Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Latest Episodes:

Little Harbor's Lundgren: 'I do, absolutely, think we're in a bubble' Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

David Lundgren, chief market strategist at Little Harbor Advisors, says he thinks the market could rally in the short-term but that it is showing signs of material weakness and is headed for bubble trouble. Lundgren, portfolio manager for the LHA Market State Shares ETFs, says that the market is building a bubble now, but it's not sending him to the sidelines because investors can make big profits during the expansion period. However, he says that unless economic rules are somehow suspended, "We have a very large decline on our hands coming down the road." Lundgren says no one can know when the bull market will end or what the bubble's burst will look like, but he expects at least a 20 percent decline. Meanwhile, however, he emphasized that a tactical investor should be trying to maximize gains now while "not getting too far away from the exits."

In the Book Interview, Peter Lazaroff discusses "The Perfect Portfolio: A Proven Guide to Smart Investing for Long-Term Success," which is not about following one "right way" to have the ideal portfolio, but rather looks at how investors can find the right mix of investments — a mix that does not have to be extensive and complicated — to provide for the rest of their lives.

Plus, John Cabell, managing director of payments intelligence at J.D. Power, discusses the firm's 2026 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, which showed that the financial health among U.S. credit-card customers is getting worse. The study found that the average total credit card monthly spend across all cardholders in the study has gone up to $1,167, an increase of $109 from last year, although that may highlight an economic divide, as financially healthy customers spend up because they see increasing value from rewards and benefits while financially vulnerable consumers are feeling greater pressure from debt and rising fees.

iShares' Akullian: Strong economic growth is fighting the inflation battle, for now Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Kristy Akullian, head of iShares Investment Strategy for the Americas at BlackRock — who says her job is to look at the economy and translate macro to markets and markets to investments — says that economic growth is strong, with numbers surprising to the upside in spite of firmer inflation, and while that has allowed the stock market to return to record highs, it should make investors nervous enough to want to diversify properly. "Higher rates that are the result of stronger growth are better for your portfolio overall," Akullian says, noting that it's why "we still have that optimism on the equity side of the portfolio" while adding that the higher yields are creating new opportunities in fixed income. Akullian says that she is "looking outside of traditional asset classes" to build in income and diversification in an era when "A.I. touches every part of your portfolio."

In "The Week That Is," Vijay Marolia, chief investment officer at Regal Point Capital, discusses the prospects for a Tesla-SpaceX merger — and whether it would be good for shareholders — after seeing Tesla unveil a rocket-powered roadster that got prediction markets buzzing on the prospect of a deal. Marolia also discusses how he is playing artificial intelligence amid sell-offs that have heightened market volatility and unnerved investors, and discusses the investment that he views as insurance against the volatile nature of the new technology. Plus, at a time when everyone is looking for ways to make their money go farther in the battle against inflation, Vijay says investors may be able to save themselves thousands by doing a simple re-evaluation on some of thir portfolio holdings.

David Trainer, founder and president at New Constructs, has been warning for a while now that some of the largest A.I. companies have so much hidden debt that they are less profitable than they seem. He thinks that trouble is coming to roost soon, in the form of lower earnings and more trouble for the Standard & Poor's 500, which is why he put the index in the Danger Zone this week. Trainer says the risk to earnings results puts valuations into question, and could be the trigger for a market correction or worse.

Dunham's Dykmans: A 'meaningful, material drawdown' is in the cards Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Ryan Dykmans, president and chief investment officer at Dunham & Associates Investment Counsel, is expecting a market downturn that comes "in large chunks," and while he is not sure of what will trigger it, he does think it won't be excessively far off. With that in mind, he discusses the importance of preparing for it today to avoid the potential to respond emotionally. Moreover, in "a much more meaningful and material drawdown," he says investors will "wish they had some dry powder." Dykmans also discusses what he expects on interest rates, the Federal Reserve and why he thinks a defensive, diversified portfolio posture makes sense even as the market continues running now.

Michael Kahn, senior market analyst at Lowry Research Corp., a CFRA company, says the market is already having a correction, with every index other than the major ones being down, and the big boys being held up by only a few large stocks. "This is a correction," Kahn says, "the question we have to answer is when it's going to end." If the market weakens from here, Kahn says it will be the largest stocks that don't hold up, but if things get better, smaller companies and broader participation will be what boosts returns. Kahn sees enough positives that he's not expecting a bear market, but instead is looking for indicators that the sliding has ended and the next leg higher is starting.

John Cole Scott, president of CEF Advisors, discusses third-quarter results in closed-end funds, noting that income held up at a time when prices were falling. Those price declines widened discounts in taxable bond funds to "the 99th percentile of cheapness," a level seen previously only during times of extreme market stress. Following those times previously, taxable bonds rebounded sharply, meaning the discount should be seen as a buying opportunity. Scott also discusses using hybrids like convertibles and preferreds, and which type of hybrid he prefers for current market conditions.

