Money Talk

Saturday, May 17th. About that one, big, beautiful bill. This week, a 90-day U.S.-China trade deal truce boosted stock markets and eased recession fears, but small businesses remained pessimistic as shown by the NFIB index, while retail sales and industrial production data were mixed. Despite stable CPI and declining PPI, Walmart’s warning about potential price increases due to tariffs highlighted ongoing concerns about import prices and consumer costs.

Saturday, May 3rd. What's a McRecession? GDP declined due to surging imports. Consumer Confidence hit COVID-era lows. ISM Manufacturing and new export orders dropped sharply. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen discuss these trends in the Week-in-Review. Our Spring-Cleaning theme focuses on pruning your investment portfolio, while Ask Annex addresses a bond-related question.

Saturday, April 19th. A sprint before the stumble Is Q2 GDP growth masking a Q3 slowdown? Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen break it down in our Week-in-Review, exploring how early boosts could fade without trade policy changes. Curious about true financial planning? Mike Kirk reveals what it is—and what it isn’t. Plus, Ask Annex returns with practical tips on planning for a longer retirement.

Saturday, April 12th. So much for Wednesday. Market sensitivity to geopolitical developments and trade policies led to a wild week. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Business owners know all too well that being asset rich, yet cash poor leads to challenges. Learn more how Annex Private Client is equipped to assist.

Saturday, April 5th. Policy: Bite the Bullet. Post Liberation Day, President Trump said, "The operation is over, the patient lived." For investors looking at their portfolios, it could have felt like an operation performed without anesthesia. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present the Week-in-Review. Learn more about our series of Financial Literacy Month webinars and Ask Annex returns with a question about a Roth conversion 'ladder'.

Saturday, March 29th. Policy: This may hurt a bit. With "Liberation Day" coming up quickly, the market has been moving in anticipation of the pain. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Deanne Phillips offers some behavioral finance tips and Ask Annex has suggestions for someone with various accounts spread across multiple advisors.

Saturday, March 22nd. The faint aroma of stagflation. The Fed is tapering QT. What's that signal to the markets? Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Also, what are Cash Balance Plans and why are they so powerful for the right company situation? Tom Parks from our Retirement Plan Services team outlines why auto enrollment in 401ks are leading to the slippery slope of employees using them for emergency funds.

Saturday, March 15th. Growth: From Bump to Slump? Consumer and business sentiment jumped higher after the election, but lately....not so much. Brian Jacobsen presents our Week-in-Review. We focus on volatility this week: historically, psychologically, and via the lens of our recent Navigating the Market presentations.

Saturday, March 8th. March. In like a lion. Week #7 for the Trump administration. Bumpy jobs data, shifting tariff policy, and volatile markets created a see-saw week. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. We'll also cover investing diversification and Ask Annex has a question about short selling.

Saturday, March 1st. Consumer confidence drops. Consumer confidence in February fell 7 points, the biggest drop since August 2021. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Also, learn more about Passion Assets and how to handle them with a well-constructed estate plan.

Saturday, February 22nd. Hitting the pause button. Fed Minutes: The official line is that policy risks are balanced, but the subtext is inflation is more of a concern than labor market weakness. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. If you've got a family cabin/cottage/camp/hideaway, what is the best way to pass it to the next generation? High five for 401ks; participation has now crossed 50% of employees. Tom Parks of our Retirement Plan Services department has the details.

Saturday, February 15th. Lots of tariff talk, but little action 25% steel and aluminum tariffs scheduled to begin March 12. Reciprocal tariffs in the mix, probably after April 1. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Leaving a legacy? Amy Kiiskila from Annex Private Client covers inheritance planning.

Saturday, February 8th. Not a trade war. Yet. Mexico and Canada tariffs on ice. 10% tariffs on China in effect. China retaliated, kind of. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about the 'How to NOT ruin your kids with money ' event on the 20th.

Saturday, February 1st. DeepSeek week. More questions than answers. The week was action-packed, starting with the DeepSeek freakout. Is the technology that much more efficient? Did China cheat? Regardless, the way forward is likely less about the chips and more about the apps and uses. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. We also cover the Great Baby Boom Wealth Transfer---and recap an Axiom poll using 20/20 hindsight.

