by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Economic Commentary, Market Update, Videos
Do you prefer headline-grabbing hype and echo-chamber biases, or do you just want the facts, figures, and level-headed analysis? Using consistent sources of data, assembled and organized into easily understood graphs, we’re presenting our first economic and markets...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Economic Commentary, Market Update, Videos, Volatility
Independence Day weekend, many years ago. Beth said, “Pack the car and the kids, we’re going on an adventure.” “Where are we going?” I ask. “You’ll find out soon enough.” So I play along. We turn down a side road and into the Perris airport. I see some ultralights and...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Economic Commentary, Health, Market Update, Politics, Volatility
Been there, done that. In many ways, the current market troubles are no different than previous stock market swoons. I’ve been through a lot of them, and I’ve studied almost all of them during my decades of experience navigating clients through tough times. There’s a...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® & Mark R Tracy, MBA | Enduring Principles, Market Update, Running Money ®, Volatility
You may have heard “the stock market is like a roller coaster.” We hear it all the time, but the problem is, it’s a terrible analogy. Roller coasters always start and stop at the same spot. They start by climbing a big hill at the start, and it’s all down-hill from...
by Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP® | Economic Commentary, Market Update, Running Money ®, RunninRalph
I don’t run as fast as I was able thirty years ago, and neither should we expect the economy to grow at the same rates it increased three decades ago. The current economic expansion could become the oldest in history if we avoid a recession before next July.1 In the...