Economist Zang on gold as the ultimate hedge for today's markets Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Lynette Zang, chief executive officer at Zang International, says that between inflation and other concerns, investors need to be more heavily invested into gold to protect their savings and the value of the time they put in to build their financial nestegg. Zang says there is enough uncertainty in the global economy and the international banking system to make real assets an appropriate store of value for hedging risks, thoguh she also cautions against investing in precious metals in any way other than holding the physical metal itself.

Author Jobert Abueva discusses "The Janus Plan: A No-Resolutions Path to Begin Your Year with Intention" Janus, the ancient Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, and endings is always depicted with two opposite faces, one looking forward to the future and the other looking back at the past. Abueva says that kind of multi-directional approach is central to achieving goals and changing the course of your life for the better. While the new year creates a good time for that kind of planning, Abueva says it can be successful at any time of the year, provided there is follow-through on the plan.

Jennifer White, senior director, banking and payments intelligence at J.D. Power discusses the firm's latest research showing that Americans' financial health may not be sustainable. The overall share of consumers who say monthly expenses feel less affordable than they did six months ago is steady at 43% but people who classify themselves as vulnerable and stressed are the most likely to say their usual monthly expenses are less affordable.

MetLife's Kelly: 'Narrow booms' lead to bumpy rides, but 'Buckle up!' Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Michael Kelly, portfolio manager and global head of multi-asset at MetLife Investment Management, says the artificial-intelligence evolution has broad implications but has to this point been narrow in terms of how many companies it has impacted. That's a sign of how early into this cycle the economy is, and as the impact of A.I. starts to broaden, it will spill over into nearly everything else and will power the market higher through concerns and doubts. His advice is to buckle up and ride through the concerns and troughs, recognizing that shifts will occur but they will only slow progress, not stop it.

Deana Healy, vice president of financial planning and advice at Ameriprise Financial, discusses the latest results from the firm's "Flying Solo: Navigating Financial Autonomy" study, which found that while 89 percent of widowed Americans feel financially confident, 58 percent still wish they had someone to share financial decisions with. Well over 80 percent of respondents said they expect to remain financially solo, and that they would keep their finances separate even if they entered another relationship, but also said they have financial concerns about aging alone.

Plus, Chuck answers a listener's question about President Trump's proposal to give all Americans $5,000 if Republicans hold control of Congress in the midterm elections, but focuses his answer on how $5,000 is an achievable short- to mid-term savings goal for anyone who believes a check would be helpful but who doesn't think they wil be getting the money from the government.

Allspring's VanCronkhite: If Fed can't hit inflation bullseye, it'll change the target Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Bryant VanCronkhite, senior portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, says that with the economy at full-employment levels, he expects the Federal Reserve to shift its focus back to inflation, but he says the central bank is boxed in when it comes to making moves. As a result, he thinks new Fed chair Kevin Warsh will rely on new data to re-define inflation measures and come away with a new target higher than the traditional 2% level, which won't make consumers feel better but will calm a market worried about what the Fed might do in trying to cut inflation. VanCronkhite says he sees the artificial-intelligence evolution affecting different market-cap zones wildly differently and discusses how he prefers to play A.I. across all sectors and more.

Yelena Maleyev, senior economist at KPMG Economics discusses the October 2026 Outlook Survey released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics, which found that growth and inflation expectations are up, and that economists expect one more interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve this year, before rate moves are put on hold through 2027. Maleyev — who chairs the NABE Outlook Survey Committee — said that, on average, the economists see a tightening of monetary policy, but not a weak economy, they see the Fed as not reaching its inflation targets until at least 2028, but at least some of that is that the artificial intelligence build-out will spur both growth and inflation.

Beth Kobliner, author of the 1990s best-selling book "Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance For Your Twenties and Thirties," discusses her revised and updated book and how personal finance has changed over three decades, and whether technological advancements have helped or hurt the youngest wage-earners. She notes how "frictionless finance" tends to make money more mindless, and makes it easier for consumers to dig a hole from which it's a struggle to climb out. As a result, among the updates to her book was guidance on avoiding the effortless spend and being more mindful of where the money is going and how it gets there.

Empower's Norton: Market will grind forward as earnings cool, 'normalize' into '27 Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

Marta Norton, chief investment strategist at Empower, expects a "grind it out" market for the rest of the year, setting up for "normalization" on earnings that keeps markets moving forward but at a slower pace in 2027. Norton says there is "less of a margin of safety" for valuation and for fundamentals, "which doesn't necessarily mean the market sells off, but it means maybe some of the momentum disappears." Norton also discusses rising fixed-income yields; she doesn't expect them to keep pushing higher, but just to stay near current levels for longer, raising costs of borrowing and making the growth environment more challenging. Norton also notes that anything that makes the artificial-intelligence evolution "look like more of a belly flop than a perfect 10 dive" would be "incredibly disruptive" to both the A.I. trade and the U.S. economy.

Vijay Marolia, chief investment officer at Regal Point Capital, looks ahead to the bull market's fourth birthday this week, and discusses the surprising chances that it will celebrate another anniversar next year; he also looks at current inflation numbers and how improvement in the inflation rate won't make consumers feel any better, and looks at why 2027 will be a pivotal year for the market, and explains why he will be focused more on revenue grwth than earnings strength in the year ahead.

