Financial Focus – April 23rd, 2025

Financial Focus – April 23rd, 2025

Check out this week’s Financial Focus as Nate Kreinbrink and Mike VanZuiden break down what you need to know about Medicare enrollment, when to sign up, and how to avoid costly mistakes. They share tips on planning ahead, asking the right questions, and making smart choices for both today and the future.

Stress Signals

Stress Signals

  After more than two years of calm, financial stress is creeping back into the market. The chart above shows the St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index (bottom panel) plotted against the S&P 500 (top panel). The index tracks 18 different weekly data...
Estimate Erosion

Estimate Erosion

  Last week, we looked at how the market has remained fairly upbeat about earnings. This week’s discussion builds on that, digging into just how broad that optimism really is—or isn’t. This week’s indicator tracks the percentage of S&P 500 market...
Financial Focus – April 23rd, 2025

Financial Focus – April 16th, 2025

This week on Financial Focus, Mike Steigerwald and Andy Fergurson dive into the end of tax season, highlighting how unexpected investment income can trigger penalties—and how to avoid them with better planning. They also clear up confusion around tax brackets, explaining why moving into a higher bracket doesn’t mean all your income gets taxed at that higher rate.