How the Iran Conflict and $111 Oil Are Shaping Stocks – Weekly Market Review
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 — then the weekend changed […]
Patience Arbitrage: A Behavioral Guide to Long-Term Investing
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% decline feel twice as painful […]
The Hidden Tax Map of 2026: 5 Realities Pre-Retirees Must Map Before Moving
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. In Nebraska, non-relatives pay 15% […]
How AI is Breaking Executive Pay: The Shift to Moonshot Compensation
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 company to reach a market […]
Will AI Capex Save the S&P 500 from the 2026 Stagflation Trap?
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 [Al Jazeera] The BEA slashed […]
How the $8.8 Trillion AI Spending Boom and Iran Conflict Impact Your Portfolio
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 is broadening. The equal-weight S&P […]
The Agentic Playbook: Surviving the $830B Software Crash
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, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, […]
March 2026 Market Review: Iran Oil Shock, Job Losses, & the Software Rally
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 2026 after U.S.-Israeli strikes on […]
Why Market Volatility is the Price of Wealth Creation
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 & Poor’s via Multpl.com] Private […]
What does Markel Group’s 2025 shareholder letter teach long-term investors about compounding wealth?
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, to now helping individuals and […]
