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Trump, Powell & Rates: The Post-Liberation Day Edition

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With the financial markets still wrestling with the tariff announcements from last week, one thing is still certain: uncertainty remains an integral part of the investment landscape.

Real Middle Class Wages as of March 2025

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This series has been updated to include the March release of the consumer price index as the deflator and the monthly employment update. The latest hypothetical real (inflation-adjusted) annual earnings are at $52,322, down 5.9% from over 50 years ago.

Repairing Social Security’s Finances Can’t Wait

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Social Security is at the center of the fiscal emergency that threatens the US. Yet Washington is always reluctant to grapple with it honestly, partly because the issue is misunderstood.

US Inflation Unexpectedly Slows Down Ahead of Tariffs Impact

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US inflation cooled broadly in March, indicating some relief for consumers prior to widespread tariffs that risk contributing to price pressures.

Fed Leans Against Inflation and Away From Preemptive Rate Cuts

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Federal Reserve officials are prepared to hold their policy rate steady to minimize the risk that President Donald Trump’s tariffs trigger a persistent rise in inflation, even if the labor market softens further.

US Treasuries Rebound Even as Tariff Rout Haunts Long-Dated Debt

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Shorter-term Treasuries gained after an unexpected ebb in US inflation last month calmed bond traders shaken by President Donald Trump’s evolving trade policy.

This US Import Rule Shows How Global Trade Went Wrong

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To understand the origin of the free-trade excesses that created record trade deficits and set in motion President Donald Trump’s tariff storm, consider the so-called de minimis exemption.

March 2025’s Most-Read Articles Offer Something for Everyone

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The month of March featured a varied mix of articles among Advisor Perspectives’ top 10 most-read list, including book reviews, analysis of current events and primers on different subjects among its ranks.

Inside the Consumer Price Index: March 2025

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Inflation affects everything from grocery bills to rent, making the Consumer Price Index (CPI) one of the most closely watched economic indicators. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks this by categorizing spending into eight categories, each weighted by its relative importance.

Consumer Price Index: Inflation Cools to 2.4% in March

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Inflation cooled for a second straight month in March, falling to its lowest level in over four years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the headline figure for the Consumer Price Index was at 2.4% year-over-year, lower than the expected 2.5% growth.

Unemployment Claims Up 4K, Consistent with Expectations

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In the week ending April 5th, initial jobless claims were at a seasonally adjusted level of 2223,000. This represents an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's figure. The latest reading was consistent with the forecast.

Small Caps, Big Opportunities: Investing Beyond Large-Cap Stocks

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In an era when a select group of tech behemoths has dominated market returns, investors are growing increasingly wary of the concentration risk it poses.

Q1 2025 Baird Chautauqua Global Outlook

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Markets were jolted last week after President Trump announced sweeping tariffs, including steep increases on China, Japan, and the EU, leading to a 10.5% drop in the S&P 500 over two days—an event seen only during major crises in the past 75 years.

Aligning for Success: From Conflict to Consensus

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The fifth edition of our annual “Voice of the American Workplace” survey, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Franklin Templeton, includes the perspectives of both employers and workers. The 2025 survey found US workers are prioritizing work-life balance and their mental health. Employers are listening and strengthening their focus on improving benefits and communication. In this piece, our Jacque Reardon shares findings from the survey and potential implications for employers.

The Stock Market Warning Of A Recession?

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A Wall Street axiom states that the stock markets lead the economy by about six months. While not a perfect predictor, the stock market reacts to investor expectations about future corporate earnings, economic activity, interest rates, and inflation.

Tariff Shock: Managing a Portfolio Through the Turmoil

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With uncertainty in abundance, we think investors should avoid drastic moves.

Callable Bonds: Understanding How They Work

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Callable bonds make up a large share of the bond market—and introduce one more variable into the bond-investing process.

What’s the Tariff Endgame?

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The April 2 “reciprocal” tariff announcement has introduced a considerable amount of uncertainty and confusion about the path ahead and the end game for President Trump.

The Tale of Tariffs Round Two for the US Economy

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How might the recently announced US trade measures translate into economic reality?

Should You Be Concerned About the Pullback in Gold?

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With a number of factors at play, the short-term pullback in gold will likely meet resistance to the long-term, unchanged fundamentals,

Tariff Tantrum: Addressing Questions on Oil & Midstream

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VettaFi addresses common questions on midstream/MLPs, oil prices, recessions, and tariffs following last week’s equity sell-off.

Market Valuation: Is The Market Still Overvalued? (March 2025)

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Market valuation indicators are used by investors and analysts to gauge whether markets are overvalued, undervalued, or fairly valued relative to historical norms. Here is a summary of the four market valuation indicators we update monthly.

Employment Trends for the 50+ Workforce: March 2025

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Today, one in three of the 65-69 cohort, one in five of the 70-74 cohort, and one in ten of the 75+ cohort are in the labor force.

An Advisor Road Map to the Corporate Trustee Industry

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This article provides information on the history and more recent developments of trust law and the corporate trustee industry. This information will help advisors to make informed decisions on clients’ generational planning choices, and to attract and retain assets.

Why Your Marketing Feels Scattered … and How to Fix It

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When you define your “who” and “how,” marketing stops feeling random and starts feeling strategic. Instead of trying to be everywhere, you’ll focus on what actually works — showing up in the right places with the right message for the right people.

When the News You Must Deliver Is Unwelcome

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Many people who are not interested in seeing anything about their own behavior that is causing a problem. They either have over-developed egos, or a lack of confidence so deep it is threatening to find an area of opportunity for change.