Saturday, January 18th. Here come the earnings. S&P 500 earnings are expected to increase 11.7% y/y in Q4, which would represent strongest growth in three years. Brian Jacobsen presents our Week-in-Review. Also, what is 'Key Person Insurance' and why do even small companies need to consider it? Ask Annex looks at chasing returns and the viability of cryptocurrency.

Saturday, January 11th. How 'bout that job number? The latest jobs number blew past the estimates. Mirage or for real? Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about the power of Roth conversions and get a preview of Thursday's Women & Wealth presentation at our headquarters.

Saturday, January 4th. Out with the old, in with the new. A year of convergence or divergence? US earnings growth is likely end around 9% higher in 2024 than they were in 2023. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Arabella Parins joins the show to discuss distribution planning, a key component of any financial plan.

Saturday, December 28th. Year-in-Review Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen review 2024 and look ahead to 2025 planning and investing.

Saturday, December 21st. The Grinch Returns. When optimism is rising and market multiples are expanding, it just takes a little fear to take the veneer off a market rally. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Also this week, what's a Finfluencer and should you listen to them?

Saturday, December 14th. Bracing for a trade war. Tit-for-tat: China is now probing Nvidia for anti-monopoly practices. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. We'll share a preview of Thursday’s 'Saving the Family Cottage' presentation. And with Yellowstone's season finale this weekend, we'll share some ideas that might have saved the Dutton family ranch.

Saturday, December 7th. An economic wrestling match? E-commerce booms with record sales; brick-and-mortar lags but reflects resilient consumer spending. And we keep seeing record market closes. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. What's Warren Buffett's philosophy on sharing details of estate plans? Amy Kiiskila, wealth strategist with Annex Private client, breaks it down.

A decent week of economic data. Brian Jacobsen presents our Week-in-Review. Learn the 6 benefits of trusts and the steps to selling a business. Dave Spano and Brian discuss a tragic and expensive mistake someone made by skipping due diligence.

Saturday, November 23rd. Trading one uncertainty for another Election uncertainty has been replaced with policy uncertainty. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. What is the value of an advisor? Brandon Lehman, director of Annex Private Client explains.

Saturday, November 16th. Policy coming into focus. President-elect Trump is building out his cabinet while making day-one priorities clearer. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. As earnings season winds down, what are we seeing and are there any trends?

Saturday, November 9th. The post-election show. What might happen now that the election has concluded? Our Investment, Retirement, Tax, and Estate Planning teams share their views.

Saturday, November 2nd. Bad, but distorted. An absolute clunker of a jobs report landed Friday. Was it really that bad? Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen discuss during our Week-in-Review. HENRY's are High Earners Not Rich Yet. Ryan Van Blarcom of Annex Ignite covers their challenges and opportunities.

Saturday, October 26th. The Beige Flag. The latest Beige Book dropped. On balance, economic activity was little changed in nearly all Districts since early September. Most districts reported declining manufacturing activity. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Also, learn more about how the wealthy tend to fly under the radar.

Retail sales showed unexpected strength in September. Meanwhile, labor strikes and hurricanes disrupted manufacturing output. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about the 4% rule in financial planning (and if it is effective) and we'll open the mailbag for Ask Annex.

Saturday, October 12th. How to herd cats. Let's talk about those Fed Minutes FOMC Minutes. Everyone agreed they should cut. A "substantial majority" wanted 50 bps. "Some" wanted only 25. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about Thursday's Women & Wealth presentation: Avoiding Fraud & Financial Exploitation.

Saturday, September 28th. China hits the stimulus button. The first China Shock was in the 2000s when they joined the World Trade Organization and manufacturing jobs followed. Their slow growth has been a shock. This past week, policymakers got off their duffs and announced some stimulus measures. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Annex Private Client is a powerful partner for entrepreneurs and business owners, Brandon Lehman has an overview. Is it time to invest in art? That question and more during Ask Annex.

Saturday, September 21st. A catchup cut. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell showed he's a lawyer, talking out of both sides of his mouth. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Also on the show, a look at the role of our Client Service Managers who dot I's and cross T's. Learn more about Thursday's 'Light the Night' event with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Ask Annex returns with another batch of great questions.

