By Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® Last Week Today. January retail sales blew away estimates, jumping 5.3% as reduced social-distancing restrictions and effects of the $900 billion in additional stimulus approved under Trump before he left office took hold. | The...

5-Minute Huddle (blog)
5-Minute Huddle: Volatility Is Not Risk
Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® In this week’s edition: Last Week Today. A summary of market-moving events. Volatility. Risk or opportunity? Capitalizing on Volatility. Last Week Today. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was confirmed as Treasury Secretary, moving...
5 Items On Your Financial Planning Checklist in 2021
The move into a new year is a good reminder to check some things off your financial planning checklist. Here are 5 simple things everyone should be doing.
5-Minute Huddle: COVID, Labor, and Interest Rates
Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® In this week’s edition: Labor Market Struggles. Looking beyond the headline unemployment number. Earnings (under)Expectations. Wall St. consistently underestimates earnings results. Last Week Today. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index...
5-Minute Huddle: Chair the Fed
Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® In this week’s edition: Georgia On My Mind. Elections have consequences. Fed QE Playbook. The Fed’s plan for tapering QE. Chair the Fed. Here’s your chance to run the world’s most powerful central bank. Last Week Today. It was an eventful...
5-Minute Huddle: Adapting In 2021
Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® Below are ideas about what’s to come in 2021 and beyond. The thoughts aren’t random, but they do cover many different aspects of our lives. One prominent theme evident below is change resulting from COVID-19. Businesses, which in many ways...
5-Minute Huddle: Bridgewater’s View On Low Interest Rates
Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® In this week’s edition: Bridgewater. Ultra-low interest rates require a different investment strategy. Decelerating Growth. Slowing, but still strong economic recovery. Last Week Today. Pfizer’s COVID vaccinations initiated in the U.S. and...
5-Minute Huddle: Are SPACs Better for Wall Street Than Main Street?
In this week’s edition:
– SPACs. Good at raising capital, great at fee generation, but what about investor returns?
– Inflation? Not yet.
5-Minute Huddle: Bad News is Good News (Again)
By Justin Pawl, CFA, CAIA, CFP® Last Week Today. Moderna joined Pfizer in requesting the FDA approve Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA is expected to meet on Pfizer's vaccine Thursday (12/10) and then consider an EUA on...
5-Minute Huddle: A New Era For Fixed Income Investments–A Path Forward (Part 2 of 2)
A new way to think about fixed income allocations.