retirement income at The American College of Financial Services, returns to the show to discuss updates to "Retirement Planning Guidebook: Navigating the Important Decisions for Retirement Success," and discusses the trend of investors trading some potential returns for more certainty, using annuities and reverse mortgages to secure income. Plus Wayne Thorp, head of research and analysis products for the American Association of Individual Investors — who created AAII's growth investing strategy — talks growth investing amid declining growth in the Money Life Market Call.

Harvard University economist Jason Furman — the former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers — says that the tricky thing in forecasting now is high levels of uncertainty, particularly in terms of how much business and consumers pull back based on current conditions; if there's a recession, he says it will be spending cutbacks that trigger it. Furman notes that the average tariff rate is now back to levels from the 1940s, and while he says he'd be shocked if it triggers a Great Depression, it could trigger a recession where the loss of economic growth and higher inflation results in the effective loss of about $2,000 per family. Kyle Guske, investment analyst at New Constructs puts CoreWeave — Wall Street's latest big IPO — into the Danger Zone right out of the box, and Barry Ritholtz of Ritholtz Wealth Management returns to the show to discuss his new book, "How NOT to Invest: The Ideas, Numbers, and Behaviors That Destroy Wealth — And How to Avoid Them."

Julius de Kempenaer, senior technical analyst at StockCharts says that the stock market at current levels is unattractive, because "the upside potential is now way more limited than the downside risk," and he expects that risk to be realized in a decline that could drop the market by another 5 percent or more. De Kempenaer says this dip won't feel much like a buying opportunity, because the market will need several months or quarters to finish a rotation and find a new base to build on. He notes that investors have been gravitating toward bonds, another sign that they are concerned about the market's ability to keep generating gains. Jordan Lopez, manager of the Payden High Income fund, says high-yield bonds have been improving in quality, despite the higher interest rates of the last few years, and he expects the trend to continue, to the point where the market for junk bonds now looks more like what investment-grade bonds used to be. Plus, Eric Purington, portfolio manager for the Aberdeen Global Income Infrastructure fund, discusses the potential of middle-market infrastructure plays, and MarketWatch columnist Brett Arends discusses his latest piece, which suggests that the Trump Administration needs a weaker dollar to make its plans work, and that a recession may be a required part of that calculus behind tariffs and inflation-fighting strategies.

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at BankRate.com, discusses how the site's latest survey shows that Americans are tapping into emergency savings increasingly to pay ordinary expenses. He talks about the dangerous spiral that a growing number of consumers are on, as they begin to exhaust emergency funds and have to rely increasingly on credit cards, currently carrying record-high interest rates. Rob Nestor, president of Turing Technologies, discusses the evolution of "high-conviction investing," and how focusing on the investment ideas that money managers most believe in can deliver results that beat indexes. In the Market Call, Greg Halter, director of research at Carnegie Investment Counsel, makes his debut on the show, talking stocks.

Danielle DiMartino Booth, chief strategist at QI Research, says that she remains concerned about the economy in the short run because Congress isn't being "brisk and efficient" in delivering on the promise of de-regulation and lower taxes. Since those potential policy benefits haven't shown up — but the uncertainty of tariff policies has — she is expecting a bumpy economic road ahead. She does say that inflation may be having less impact than consumers say it is having, but she notes that consumer fears are real and are contributing to her feelings that the economy will struggle to regain momentum. Speaking of tariffs, Chuck answers a listener's question on how they are supposed to work and why he has been saying the dollar must be weaker for them to achieve President Trump's stated goal. Plus, Ted Rossman discusses a Bankrate.com survey which showed that Americans with checking accounts have maintained the same account for an average of 19 years, which may mean they are missing out on opportunities to get more from their most basic bank accounts.

Scott Brown of Brown Technical Insights says that the market traditionally is weak during the first quarter of a new presidential cycle, but he notes that the third week of March is also when that tends to change and the market reaches the bottom of that cycle. He says we're still in a secular bull market, with April and May historically providing some runway. As a result, Brown expects a bounce and says "It's not the time to be turning negative now," though he notes that if the seasonal rally fails to materialize, then conditions could be weaker than expected. Also on the show, David Ellison, portfolio manager and financial services specialist for the Hennessy Funds, says that interest-rate cuts may, again, not have their traditional impact on stock and bond markets, and veteran financial journalist Allan Sloan "has fun with numbers," talking about the market's recent decline in numbers — rather than points on a stock index — and noting that it amounted to roughly $6.5 trillion until Monday's market rebound.

