In this week’s episode of Money Matters, we review how major sectors of the economy started the year and what last week’s market action revealed about underlying strength and weakness across equities, rates, and risk assets. We discuss a volatile trading environment driven by headline risk and geopolitical uncertainty, including renewed political developments that contributed to sharp, short-term market swings.

We also take a step back to explain why periods like this reinforce the importance of understanding risk tolerance and portfolio alignment. Volatility is a normal part of investing, but reacting emotionally can be costly without a clear strategy in place. As always, we tie the conversation back to our financial planning process and why we offer complimentary financial planning, so investors can make informed, disciplined decisions regardless of market noise.