Lakeland Wealth Management, LLC

11/02/2026

Mortgage payments could rise sharply for tens of thousands of homeowners who financed with ARMs when rates were historically low.

11/01/2026

Christmas came early: Elon Musk wants American children to own stock in his space company, SpaceX, next year.

10/31/2026

The artificial intelligence revolution has driven an unprecedented borrowing spree, pushing total AI-related debt issuance past $500 billion by late 2026.

10/30/2026

Since 1961, the Ross-Arctos Sports Franchise Index has compounded at about 13% versus around 10% for U.S. stocks, and it’s up 16% over the past decade.

10/29/2026

Retirement planning often overlooks tax diversification, a strategy as crucial as asset diversification for maximizing spendable income.

10/28/2026

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at its October meeting, despite rising inflationary pressures across the economy. The decision was widely anticipated, though financial markets increasingly expect another rate hike at the Fed's December meeting.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 10–2 to keep the current interest rate, with Governor Lisa Cook and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack dissenting and calling for a 25-basis-point increase.
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh acknowledged that inflation remains above the Fed's 2% target but emphasized the U.S. economy's underlying strength. Consumer spending remains resilient, business investment is robust, and productivity continues to improve. The labor market has also remained relatively stable, with unemployment changing little.
The Fed raised rates by 25 basis points in September, its first increase in more than three years. Today's decision suggests that policymakers prefer to evaluate the effects of that increase before tightening monetary policy further.
First, inflation is no longer confined to energy prices. Price pressures have spread across the economy, making the Fed's task of bringing inflation back to 2% more challenging. A strong economy and resilient consumer spending are encouraging, but they can also sustain inflation and delay the easing of monetary policy.
Second, interest rates are likely to remain elevated for some time. While this benefits savers and investors holding short-term fixed-income securities, higher borrowing costs continue to affect households, businesses, and interest-rate-sensitive sectors such as housing and construction.
Third, the bond market's reaction was noteworthy. Two-year Treasury yields fell after the Fed's announcement, suggesting investors may be reassessing the pace of future rate increases. Equity markets responded modestly, with stocks showing mixed performance.
Finally, corporate earnings and capital spending deserve close attention. Alphabet and Microsoft will report earnings after today's market close, and investors will be watching their returns on substantial investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

My thoughts: The Federal Reserve faces a difficult balancing act. Raising rates too aggressively could slow economic activity, while keeping rates unchanged for too long could allow inflation to become more persistent. The economy's resilience gives the Fed some flexibility, but inflation's direction over the next several months will be critical.
For long-term investors, I believe the focus should remain on business fundamentals, earnings growth, free cash flow, balance sheet strength, and valuation rather than trying to predict every Federal Reserve move. Ultimately, a business's intrinsic value and the price paid for it matter far more than short-term market reactions to monetary policy announcements.

10/28/2026

This hunt won’t turn up buried treasure, but it could bring some of your lost money home.

10/27/2026

The disruption to oil supply, oil prices and the world economy has been surprisingly manageable so far.

10/26/2026

10/26/2026

AI-related stocks are the main driver behind many broad indexes. And even the traditional hedge to equities—the bond market—is moving with stocks.