In the launch episode of Elevate Roundtable, the seasoned team at Elevate Capital Advisors pulls back the curtain on the world of professional investing and holistic wealth management. Join hosts Tom Damon (Investment Operations Specialist and CFA Level 1 candidate), Shane Fleury (Chief Investment Officer), Ken Armstrong (Co-Founder and planning expert), and Kyle Lotman (Wealth Management Advisor and CFA charter holder) for a candid, real-time discussion recorded live on April 15, 2026.

The conversation opens with a lively market update amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The S&P 500 surges toward (and nearly hits) its all-time high, even as a fragile ceasefire with Iran hangs in the balance and the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, keeping oil prices elevated. The team explores what the market's resilience may be signaling, the risks of short-covering rallies, potential double tops, and why historical data favors buying at new highs over the 3-, 6-, and 12-month horizons, while cautioning against over-optimism given ongoing private credit concerns, AI disruption, and a possible "SaaS apocalypse."

The core of the episode dives deep into Elevate's portfolio philosophy: an internally hedged, all-weather-style approach inspired by Ray Dalio's Bridgewater All-Weather and Harry Browne's Permanent Portfolio. The advisors break down their four-bucket framework (stocks, bonds, gold, cash), with a strong emphasis on high-quality businesses purchased at fair prices rather than deep value. They explain why they favor elite property & casualty insurance stocks (like WR Berkley, Travelers, and Chubb) as a superior, inflation-resilient alternative to traditional corporate bonds—highlighting built-in inflation protection from mandatory premiums and the challenges of navigating hard vs. soft insurance pricing cycles.

Additional highlights include:

• The resilience of "forever" quality holdings (Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Hershey, Waste Management) in inflationary environments.
• Behavioral investing lessons: avoiding "resulting," sunk-cost fallacies, and emotional decisions when trimming speculative names or redeploying cash.
• Sector rotation signals, opportunities in energy (ExxonMobil, Venture Global LNG), and concerns around pressured SaaS/tech names (Adobe, Intuit, Microsoft, ServiceNow).
• Closing thoughts on client patience during volatility and the importance of process-driven discipline over short-term noise.

Whether you're a client, business owner, or independent investor, this episode delivers rare, behind-the-scenes insights from a highly credentialed team committed to fiduciary wealth stewardship. Educational, transparent, and refreshingly honest—no hype, just thoughtful analysis.

Next episode: Thursday, May 21, 2026, with a deeper look at quality stocks and more.

Views expressed are those of the speakers as of the recording date and subject to change. For educational purposes only. Investing involves risk of loss. Contact Elevate Capital Advisors for personalized advice.