Executive Summary We are currently witnessing a "Great Disconnect" between optimistic market headlines and a rapidly deteriorating economic reality. While the prevailing narrative calls for a "soft landing" and an invincible AI boom, the hard data reveals a tapped-out consumer and corporate distress reaching 15-year highs. This structural fragility has forced the Federal Reserve to blink. In a major pivot, the Fed has quietly launched a ~$60 billion per month liquidity inject

Episode Summary Is it time to buy the dip, or is it time to run for the hills? In this episode of the Invest Smart, Not Hard Podcast, I sat down with Kristen to tackle the confusing signals in today's market. We are seeing a massive disconnect: stock markets are hitting all-time highs while the real economy (and the job market) is flashing red warning signs. If you are feeling torn between "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) and the fear of a crash, you are not alone. In this breakd

If you only read the headlines, the AI trade seems stronger than ever. But if you look at what is happening behind the scenes, the narrative has shifted from "Unlimited Growth" to "Crisis Management." In the last 10 days, we have witnessed a coordinated panic among the biggest players in the industry. From secret defensive memos to internal "Code Reds," the actions of Nvidia and OpenAI suggest they are preparing for a major shift. At the same time, the real economy (the one t

Why the "Fear & Greed" index might be wrong, and why portfolio protection is cheaper than ever. While the US markets are closed for Thanksgiving, the economic signals are flashing red. I sent an urgent email to my private list this morning because we are seeing a massive divergence: The famous "Fear & Greed" index is showing Fear near all-time highs. That makes no sense. Is the indicator broken? My custom market dashboard points to YES . It shows that retail investors are act

If you watched the markets over the last 48 hours, you witnessed absolute madness. We saw a massive gap up, a sharp dump, and then a sudden reversal. It feels like a casino because, right now, the "house" (the Fed and the Government) is intervening to keep the game going. But here is the irony: AI is actually popping the AI bubble. For the last 72 hours, investors have used AI tools to dig through earnings reports and SEC filings. What they found, from hidden red flags in Nvi

We are at one of the most confusing and critical moments in recent market history. On the surface, the stock market is near all-time highs. But underneath, the entire foundation is showing signs of a severe breakdown. US households now have 52% of their financial assets in stocks, a level even higher than the 2000 dot-com bubble. Retail investors are "all-in" and using extreme leverage. But at the exact same time, corporate insiders are selling their own stock at the fastest

Monthly Recap #1: October 3rd - November 13th 2025 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the first monthly recap, as announced in the Oct 15th blog and social media post. We’ll go over the key stories that mattered over the last six weeks, what they mean, and how they impact your money. My priority is to help you potentially avoid the type of stock market crashes that downgrade, delay, or outright cancel your retirement plans.  SUMMARY It is not easy to see a major trend shift while being

A Shift in Strategy for Better Insights For those of you who have been following my weekly market recaps, thank you for your time and attention. I appreciate your support. As part of my commitment to providing the most effective and time-efficient insights, I'm making a strategic change to my content schedule. Moving forward, I will be shifting from a weekly recap to a more impactful, two-part model: a comprehensive monthly deep dive and ad-hoc "Signal Alerts." Why This Chang

Introduction The story propping up the entire stock market is starting to unravel. For months, the narrative has been simple: an...

Introduction This was the week the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the US Federal Reserve (FED) were finally forced to act, cutting interest...

Introduction It’s one of the most confusing times to be an investor. On one hand, you see stock market tickers flashing near all-time...

Introduction Welcome to your weekly briefing. For months, we've discussed the widening chasm between euphoric market highs and a...

Introduction Welcome to your weekly briefing. This week further exposed the widening chasm between euphoric market highs and a...

Thumbnail for Nico's Weekly Insights Welcome to your weekly briefing! It was a roller-coaster week in the markets, driven by speculation,...

large iceberg in a calm, very dark ocean On the surface, the market appears confident, hitting new highs with enthusiasm. But underneath,...

2 major red flags On the surface, the market appears confident. But underneath, there are troubling disconnects that suggest a different...

It’s one of the most confusing times to be an investor. On one hand, you see stock market tickers flashing all-time highs. The news...

For weeks, we’ve seen the clouds gathering. Now, the storm has arrived. The market has shifted from a state of euphoria to one of high...

It was another week of disconnect between market headlines and underlying economic reality. While central banks hold their course, a...

It's one of the most testing moments for any disciplined investor. It doesn't happen during the panic of a market crash, but in the...