Send us a text On this podcast I cover the recent volatility in the market. We discuss everything including today's market moves as they occured. Among the topics covered: The recent market volatility and the reasons behind it. The impact of tariff policy on markets, the economy, and global trade A broad look at performance beyond just the S&P 500. This includes International and Emerging Equity Markets, Real Assets, Core Bond and High Yield Bond Markets. The benefits of diversification year...
Apr 10, 2025•52 min
Send us a text On this episode I'm joined by Matt Norton, the Chief Investment Officer for Municipal Investing at Bernstein. Matt and I discuss the importance of municipal bonds in an investment strategy. Among the topics we discuss: The pros and cons of a buy and hold strategy, the importance of credit research, how Matt's team uses AI and data science, the outlook for interest rates, and the financial health of state and local governments. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own...
Mar 05, 2025•29 min
Send us a text On this episode I review markets in 2024 and share the outlook for 2025. Topics include: The state of the economy Our outlook for interest rates and fed policy What election results mean for the economy, markets, and tax policy The potential collision course between the bond market, the fed, and proposed policies AIs impact on the stock market and current valuation levels This episode is a replay of a client webinar from January 2025. With any questions or comments, or to discuss ...
Jan 28, 2025•40 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Send us a text On this episode I'm joined by Anne Bucciarelli, a Director in Bernstein's Wealth Strategies Group, who focuses on Family Engagement within the Ultra-High Net Worth space. Anne and I discuss her team's recently released research piece "Wealth Beyond Measure". The research sits at the intersection of wealth, business, and family. Anne's team interviewed families with net worths ranging from $100 million to $4 billion. On the podcast, we review the research and learn the top concerns...
Dec 02, 2024•34 min•Season 9Ep. 11
Send us a text The stock and bond markets continued to rally through the 3rd quarter. Investors are excited about the growth of their portfolios and also nervous about the future. For the first time in years, the Fed has cut interest rates. Topics covered include: the impact of elections on markets under various scenarios, the performance of stock and bond markets, how to think about bonds and cash in an environment of declining interest rates, how the national debt figures into the picture, and...
Nov 04, 2024•35 min•Season 9Ep. 10
Send us a text Earlier this month I was joined in New York City for a lunch and learn with Chris Cillizza, the author of the book Power Players: Sports, Politics, and the American Presidency. This episode is the recording of that discussion. Chris talks about various President's unique relationship with sports and the insights you can gain into understanding their Presidency through looking at them through this lend. He discussed how Presidents use sports to help them connect with the American p...
Nov 03, 2024•53 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Send us a text How risky is the national debt? What's the different between the deficit and the national debt? How long until the debt becomes a problem? What can we do about it? Are the solutions only political? As an investor, how does the increase in the national debt impact how you allocate capital today? I dig into all of these questions and more with Chris Brigham, a Senior Research Analyst at Bernstein, who has led much of a research on the US national debt. With any questions or comments...
Sep 19, 2024•35 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Send us a text The first half of the year was largely very productive for investors. Stocks reached new highs while bonds held steady with yields as high as we have seen in over a decade. I’ll cover the following topics and more: The performance of stock and bonds markets year-to-date; The outlook for inflation, the fed, and interest rates; What is driving the stock market higher and how to think about it going forward; Is AI a game changer for investing; How the election might impact the econom...
Jul 26, 2024•42 min•Season 9Ep. 7
Send us a text On this episode I'm joined by Roosevelt Bowman, Senior Investment Strategist at Bernstein. Roosevelt and I discuss all the hot topics in the markets today: Fed policy, inflation and interest rates, the outlook for the stock market, S&P 500 concentration, and how to be opportunistic. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own financial situation, I can be reached at marc.penziner@bernstein.com or 212-969-6655. The information presented and opinions expressed are sol...
Jun 18, 2024•30 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Send us a text The importance of creating a financial plan, in which care for a loved one is paramount, is critical for many investors. In some cases, these plans include creating a Special Needs Trust ("SNT") as well as maximizing government assistance from Social Security and Medicaid. On this episode we dive deep into this important topic with Ashley Velategui, a Director in Bernstein's Wealth Strategies Group. We explain how Special Needs Trusts work, their special features, and how to most ...
