The S&P 500 closed 2025 with an impressive 17% gain, underscoring the market’s resilience and strength. That strong finish came despite a challenging start to the year.  In this update, we revisit what last year’s swings taught us and look ahead to how broader market participation is shaping the landscape for 2026.

We discuss what the latest rate cut, added liquidity, and what Fed policy outlook could mean for markets—and why, we believe, that long-term, goals-based planning remains prudent.

Consumer sentiment has fallen to one of its lowest points of the current expansion, but the broader economic picture is more balanced than the headlines suggest. Inflation expectations are stabilizing, markets have held up, and long-term trends offer perspective. (podcast)

September is the only month in market history with a negative average return. But that reputation is shaped by a handful of extreme events, not steady seasonal weakness. Here’s how to view September in context—and why disciplined, long-term investing turns uncertainty into opportunity.

Join Vector’s Jason Ranallo as we explore stock market highs, robust earnings, and the future of interest rates in our latest podcast episode. Read, watch or listen.

Markets are setting records, the national debt ceiling just jumped $5 trillion, and home affordability is nearing a breaking point. In this episode of Well Balanced, we unpack what these all-time highs really mean.

Moody’s has lowered the U.S. government’s credit rating from AAA to Aa1, citing persistent fiscal deficits and rising interest costs. Join us as Jason talks through the implications on Treasury interest rates. (podcast)

The latest GDP report shows a dip—but there’s more to the story. In this podcast, we unpack what’s behind the headlines, from an import spike to shifting market reactions. Explore why context matters more than first impressions.