Parenting is hard. How do you explain to your upset child why you took your other child for ice cream to celebrate their “B” in math when you simply said “congrats” on their own “A” in math? There may be a perfectly defensible reason for your actions. Let’s suppose one of your children is a math whiz and the other is gifted in Language Arts. You expect an “A” from each of them in the subjects in which they naturally excel. Yet you also recognize the sacrifices, struggles, and long hours they endure to raise their typical “C” to a “B” in subjects that don’t com

Last week, the Federal Reserve (Fed), led by Chair Jerome Powell, announced its decision to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25–4.5%, marking the fourth consecutive meeting without a rate adjustment. Powell emphasized a cautious, data-driven approach, citing uncertainty over inflation, labor market trends, and the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Despite recent cooling in inflation, with core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) at 2.5% in April, the Fed remains wary of persistent price pressures and is in no rush to cut rates, projecting only two potential reductions in 2025. 

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During times like these when geopolitical headlines can be unsettling for investors, we at LPL Research like to remind ourselves of one of our key investing principles. Markets have always faced challenges —ranging from geopolitical conflicts and economic downturns to natural disasters, political upheaval and health crises. These events often trigger short-term volatility and shake investor confidence. However, historical data shows that stock markets have demonstrated a tendency to comeback after each crisis and rise over the longer time horizons. This patten underscores the importance, for strategic investors, of maintaining a long-te

It has only been about two months since the market spiraled into the April 8 correction low. The fall from grace was sharp and painful, as the S&P 500 went from a record high of 6,144 on February 19 to the April 8 correction closing low of 4,983, marking a peak-to-trough drawdown of 18.9%. Peak panic and peak policy uncertainty triggered indiscriminate selling, as the administration’s reciprocal tariff announcement created "sell now, ask questions later" sentiment among most investors. To the surprise of many, the Treasury market failed to attract any safe-haven flows amid the chaos, pushing yields substantially higher acr