NEWSLETTERS

April is ending on a constructive note after a brutal few weeks. As we flip the calendar to May, this edition lays out what investors should be watching, what risks remain on the table, and how to think about portfolio positioning heading into what could be a pivotal month for markets. Where We Stand Coming Out of April April 2026 will be remembered as one of the more volatile months in recent market history. The month opened with a severe tariff-driven selloff that sent majo

Markets rallied hard last week on signs of trade dialogue between the US and its major trading partners. Before you get too excited — or too skeptical — this edition breaks down what a potential trade deal actually means for markets, what to watch for, and how to position intelligently regardless of the outcome. What Markets Are Actually Pricing In Last week's rally reflected a reduction in the worst-case scenario — not a resolution of the trade dispute. Markets moved from pr

Markets are rational in the long run. In the short run, they're driven almost entirely by human psychology — fear, greed, overconfidence, and herd behavior. Understanding the behavioral biases that distort investor decision-making is one of the most practical edges you can develop. This edition covers the five biases that cost investors the most money. 1. Loss Aversion Research consistently shows that the pain of losing $100 feels roughly twice as powerful as the pleasure of

Q1 2026 earnings season is now underway — and it couldn't come at a more consequential time. With tariff uncertainty, recession fears, and a volatile macro backdrop, what companies say about their forward outlook will matter more than the actual numbers they report. This edition is your guide to what to watch and how to interpret what you hear. Why Guidance Matters More Than Results This Quarter Q1 results will largely reflect a world before the most severe tariff announcemen

Most investors spend 95% of their time thinking about stocks. But bonds and fixed income deserve a seat at the table — especially in the current environment. This edition breaks down what bonds actually are, how they behave, and why every investor should understand them regardless of whether they own any. Bonds 101: What You're Actually Buying When you buy a bond, you're lending money to a government or corporation in exchange for regular interest payments (the coupon) and th

Tax-loss harvesting is one of the most underused tools in an investor's arsenal. It doesn't require market timing, special access, or complex strategies — just awareness and discipline. Used correctly, it can meaningfully improve your after-tax returns every single year, regardless of how the market performs. What Is Tax-Loss Harvesting? Tax-loss harvesting means selling investments that are currently at a loss to realize that loss for tax purposes, then reinvesting the proce

Earnings season is officially here — and this week is one of the most packed stretches of the quarter. Companies across technology, finance, and consumer sectors are reporting, economic data is dropping daily, and the Fed could shape market expectations with every public appearance. Here’s what every Peakfolio member should have on their radar this week. What’s Reporting This Week Technology leads the lineup. Any guidance tied to AI infrastructure spending, cloud growth, or s

We talk a lot about what to buy. This edition is about what not to do — the behavioral mistakes that destroy more investor wealth than bad stock picks ever will. If you can avoid these five traps, you'll be ahead of the vast majority of retail investors. 1. Panic Selling at Market Bottoms The single most wealth-destroying behavior in investing. Selling during a major drawdown locks in losses and almost always results in missing the recovery. Markets have recovered from every

One of the most common questions we get from Peakfolio members: "How do I actually know if my portfolio is performing well?" The answer isn't as simple as checking whether your account balance went up. This edition walks you through how to think about portfolio performance honestly and rigorously. Benchmark Against the Right Index Your first step is choosing the right benchmark. If your portfolio is predominantly US large-cap equities, compare it to the S&P 500. If it include

Earnings season is one of the most important recurring events in the investing calendar — and one of the most misunderstood. Most investors watch the headlines but miss the signals that actually matter. This edition is your practical guide to getting the most out of earnings season. Why Earnings Season Matters Four times a year, public companies report their financial results for the prior quarter. These reports are the primary mechanism through which the market reprices stoc

When markets get choppy and growth stocks sell off, one sector quietly holds its ground and keeps paying dividends: consumer staples. This edition makes the case for why this "boring" sector deserves a meaningful place in every investor's portfolio — especially right now. What Makes Consumer Staples Defensive Consumer staples companies sell products people buy regardless of economic conditions — food, beverages, household products, and personal care items. Procter & Gamble, C

Gold has surged in 2026 as investors grapple with trade war uncertainty, dollar weakness concerns, and recession risk. Whether you already own gold or have been skeptical of it, this edition explains what's driving the move, whether it's justified, and how to think about it in your portfolio. Why Gold Is Rallying Gold thrives in environments of high uncertainty, currency debasement fears, and negative real interest rates. The current combination of geopolitical tension, trade

Diversification is one of the few free lunches in investing — the ability to reduce risk without necessarily sacrificing return. But true diversification is more nuanced than simply owning a lot of stocks. This edition breaks down what it actually means to build a genuinely diversified portfolio in 2026. Why Most "Diversified" Portfolios Aren't Owning 20 tech stocks isn't diversification — it's concentration. True diversification means spreading risk across assets that don't

Interest rates are the single most important macro variable for investors — yet most retail investors don't fully understand how they work or why they matter so much to their portfolio. This edition breaks it down clearly and tells you what it means for your investments right now. Why the Fed Controls So Much The Federal Reserve sets the federal funds rate — the interest rate at which banks lend to each other overnight. This rate ripples through the entire economy: mortgage r

As Q2 2026 gets underway in turbulent fashion, smart investors are already thinking about where capital will rotate as the dust settles. Here's our sector-by-sector breakdown of where the opportunities and risks lie over the next three months. 🟢 Overweight: Defensive Sectors Utilities, consumer staples, and healthcare have held up relatively well during the recent selloff — and for good reason. These sectors generate consistent cash flows regardless of trade policy, have lim

Volatile markets are uncomfortable — but they're also one of the best times to rebalance your portfolio. Here's a practical framework for doing it right, without making emotionally-driven mistakes. Why Volatility Creates Rebalancing Opportunities When markets sell off unevenly, your portfolio allocation drifts from your targets. A portfolio designed to be 60% equities and 40% bonds may now be 52/48 after a stock market correction — meaning equities are actually underweight re

The last two weeks have been rough. If your portfolio is down and you're not sure what to do, this is the Peakfolio guide to surviving — and ultimately thriving — through a tariff-driven selloff. Let's cut through the noise. First: Don't Confuse Volatility With Permanent Loss Market drawdowns feel permanent when you're in them. They rarely are. The S&P 500 has recovered from every single correction in its history — including ones driven by trade wars, recessions, pandemics, a

Most investing content focuses on what to buy. This one is different. Because the truth is, the single biggest determinant of your long-term investment results isn't your stock picks — it's your behavior. The investors who build real wealth over time share a set of mental frameworks and habits that most people never develop. Here are seven of them. 1. They Think in Decades, Not Quarters The most powerful force in investing is compound growth, and compound growth requires time

Every quarter, we step back from the daily noise and take a clear-eyed look at the macro environment. What is the economy actually doing? What is the Fed likely to do next? Where are the risks? Where are the opportunities? This is that piece. Grab a coffee. 🇺🇸 The US Economy: Resilient, Not Reckless The US economy has now defied recession predictions for three consecutive years. Real GDP growth has been running above 2% annualized, unemployment remains below 4.5%, and consu

Every edition of the Peakfolio Stock Spotlight, we take a focused look at a handful of names that are on our radar — either because of a compelling valuation setup, a catalyst on the horizon, or a theme we think is being underappreciated by the broader market. This week: three names across three different sectors that we think deserve your attention. 🔵 #1: Cheniere Energy (LNG) — The LNG Export King Cheniere Energy is the largest LNG exporter in the United States and one of