There are some earnings surprises as we focus on a pivotal week for the markets, highlighted by major earnings reports, the Federal Reserve's latest meeting, and growing signs of market divergence beneath the surface. Microsoft and Amazon delivered strong results driven by cloud and AI-related growth, while Apple and Meta faced significant selloffs. We also examine how the Nasdaq has broken below an important trading range, making the coming weeks critical for determining whether technology stocks can resume leadership or face a deeper correction. We talk the rising long-term interest rates, signs of stagflation, weakening economic growth, elevated inflation, shrinking consumer savings, and growing concerns about market concentration as a handful of mega-cap stocks continue to mask weakness across the broader market. Investors should focus on strong fundamentals and cash-generating businesses rather than chasing popular stocks with weak growth prospects. Today we discuss...

• The market-moving impact of a busy week featuring Federal Reserve decisions, major earnings reports, and heightened market volatility.
• How Microsoft and Amazon posted strong earnings while Apple and Meta saw sharp post-earnings declines, highlighting increasing investor selectivity.
• Why AI enthusiasm alone is no longer enough and why companies are being rewarded based on execution and profitability.
• The collapse of a highly leveraged AI-focused hedge fund and what it reveals about leverage and institutional trading on Wall Street.
• How rising long-term Treasury yields and a more hawkish Federal Reserve are creating additional pressure on stocks and corporate borrowing.
• Growing signs of stagflation as economic growth slows while inflation remains stubbornly elevated.
• Weakening consumer finances, including falling savings rates and the impact of persistent inflation on household budgets.
• How a small number of mega-cap technology stocks continue to mask weakness across the broader stock market.
• Increasing risks in global markets, including currency volatility, Japan's interest rate outlook, and weakness in South Korea's market.
• The outlook for gold, Bitcoin, bonds, and other asset classes as investors navigate an increasingly uncertain environment.
• Why investors should remain patient, focus on strong cash-generating businesses, and avoid chasing expensive stocks without solid underlying growth.

Today's Panelists:

Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/earnings-surprises-839

We are joined by Colin Plume, CEO of Noble Gold Investments, to discuss the golden investment strategy to add to your portfolio. There is a growing role of physical precious metals in today's investment landscape. We explore why gold and silver have surged in recent years, the impact of central bank buying, Basel III regulations, rising government debt, and the increasing demand for silver driven by AI, technology, and industrial use. Colin explains the importance of owning physical metals versus paper assets, how proper storage and custody reduce investor risk, and why he believes tangible assets such as precious metals, real estate, and businesses may offer greater protection as economic uncertainty, inflation, and market valuations continue to rise.

We discuss...

• How Noble Gold Investments helps investors own physical gold and silver while emphasizing the importance of separate dealers, custodians, and depositories for security.
• Why segregated storage offers greater protection than commingled storage for precious metals investors.
• How the typical precious metals investor has become significantly younger in recent years.
• The key drivers behind the recent surge in gold and silver prices, including central bank buying, government debt, and fiscal policy.
• Why central banks are reducing their exposure to U.S. Treasuries while increasing their gold reserves.
• Why he believes silver has significant long-term upside due to growing industrial demand from AI, semiconductors, and renewable energy.
• The supply constraints facing silver and how limited mine production could support higher prices.
• Concerns about paper precious metals markets and the disconnect between physical metal availability and futures contracts.
• Investing in physical precious metals with mining stocks and the different risks and opportunities each presents.
• How gold and silver historically respond during periods of economic crises, inflation, and government stimulus.
• Why he believes tangible assets such as precious metals, businesses, and select real estate provide greater long-term protection than financial assets alone.
• The risks of elevated stock market valuations and why diversification into hard assets may become increasingly important.

Today's Panelists:

• Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
• Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/golden-investment-strategy-collin-plume-838

Today we have a chart for you that will completely change your view of today's stock market. In today's market, investors should remain patient during the slow summer market season as stocks continue to trade in a sideways range despite ongoing geopolitical headlines and the start of earnings season. We explore how to interpret market charts, why investor expectations often differ from reality, and why stock price reactions to earnings matter more than the earnings themselves. We also talk about the growing concerns around AI-related spending, weakening breadth beneath the major indexes, software company valuations, and the risks facing large technology companies as earnings unfold. Increasing market volatility heading into the fall, combined with elevated valuations and economic uncertainty, makes this an ideal time to step back, avoid emotional investing, and focus on long-term discipline rather than short-term market noise.

We discuss...

