Category: Financial Tech Podcast

University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Survey and Phenomenon Called Heuristics – Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-20 FT029

Much like elementary school children trying to capture the attention of someone they have a crush on, the American economy sent lots of mixed signals last week. Conflicting reports emerged about consumer sentiment during the week. The Conference Board, a non-profit research organization, reported consumers remained somewhat pessimistic about the direction of the economy. In… Click for more / Podcast Player>

Sell in May and Go Away and Where Will You Live When You Retire? Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-13 FT028

‘Sell in May and Go Away’ is a trading maxim which, according to Investopedia, encourages an investor to “sells his or her stock holdings in May and get back into the equity market in November...” Traders who adhere to that adage may be pondering averages and exceptions right now. During the first two weeks of… Click for more / Podcast Player>

Markets Testing Limits and Does Money Buy Happiness? Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary May-6 FT027

Like athletes testing their limits, the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones Industrials Indices both hit new highs last week. The S&P closed the week above the 1,600 level for the first time, while the Dow climbed above the 15,000 mark on Friday before closing lower. Strong corporate earnings, gains in the housing… Click for more / Podcast Player>

AP Twitter Hacked and Markets Move, Who Owns all the Gold? – Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary Apr-29 FT026

If anyone doubted the power of Twitter, their skepticism was laid to rest this week. Early Tuesday afternoon, a tweet from the Associated Press reported President Obama had been injured by explosions in the White House. Stock, bond, and commodity markets fell sharply on the news and then rebounded when the Associated Press communicated that… Click for more / Podcast Player>

Are You Responsible for Your Loved One’s Unpaid Debt? – Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary Apr-22 FT025

It was a wild, wild week. Last Monday, bombs exploded near the finish of the Boston Marathon. Not long after, media outlets let the public know letters to President Obama and a senator from Mississippi contained the poison ricin. On Wednesday, the town of West, Texas was flattened by an explosion at a fertilizer plant.… Click for more / Podcast Player>

The Fed Makes a Mistake and Reversion to the Mean – Guide Rock Weekly Market Commentary Apr-15 FT024

Last week, the term ‘Easy Money’ conjured both comedian Rodney Dangerfield and the U.S. Federal Reserve, and no one was certain how much respect either one should get. The Fed accidentally e-mailed its market-moving Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes to congressional staffers and trade lobbyists on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The minutes weren’t… Click for more / Podcast Player>