Casual Friday: Financial Insights Ford Financial Group

This week Brian and Ryan talk about how the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached 40,000 for the first time recently as markets continue to rebound from a 5% decline earlier this year. While this has felt like a difficult year for many investors due to inflation, high interest rates, and growth concerns, the reality is that the broad market has achieved 23 new all-time highs. Other asset classes, including international stocks and commodities, have surged alongside the U.S. stock market as int...

In uncertain market conditions, cash holdings can offer a sense of security for investors. The past few years have seen significant market volatility due to various factors such as the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, monetary policy changes, inflation concerns, and technological disruptions. Amidst this turmoil, the allure of cash has grown, especially as interest rates on cash instruments have reached multi-decade highs, presenting seemingly attractive risk-free returns.However, it is cruci...

In this episode of Casual Friday: Financial Insights, Brian and Ryan delve into the recent pullback in the markets, which have dipped at the onset of the second quarter. After kicking off the year with strong gains, the landscape has shifted due to a combination of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, rising inflation concerns, and uncertainties around corporate earnings.Join us as we discuss strategies for understanding and managing through this period of heightened market volatility. W...

This week Ryan and Brian come up for air from a busy tax season to examine how current tax brackets, both personal and corporate, compare to where brackets have been historically. They also touch on the possibility of brackets changing in the future, especially in light of the Federal debt to GDP ratio (spoiler: it's high).Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fordfinancialgroupSubscribe on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen to podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Quest...

As we delve into the intensifying presidential election season, every day brings us closer to November 5, Election Day. We're witnessing what appears to be an impending rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Given the months ahead until November, it's understandable for investors to feel uneasy about the potential effects of political events on the stock market and the broader economy. The current political atmosphere is notably charged, influenced not only by the upcoming elections but ...

This week Eric and Brian review how much "dry powder" is in money market funds and how these cash equivalent investments have swollen to record levels as rates have risen. However, event the Federal Reserve has said rates are coming down, so what are investors options if those sweet interest rates on money market funds really start to fall?Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fordfinancialgroupSubscribe on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen to podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/u...