Blog

Last week we explored how “The Tortoise and the Hare” demonstrates the value of consistency and time, and so too can three charming little pigs show the importance of a diversified portfolio. Read more in this week’s Markets in a Minute.

Although the allure of making money overnight is incredibly hard to resist, in the long run, slow and steady wins the race. Read more about how time and patience are on investors’ side in this week’s Markets in a Minute.

Kara shares how recent production cuts differ from past ones and discusses their potential impact on the economy in this week’s Money with Murphy.

After many years of accelerated growth backed by low-interest rates, easy credit, and competitive lending, commercial real estate has become the latest area of concern for investors. Read more in this week’s Markets in a Minute.

Kara draws on her experience as a bank analyst during the global financial crisis and reviews lessons learned 15 years ago and what makes this time different in this week’s Money with Murphy.

Is the Banking System at Risk?On March 10, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporate (FDIC) officially took over Silicon Valley Bank in order to protect depositors, marking a remarkably swift end to a bank that had been in business for...

China is finally reopening after years of rolling lockdowns. What impact will this have on the global economy? Watch this week’s Money with Murphy to get Kara’s take.

Inflation is looking stubbornly persistent, and the economy is stronger than expected. How much longer can the Fed stick with its current plan of attack? Kara breaks down recent inflation stats in this week’s Markets in a Minute.

Our original outlook for this year was titled “landing in turbulence.” More recently, though, some have suggested that we are headed for no landing. Kara parses apart what the various landing scenarios might mean for investors...

Now that we are halfway through companies reporting their earnings for the fourth quarter of 2022, we can affirm that it’s not going great. Read this week's Markets in a Minute to see why that’s actually a good thing.

Markets in a Minute: Debt Ceiling Here we go again. Democrats and Republicans are locked in a pitched battle over what used to be a fairly routine matter: raising the debt ceiling. While previous incidents have always ended in an...

The Fed appears to be winning the battle against inflation, but with the potential side effect of lower economic demand. What to do when headwinds plus tailwinds equals turbulence? Learn more in this week’s Money with Murphy.

Near-record inflation and both stock and bond market declines in 2022. An inverted yield curve and declining manufacturing activity in early 2023. How did we get here, where do we go next and, most importantly - what should investors do?

These down markets, though they feel treacherous, present disciplined investors with opportunities for long-term growth. Watch a mash-up of the past year in this week's Money with Murphy.

While there are still a few days left in the year, 2022 is likely to go down in the history books as one of the toughest years for investors. Watch Kara put 2022 in its historical context in this week’s Money with Murphy.

We all know that Santa Claus is real, but what about the Santa Claus Rally? Read more about this mysterious phenomenon and our odds of seeing one this year in this week’s Markets in a Minute.

After three years of COVID concerns and supply chain disruptions, Americans are finally eager to spend this holiday season. What does this say about the health of the US consumer – and the market? Learn more in this week’s Money with Murphy

The recent failure of crypto-related business such as FTX has highlighted a void in regulatory oversight in the digital currency world. Read more about why a back to basics approach may serve investors best in our latest Markets in a Minute

With lower-than-expected inflation in the month of October, we may all be wondering if there are brighter economic days ahead. Read more about the impact of inflation and Fed rate increases on the economy in this week’s Markets...

In the 19 mid-term elections since World War II, the S&P 500 has risen by more than 14% in the subsequent year. Check out this week’s Money with Murphy to learn more.

Is investing in the stock market just like gambling in Las Vegas? While the answer to that question is a hard “no,” most investors don’t make the best of their investment odds. Read the latest Markets in a Minute...

This quarter, 72% of companies reported earnings higher than analysts’ expectations – but this rate is actually below average for the past 5 and 10 years. Hear Kara’s thoughts on Q3 earnings reports in the latest Money with Murphy.

In the third quarter of 2022, the S&P 500’s bear market reached ten months old, the Fed continued to tighten monetary policy as inflation accelerated, and recession predictions fill news headlines. Read the latest Markets in a Minute...

Recent headlines have been grim with the S&P 500 down more than 20% so far this year, having recently touched new lows. Learn more about these headlines in this week’s Money with Murphy

Are we headed toward a recession? The answer is, we’ll get there… eventually. Read on for the “road signs” that can help us estimate when we might arrive and what we can do before we get there.

Get out and grab a copy of the November Issue of Diablo magazine! The 2022 list of Five Star Wealth Managers is out and includes Laura Steinbeck! That makes TEN consecutive years Laura has received this honor! You can learn more here...

With some of the highest levels of volatility in many decades, bonds are having an existential crisis. Can bonds still play a valuable role in a portfolio? Find out more with this week's Money with Murphy.

As the S&P 500’s bear market completes its ninth month, two areas of the economy have experienced rapid changes: commodity price spikes coupled with impending shortages and a housing boom that is quickly petering out.

As we close out the summer months, we take a look at seasonality in the markets. How much should this matter to your portfolio? Watch the latest Money with Murphy to find out more.

In this week’s Markets in a Minute, we discuss what volatility among stocks and bonds means for your portfolio.

Even though we are entering the dog days of summer, the market is still open and can be subject to large price swings on low trading volumes. Watch the latest Money with Murphy discussing a few important events we’re focusing on in the upco

The Inflation Reduction Act, which has been signed by the president and has passed the House, has been heralded as a major legislative victory for the Democratic party. But will it really matter for the economy or the markets?

Last week we got word that the U.S. economy had contracted for the second quarter in a row. With a weaker economy, the next question is, what will happen to earnings? In this week’s Money with Murphy, I talk about corporate earnings.