Long-Term Employment Trends by Age and Gender: March 2025

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The labor force participation rate (LFPR) is a simple computation: You take the civilian labor force (people aged 16 and over employed or seeking employment) and divide it by the civilian non-institutional population (those 16 and over not in the military and or committed to an institution). As of March, the labor force participation rate is at 62.5%, up from 62.4% the previous month.

DoubleLine's Take on the Reciprocal Tariffs

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DoubleLine Global Bond Portfolio Manager Bill Campbell shares DoubleLine’s outlook for risk markets, the U.S. Treasury curve, inflation, growth and Federal Reserve policy in light of Washington’s reciprocal tariffs and reactions of U.S. trade partners.

Bessent Sees ‘Normal Deleveraging’ in Bonds, Warns China on Yuan

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent played down a selloff in US Treasuries, saying that there was nothing systemic at play, and also served warning against China not to attempt to devalue its exchange rate in retaliation for American tariff hikes.

Citadel Securities Pitches Banks on Handling Their Bond Trades

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Citadel Securities’ proposal to process trades for a swath of banks is taking shape behind the scenes, focusing on products across fixed-income markets.

Private Equity Firms Ask for Cash to Let Stakes Change Hands

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Private equity firms are increasingly employing a fundraising tactic that makes it harder for major investors like pensions to exit their funds early, irritating clients who want cash on short notice.

Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin Sinks to 5-Month Low

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Bitcoin's closing price sunk to its lowest level in five months, dropping over 10% from last week. BTC is down ~19% year to date and ~28% below its record high from January 2025.

Tariffs or Not, Health Care Is Where the Jobs Are

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Last week’s employment report offered what may be the last clear picture of the US job market before President Donald Trump’s tariff shock. Overall, it looked pretty healthy, with a 4.2% unemployment rate, 80.4% of the prime-age population employed and 1.9 million nonfarm payroll jobs added over the past 12 months.

Gas Prices Jump to 7-Month High

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Gas prices climbed for a third straight week, jumping to their highest level in seven months. As of April 7th, the price of regular and premium gas were each up 8 cents from the previous week, the largest weekly increase in over a year.

Shadow Banks Are Too Big to Stay in the Shadows

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When it’s finally completed seven years from now, Citadel LLC’s New York tower will be the second tallest building in the city, after the World Trade Center. It will also loom over the headquarters of JPMorgan Chase & Co. just a few hundred yards south along Park Avenue.

2025 Global Market Outlook: The Mechazilla Moment

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An enduring image from 2024 will be the capture of the SpaceX booster rocket by the Mechazilla robot arms on its return to Earth.

Relative Winners in a Trade War

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While there are no absolute winners in a trade war, there may be relative winners in the global stock market for investors to consider.

Carry Trade Destruction

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Lost in the focus on the bludgeoning that tariff policy has had on equity markets, is the impact on global currencies. From the end of February through April 3rd, the U.S. Dollar is down 5.1% relative to other developed market currencies (DXY). In addition, we’ve also seen a violent unwinding of the popular currency carry trade.

Putting the Market Sell-Off into Perspective

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At the start of last week, the S&P 500 rallied three days in a row, with investors believing that the tariffs announced on Wednesday would be targeted.

Trade Policy Shifts Put the Fed in a Challenging Position

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Tariff Turbulence. The President’s long-anticipated tariff announcement on April 2 has come and gone. Our hopes for some clarity, so the uncertainty weighing on confidence and the equity market could subside, were dashed after we heard the breadth and magnitude of the administration’s tariff plan.

Recalibrating for Higher Risk Without Overcorrecting

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We’re adjusting our stance in response to rising risk while maintaining a disciplined view on long-term strategy.

Tariff Turbulence: What to Watch, Including Possible Constraints

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While the path may have twists and turns, the destination seems clear; higher U.S. tariffs.

Market Madness: The 'Elite 8' Are Becoming a Liability

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The recent market drawdown highlights risks of a concentrated S&P 500—and the case for diversification now.

3 ETF Demand Trends Amid Market Turmoil

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Many of us came into the year with highly concentrated portfolios, which now were faced with changing market conditions.

The World According to Karp

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The book’s title derives from the author’s criticism of young, self-absorbed Silicon Valley types unconcerned by the public good — the “hollow republic” — as opposed to those focused on the commonwealth, the “technological republic.”

U.S. Workforce Recovery Analysis: March 2025

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Our monthly workforce recovery analysis has been updated to include the latest employment report for March. The unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%. Additionally, the number of new non-farm jobs (a relatively volatile number subject to extensive revisions) came in at 228,000.

Why Multi-Step Selling is Killing Your Authority (and What to Do Instead)

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Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter: if you’re relying on a multi-step sales process to win clients, you’re unknowingly eroding your authority.

The Jazz of Money: Improvising Past Financial Sour Notes

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Even the best financial plans sometimes hit an unexpected sour note: an investment seemingly doesn’t work out, an emergency expense appears to throw off a budget, or an impulsive splurge leaves us with a case of buyer’s remorse. When this happens, we need to improvise as we respond to the financial twists and turns.

Apple’s Historic Selloff Has Bulls Balking From Tariff Risks

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A sharp selloff in shares of Apple Inc. illustrates investor skepticism about its ability to navigate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China, Vietnam and India — countries all critical to the iPhone maker’s supply chain.

Silence Is Lula's Best Card in Trump's Trade War

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That would be my advice for the Brazilian government on how to approach US President Donald Trump’s tariff-palooza.