WashingtonWise Making Solid Choices in a Volatile Market
Tuning Out 24/7 Market Noise
- Mike Townsend stopped monitoring his portfolio and financial news constantly because it made him anxious.
- He still follows big trends but intentionally tunes out the 24/7 noise to stay a long-term investor.
AI Is Not A Dot‑Com Repeat
- AI differs from dot-coms because many leaders already produce real revenue and profits.
- That makes a total sector collapse less likely, though individual stocks can still fail.
Revisit Your Financial Plan Regularly
- Get a pulse check by revisiting your financial plan to confirm your goals and risks.
- Regularly update the plan to avoid emotional, knee-jerk investment reactions.
As the markets get off to a slow start to 2026, investors have a lot on their minds. Daniel Stein, manager of two Charles Schwab branches in Virginia, joins host Mike Townsend for a wide-ranging discussion about the key concerns of individual investors, including market volatility, the potential for an AI bubble, the challenges of diversification in a top-heavy market, and international stocks, along with the roles of precious metals and cryptocurrency in a portfolio. Dan offers practical suggestions for assessing whether a portfolio is properly diversified, considerations when rebalancing portfolios, and making disciplined decisions about when to sell assets.
Mike also shares updates from Washington on the nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair, a lower profile but critically important nomination to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the GOP’s shrinking majority in the House of Representatives.
WashingtonWise is an original podcast for investors from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit schwab.com/WashingtonWise.
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