Dhruv Nagrath, director of fixed-income strategy at BlackRock, says that it's "easy to make a healthy return in your fixed income without taking too much risk," so while there are opportunities out the risk scale all the way out to high-yield and junk bonds, he notes that investors can stay safe and come away happy with their gains. Nagrath discusses what he expects to happen to bond yields when the Federal reserve starts cutting rates, how bonds are likely to perform relative to stocks in that environment, and where he is finding the right mix of risk and reward. Veteran financial journalist Herb Greenberg discusses "Stock Promotions Gone Wild," a recent piece he wrote after seeing company presidents hyping their shares in ways that, historically, executives have avoided, and why such promotions may be a red flag. Plus, David Trainer of New Constructs puts Wayfair back in "The Danger Zone," noting that the stock -- which he previously labeled a "zombie stock" -- remains in among the walking dead, likely on the way to losing nearly all of its value.

The show wraps up interviews taped at FutureProof Citywide in Miami today, with Joe Terranova, chief market strategist at Virtus Investment Partners noting that the Trump Administration is not disturbed with the recent price action on the stock market, because they know that the economy must cool off to get lower interest rates and energy prices. Moreover, he notes that a prolonged tariff battle will impact earnings growth, which will be the key determinant of what the market can achieve this year. Tony Rodriguez, head of fixed income strategy at Nuveen, expects the Federal Reserve to make two interest-rate cuts this year and talks about the asset classes that will benefit the most from them. Barry Martin — the manager of Shelton Equity Income — discusses where investors can find strong income now, using options as an overlay to goose returns. The show also features interviews with Laura Lutton, global head of manager research at Morningstar, and Brad Smithy, head of wealth management at Elevation Point.

Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief at Investopedia, says that uncertainty is kryptonite to investors and he worries that the longer current worries about tariffs, inflation, recession and more drag out, the more people could stop believing in long-term investing and stop their "relentless bid" where they put money into retirement plans with every paycheck. The market will keep going — perhaps slower, and possibly with a bear market and a possible recession — so long as the money keeps flowing, and he sees that stemming the tide of any declines. That is one of four interviews from FutureProof Citywide in Miami Beach this week; Chuck also chats about the markets with Don Calcagni, chief investment officer at Mercer Advisors, and Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. Plus, after Todd Rosenbluth, the head of researchat VettaFi makes a Vanguard quality-based fund his ETF of the Week, Chuck finds longtime friend and former Money Life regular Tom Lydon at the conference and they catch up on other developments in the ETF world.

Emily Roland, co-chief investment strategist at John Hancock Investment Management, says she is minimizing geopolitical inputs right now because it's impossible to make investment decisions around uncertainty. She says it's particularly important right now to focus on fundamentals and what's real — "We're investing in companies not countries" — and she is not buying the long-term hype on Europe because she says the recent rally doesn't have a strong foundation to stand on. That's one of four interviews from FutureProof Citywide in Miami Beach for today's show. Chuck also talks emerging markets and global income investing with Dan Shaykevich, head of Multi Sector Strategy, co-head of Emerging Markets and Sovereign Debt with Vanguard, discusses the evolution of new financial products with Alec Davis, head of enterprise reporting at Pitchbook, and covers the stock market and being a patient investor in impatient times with Eddy Elfenbein, editor of the Crossing Wall Street blog and portfolio strategist for the AdvisorShares Focused Equity ETF.

Money Life goes to the beach for the rest of this week, with Chuck conducting interviews at FutureProof Citywide, a festival for financial advisers held on Miami Beach. His first conversation at the event was with veteran CNBC personality Ron Insana, now the head of wealth at QuantumStreet AI, who says investors are right to be concerned about current levels of valuation and also geo-political policy uncertainty, but who doesn't see market issues extending to a level of a crash or crisis. The show also features Stephen Tuckwood, chief investment officer at Modern Wealth Management, leading financial adviser Michael Kitces, the head of planning strategy at Focus Wealth Partners, and Jeff Garden, chief investment officer at Lido Advisors, who makes a notable case against investing internationally — particularly in Europe — as a way to diversify a portfolio now.