David Trainer, founder and president of New Constructs, puts companies likely to miss third-quarter earnings in The Danger Zone, but singles out Coherent Corp. as a stock where the numbers appear to make a miss — and a subsequent reckoning on the market — look inevitable. Trainer makes it clear that while the headlines are focused on artificial intelligence, companies hiding earnings problems through accounting tricks come in all shapes and sizes, and from all industries, with the only real question being how long they can continue to use accounting rules to mask their true financial condition.

Regions' Thurber sees plenty of worries for the market to keep climbing on Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Brandon Thurber, chief market strategist at Regions Asset Management, says that despite a prevailing sense of nervousness, the market can remain on its upswing, and is likely to see a pickup after mid-term elections and lasting at least through the first quarter of 2027. With interest rates on the rise, Thurber says the market's potential for growth hinges largely on the power of earnings, but he notes that earnings estimates are surprisingly stable, which should set up a constructive tailwind for the market. In addition, while he acknowledges the market's concern over rising bond yields, he says the reason for those increases is crucial, because if strong economic growth is driving rates up, "that continues to be a fairly constructive backdrop for risk assets."

Legendary technical analyst Martin Pring of Pring Research, says the statistics suggest that "the economy down the road will look pretty nice," leading to "an expanded expansion" that can continue while rates are rising. Pring, who has published Intermarket Review since 1984, says that the economy is currently in "Stage Four of the cycle, when bonds are bearish, commodities are bullish and stocks are bullish." He expects the Fed's recent hikes to be the first of as many as six increases over the next year-plus, noting that creating a recession is how he expects central bankers to break inflation. Until that happens, however, he notes that "Trend trumps everything," and he will continue to be invested while the bull market remains intact.

Nathan Shetty, chief investment officer at SEI, says that alternative investments have been de-emphasized by the media and investors amid the raging success of traditional equities, but says that sticky inflation and unpredictable interest rates are creating opportunities for investors to use alternatives to complement equity strategies, mitigate risk and achieve true diversification. Shetty notes that as he watches current market trends, he is "not anti-A.I., but pro-productivity," looking past the A.I. eco-system to the businesses that benefit from the evolving technology.

WCG's Leger: 'Valuations matter zero' when earnings are driving everything Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Talley Leger, chief market strategist at The Wealth Consulting Group, says he sees the stock market rallying into the first quarter of 2027, noting that "earnings drive stocks and rates make noise." At that point, Leger expects the Standard & Poor's 500 to hit the 8,500 target he set on it during a Money Life interview last January, slightly behind schedule but still reflective of a strong, continuing uptrend. Leger encourages investors to ignore the market's noise, which includes concerns over valuations, because while valuations help investors set expectations for what can be achieved, they do not put limits on how high things can go and whether they can push further from here. He says the current valuations are "robbing Peter to pay Paul," but he says that won't become a problem for well over a decade, because the boom in earnings will roll on. Leger explains that a lot of the warning signs investors are seeing right now are part of the "typical business cycle dynamic," and he expects the market to broaden out for the next few quarters and years.

Paul Benda, executive vice president for risk, fraud and cybersecurity for the American Bankers Association, discusses how consumers can protect themselves against consumer scams and check fraud. The trade group currently has stepped up its "Banks Never Ask That" campaign to help consumers recognize when scammers — armed with a convincing amount of information — are setting the hook and getting individuals to take the bait and provide details or more that could lead directly to being ripped off.

Plus, Massy Williams, head of wealth management at Vanguard discusses the results from its latest "Women & Wealth" study, which digs into four key myths about how women handle money, showing that the stereotypical ideas that women lack financial confidence, delay decisions out of fear, wanting empathy above expertise and more are outdated and incorrect.

GammaRoad's Rizzuto: A 'wider band of uncertainty' could push markets higher Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Jordan Rizzuto, managing partner at GammaRoad Capital Partners — which uses quantitative analysis of market risk through trends, economic expansion and consumer sentiment — says that the stock market's return to record highs on narrow breadth is "indicative of what you see with a market that has already sold off materially or a market that is loading up for fuel for another leg higher." Since the market has not sold off, Rizzuto believes the extreme consumer pessimism right now could power the market through the "wider band of uncertainty" it is facing to reach higher highs. He says that having trends and economic expansion factors staying positive while consumer sentiment is negative creates the kind of divergence that can set up moves in either direction that could surprise investors.

Maria Melchor, the founder of FirstGenLiving -- a site that provides financial education tailored to the experience of first-generation immigrants, students and professionals in the United States -- discusses her recent book, "Always Have Enough: How to Build Wealth When You Don't Come from Money," and how many people have to overcome cultural and familial issues beyond simply learning the right ways to handle money before they can become financially successful.

Plus, Stan Haithcock — best known as "Stan the Annuity Man" — returns to the show to answer listener questions. He helps one listener who is deciding if they should keep and take a pension, or if they should convert it to a lump-sum distribution, and the timing of when to start taking the pension and Social Security, and another whose employer, as a result of recent law/rule changes, is adding annuities to its retirement-savings plans.

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