White House Financial & Settlement Solutions, LLC

One of the most common questions I get from my new wealth management clients is “ARE YOU A FIDUCIARY?” This has been an issue that has been going back and forth between financial industry regulators and the financial services industry since I have been in the business since 1997 and probably well before that!  It has been in the news once again recently due to a recent Department of Labor “Fiduciary Rule” regulation. Therefore, I made this video with the hope of clarifying what being a fiduciary means with respect to financial advisory services and how you can tell if your advisor is one too!  I hope you find it informative! Click on the Arrow button in the box below to view the video! The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Investment Management refers to the discretionary investment management services provided through Four Financial Management, a registered invest

  I hope that you are doing well! Of course, last week’s headliner was Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting rates by a half percent on Wednesday, September 18, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. The Fed “pause” ended at 423 days and now stands as the second-longest on record, while the 26% gain for the S&P 500 during the pause (7/27/23–9/18/24) ranks first. Here we share some thoughts on the Fed’s move last week and some potential market implications of not only Fed policy but also fiscal policy post-election.  This week's Weekly Market Commentary discusses the Federal Reserve's significant rate cut of half a percent on September 18, marking the first such adjustment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about the potential market implications of this move and the broader fiscal policies post-election, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that may arise from these pivotal financial decisions.  Click the link bel

With fall upon us and students back in classrooms, it seems like a good time to reflect on the various tests that the U.S. economy and stock market have passed recently. When the economy and markets are tested, the foundation for future growth and capital appreciation gets stronger. The Federal Reserve (Fed) engineered one of its most aggressive rate-tightening campaigns ever in 2022 and 2023, providing a tough test for the U.S. economy. Amid widespread calls for recession, the economy chugged right along, powered by consumers who continued to spend, even as rates rose. How did consumers do it? Stimulus helped, though we probably got more than we needed. So did low fixed-rate mortgages. Regardless of how it happened, and despite the Fed’s mixed track record, the economy passed this test. The economy also seems to have passed its inflation test. The widely followed Consumer Price Index, which peaked at 9.1% year over year in June 2022, dipped below 3% last month. Same with the Fed’s pre