Investors tend to focus on a wide variety of variables — the Fed, geopolitics, interest rates, inflation, economic growth, etc. — but corporate earnings are the biggest driver of stock market returns over the long run. However, there are plenty of times when earnings and the market are not in sync with one another.
Investors who have been consumed by geopolitical turmoil to start the year may switch focus in the coming week to prospects for artificial intelligence-related profits and the path for interest rates, with a huge crop of earnings reports and a Federal Reserve meeting on tap.
Energy stocks appeal to investors for a few different reasons. They perform independently of other types of stocks, and work for portfolio diversification, offer investors a way to play rising oil prices, and help hedge against inflation. Here are 8 best energy stocks to buy right now.
Don't miss: your 2026 financial reset.
59% of all consumer spending now comes from the top 20% of income earners in the U.S., a near record high, according to a Moody's Analytics analysis of recently released numbers from the Federal Reserve. Only 41% of consumer spending, meanwhile, comes from the bottom 80% of income earners — a record low.
Last week, Gallup released the latest results for its annual poll gauging the Ethics Ratings of American Professions. Once again, nurses topped the list for honesty and ethical standards in 2025, a title that the profession has now held on to since 1999 with just one notable exception — in 2001, when firefighters took first place.
All of North Carolina's 99 hospitals agreed to stop collecting certain debts dating back to 2014. They also pledged going forward to automatically discount care for patients who qualify for financial assistance — without requiring them to apply.
Austin and Minneapolis have one thing in common: they built more homes, and rents plummeted. To make a big enough difference across the country you would likely have to incentivize homebuilders in some fashion to build more.
Data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey for 2025 reveals that the number of one-person households in the US is edging close to a record 40 million, with the share of American households made up of just one person hitting an all-time high of 29%.
The nationwide cost of noise pollution in the form of lower property values is some $110bn, which could be unlocked if communities were to build noise barriers. For the US, widespread adoption of EVs could increase property values by a collective $77bn.
If you've been reluctant to fund a 529 college savings account because you heard it hurts you in the financial aid formula, here's the real truth: 529s are a powerhouse when it comes to financial aid.
High yield credit is outperforming Treasuries at levels not seen in 11 months. That is not defensive behavior. That is money moving toward risk.
There are three primary benefits to be derived from spending our cash: utilitarian, emotional, and expressive. Let's address each.
Economic stagflation is when an economy is stuck in a bad combination: growth is stagnant, but prices remain high. Personal stagflation is the psychological version of this. Your daily life feels stagnant — the same routines, roles and rhythms — yet you experience an inner “inflation” of guilt, caution and self-policing that makes you reluctant to spend money on the very things that might bring a sense of renewal.
Why I'm Actually Looking Forward to This Webinar
Tax season hits different when you're a physician.
Not the “oh no, I need to find my receipts” kind of different. More like the “wait, did Congress change the rules again while I was on call?” kind of different.
The questions I'm getting from the Physician on Fire community have shifted dramatically over the past few years. Five years ago, you wanted to know how much to contribute. Now you're asking whether mandatory Roth catch-ups will tank your take-home pay. You used to wonder about index funds versus active management. Now you're questioning whether your entire retirement strategy makes sense when tax rules keep morphing underneath you.
That's not anxiety talking. That's awareness.
And that's exactly why I'm genuinely excited about the January 29th session with Earned Wealth.
The panelists, Haden Werhan and Nick Gizzarelli, aren't going to rehash the same basic advice about maxing out your 401(k). They're tackling the specific confusion that keeps high-earning physicians up at night. What can you still fix for 2025 before the April deadline? How do you rebalance across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth buckets when more of your money is being “Rothified” whether you like it or not? What does that weird ages 60-63 catch-up window actually mean for someone earning over $150K?
What makes Earned different from the typical fragmented financial advice? They're not handing you off to three different people who've never spoken to each other. Your tax strategy, retirement planning, and investment decisions actually talk to one another. Novel concept, right?
I'm moderating because I want real answers to real questions. Not the sanitized, everyone-gets-a-participation-trophy version of financial planning. I want to know where physicians are screwing up. Where we're leaving money on the table. What we're overthinking and what we're completely ignoring.
If you've ever felt paralyzed by too many moving parts or assumed you'd already missed the boat for this year, this one's worth your time.
Wednesday, January 29th. 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific.
Bring your questions. I'm bringing mine.
Jorge Sanchez, MD