May 08, 2024•27 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Send us a text The first quarter was terrific for stocks, but just two weeks into April that may already feel like a distant memory. As discussed in my last quarterly update, the fed and interest rates were the focus to start the year. And while the delay in interest rate cuts came as a surprise to most market participants, it was in line with my outlook last quarter. Topics covered in this episode include: The state of the economy and why delayed rate cuts shouldn’t come as a surprise The perfo...
Apr 25, 2024•36 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Send us a text Everywhere you look people are talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI). How will AI change the world? Will AI put millions of people out of work? Will AI mean a stock market boom or the end of many companies as we know them? Why is AI powering the S&P 500 gains of the past 6 months and is it sustainable? I dig into all of these questions and more with Chris Brigham, a Senior Research Analyst at Bernstein, who has led much of a research on Artificial Intelligence. With any q...
Mar 06, 2024•29 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Send us a text As we get closer to April 15th taxes take center stage. On this episode I walk you through all the reporting information to pass along to your accountant or tax preparer. I cover when reports will be released, which reports to use, which reports are best for each account type and need. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own financial situation, I can be reached at marc.penziner@bernstein.com or 212-969-6655. The information presented and opinions expressed are sole...
Feb 16, 2024•8 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Send us a text 2023 was an interesting year for stocks. Commonly held worries about inflation and a slowing economy were proven incorrect. After 3 quarters of middling returns for stocks and negative returns for bonds, 4th quarter was a period of enormous gains for investors across all asset classes. On this episode I cover 2023 with a focus on 4th quarter and provide the outlook for where go from here. The performance of stock and bonds markets in 4Q 2023 and for the full year; The likely path ...
Jan 22, 2024•38 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Send us a text The end of the year always comes with lots of discussions about capital gains, income, and all aspects of taxes. This episode is a deep dive on taxes and how best to manage a portfolio to limit the tax liability. To learn more I'm joined by John McLaughlin, the Director of Tax and Transition Services at Bernstein. We cover everything from how managing for after-tax return is not only an end-of-year exercise; how to customize a portfolio for every investors unique tax circumstances...
Dec 12, 2023•30 min•Season 8Ep. 9
Send us a text The 3rd quarter was a period of change for investors. Stocks continued to rally early in the summer but then as investors began to digest a new interest rate regime, stock and bond markets sold off meaningfully to end the quarter. Treasury yields have risen to rates not seen in over 15 years. On this podcast I delve into the following topics and more: The performance of stock and bonds markets year-to-date; Why the economy continues to be resilient in the face of much higher inter...
Oct 27, 2023•39 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Send us a text As the world gets smaller more and more families are living cross border lives. With family members living in multiple countries the planning concepts and tax considerations only get more complex. To learn more about how global families have unique investment and financial planning challenges I'm joined on this episode by Chris Opie, a Managing Director at Bernstein who leads the firm’s global families practice. We cover everything from the complications of US citizens marrying no...
Jul 27, 2023•23 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Send us a text The first half of the year had stocks in rally mode and bond markets stabilizing. We have reached the inflection point where the next steps by the Fed are likely to decide the course of markets over the remainder of the year. On this episode I cover: The performance of stock and bonds markets year-to-date; Why the US stock market is up so much; The recession that’s always predicted by some but has yet to arrive; How to play the bond market with rates now much higher; Our outlook f...
Jul 27, 2023•47 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Send us a text On this episode I'm joined by Roosevelt Bowman, Senior Investment Strategist at Bernstein. Roosevelt and I discuss all the hot topics in the markets today; fed policy, inflation, the banking crisis, the debt ceiling, and how to be opportunistic. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own financial situation, I can be reached at marc.penziner@bernstein.com or 212-969-6655. The information presented and opinions expressed are solely the views of the podcast host commenta...
May 16, 2023•36 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Send us a text The first quarter saw a recovery in both stock and bond markets but questions and worries remain. Topics covered include: The performance of stock and bonds markets year-to-date; A deep dive on bond portfolio positioning; The impact of the Silicon Valley Bank failure; The outlook for inflation, the fed, and interest rates; Planning for the debt ceiling; Projections for returns across various asset classes moving forward. This episode is a replay of a client webinar from April 2023...
