Viewpoints

If you follow our content here at IndiWealth, you know one of our core beliefs: the U.S. consumer drives the U.S. economy. What consumers do is shaped by a mix of job sentiment, the “wealth effect” (spending more when markets make you feel wealthier), and inflation—especially the food and energy…

Welcome back to the IndiView Weekly Market Update. Here are the key themes driving markets this week: 1. Quick Correction: I Was Wrong on the Shutdown Last week I said Democrats might hold out because the agreement didn’t include healthcare subsidy extensions. Instead, eight Senate Democrats crossed over and pushed…

This week’s IndiView focused on three shifts impacting the markets and the economy, with a closing personal observation from Minnesota. 1. Political Risk & Skepticism on the Government Shutdown The update began by addressing the potential end of the longest-running US government shutdown, with Jeremy expressing skepticism regarding the quick…

On November 3, 2025, the IndiStock portfolio — IndiWealth’s individual stock selection strategy — completed a scheduled rebalance. This included introducing new positions, exiting select holdings, and adjusting weights across existing names. Today’s Chart of the Week compares the post-rebalance IndiStock allocation to the S&P 500, highlighting key differences and…

On October 16, the SPDR Regional Bank ETF (KRE) dropped 11.6% from its September 18 high as investors pulled more than $560 million from the $2.8 billion fund. The sell-off followed disclosures from two regional banks—Zions and Western Alliance—that alleged borrower fraud had led to unexpected loan losses. Adding to…

For generations, Americans have considered home ownership as part of the American Dream. For the current generation, this dream may not be attainable and, just maybe, not a valuable proposition even if they can afford to do so. Today’s charts of the week focus on housing affordability. Before I start…

Over the past month, I’ve noticed several headlines like these popping up in major outlets: Those absolute numbers are eye-catching — and that’s the point. Large numbers are meant to grab attention. But if we want to understand whether they signal real risk, we need to add context. The human…

Earlier this month, I attended an online webinar from Propel Nonprofits on the topic of operating reserves. For those unfamiliar, Propel offers strategic consulting and accounting/finance services for nonprofit organizations. Much of their presentation focused on why reserves matter and how to build them. That framework is essential: operating reserves…

Let’s talk about chart crimes. In our opinion, a chart crime happens when something looks data-rich but tells you very little—or worse, when the data is presented in a misleading way. Take the chart below. It’s from a well-known fixed income investment firm. To be fair, we are also including…