Saturday, September 14th. Crunch time. Fed is set to cut rates. Messaging will be more important than the magnitude of cuts. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. The number of 401k millionaires is up again. How do they do it and how can Annex help your employees? Tom Parks of our Retirement Plan Services team explains how.

Saturday, September 7th. Macro matters. At a corporate-level, things weren't horrible. In fact, earnings have been generally better than expected. Brian Jacobsen presents our Week-in-Review including coverage of Friday's jobs number. We'll have an overview of our Investment Intel series---and link up with Fred Coleman and Matt Morzy for Ask Annex.

Saturday, August 31st. How about a Nothing Burger? Nvidia's earnings were supposed to be "make or break" for the markets. Their earnings were good, but their forecast was a little light. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review with the latest earnings of note. Learn more about next weekend's divorce presentation at our headquarters and we'll also profile our Investment Committee.

Saturday, August 24th. The Powell Pivot. The highly-anticipated Jackson Hole Fed meeting did not disappoint. CEO Dave Spano and Chief Economist Brian Jacobsen discuss in Week In Review. Also: Don't let a bad 401(k) presentation derail you from planning retirement, and Ask Annex.

Saturday, August 17th. Recession fears fade. Underlying trend is towards decent, but slower growth. We'll discuss during our Week-in-Review. Also, Destination Retirement, Are We There Yet returns Tuesday and Deanne Phillips has a preview. Ask Annex covers the possibility of a LARGE contribution into an HSA, Target Date fund costs, and ROI on a college degree.

Saturday, August 10th. Fasten your seatbelts. Earnings to the rescue. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present the week-in-review. Learn more about our upcoming Sandwich Generation presentation and Matt Morzy and Fred Coleman are back with Ask Annex.

Saturday, August 3rd. From soft-landing to stall speed. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. The Mag 7 is more like Meh. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. The last thing you want to do is get to the retirement phase of your life, only to be underwhelmed. We'll discuss ways to avoid letdown in retirement.

Saturday, July 27th. It's GO time. GDP growth was good, not great. But it doesn't need to be. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present the Week-in-Review. What are the 7 money lies we tell ourselves---and why is the 7th the most important?

Saturday, July 20th. Coverage and conversation from the RNC. From our studio at the Pfister branch of Annex Wealth Management, we chatted with various newsmakers and opinion leaders like Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Ted Kellner, Rob Hutton, and Tulsi Gabbard.

Saturday, July 13th. Riding the rotation. Small caps got a boost when inflation came in lower. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about the Annex Experience while Ask Annex tackles a question about taking Social Security and plowing it back into the market.

Saturday, June 29th. Inflation: Price wars ahead. Crunchy chips? Nvidia couldn't stay King of the Hill. And what's the latest PCE number mean for the markets? Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. We'll cover steps to consider when selling a business---and meet Jeff Pierce, the new president and COO of Annex Wealth Management (don't worry, Dave Spano isn't going anywhere).

Saturday, June 22nd. Who is King of the Hill? Who's on top for market cap? It depends on the day. MSFT and NVDA are duking it out. Much is pinned on growth since MSFT's earnings are almost twice Nvidia's. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Learn more about Roth 401k's for 2024 and how some are using 72T's for penalty-free withdrawals from an IRA account and other specified tax-advantaged accounts.

Saturday, June 15th. Back on track. And AI again? CPI May: headline was flat for the month. After three months of veering off-track, the disinflation bus is back on the road to 2%. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present the Week-in-Review. Learn more about the unique financial planning needs of medical professionals. Ask Annex covers a question about a new job with a not-so-great 401k.

Saturday, June 8th. Meme mania is back. Roaring Kitty or Grumpy Cat? The market seems grumpy about good data. Mainly because the data are mixed. Dave Spano and Brian Jacobsen present our Week-in-Review. Losing a spouse is tough but we've got useful advice on what to do in the first year of widowhood.

Saturday, June 1st. Growth slowing to a crawl Government COVID stimulus created a sugar high. We're coming down. Brian Jacobsen has our week-in-review. Learn more about the Annex Insurance Assessment, a powerful tool to spot strengths and weaknesses in your insurance coverage.