May 02, 2023•42 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Send us a text The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (“SECURE”) Act of 2019 was the most significant retirement-related legislation since the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The Act significantly altered the estate planning landscape for retirement account owners by eliminating the stretch IRA for most non-spouse beneficiaries and introducing new rules for trust beneficiaries. To learn more about tax and estate planning with retirement account I'm joined on this episode by Be...
Apr 05, 2023•24 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Send us a text On this episode, I'm joined by Jed Lewin, an expert real estate broker at The Agency. Jed and I discuss all aspects of the residential real estate market from both the buyer and seller’s perspectives. We address how buyers can make their offers more attractive, and Jed shares his advice on how to position your property for sale. We also assess how rising interest rates are changing the real estate market. We dive into the complexities of the NYC market and get Jed’s outlook for th...
Mar 08, 2023•26 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Send us a text After a historically bad year for both equity and fixed income markets investors are wondering if the traditional stock/bond asset allocation framework is broken. At the same time alternative asset classes such as private equity, private credit, hedge funds, and even crypto have all risen in popularity. How does this all come together for investors? How should investors think about the risks and rewards when moving outside the traditional stock/bond asset allocation framework? To ...
Jan 20, 2023•22 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Send us a text On this episode we focus on how best to protect your assets from fraud, identity theft, and all other forms of financial crime. I'm joined by FBI Supervising Special Agent Milan Kosanovich. Milan specializes in white collar crime and has spoken internationally on topics ranging from cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, and corporate fraud. We cover everything from ways to protect your credit, best practices for password management, and avoiding complex financial schemes. With any questi...
Oct 20, 2022•23 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Send us a text Stock and bond markets continued to decline in the 3rd quarter. This made for one of the more difficult investing environments in a number of years. But there is a path forward and a way to manage your finances through this period of volatility. On this episode I cover: How we got here and where we go from here The fed rate hiking policy and what it means for both the economy and markets The impact and outlook for bonds given the rise in interest rates Maximizing return on cash to...
Oct 18, 2022•44 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Send us a text So much economic news has been coming out of the US that it is easy to forget about the investment landscape across the rest of the globe. On this podcast we focus on international investing. To learn more about the topic I'm joined by Moira McLachlan, a Senior Investment Strategist at Bernstein. Our discussion ranges from why investors should look overseas, to handling geopolitical risk, investing in China, considering emerging markets, and more. With any questions or comments, o...
Sep 08, 2022•30 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Send us a text Market volatility across nearly all asset classes dominated the 1st half of 2022. Inflation worries and recession concerns are contrasted by a strong labor market and continued growth of corporate earnings. On this webinar I cover: The likelihood of a recession What the stock and bond markets are currently pricing in If inflation has peaked How to think about bonds while interest rates rise Should you be buying now, and if so, what and how? This episode is a replay of a client web...
Aug 02, 2022•47 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Send us a text No two families are the same and no two families think about their wealth the same way. The success of a financial plan strikes the right balance between the monetary goals and emotional well-being. To learn more about how this can be done, I'm joined by Anne Bucciarelli, a Director in Bernstein's Family Engagement Institute. We cover a range of topics from: How do I ensure that my heirs have the necessary skills and to successfully steward our family’s wealth? What is the “right ...
Jul 05, 2022•26 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Send us a text The start of 2022 has been a difficult year in both stock and bond markets. This episode is a replay of a client webinar from May 25, 2022. Topics I covered include: Our forecast for the economy Where the stock and bond market go from here Positioning updates in portfolios This episode is a replay of a client webinar from May 25, 2022. With any questions or comments, or to discuss your own financial situation, I can be reached at marc.penziner@bernstein.com or 212-969-6655. The in...
May 31, 2022•23 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Send us a text Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing is a topic on every financial tv show, radio program, and newspaper. ESG can be a catch all term that ranges from "green investing" to a much more nuanced research approach. To learn more about the topic I'm joined by Roosevelt Bowman, a Senior Investment Strategist at Bernstein. We discuss everything from how to understand an ESG investment, the potential trade-off in risk/return, and how ESG has recently performed. With any questio...
May 26, 2022•21 min•Season 7Ep. 6
