By R. Todd Holden / Wealth Advisor

When I first entered this industry, politics rarely entered client discussions. Sure, some people didn’t like George Bush Sr. and some didn’t like Bill Clinton, but personal financial decisions were almost never based on the political landscape.

This seemed to change in 2009, and it has not gone away. Regardless of beliefs, politics has entered financial conversations in a new way.

October 7, 2026 — Markets have always had ups and downs, but there are times when the headlines point more to downs while stocks deliver more ups. This seems to be one of those times as stocks maintain strong 2026 returns – the Nasdaq just set a fresh all-time high this week — even as the list of investor concerns is long. The so-called “wall of worry” that stocks have been climbing includes geopolitical conflict, rising interest rates, and concerns about artificial intelligence (AI).

August 5, 2026 — The second half of 2026 began with investors facing no shortage of uncertainty, from the Iran conflict and higher oil prices to ongoing questions surrounding potential payoffs from massive artificial intelligence (AI) investment. Despite these challenges, the S&P 500 entered August near all-time highs, and prospects for further gains remain favorable based on a resilient economy and solid corporate fundamentals.