This week was a reminder that markets can experience meaningful movement even when the underlying fundamentals haven't changed. We saw volatility driven by rotation, rebalancing, and shifting investor expectations — not panic, and not systemic risk.

In this episode of Investment Friday, Hannah Chapman, CFP®, is joined by Brad Haines, CFA®, FRM®, CIO of Juncture Wealth Strategies, to break down what's actually happening beneath the headlines.

Together, they explore why markets are becoming more selective, how to interpret recent layoff announcements, what a new Fed chair nomination could mean for monetary policy, and why understanding tax-efficient strategies like Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) matters more than ever.

Learn more about:

• What's driving market volatility right now — and what isn't

• Sector rotation, profit-taking, and why differentiation matters

• AI, tech, and how markets are starting to separate winners from the theme

• Layoff headlines vs. labor market reality

• The Fed chair nomination and why Federal Reserve independence matters

• Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs): how to give more and pay less in taxes

• Using required minimum distributions strategically

• Why context matters more than headlines for long-term investors

Reminder: Follow Investment Friday and subscribe on YouTube. The show now lives fully in its own podcast feed and YouTube channel.

Connect with Hannah at Hannah.Chapman@x2wealthplanning.com and online at https://x2wealthplanning.com

Connect with Brad at brad@juncturewealth.com.

This week was a great reminder of how quickly markets can move on headlines alone—without anything fundamentally changing underneath. We saw volatility driven by political rhetoric, followed by an equally fast recovery once that noise settled back down.

In this episode, Hannah Chapman, CFP®, APMA®, CRPC®, helps you understand why this kind of movement doesn't mean something is “wrong” with the economy or your plan.

Additionally, she walks you through one of the most important retirement questions there is: how much money do you actually need to retire—and where the 4% rule helps, and where it falls short.

Learn more:

• What moved markets this week (and why it matters)

• Investor behavior: Stop checking so often

• Retirement planning: “How much do I need?”

• The “forward math” Hannah recommends

• Retirement spending isn't flat: “Go-go / slow-go / no-go”

• Different investor life stages

Reminder: Follow Investment Friday and subscribe on YouTube—this show will live fully in its own feed/channel starting in February.

Connect with Hannah at Hannah.Chapman@x2wealthplanning.com and online at https://x2wealthplanning.com

There's a lot of noise right now—and it can hijack investor decision-making. In this episode, Hannah Chapman, CFP® and Brad Haines, CFA, FRM zoom out to separate signal from headlines, discuss early-year market context, and share what they're watching for 2026.

You'll hear why recency bias leads people to panic-sell, why earnings and innovation may matter more than day-to-day politics over a 5-year horizon, and why rebalancing at the start of the year can support both portfolio discipline and tax planning. Then, they break down a major story involving Jerome Powell and discuss why Federal Reserve independence is a cornerstone of long-term economic stability.

What's covered:

• “Noise vs. signal” and how to stay grounded as an investor

• Earnings trends: broadening beyond mega-cap tech

• The AI buildout: data centers, compute capacity, and the next wave of applications

• Why rebalancing early in the year can be strategically helpful

• Emerging markets explained (developed vs emerging vs frontier)

• Why Fed independence matters and what happens when central banks aren't independent

• Inflation, wage catch-up, and why it can feel hard even when data improves
  
  

Reminder: Follow Investment Friday and subscribe on YouTube—this show will live fully in its own feed/channel starting in February.

Connect with Hannah at Hannah.Chapman@x2wealthplanning.com and online at https://x2wealthplanning.com

Connect with Brad at bhaines@juncturewealth.com and online at https://www.juncturewealth.com