There's a lot of noise right now—and it can hijack investor decision-making. In this episode, Hannah Chapman, CFP® and Brad Haines, CFA, FRM zoom out to separate signal from headlines, discuss early-year market context, and share what they're watching for 2026.

You'll hear why recency bias leads people to panic-sell, why earnings and innovation may matter more than day-to-day politics over a 5-year horizon, and why rebalancing at the start of the year can support both portfolio discipline and tax planning. Then, they break down a major story involving Jerome Powell and discuss why Federal Reserve independence is a cornerstone of long-term economic stability.

What's covered:

“Noise vs. signal” and how to stay grounded as an investor

Earnings trends: broadening beyond mega-cap tech

The AI buildout: data centers, compute capacity, and the next wave of applications

Why rebalancing early in the year can be strategically helpful

Emerging markets explained (developed vs emerging vs frontier)

Why Fed independence matters and what happens when central banks aren't independent

Inflation, wage catch-up, and why it can feel hard even when data improves

Reminder: Follow Investment Friday and subscribe on YouTube—this show will live fully in its own feed/channel starting in February.

Connect with Hannah at [email protected] and online at https://x2wealthplanning.com

Connect with Brad at [email protected] and online at https://www.juncturewealth.com

Investment Friday is entering an exciting new chapter!

In this episode, Hannah Chapman, CFP®, APMA®, CRPC® and Brad Haines, CFA®, FRM®, Chief Investment Officer at Juncture Wealth Strategies, share why Investment Friday is officially becoming its own podcast — launching February 2026 — and what that means for listeners who want grounded, historically informed financial insight without fear-based headlines.

Together, they unpack:

What really happened in markets in 2025

What the early data is telling us about 2026

Why “bad news can be good news” for markets

Labor market trends and interest rate expectations

The Venezuela situation and its global implications

The U.S. dollar's role as the world's reserve currency — and what happens if that changes

Why entrepreneurship, innovation, and equity markets endure through every cycle

This episode is a reminder that you don't need to live in financial fight-or-flight. With the right context, history, and perspective, you can stay invested, informed, and grounded — even in uncertain times.

Connect with Hannah at [email protected] and online at https://x2wealthplanning.com

Connect with Brad at [email protected] and online at https://www.juncturewealth.com