One Variable Rules This Market: Oil, Iran, and the Week That Showed Investors What Really Matters April 5, 2026 | David Berkowitz, CFA | VAP Wealth Advisors TL;DR The S&P 500 snapped a five-week losing streak with a 3.4% gain through Thursday, April 2, led by mega-cap tech and semiconductors
A Beginner’s Framework for Ownership-Based Investing By David Berkowitz | VAP Wealth Advisors | March 2026 TL;DR Your brain treats a falling stock chart like a charging predator. The amygdala elicits the same fight-or-flight response to financial losses as to physical threats [PMC Neuroscience Study]. Loss aversion makes a 30%
TL;DR Thirteen states still tax groceries in 2026. In some Alabama counties, the combined rate hits 9% at the register. “No income tax” states shift the burden to property and capital gains. Texas effective property tax: 1.245%. Washington’s top capital gains rate: 9.9%. Six states impose inheritance taxes in 2026.
Executive compensation changed dramatically in early 2026. Meta and Tesla are betting billions that all-or-nothing pay packages are the only structure that can compete in the AI talent market. TL;DR Meta issued stock options to top executives for the first time since its 2012 IPO, with strike prices requiring the
The Oil Shock, the Stagflation Trap, and the Only Force Keeping Markets Afloat March 2026 | David Berkowitz, | ValueAligned Partners TL;DR Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, choking off 20% of global daily oil supply and sending WTI crude above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022
The American Spending Boom, the Great Rotation, and What the Iran Conflict Means for Your Portfolio TL;DR The U.S. is in the middle of a massive business investment cycle. Announced private and foreign investments have reached roughly $8.8 trillion, driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure and domestic manufacturing. The stock market
Robert Smith’s Blueprint for the $1 Trillion Software Boom Five Filters to Separate Software Winners from Losers After the $830 Billion Crash TL;DR The software sector lost $830 billion in six trading days after Anthropic launched new AI tools that spooked investors about the future of paid software. Robert Smith,
War with Iran, oil above $90, a 92,000-job loss, and the software rally that no one expected Published: March 8, 2026 | Red Bank, NJ TL;DR — Weekly market summary The S&P 500 closed at 6,740.02 on March 6, falling 2.0% for the week and reaching its lowest close of
Published: March 5, 2026 | Red Bank, NJ TL;DR $100,000 invested in the S&P 500 in January 1973 grew to over $24 million by year-end 2025, with dividends reinvested [OfficialData.org] S&P 500 cash dividends rose from roughly $14.89 per share in 1996 to $78.92 in 2025, a 430%+ increase [Standard
Published: March 4, 2025. By David L. Berkowitz | VAP Wealth Advisors | Red Bank, NJ About the Author David L. Berkowitz — Investor and Financial Advisor. Nearly 40 years of experience — from trading and research at a $250 million hedge fund, to two decades as a portfolio manager,
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