Jonathan Treussard, founder of Treussard Capital Management, says that the current market decline is not a real surprise, but the whipsaw of emotions — moving from a can't-miss certainty that things were going up to hand-wringing today — is taking investors by storm, making them want to take actions even when the best strategy is to ride this out. "Success grows in silence, and the market is really attuned to noise," Treussard says. "Your job is to sit there with peace in your heart and focus on the silence." Kate Byrne, head of Vanguard Cash Plus discusses a recent Vanguard Consumer Savings Survey which showed that six in 10 Americans did not completely understand how interest rates can impact the money they save, which is why nearly half of them who are currently saving are settling for accounts earning less than 3 percent interest. Kyle Guske, investment analyst at New Constructs, puts Trupanion back in the Danger Zone, noting that the pet-insurance company is barking louder as a dog despite recent pullbacks after an earnings miss.

Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer at The Leuthold Group, says that stock market swings have had increasing impact on economic growth and the rate of inflation in recent years — "Price is a fundamental," he says — and that means the current downturn in the stock market could deliver a recession. At the same time, if the market moves from current correction-levels to bear-market levels, he expects inflation to then ease up and to help drive a potential recovery. Charles Rotblut, editor at AAII Journal, discusses the latest investor sentiment survey from the American Association of Individual Investors, which just hit its third straight week with bearish sentiment above 57 percent and bullish sentiment below 20 percent, a three-week stretch in both numbers that has never been seen since the survey started in 1987. While sentiment levels didn't hit these levels during events like the Dot-com Crash and the Great Financial Crisis, Rotblut noted that when sentiment reaches bearish extremes, the market typically has rebounded in six months, which bodes well for a recovery before year's end. In the NAVigator segment, Roxanna Islam, head of sector and industry research at VettaFi, discusses the Invesco Closed-End Fund Income Composite ETF — which she considers the "Standard & Poor's 500 for closed-end funds" — as it celebrates its 15th anniversary and crosses $800 million in assets.

Shelly Antoniewicz, chief economist at the Investment Company Institute, says that consumers currently expect that they will wind up paying about half of the costs added to goods by tariffs — meaning they will pay 10 percent more when an item is facing a 20 percent tariff — and she says that a cutback in consumer spending would dramatically change the economic picture, since it makes up about two-thirds of GDP. Along with declining consumer sentiment, Antoniewicz says that investors are reacting to current market performance and heading toward money-market and bond funds, waiting before they are willing to buy into the dips. Speaking of concerned and conservative investors, Todd Rosenbluth — head of research at VettaFi — picks an ultra-short and ultra-safe bond fund as his "ETF of the Week," and Chuck recounts three conversations this week with friends who are dealing with the market differently as they struggle to find some peace of mind amid current concerns. Plus, Chip Lupo discusses a WalletHub survey which showed that Americans can agree on something, namely that tipping is wildly out of control.

Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco, says she is still holding to the optimistic scenarios she had entering 2025, but she acknowledges that the potential for a recession grows by the day, given tariffs, a potential resurgence in inflation, fiscal pressures resulting in cuts to government spending and more. Still, Hooper's base case remains positive and she warns that investors can't afford to get spooked out of the market by short-term temporary declines. Jordan Grumet of the "Earn and Invest" podcast, discusses his new book, "The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness and Leave a Lasting Legacy," plus Aaron Schumm of Vestwell talks about how consumers and workers can improve their savings — and American could make a dent into its savings crisis — by using new platforms that allow money to be set aside not just into retirement plans but for college savings, emergency funds, health care and more.

Brian Nick, head of portfolio strategy at NewEdge Wealth, says nervous investors should not be rooting for interest rate cuts, because they would be cheering for the economy to get worse, and the stock market would likely suffer as that happens. On the current suffering, Nick is not cowed by the last few days, noting that the "abrupt switch" in markt mentality is not the end of the bull market and economic growth cycles. He says the chances of recession are up, but that investors should diversify their way through the bumpy road ahead. Gregory Harmon, founder and president at Dragonfly Capital Management, says the market remains in "a really positive range," and the current consolidation isn't an issue until or unless the market starts making lower lows, signalling a potentially more significant and lasting change of direction. Cody Barbo, chief executive officer at TrustandWill.com discusses the site's 2025 Estate Planning Report, which showed that 20 percent of Americans have "completely abandoned traditional American Dream ideals."

