Money Life With Chuck Jaffe Daily Podcast

Craig Callahan, founder and president at the ICON Funds says that the domestic stock market -- despite being at or near record-high levels -- is actually 16 percent below its fair value, and he expects the market to gain more ground over the next year or so as it works to have stocks reach fair-value levels. Callahan adds that he believes the current bull market has a ways to go, potentially five or more years, and says he would stick with top-performing sectors like consumer-disctretionary stocks, technology and financial companies. Also on the show, legendary activist investor Phillip Goldstein from Bulldog Investors talks about the dark potential future he sees for activists in closed-end funds, Leonard Wright discusses AICPA's recent survey showing that children's allowances are up, but their savings rate on that money is alarmingly low, and Todd Rosenbluth of CFRA Research talks ETFs in the Market Call.

It's part standard show, part roadshow today, as Chuck starts with Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com with the 'ETF of the Week,' and Brent Schutte of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management in the Big Interview before airing interviews taped at Wednesday's Active Investment Company Alliance Boot Camp and Conference in New York City, covering a wide range of closed-end investing topics with Bill Meyers of Nuveen, Rob Shaker of Shaker Financial, and Eric Boughton of Matisse Capital.

Axel Merk, president and chief investment officer at the Merk Funds, says the market is telling investors that everything is fine, and that  he sees that being true, noting that investors should expect an upside surprise more than trouble over the next few months.  Also on the show, Jeff Ptak of Morningstar explains changes announced Tuesday to the firm’s mutual fund analyst ratings, Steven Cress of Seeking Alpha brings a quantitative approach to the Market Call and we revisit a recent interview with Jake Falcon and Joseph Klein from Hightower Advisors. 

Kirshna Memani, vice chairman of investments at Invesco, says that the market is setting up for a good year in 2020 based on three key factors, namely the recent Fed rate cuts and the central bank's indication that it won't reverse course soon, the likely resolution of international trade issues, and a re-acceleration of global economic growth. If those events happen as expected, Memani -- who believes the economy can go several more years without a recession -- said 2020 has strong potential for both domestic and international markets. Also on the show, Chris Oberbeck of Saratoga Investment Corp. discusses business-development companies, a unique type of closed-end fund investment, Ted Rossman of CreditCards.com chats about the dangers of using retailers' store cards, and author Keisha Blair discusses 'Holistic Wealth' and how people can change their approach to money to reduce stress, improve their finances and be happier.

Brad Evans of the Heartland Value Plus fund says in the Big Interview that Corporate American has levered itself to levels never seen before, which leaves stocks vulnerable to being whipsawed by news events and headlines in ways investors haven't previously experienced. Also on the show, Liz Pagel of TransUnion discusses the how well -- and sometimes how poorly -- debt consolidation really works, Sam McBride of New Constructs puts a big-name stock in the Danger Zone, and Peter Tuz of Chase Investment COunsel talks growth stocks in the Market Call.

David Ellison, manager of the Hennessy Large-Cap and Small-Cap Financial funds, says we are seeing a unique decline in interest rates because cuts historically were supposed to help out financial institutions, making it easier to make loans, unload bad debts and improve margins. With rates at historic lows, however, cuts aren't really providing financial firms with any help, Ellison says, making the entire sector tougher to read. Also on the show, Richard Howe of Stock Spinoff Investing makes his debut in the Market Call, Andy Provencher of BNY Mellon Investment Management discusses how little average Americans know about fixed-income investing, and Chuck reveals the results of his 'Cash-or-Candy' Halloween. 

Francesca Ortegren of Clever Real Estate discusses a recent study on the effect of paranormal activity on home prices -- no, we're not kidding -- which found that people are much more concerned about the potential for crime than they are about being haunted by ghosts, with people who believe in the supernatural more likely to pay up to buy a house they've been told is haunted. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends makes a small-cap dividend fund his pick for ETF of the Week, Rick Redding of the Index Industry Association talks about why the number of indexes shrank by roughly 20 percent in the last year, and Jason Herried of Johnson Financial Group talks funds and ETFs in the Market Call. 

David Bahnsen of HighTower Advisor's Bahnsen Group chats about the intersection of politics and personal finance, noting that investments are inherently political and that investors can create problems when they choose to invest based more on their political leanings than on a dispassionate view of how current events can and will impact the market. Also on the show, Mark Hamrick of Bankrate.com talks about their survey about whether Americans feel they are better off financially since the last presidential election, Jon Brodsky of Finder US talks about how Americans' savings habits compare with the rest of the world, and Brian Frank of the Frank Value Fund discusses absolute-value investing in the Market Call.

Avi Gilburt, founder of Elliott Wave Trader, said that while the Standard and Poor's 500 hit new record highs on Monday -- closing at roughly 3,040 and finally breaking out of a trading range that has lasted for most of the year -- he believes the market is still in the middle of a larger correction, one that will take it back down to support levels around 2,820 before there is a real rally to start off 2020. Gilburt suggested that instead of being cheered by the new highs, investors should expect 'a lot of whipsaw.' Also on the show, Leonard Wright discusses the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants'  most recent Personal Satisfaction Index, author and financial adviser Jeff Poole discusses the transition from work to retirement, and Tim Melvin of the Heatseeker newsletter and MaxWealth.com cov ers stocks in the Market Call.

David Trainer, president of Nw Constructs, says that Line PLC has numbers so misleading tat if the omcpany were to stop growing, shares would be worth about 90 percent less than their current level. Even with growth, Trainer gave reasons why the company could be headed for trouble. Also on teh show, Frank Nothfaft of the National Association for Business Economics, a rebroadcast of a recent chat with Mona Mahajan of Allianz Global Investors, and the Market Call with Martin Leclerc of Barrack Yard Advisors.