• Why the stock market has traded sideways for much of the summer and why periods of consolidation are a normal part of investing.
• How geopolitical events and shifting headlines can create short-term market volatility without changing long-term trends.
• Why long-term index investors are often better off ignoring day-to-day market movements during quiet periods.
• The current earnings season and why stock price reactions often matter more than whether companies beat earnings estimates.
• How elevated investor expectations can cause strong earnings reports to be met with falling stock prices.
• The recent performance of major technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Tesla, Alphabet, and Meta.
• How massive AI infrastructure spending is affecting cash flow, profitability, and investor sentiment across the technology sector.
• Why institutional investors are becoming more cautious about software companies as AI creates uncertainty around future valuations.
• How AI could disrupt traditional software business models and pricing power over the next several years.
• Weakening market breadth and why a small group of mega-cap stocks continues to drive most index performance.
• Why equal-weight indexes can provide a clearer picture of overall market health than traditional market-cap-weighted indexes.
• Seasonal market patterns and why volatility historically tends to increase during late summer and early fall.
• How upcoming Federal Reserve decisions, corporate earnings, tariffs, and midterm elections could contribute to additional market uncertainty.
• Why rising leverage, concentrated positioning, and institutional fear of missing out could amplify future market declines.

Today's Panelists:

Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/todays-stock-market-837

Gregory Kovsky discusses small business owner secrets and the evolving market for buying and selling private businesses. He explained how the "silver tsunami" of retiring baby boomer business owners is creating a surge in businesses for sale, while strong buyer demand from entrepreneurs, private equity firms, family offices, and acquisition-minded companies continues to support the market. We explore business succession planning, SBA financing, valuation methods, tax strategies, and the role of commercial real estate in business sales. Gregory also shared insights into how private equity is reshaping the marketplace, the importance of considering employees and legacy alongside sale price, and the realities of entrepreneurship.

We discuss...

• How the retiring baby boomer generation is creating a wave of business sales known as the "silver tsunami."
• Why many family businesses are sold rather than passed to the next generation.
• How SBA financing makes business ownership accessible with relatively little upfront capital.
• The strong demand for private businesses from entrepreneurs, private equity firms, family offices, and strategic buyers.
• The realities of entrepreneurship and why owning a business requires far more time and commitment than many people expect.
• How staffing challenges and employee turnover are common reasons business owners decide to sell.
• How private equity is influencing the small business market and the importance of evaluating buyers beyond just the purchase price.
• How commercial real estate factors into many business transactions and retirement planning strategies.
• Several tax strategies business owners may use to reduce taxes when selling their companies.
• How business valuations are determined using EBITDA, growth potential, industry trends, and market multiples.
• Concerns about inflated private equity valuations and the challenges firms face exiting investments.

Today's Panelists:

• Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
• Marc Walton | Forex Mentor Pro

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/small-business-owners-secrets-gregory-kovsky-836

Here's what the World Cup winner means for the market... Today we focus on a market that continues to trade sideways despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, renewed conflict in the Middle East, and a busy earnings season. We examine why patience remains the best strategy while the S&P 500 stays trapped in a trading range. We highlight strong earnings from major banks as a sign the broader economy remains resilient, and discuss growing concerns about AI valuations, software companies, and the capital demands facing firms like OpenAI and SpaceX. We also explore the recent rotation from growth into value stocks, the impact of rising energy prices on inflation and Federal Reserve policy, why speculative behavior is increasing through leveraged ETFs, and several market indicators suggesting today's market environment is becoming increasingly narrow and expensive despite headline index performance. Today we discuss...

• Why the stock market remains stuck in a trading range despite continued volatility and geopolitical uncertainty.
• How renewed conflict in the Middle East is affecting investor sentiment, oil prices, and market performance.
• Why patience and holding cash may be the best strategy until the market breaks out of its current range.
• How strong earnings from major banks suggest the broader economy remains healthier than many investors believe.
• Weakness in software companies and growing concerns about the long-term profitability of AI investments.
• Why OpenAI seeking government investment could raise questions about the sustainability of the AI sector.
• The recent rotation from high-growth technology stocks into value-oriented sectors of the market.
• How higher oil prices could keep inflation elevated and complicate future Federal Reserve policy decisions.
• How insider buying can provide useful clues when evaluating beaten-down stocks such as UnitedHealth.
• The risks created by record investor demand for leveraged ETFs and increasingly speculative market behavior.
• We compare today's AI-driven market enthusiasm to the technology bubble of the late 1990s.
• How semiconductor stocks continue to dominate market performance while many other sectors lag behind.
• Why index performance can be misleading when a small number of large technology companies are driving most of the gains.
• How Federal Reserve balance sheet expansion continues to closely correlate with stock market performance.

Today's Panelists:

Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/world-cup-winner-835

Krista Goodrich of Boss Lady Investing joins the show to share her journey from working in the mutual fund industry on Wall Street to building a diversified portfolio of more than 20 private businesses and real estate investments. She discussed how entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and investing in vacation rentals allowed her to create financial independence while designing a business portfolio around her lifestyle. We talk today's real estate market, including elevated home prices, higher interest rates, leverage strategies, cash flow analysis, vacation rentals versus long-term rentals, and where she still sees investment opportunities despite market challenges. Krista also shared her approach to evaluating new business opportunities, the importance of choosing the right partners, and how investors can build long-term wealth through disciplined decision-making and diversified private investments.