As economic growth cools and inflation heats up, we are hearing more about recessions. Let’s talk recession and what’s happening with the latest GDP report.

So far, 2022 has brought surges in inflation fueled by war in Europe, monetary tightening and slower economic growth. Our 2022 theme of downshifting, or slowing of growth, is certainly coming to fruition. Read the latest Markets in a Minute

Our 2022 theme of downshifting, or slowing of growth, is certainly coming to fruition as we close out the first half of the year. Watch the latest Money with Murphy for some insight into what we are watching and what to keep in mind...

Markets have had a damaging start to the year, with stocks and bonds both down year-to-date. What has driven this latest bout of negativity? In a word: inflation. Watch my latest Money with Murphy for more.

Lofty prices and higher mortgage rates are beginning to shake the foundation of the single-family housing market. Are we headed for a 2008-style correction? Read the latest Markets in a Minute for our take on what’s next.

The S&P 500 is now officially in a bear market. Listen to the latest Money with Murphy about what not to do.

What’s there to like about a down market? Several things, actually. Read the latest to learn about opportunities to potentially enhance long-term returns, reduce portfolio risk and lower your tax bill when markets take a turn for the worse.

After a long stretch of torrid price appreciation, the U.S. market is at a crossroads. Where does it go from here? Watch the latest Money with Murphy for our take on that question.

Trying to make sense of cryptos? Listen to the latest Money With Murphy for thoughts on volatility in the crypto world and why investors might want to take a “back to basics” approach to their portfolios.

Markets in a Minute: Market Volatility Stock and bond markets have had a wild ride. What’s driving this recent volatility and what’s an investor to do? Read the latest Markets in a Minute for a back-to-basics playbook for volatile markets.

As economic growth cools and inflation heats up, we are hearing more comparisons with the 1970s and 80s. Let’s talk stagflation and why today’s economy and market are different in this week’s Money with Murphy.

A bruising first quarter for stocks and bonds begs the question: Are markets signaling a recession in 2022, or a downshifting from the torrid growth of 2021? We continue to be in the downshifting camp. Read the latest Markets in a Minute...

The first quarter’s rocky start certainly aligned with our 2022 outlook-themed “downshifting.” Watch this week’s Money with Murphy to learn more about where we go from here and what we are currently seeing.

The yield curve is a term frequently used in the financial press. In this week’s video, I talk about what it is and what it’s telling us.

After two years of rock-bottom rates, the Federal Reserve has commenced lift off. So, what does this mean for the economy, and, more importantly, for your portfolio?

New Employee Announcement!

Laura Steinbeck, CFP®, ChFC®, CDFA®

Friday, March 18, 2022

We are excited to announce the hiring of Glenn Bittner.  Glenn will be joining our Financial Advisor Team and we believe his role at Pacific Wealth Planning, Inc. will enhance our continued commitment to our clients’ success.

With the war in Ukraine approaching its one-month mark and inflationary pressures rising, many investors are asking: What’s there to feel good about? The Fed is mulling the same question as it contemplates its next steps. My latest Markets

Money with Murphy – Ukraine The war in Ukraine is in its second week. In my latest Money with Murphy, I talk about the most pronounced market impacts and share some suggestions for how you can help from a humanitarian perspective.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has humanitarian and geopolitical consequences but what are the implications for the global economy and equities? My latest Markets in a Minute explores this question and more

The Ukraine-Russia crisis has recently taken over the headlines. In today’s Money with Murphy, I take a look back to what brought us here and why investors should care.  

With inflation hotter than expected and spreading beyond pandemic-affected industries, the Fed appears poised to take more aggressive steps to rein in price increases. What does that mean for stocks? Read my latest Markets in a Minute for a

Our 2022 theme of downshifting, or slowing of growth, is certainly coming to fruition less than a month into the new year. Watch the latest Money with Murphy for some insight into what we are watching and what to keep in mind when making in

We are pleased to announce that our very own Laura Steinbeck is being recognized by the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce as their 2021 Business Person of the Year given her significant contribution to the community. See press release...

Money with Murphy – Octoberphobia: Seasonal Market Patterns What do Octoberphobia, bear killer, and Santa Claus all mean for your portfolio? Watch this short video to learn more about the seasonal patterns of the fourth quarter.

Markets in a Minute: Crypocurrency Is it wise to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? The question has been hotly debated across kitchen tables, institutional boardrooms, and even among financial advisors and their clients. As...

Markets in a Minute: Debt Ceiling The current showdown in Congress over raising the debt ceiling has high economic stakes. But it’s worth recalling that we’ve been down this road before, and the federal government has...

Money with Murphy: Are We in the Midst of a Housing Bubble? Watch the latest Money with Murphy video for insight on what caused the increase in home prices and what we can expect.

We are pleased to announce Five Star award winner Laura Steinbeck’s appearance in a Women in Wealth special section in the October/November 2021 issue of Fortune magazine. Laura was named a Five Star award winner in 2021 for the...

Even with its September slump, the equity market has staged a remarkable comeback from its pandemic lows. But, with equity valuations near historic highs, many investors are asking: Is this as good as it gets? Not likely, given the...

Money with Murphy: Labor Market & the Fed A flurry of data on the labor market has people wondering what impact it will have on Federal Reserve policy. Tune into the latest edition of Money with Murphy for more on the topic.

Markets in a Minute from Kara Murphy, CFA® The economy grew at a torrid pace in the first half of the year. While the second half will likely see some slowing, earnings should continue to grow, partly offset by a contraction in...

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Laura Steinbeck

Saturday, May 1, 2021

We are excited to announce our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on our 1 Year Anniversary. So Please Join us in celebrating this momentous occasion.

Stay Tuned....