Jeanette Garretty, chief economist at Robertson Stephens Wealth Management, says the economy remains on a solid growth path, generating new job creation and steady unemployment that should prop the economy up against trouble. That said, she acknowledges that consumers are scared and may be starting to hesitate, which could quickly change the circumstances. Garretty notes that the stock market is pricing in what it expects to see from the economy in roughly nine months, and concerns over tariffs and geopolitical issues are leading people to want to make knee-jerk reactions before the market has a chance to really digest and sort out what lies ahead. Those reactionary impulses are also showing up in consumers, as witnessed by John Egan, who discusses a new study from Creditcards.com, which shows that nearly 20 percent of Americans are "doom spending" in order to get ahead of tariff-driven price increases. Chuck takes a listener's question about whether current conditions really do represent a buying opportunity, and David Trainer of New Constructs puts a mid-cap fund that gets a four-star rating from morningstar in The Danger Zone.

Ed Clissold, chief U.S. strategist at Ned Davis Research says that he expects the stock market to back off of its current "pretty elevated" levels as it prices in a discount for uncertainty. "Whether or not you think in the long run that changes by the Administration are good or bad, while we go through them means that probably valuations need to be lower," Clissold says, noting that the discount will be accompanied by choppier market action, heightened volatility and more pullbacks and corrections. Further, Clissold notes that the situation could last until the economy digests a workforce shift as public workers move into jobs in the private sector and consumers curb spending during the adjustment period. D.R. Barton Jr., director of market research for the Foundation for the Study of Cycles, says the current cycle may be changing, and he is watching whether the Standard & Poor's 500 can stay above its 200-day moving average, which it has been close to breaking the last few days. Barton says the pullback could reach the point of being a correction -- a decline of 10 percent or more -- if the trend line is broken, but he thinks the market needs to take a breather and re-gather itself before it can resume making real progress. Kimberly Flynn, president of XA Investments, says healthy borrowers and minimal defaults make the loan space attractive, with concerns over tariffs and Federal Reserve policies leading to more volatility but also new opportunities.

Meb Faber, chief executive and chief investment officer at Cambria Investments, says that the cheap global stock markets are up 15 percent already this year, where the United States has been flat — "if you heard about geo-politics, you'd assume the opposite" — and he says that investors should be moving away from domestic issues to buy more global companies. Faber promises — and delivers — "a warning, an idea, a curiosity and something you've never heard of before" in today's Big Interview, and also gives his take on how to approach current events, asset allocation, cryptocurrencies and more. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, also goes global on this show, looking to China internet stocks — one of those booming global markets — vettafi.com with his ETF of the Week. Plus Stash Graham, managing director at Graham Capital Wealth Management, talks stock investing in the Market Call.

Adam Hetts, global head of multi-asset at Janus Henderson Investors, says the stock market entered the year in "goldilocks mode," at all-time highs and with positive conditions, but the late-cycle economy is facing policy drag and "a lot of those risks have teeth," which is bringing recession back into the conversation. Hetts adds that with a market near record levels, it makes the current rally feel fragile, as if it's easier to move down than keep climbing, and he says there may be a correction as the market re-assesses its current standing, which could create new buying opportunities. Allison Hadley discusses a Howdy.com survey showing that many Americans would leave their job if it weren't for the need for their current health insurance coverage. Plus, Chuck answers a listener's question about fairness in setting up gift and legacy accounts for grandchildren, and Jay Woods, chief global strategist at Freedom Capital Markets, talks stocks in the Market Call.

