Strait to the Point: It’s More Than Oil Prices
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for a month—the first time in modern history. Its impact on markets has been broad, its resolution remains uncertain, and the range of possible outcomes is unusually wide. Through our Needs, Means, & Seams framework, we examine what this situation means for clients and why proactive diversification […]
Show, Don’t Tell: Data Visualization, Behavioral Finance, & Investor Biases
“Personal finance…is more personal than it is finance.” –Tim Maurer Behavioral finance—often truncated to BeFi in the investment industry—is the study of how real people make financial decisions, not how a textbook says they should. Research suggests that when investors can see their plan, their trade‑offs, and their progress, they report feeling more informed and […]
Market Minutes February 2026
KEY MESSAGES Markets have started the year on a high note, with both equities and credit securities delivering positive returns. Impressive fourth-quarter earnings, potentially lower interest rates in the United States, abundant liquidity, capital parked in money market funds—investors have focused their attention here, overlooking geopolitical flashpoints for the time being. The capture of Venezuela’s […]
Market Minutes March 2026
KEY MESSAGES The past few weeks have been particularly eventful, with many headlines seemingly at odds with one another. As investors are buffeted by crosswinds, some market segments have fared better than others. Global equities trended higher overall, yet the S&P 500 declined in February. The U.S. shed 92,000 jobs in the same month—the steepest […]
Market Minutes December 2025
KEY MESSAGES Compared to where they began the month, many global stock markets showed little change as November drew to a close. This perceived indifference has papered over pronounced day-to-day volatility, as equities fell in the first half only to regain lost ground in the second. The circumstances serve as a sound lesson in why […]
Tax-Loss Harvesting: Lower tax bills
Losses happen. In fact, U.S. markets have seen negative returns in roughly 1 out of every 4 calendar years over the past century. But not all red ink is wasted—especially for investors with taxable accounts—thanks to tax-loss harvesting strategies (TLH). Investors can repurpose those losses as tax savings by closely monitoring their portfolio positions, allowing […]
Market Minutes November 2025
KEY MESSAGES Fueled by interest rate reductions, a strong start to the third-quarter earnings season, and sustained enthusiasm for AI-related investments, global markets trended positively throughout October. Naturally, these positive forces have been well-received. What was less expected was the muted reaction toward the longest U.S. government shutdown in history—although now resolved after a small […]
Fulcrum Wealth Management Surpasses $1 Billion in AUM/AUA and Sets Sights on Expanding Advisor Partnerships
Plano, Texas – Nov 5th, 2025 – Fulcrum Equity Management, LLC, doing business as Fulcrum Wealth Management (“Fulcrum”), is pleased to announce that it has surpassed $1 billion in assets under management and assets under advisement. The accomplishment highlights the success of Fulcrum’s advisor-first approach and sets the stage for the firm’s next phase of […]
Q4 Quarterly Insights: Fixed Income Markets
With the Bank of Japan standing out as a notable exception, most central banks lowered short‑term interest rates in 2025. Tension between a slowing labor market and stubborn inflation has made each decision harder to calibrate for the U.S. Federal Reserve, however, and fixed income markets have taken notice. Far from unanimous, the year-end interest […]
Q4 Quarterly Insights: Global Equity Markets
Wall Street has an adage that stocks must “climb a wall of worry,” and 2025 was a tall one. Trade policy, AI profitability, a government shutdown, and geopolitical flashpoints dampened sentiment, yet global stock markets still delivered double‑digit returns. Timing the market is no easy task. Global equities were fueled by tariff rates that proved […]