Trump Tariffs, Stocks, and You

The movers have come and gone. Even though we only moved ten minutes down the road, it was extremely stressful and challenging. The movers were a group of young workers who spent ten hours in the heat hauling furniture. I was really impressed with their work ethic—they were respectful and didn’t complain at all In fact, at one point, they asked each other, "Do you want to work out after this?" Work out?! I had to take a nap just watching them!


We got the internet set up after a few tense hours. The kids love the new house; it's a single story, and my son is amazed that the kitchen is only ten steps from his room. How convenient! The two dogs and three cats are somewhat traumatized. Our male Ragdoll cat, Hemingway, is the most adventurous of the bunch. He is already ruling the house in his typical entitled and obnoxious manner.


The only items left at the old house are the orchids. We are still formulating a plan regarding how to transport them. It’s not just about getting them here but also figuring out what to do with them once they arrive. We are building a greenhouse, but the current lanai is significantly smaller.

Below, Senay finds her elementary school yearbook. A packing special surprise. 

Well, here we go again.

The market’s down, the headlines are loud, and the talking heads on TV are breathless. This time, it’s tariffs. Trump’s tariffs, to be specific. And if you’ve been with me for any length of time, you already know what I’m going to say next.

The stock market goes down fast and up slow. It’s always been that way. A quick drop gets everyone's attention, but it doesn't change the long-term trajectory — which, historically, has been way, way up. That hasn’t changed. And despite what the financial media would have you believe, nothing else has really changed either.

Company profits? Still intact. The economy? Still moving. Corporate earnings? Not affected. What has changed is investor emotion. Fear and greed are having a moment, as they often do.

This is speculation — people guessing what might happen, not reacting to what has happened. And the guesses are mostly wrong, especially over the long term. Markets are pricing in emotion, not facts. And that’s why your plan isn’t built on what the market does in any given week.

In fact, for those of you taking income from the portfolios I manage, it’s coming from the bond side — which is doing just fine. Generally, when stocks go down, bonds go up. That’s happening now, and it's exactly why we hold both. You’re not going to be forced to sell something that’s temporarily down just to fund your retirement. That’s the beauty of diversification. It’s not exciting, but it works.

So yes, your stock holdings may be down a little, but your bond holdings are likely up. That’s balance. That’s why we built it that way. Nothing in your long-term plan has changed — except maybe the temperature of the headlines.

Also, quick reminder: as technology advances, more people can trade from their phones. That’s not always a good thing. Emotional decisions get made in the checkout line at Target. So when you hear that the market is swinging wildly, know it’s often being driven by thousands of tiny reactions to headlines — not economic realities.

This is a time to do what long-term, successful investors always do in moments like this: ignore, ignore, ignore.

Be Blessed,

Dave








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