Eric Stein, head of investments and chief investment officer for fixed income at Voya Investment Management, says that the "sequencing of policies" is impacting the market now, noting that if the Trump Administration had done supply-side reforms and de-regulation first, it would boost the market, but instead the first moves have been tariffs, which has made the market outlook tougher. Still, he's expecting a modestly positive year, buoyed in part by the market's "self-correcting mechanism" that will react to tariff policy and impact how and how long those policies stay in place. Veteran technical analyst Martin Pring of Pring Research and the Intermarket Review says that the primary trend he's seeing in the market remains bullish, and the signs that we are nearing a market top are balanced by indicators showing there's more room to run. David Callaway, founder of Callaway Climate Insights, discusses how energy stocks could be set up for a fall; they have boomed as an AI-adjacent play because artificial intelligence requires high levels of power, but got hammered when the market was disappointed in the results at companies like Nvidia. Plus Andrew Graham of Jackson Square Capital talks stock investing in the Market Call.

Greg Daco, chief economist at EY, says the national financial numbers are strong, but the high level of uncertainty has the economy nearing a tipping point and making recession more likely. He sees the potential for consumer issues and a recession, and says there is a real -- but modest -- chance of stagflation putting the Federal Reserve in a real policy bind. Sarah Wolfe, senior economist and strategist for thematic and macro investing at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, talks about what other economists are thinking, as she highlights the March Economic Policy Survey, released today by the National Association for Business Economics. David Trainer of New Constructs revisits Carvana, a stock which has defied gravity for over a year; he says it can't shake its status as a zombie stock headed for a massive decline. John Barr, portfolio manager for the Needham Funds, discusses his aggressive growth strategy in the Market Call.

Finance professor Meir Statman, author of "A Wealth of Well-Being: A Holistic Approach to Behavioral Finance," says the headlines and geopolitical risks that have investors and consumers scrambling for a plan of action are not that different from past times, and that taking a deep breath and calming down will be a lot better than altering financial plans or stocking up and filling "that refrigerator you keep in the garage." Statman acknowledges that inflation is scary — particularly because it removes a measure of certainty from pricing — but says that acting scared has never served investors and consumers well. In The NAVigator, John Cole Scott, chief investment officer at Closed-End Fund Advisors, is back and answering more listener questions, this time on business-development companies, highlighting how they are different from closed-end funds but should be included with closed-end funds for portfolio-construction purposes. In the Market Call, Daniel Dusina, director of investments at Blue Chip Partners talks about how he finds "underappreciated quality companies."

Veteran personal finance journalist John Waggoner stops by to answer the questions that experts are getting at the grocery store, the doctor's office or anywhere someone can inquire about whether current events — and fears over the potential future of tariffs, Social Security, Medicare and more — need to be addressed by financial moves now. Waggoner notes that people who crave some certainty and comfort can make moves — like considering annuities to bolster retirement income — but he suggested keeping changes to a minimum and avoiding knee-jerk reactions. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, looks at bitcoin mining — and compares the investment allocation possibilities of the crypto world versus gold and gold miners — with his pick for "ETF of the Week." Will Rhind, chief executive officer at GraniteShares talks about disruptive stocks — his firm runs the Nasdaq Select Disruptors ETF — and business-development companies in the Market Call.

Crit Thomas, global market strategist at Touchstone Investments, says that he entered the year cautious given political uncertainty and the impact of tariffs and other new policies, and that the market has moved from high levels of optimism more towards his level of concern. He's taking a wait-and-see approach to international investing now, and he's expecting higher volatility with less progress while the market sorts it out. Where the market still expects double-digit earnings growth — a key driver if returns are to achieve that level — Thomas sees more muted growth and a possible correction as forecasts are missed, leading to a year in which the market's best outcome would be high single-digit returns. Allison Hadley discusses a BadCredit.Org survey which showed that Americans say that inflation has made the cost of friendship significantly higher; more than one third of Americans say they are isolating due to cost of living. In the Market Call, Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research at Morningstar, talks about ETFs and where active and passive strategies offer potential advantages.

Veteran technical analyst Adam Grimes of MarketLife says that the market "just doesn't look right or feel right" to keep rolling along. It's not the kind of market that can support a big move upward, and is more likely to spend the year range-bound, in a protracted "chop and flop." That doesn't mean Grimes is down on the market, because he says this could be "a healthy psychological reset;" as that reset happens, Grimes said he would cut back on active and aggressive moves and stay patient looking for declines that will represent buying opportunities. Susan Fahy, chief digital officer at VantageScore, discusses the firm's CreditGauge measure, which shows credit card balances and consumer delinquencies on the rise, although at modest levels; overall indebtedness declined, driven primarily by consumers paying down existing mortgage debt and not buying new homes. Plus,small-and mid-cap portfolio manager Lance Cannon of Hood River Capital Management returns to the Market Call, and Chuck answers a listener's question about building the conservative side of an asset allocation while worrying about sequence-of-return risk.