Lindsey Piegza, chief economist for Stifel Fixed Income, says near the end of her Big Interview chat with Chuck that she sees sufficient economic slowdown ahead for the economy to enter a recession during the first half of 2020, noting that a recession doesn't have to be deep, hard and arduous but rather that it can represent a slowdown which she believes will be reversed in short order. Also on the show, Piers Currie of Warhorse Partners discusses the evolution of closed-end funds frmo their origins in England, Michael Sincere talks technical analysis and how current conditions have him betting in both directions against this market, and Nick McCullum of Sure Dividend covers his dividend-investment strategy talking stocks in the Market Call.

Chuck covers a lot of ground, literally and figuratively, in today's show, with Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com making a marijuana offering his ETF of the Week, talking with Carter Malloy of Acre Trader, a platform that lets individual investors do high-yield investing by buying directly into farmland, and talking mutual funds and ETFs in the Market Call with Kevin Miller of the E-Valuator Funds. Plus, Ted Rossman of CreditCards.com returns for the second time this week to talk about a survey, this time on how people plan to pay for their holiday travels.

Shawn Cruz, manager of trading strategy for TD Ameritrade, said that the market is fighting conflicting trends but noted that any sort of meaningful improvements in the trade war with China would likely help stocks break through to new highs, as he believes the market is trying hard to continue climbing. Also on the show, Mike PeQueen of HighTower Advisors said he believes that solid fundamentals will allow the market to climb the proverbial 'wall of worry' without suffering through a recession until at least 2021. Greg McBride of BankRate.com discusses his site's most recent survey of fees and charges levied by banks, and Francisco Bido of Cognios Large Cap Growth fund makes his debut in the Market Call.

Zach Jonson, senior portfolio manager at Stack Financial Management, said that investors and the stock market are being pulled in good and bad directions by an 'economic and emotional tug-of-war caused by the trade war with China, changes in interest-rate policies, the news cycle and more. He pointed out that the market has positive signs -- like market breadth at near highs -- and negative signals, like the struggles in transportation and small-cap stocks. He is remaining defensive, but looking for opportunities. Also on the show, Ted Rossman of Bankrate.com discusses the number of Americans who earn, but then lose, credit-card rewards, we rebroadcast a recent chat with Tom Stringfellow of Frost Investment Advisors, and Eric Ross of Cascend Securities makes his debut talking stocks in the Market Call.

Jeffrey Hirsch, editor of the Stock Trader's Almanac, noted that the market's technicals are strong enough that the Almanac issued a buying signal on Oct. 11, expecting 2019 to have the traditional strong end to the year rather than repeating the significant decline investors lived through a year ago. Hirsch also talked about the impact elections have on the market and more. Also on the show, Geoffrey Brown of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors discusses how many people wish they could have a financial do-over, Kyle Guske of New Constructs puts the worst fund in the worst-performing investment category in the Danger Zone, and Rich Moroney of the Dow Theory Forecast and Upside newsletters talks stocks in the Market Call. 

Mona Mahajan, US investment strategist for Allianz Global Investors, says that while there are legitimate concerns about slowing global economic growth and headline risks from trade wars to impeachment and more, the underlying numbers show signs of re-emergent growth, the kind of 'green shoots' that could carry the long-running bull market to new heights next year if they're fostered and allowed to grow. Also on the show, Ken Berman of Gorilla Trades is equally bullish -- if not more so -- in discussing the stock market's technical side of things, Joshua Deringer of Drinker, Biddle and Reath explains the inner workings of 'interval funds' -- a type of closed-end fund that is growing in popularity -- in The NAVigator, and Darren Kottle of Catalyst Multi-Strategy Fund talks stocks and tactical investing in the Market Call. 

College professor Emily Gallagher discusses her recent research looking at the amount of emergency savings that appears sufficient to allow individuals to overcome standard emergencies and avoid falling into significant financial distress, disclosing just how much to keep on hand. Also, Chuck talks with Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com about a housing fund, covers the best mortgage lenders with Gina Pogol of HSH.com, and talks stocks in the Market Call with Leon Wilfan of Lahardan Financial.

 Matt Harris, head of investment strategy at HighTower Wealth Management, says that while people are nervous about economic, market and political headlines, that's not showing up in how they act as measured by technical analysis. Harris says that indicators like breadth, the spread of companies rising and falling and more are not typical of a market top or indicating a price drop over the next few months. Also on the show, Chuck talks with author Devon Powers about the business of forecasting the future, discusses Halloween spending with Matt Schulz of CompareCards.com, and revisits his recent chat with Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller.

Lawrence McMillan, head of McMillan Analysis, said that the current range-bound market has indicators that can work for short-term trades, but nothing that really allows him to look out more than a few weeks. He is looking for the market to break through resistance at 2,993 on the Standard and Poor's 500 and hold beyond that level, but noted that if a rally falls short, the market could see a double- or triple-top, which is a sign of trouble ahead. Also on the show, Sylvia Jablonski of Direxion Investments says there is still growth left in the market and she highlights good ideas for trading in a sideways market, Mike Brown of Lendedu highlights the huge amount newlyweds paid to hold their wedding, and we revisit a recent Market Call with Ed Shill of QCI Asset Management.

Aaron Glantz, author of the new book 'Homewreckers: How a Gang of Wall Street Kingpins, Hedge Fund Magnates, Crooked Banks, and Vulture Capitalists Suckered Millions Out of Their Homes and Demolished the American Dream," discusses how a story looking at the financial crisis of 2008 led to massive profits for several leading players,including members of the current administration in Washington. Also, Catherine Collinson of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies talks about why employers don't believe their workers are ready for retirement, David Trainer of New Constructs talks about the danger of believing ordinary earnings reports and Bill Matson of Oyster River Financial covers data-driven investing in the Market Call.