We discuss...

• Krista Goodrich shared her journey from Wall Street mutual funds to becoming a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor.
• She discusses starting and scaling more than 20 businesses across industries including moving, junk removal, property management, hospitality, and vacation rentals.
• How choosing the right business partners has been critical to her long-term success.
• She shares the qualities she looks for in business partners, including drive, kindness, loyalty, and a sense of fun.
• Why she prefers using cash to start businesses while using leverage primarily for real estate investing.
• How leverage has allowed her to steadily expand her real estate portfolio over time.
• Why vacation rentals can generate significantly higher income when purchased in the right locations.
• How higher interest rates have changed the way she analyzes new real estate investments.
• Why she believes portions of the Florida real estate market remain significantly overvalued.
• How institutional investors and hedge funds have influenced housing affordability.
• She shared her thoughts on proposals to limit large investment firms from purchasing single-family homes.
• How property taxes, interest rates, and government policies influence real estate investing decisions.
• The importance of diversification across businesses, real estate, and traditional investments.
• Why she enjoys real estate investing because it offers greater control than investing in public markets.
• Successful investing requires patience, discipline, and focusing on long-term wealth creation rather than chasing quick returns.

Today's Panelists:

• Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
• Barbara Friedberg | Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/boss-lady-investing-krista-goodrich-834

The stock market is showing interesting signals and today we discuss the latest market developments. Renewed geopolitical tensions are driving investors back into large technology and AI stocks while other sectors lag. Patience and caution remain important as economic signals continue to conflict. We cover housing market weakness, consumer spending, wage growth, market valuations, and the Federal Reserve's outlook. We also explored how commodity prices impact businesses and stock performance, shared expectations for future energy prices, and why looking beneath the major indexes is essential to understanding the true health of the market.

We discuss...

• The ongoing rotation between market sectors and why market leadership continues to remain narrow.
• Why looking beneath the major indexes provides a better picture of overall market health than index performance alone.
• How commodity prices, particularly cocoa, can significantly impact corporate profits and stock prices.
• Why cocoa prices have pressured companies like Hershey and what improving crop conditions could mean going forward.
• We reviewed current oil and gasoline price trends and why pump prices have remained elevated despite falling crude oil prices.
• Our outlook for oil prices and why increased global production could push prices lower in the coming months.
• The housing market, including rising days on market and slowing home price growth.
• Consumer spending, wage growth, and the mixed economic signals creating uncertainty for investors.
• How AI investment is affecting technology companies and whether those massive investments will ultimately generate meaningful profits.
• Why many consumers are becoming fatigued with traditional news and increasingly turning to podcasts and online communities for information.
• Why maintaining patience, caution, and adequate liquidity remains important as markets face elevated valuations and political uncertainty heading into the midterm elections.

Today's Panelists:

Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
Douglas Heagren | Mergent College Advisors

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/stock-market-is-showing-interesting-signals-833

Are you considering a life switch? Today financial advisor, author, and sports team investor Joel Steele joins us to discuss his unconventional journey from failed entrepreneur to successful wealth manager. Joel shares how a collapsed healthy fast-food restaurant business left him with roughly $800,000 in debt at a young age and how that experience shaped his disciplined approach to saving, investing, and building wealth. We explore his path into professional sports ownership, including why he chose to invest in smaller sports franchises for both financial upside and personal fulfillment. Joel also explains why money alone does not create happiness, the importance of finding passion and purpose, and how avoiding lifestyle inflation helped him maintain financial freedom. We talk investing philosophies, balancing risk and reward, understanding personal financial goals, avoiding speculative investments, and why building a strong financial foundation is essential before taking bigger risks. Today we discuss...

• How a failed restaurant venture and significant debt early in life became the catalyst for building a career in finance.
• The decision to invest in professional sports teams as a way to combine financial opportunity with personal passion.
• Lessons from building a healthy fast-food restaurant chain and why the restaurant industry is so difficult to succeed in.
• How maintaining a high savings rate and avoiding lifestyle inflation helped create long-term financial security.
• Why higher income and greater wealth do not always lead to increased happiness or fulfillment.
• The importance of identifying personal passions, purpose, and meaningful ways to spend time.
• Questions people can ask themselves to better understand what they would pursue if money was no longer a concern.
• How financial planning should focus on balancing risk, return expectations, and individual goals.
• Why most investors should focus on steady wealth accumulation rather than chasing risky investments or outsized returns.
• The importance of understanding personal risk tolerance and avoiding emotional investment decisions.
• Why protecting a strong financial foundation is essential before pursuing higher-risk opportunities.
• Insights from Joel's book Life Switch on creating a life built around purpose, passion, and fulfillment.

Today's Panelists:

• Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Wealth
• Barbara Friedberg | Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance
• Marc Walton | Forex Mentor Pro

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For more information, visit the full show notes at https://moneytreepodcast.com/considering-a-life-switch-joel-steele-832