Bill Stone, chief investment officer at Glenview Trust, says that the stock market has priced in so much good news that it makes him want to be more cautious, looking into headline risks for potential value opportunities. Stone notes that the stock market has had previous periods with three strongly positive, consecutive years — and it could complete that process again this year — but it makes him nervous that the market could adjust and re-set. That's not pushing him out of stocks, but has muted his expectations. Charles Rotblut, editor at AAII Journal, discusses the organization's investor-sentiment survey, which shows that nervousness is on the rise, but so is bullish sentiment. Kyle Guske, investment analyst at New Constructs looks at large-cap value funds and finds an attractive pick this week — rather than looking for the standard Danger Zone trouble spot — noting that even in a category that is doing well, top potential performers stand out. Plus, author Ross White discusses his recent book, "The Tree That Bends: How a Flexible Mind Can Help You Thrive."

Legendary value manager Bill Nygren, chief investment officer at Harris Oakmark and co-manager of the Oakmark Fund, says "it's a pretty good time for investors, especially those who want to diversify away from the S&P 500 megacap technology risk," but he notes that investors who stick with the biggest stocks will find performance increasingly volatile and homogenous because the growth of the Magnificent Seven stocks has changed the way "large cap" gets defined, cutting the number of stocks that qualify in half over just a few years. "If you're a large-cap growth manager, you're either buying less growth, more mid-cap or you are accepting the fact that your portfolio isn't going to have much active share." Also on the show, Richard Stone, chief executive officer for The Association of Investment Companies discusses the similarities and differences in the closed-end fund industry between the U.S. and England, noting that activist investors have struggled to gain traction and acceptance in British boardroom battles. Plus Chuck discusses a recent conversation with his wife about financial priorities, and how they had very different outlooks on what they would spend money on in living a life where longevity is not guaranteed.

Tom Stringfellow, chief investment strategist at Argent Trust, said on Money Life last May that the market was having "Maalox moments," but the worries and concerns now make it a "Whac-a-Mole market." Despite that, he says the current conditions represent a return to normalcy, a new standard in which valuations may be permanently higher and stock prices keep rising so long as there is growth. As a result, his investment outlook is heavily centered on domestic stocks, which he thinks can deliver double-digit gains in 2025 for the third consecutive year. For his "ETF of the Week," Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, delves into the private credit market, something a growing number of investment analysts have been pushing but which few funds actually tackle. In the Market Call, Elliott Gue, editor of the Energy & Income Advisor, talks about income plays worth making now.

Michael Kelly, portfolio manager and global head of multi-asset for PineBridge Investments, says the market is like Star Trek, "going into a world where no one's been before," seeing new technologies like artificial intelligence become dominant, observing changes in geo-political lines and watching profits continue a trend of being high but going higher as the United States keeps getting stronger relative to the rest of the world. As a result, so long as growth continues, "the markets will come through ... so keep the seatbelt on and enjoy the ride." Author Tim Falconer discusses his new book, "Windfall: Viola MacMillan and Her Notorious Mining Scandal," reviving a tale of stock fraud from the 1960s that feels like a precursor to illegal actions seen in the markets today. Plus Jennifer White discusses J.D. Power research showing what banking and savings consumers are doing trying to get a handle on — and goose the financial performance of — accounts that seem stuck in neutral.

Jeff Rosenkranz fixed income portfolio manager at Shelton Capital Management — manager of the Shelton Tactical Credit Fund — says that what investors are facing more than sticky inflation and interest rates is sticky uncertainty. That doubt has increased volatility, especially in individual companies, industries and sectors as proposed tariffs play out, but that turbulence represents new opportunities for credit buyers, especially in intermediate term corporate and high-yield bonds. David Trainer of New Constructs puts Spotify back in the Danger Zone, noting that a recent pop in the company's stock price has inflated to the point where valuations reflect revenues so unrealistic that a 50 percent haircut in the stock would be considered mild. Plus, Ted Rossman discusses a Bankrate.com study which shows that more than 80 percent of Americans spend money on at least one of six common financial vices (alcohol, lottery tickets, casino games, tobacco/cigarettes/e-cigarettes, sports betting, and marijuana/recreational cannabis), and Scott Davies, chief investment officer at CDAM, talks small-cap stocks in the Market Call.

