Justin Cowell - Wealth Strategist/ACT Wealth Strategies, LLC

Steady Fed policy and unexpected tech news shaped February's markets. This month's Market Insights breaks down what drove performance and what investors are continuing to watch in 2025.

Monthly Market Insights | February 2025 Stocks rallied in January on upbeat Q4 corporate reports and solid economic news that quieted talk of an inflationary comeback.

From Fed rate cuts to record highs, Q4 wrapped up a strong year for markets. Our January Quarterly Market Insights breaks down what drove performance and what investors are watching in 2025.

Quarterly Market Insights | January 2025 The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.07 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 6.17 percent. By contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up only 0.51 percent.1

Stocks edged lower in October amid pre-election jitters and solid Q3 earnings reports, while investors kept a close eye on economic data pointing to a potential "soft landing."

Monthly Market Insights | November 2024 Stocks fell in October as pre-election jitters hung over trading while solid but not spectacular Q3 corporate reports failed to buoy spirits.

Q3 saw a Fed-fueled rally, but what's next? Our Quarterly Market Insights for October explores the latest economic indicators and what investors may be talking about in Q4.

Quarterly Market Insights | Q3 2024 Investors welcomed the Fed’s decision regarding short-term interest rates, causing stocks to post solid gains in the third quarter.

Stocks edged higher in August as investors monitored economic reports for the Fed's next move with short-term interest rates

Monthly Market Insights | August 2024 Stocks edged higher during a volatile month of trading as investors monitored economic reports about the Fed’s next move with short-term interest rates.

I've ranked the best places to store capital! While some options might be better than others, it all comes down to your personal goals and objectives. Enjoy! 💼💰

The stock market rallied in Q2 around AI and hopes that the Fed will manage interest rates with inflation trending lower.

Quarterly Market Insights | Q2 2024 Following a rocky start, stocks finished the second quarter higher as investors remained optimistic the Fed will manage interest rates with inflation trending lower.

Budgets don’t make you wealthy.

Whether or not you consider yourself an Entrepreneur, you still own a business. The business is your financial household. Just like a business, you have Revenue (earned income and earnings on investments). Just like a business, you have costs to acquire sales (taxes, inflation, lost opportunity costs).

Now, imagine a business that does $1,000,000 in annual sales. Can you assume that business made $1,000,000? No. Because you have no idea what the costs and overhead are. Unfortunately, many people treat their financial household like this...just plowing away money into accounts, with very little attention paid to the costs associated with setting money aside to accumulate. On paper, they have accumulated wealth, but at what cost?

Once we see the costs, it makes the end-result seem not near as impressive. That's why utilizing strategies that creates velocity and keeps your money in motion will help you achieve financial success faster than any accumulation strategy ever could.

Send a message to learn more

Most financial advisors use an accumulation-of-money theory to grow wealth. This involves adding money to an account and relying on years and years of compounding. Think of it like this (4+4=8), where your money works arithmetically. While compounding can help, it often falls short due to the many wealth-eroding factors. Your money only has one job: accumulating. It's at rest. Instead, consider a multiplier approach, where money has multiple roles and grows exponentially (4x4=16). This is how banks grow wealth. Using a multiplier formula can help you reach your full potential and overcome wealth-eroding factors. Which formula would you rather use? 💡📈 #WealthManagement 💰 #FinancialFreedom 🚀 #MoneyMatters 💵 #FinancialGrowth 🌱

Stocks rallied in May as investors welcomed upbeat Q1 corporate reports and signs of a Goldilocks economy - not too hot, not too cold. The Dow crossed 40,000 for the first time after cooler inflation data raised hopes for a potential rate adjustment.

Monthly Market Insights | June 2024 Stocks rose in May as investors cheered upbeat Q1 corporate reports and signs that the economy was still strong while not overheating.

April's stocks took a hit due to rising inflation and mixed economic news, despite a late-month rally fueled by strong Q1 reports from two mega-cap tech stocks.

Monthly Market Insights | May 2024 Despite a late-month rally, stocks fell in April as investors struggled with a hotter-than-expected inflation report and mixed news about the economy.