We’ve all heard the lectures. Leverage caused the GFC. Leverage blew up Long-Term Capital Management in ’98. Leverage cratered Amaranth on a bad natural gas trade in ’06. The word itself carries decades of scar tissue, and for good reason. Pile enough of it onto a concentrated bet and you don’t just lose. You take […]
Category: Market Commentary
14
May
2026
Painting Corners to Protecting Portfolios: Former MLB pitcher Scott Karl on How Athletes Blow the Money, Alts, the Mental Side of Performance, and the NIL Era
In this episode, former Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Scott Karl traces his journey from Carlsbad baseball standout to big league starter and then into life as a financial advisor. He swaps stories with Jeff about golf trips to Bandon Dunes and his recent move from California to Lake Norman, then dives into his baseball career, getting […]
08
May
2026
MEGA to SEGA: Why Seoul beating Saxony shows just how hard it is to Diversify
Here’s the thing about volatile markets: when things are getting hit, you look at home first. It’s reflexive. Your newsfeed is dialed to the S&P, CNBC’s on in the background, the watchlist on your phone (fine, your watch) is 80% U.S. tickers. That’s where the bleeding is, that’s where your attention goes. But now? The […]
04
May
2026
Asset Class Scoreboard: April 2026
April 2026 brought a broad recovery across asset classes, reversing much of March’s losses. U.S. Stocks led the month at +10.51%, largely unwinding their -4.93% March decline and pushing their year-to-date return to +5.69%. U.S. Real Estate followed with an +8.53% gain, bringing its year-to-date total to +9.61%, while World Stocks added +7.54%, extending their […]
06
Apr
2026
Asset Class Scoreboard: March 2026
March 2026 brought a broad pullback across most asset classes to close out the first quarter. World Stocks fell -8.03% and U.S. Real Estate dropped -6.37%, while U.S. Stocks declined -4.93%. These losses pushed U.S. Stocks into negative territory for the year at -4.36%, while World Stocks held onto a slim +2.01% year-to-date gain despite […]
04
Mar
2026
A Short History of Market-Moving Middle East Conflicts
Every generation of investors learns the same lesson the hard way: Middle East conflicts spike oil and spook stocks, and then markets do whatever they want. Monday’s price action was a textbook example. US and Israeli strikes on Iran sent oil up 13%, stocks down, and bonds up in the overnight session. By the close? […]
02
Mar
2026
Asset Class Scoreboard: February 2026
February 2026 delivered another broadly positive month, with the U.S. Real Estate leading all asset classes at +5.27% and World Stocks close behind at +5.19%. These gains pushed World Stocks’ year-to-date return to +10.91%, while U.S. Real Estate climbed to +7.87% through the first two months of the year. Managed Futures posted a strong +3.04% […]
09
Feb
2026
COMMODITIES AND WORLD STOCKS SURGE TO START 2026
January 2026 kicked off with strong performance across all asset classes, led by an impressive +10.49% gain in Commodities and +5.44% return for World Stocks. Managed Futures started the year with momentum, posting a solid +4.74% return for the month. This marked a continuation of strength from the end of 2025, where the strategy had […]
12
Jan
2026
WORLD STOCKS END 2025 STRONG WITH DECEMBER GAIN
As December 2025 came to a close, markets reflected a mixed performance across asset classes. World Stocks led the way, posting a +2.57% return for the month and solidifying their position as 2025’s top performer with an impressive +32.60% gain. Managed Futures finished strong with a +1.15% return in December, marking its fifth consecutive positive […]
05
Dec
2025
Markets Cool in November: Real Estate Takes the Lead
November 2025 saw modest movements across most asset classes, with U.S. Real Estate staging a notable comeback, gaining +2.37% after October’s decline. Despite the monthly gain, U.S. Real Estate remains up 5.75% for the year. Most asset classes posted small positive returns for the month. Bonds gained +0.60%, pushing their year-to-date return to 7.43%. Commodities […]