Jim Welsh, author of "Macro Tides" and the "Weekly Technical Review," says the technical signals that have been evident since November — with the market making new highs while fewer stocks are advancing — are "a warning sign should a reason to sell appear, and I think we're going to get one of those." Welsh thinks that tariffs and the new administration's determination to use them will likely be that trigger; while he expects the market to make one more high in the short-term, he says that if tariffs have a harmful impact, the market is setting up a 10 to 15 percent pullback in the market later this year. Julia Hermann, global market strategist at New York Life Investments thinks the economy is strong enough to overcome all but an exogenous shock — something at the more severe end of Welsh's spectrum — without a recession, although her outlook remains for "a very bumpy market environment." Jim Baker, president of the Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, says that the energy infrastructure space — which was a huge winner in 2024, with midstream companies up an average of 50 percent — is poised for double-digit gains over the next three to five years, fueled by the power demands of artificial intelligence, data centers and other applications. Plus,Tom Plumb, manager of the Plumb Balanced and Plumb Equity funds, brings his growth-oriented approach to the Market Call.

Whitney Tilson, editor at Stansberry Research, says that while there are reasons to be nervous, the market remains near record-high levels and is not showing signs that it is over-inflated and ready to burst. Tilson notes that fundamentals are strong and the U.S. has the best-performing economy in the world, so investors have correctly priced stocks at rich levels; while that makes it harder for Tilson — a value investor — to find great companies that the market has knocked down or mispriced, it doesn't make the market scary or mean that a big downturn is building. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, pursues a big yield in an unusual place — the high-flyers of the NASDAQ — with his ETF of the Week, and Cullen Roche, chief investment officer for the Discipline Funds, talks about exchange-traded funds for the long haul in the Market Call.

Tim Urbanowicz, chief investment strategist for the Innovator ETFs, says that the stock market can keep running for as long as investor sentiment remains strong, but he notes that those emotions have been at such high level that there's not much room for a setback — which could be caused by tariffs, inflation and more — without cratering the market. As a result, he thinks investors need to take advantage of current conditions — even if they are nervous — but diligent about changes in the market. Author Ryan Matt Reynolds discusses his current book, "Undoing Urgency: Reclaim Your Time for the Things that Matter Most," and Jerry Sneed, senior wealth advisor at Procyon Partners, makes his debut in the Market Call talking about stock-picking and building a portfolio amid a strong market that's facing storm clouds.

Zach Jonson, senior portfolio manager at Stack Financial Management, says current valuations "really only fall in line with 1929 and 1999, so we see substantial downside risk" to the Standard & Poor's 500, but investors can avoid "historic ber market losses" in the mega-cap stocks that have lead the market for the last two years by rotating toward the value and lagging plays. He recommends equal-weight index plays rather than traditional cap-weighted plays, and being patient with the stocks that were unloved, which will have to overcome the shifting momentum of mega caps as the market cycle changes. His sentiments about a broadening market were seconded by Patrick O'Hare, chief market analyst at Briefing.com, who says that what's coming will be more of a stock-picker's market where investors are paid for being thoughtful and discerning amid a market that's likely to be stuck in a tight range as leadership changes and amid geopolitical uncertainty. Also on the show, Chuck Bell of Consumer Reports discusses how the potential end of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will impact consumers, and Chip Lupo discusses a WalletHub study showing that Americans collectively will spend a record $14.2 billion on Valentine's Day gifts, with the average lovebird shelling out $186 this year.

Economist Howard Yaruss, a professor at New York University and the author of "Understandable Economics," talks about how tariffs work and why increasing the levies now could lead to stagflation — higher prices with a worse economy — depending on how consumers and the Federal Reserve react. Yaruss isn't predicting recession yet, but he does see the economy becoming more sluggish as businesses deal with uncertainty around tariffs. David Trainer, founder and president at New Constructs, has a surprising pick — a Magnificent Seven stock — for The Danger Zone, and Brian Frank, manager of the Frank Value Fund talks absolute-value investing in The Market Call. Plus, Chuck has a heartfelt message near the end of the show that long-time listeners -- and newcomers too -- deserve to hear.

Lauren Saidel-Baker, economist at ITR Economics, says the "green shoots have been forming" among leading economic indicators, showing that growth is ahead for the economy, along with a normalization as the last ripples of the Covid-19 economy are finally playing out. She expects the Federal Reserve to struggle or fail in its efforts to hit a 2 percent inflation target and thinks consumers should get used to higher prices, but even if tariffs add to upward pressure she thinks the economy can avoid a recession. Christian Munafo, chief investment officer at Liberty Street Advisors — manager of the Private Shares Fund — talks about late-stage venture opportunities in artificial intelligence and the hunt for the next unicorn in the overheated AI space. Martin Leclerc, chief investment officer at Barrack Yard Advisors talks stocks in the Market Call, and Chuck discusses his sure bet for the Super Bowl, namely that companies which recently went public that advertise on the broadcast are headed for trouble.

Thomas Winmill, manager of the Midas Fund, discusses how uncertainties over tariffs, trade wars and geo-politics have help boost gold prices by more than 40 percent in the last year — and mining-company stocks by even more — and yet the current level of concern is going to help precious metals go even higher from here. He explains why the higher prices are a particular boon for the miners, making them the market sector he thinks has the most potential moving forward. Dan Brown, director of consumer product management at KeyBank talks about the firm's recent research which showed that Americans have levels of financial stress which may not be fully warranted, contradicting other studies — including ones discussed recently on the show — by showing that 45 percent of respondents are confident they could manage a $2,000 unexpected expense. Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, looks to the newest bond offering from the oldest mutual fund company — one of its first ventures into running exchange-traded funds — as his ETF of the Week. Plus, in the Market Call, Wasif Latif, president/chief investment officer at Sarmaya Partners — manager of the new Sarmaya Thematic ETF — talks about the concepts and ideas that he thinks will move the market next.

Charles Piller, author of "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimers," discusses how research into one of the world's most devastating health scourges has been held back by the egos and profit motives of some of the leading researchers, and what they have done to keep their research in the spotlight even as more science shows that it might be leading to the wrong conclusions on how to combat the problem. Lindsay Theodore of T. Rowe Price talks about new research — and a planning guide created from it, that looks at life and long-term care planning for the second half of retirement, noting that for many people the golden years are two different stages that require separate financial focus to plan for correctly. Plus Dan Kim, director of research at Saturna Capital — manager of the Sextant International fund — brings his long-term focus to finding disruptive stocks to the Market Call.

Craig Callahan, chief executive officer at ICON Advisers, says the stock market is trading near its fair value, but that it has enough earnings momentum to push out an average year of gains — something in the range of 9 to 11 percent — and that it could do better if profits come in above expectation levels. He does anticipate more volatility, but figures the underlying value of stocks — especially those with quality management — should overcome headline risks. Mish Schneider, chief strategist at MarketGauge.com, says that market hysteria about headlines — and particularly some of those being created over the weekends while the stock market is closed — is creating opportunities, especially for volatility traders. Plus, in the Market Call, Matt Stucky, chief portfolio manager of equities for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management, talks about being picky in selecting stocks that can thrive in current conditions.

Emily Roland, co-chief investment strategist at John Hancock Investment Management, says "the soft landing narrative right now is alive and well," but she is watching initial jobless claims and and high-yield bond spreads, both of which have been at levels showing continued economic strength and which aren't signalling any change in that trend. She does say that investors should temper expectations because the market sits at 22 times forward earnings, with the historic peak being 24 times; while that gives some room for more upside, it suggests that solid earnings and great balance sheets -- trading at reasonable prices -- will be essential for delivering positive results. David Trainer, president at New Constructs, puts Quantum Computing in "The Danger Zone," warning that a recent decline that cut the stock price in half didn't go nearly far enough given a lack of profits and a questionable business model. Craig Giventer, managing director of portfolio strategies for Focus Partners Wealth, talks about the importance of finding "good businesses at fair prices" -- rather than bad businesses at bargain levels -- in the Market Call.