Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Bryce Doty, senior portfolio manager at Sit Fixed Income Advisors, says that the bond market is particularly difficult right now but that domestic issues remain stronger than the rest of the world, and could be buoyed by rates that rise slightly sooner than many people expect. He notes that with the Federal Reserve committed to keeping interest rates in positive territory, rates really only have one direction to go from here. Also on the show, Michael Robinson, chief technology strategist at Money Map Press says in the Market Call that technology companies aren't just good investments right now, they are the reason the economy has been able to avoid a depression, noting that if it weren't for technological advancements the country could not have done as much work-at-home commerce as it has throughout the current pandemic. Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes a gold fund his 'ETF of the Week,' and Matt Schulz of CompareCards.com on how subscription spending of all types has ramped up amid social distancing.

Simeon Hyman, global investment strategist at ProShares, says that the backdrop of economic challenges has made dividend income more important than ever for investors, but the market concerns also have companies suspending and cutting distributions. He discusses dealing with the stocks that have trimmed dividends as well as the sectors that he expects to lead the pack going forward. Also on the show, Brian Dumaine, author of 'Bezonomics: How Amazon Is Changing Our Lives and What the World's Best Companies Are Learning from It,' and Mike Brown of LendEDU. Plus Chuck gives his harsh assessment of financial advisory firms that have accepted Small Business Association loans to get through the pandemic.

Greg Valliere, chief U.S. policy strategist at AGF Investments, says that the markets have good reason to be optimistic long-term, despite the economic issues that are surfacing now, noting that 'This is not going to be a long depression, it's going to be a really ugly brief recession.' Also on the show, Tom Florence, chief executive officer at 361 Capital, covers the role that alternative investments should be playing in a portfolio now, William Delwiche of Baird Investments talks technical analysis at a time when so many market influences are not visible or measurable in the daily charts, and Meredith Stoddard of Fidelity Investments discusses investors' market sentiments during the pandemic.

David Trainer, president of New Constructs, said that insurance giant Allstate Corp. is an attractive stock despite a significant recent decline resulting mostly from the market's reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Trainer -- who normally warns investors away from securities in the Danger Zone segment -- made Allstate one of his attractive stocks, noting that the company is significantly overvalued, with the market apparently believing it will never again reach the highs of recent years, while Trainer believes the stock is poised to exceed those previous levels. Also on the show, Gene Tannuzzo of Columbia Threadneedle Investments talks about interest rates and how the Fed is playing the current crisis straight from the disaster handbook, Greg McBride of Bankrate.com discusses how Americans' finances are faring as the pandemic stretches on, and Ben Johnson of Morningstar Inc. covers ETFs in the Market Call.

Pamela Woo, head of U.S. equities at BNP Paribas Asset Management, says that investors need to trust their allocations and plans while also looking for stocks that will come through the current recession positioned for a strong future. She expects to see a recovery that gets off to a hot start as the economy reawakens, but that won't recapture previous levels for e foreseeable future when the pandemic has ended. Also on the show, Matt Freund of the Calamos Long-Short Equity and Dynamic Income Fund on rebounding from the recent bottoms, Dan Zanger of ChartPattern.com talks about the value of technical analysis in unprecedented market times, and Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American Financial Corp., compares the way the real estate market is responding to conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic and the voluntary economic slowdown with the way it reacted to the 2008 financial crisis, which was triggered by problems in the housing and real estate sectors.

Mike Lippert, portfolio manager at Baron Opportunity, says that investors can still find opportunities in a troubled market that tends to have investors clustering in a few areas, including cloud computing and other technologies that are helping people shelter at home currently but which stand to benefit from a more-permanent, long-term shift to independent work spaces. Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com likes the same space, making the very hot WisdomTree Cloud Computing ETF his 'ETF of the Week.' Also, Chuck takes an audience question about prioritizing spending and savings, and Chris Retzler, manager of the Needham Small Cap Growth Fund -- the-performing traditional mutual fund of 2019 and the leading small-cap fund again this year -- talks stocks in the Market Call.

Matt Lloyd, chief investment strategist at Advisors Asset Management, says that trying to find clarity in the current economic situation is 'like trying to put in eye drops while you're surfing,' but he says that he doesn't expect to see the much-discussed U- or V-shaped bottom to any troubles, saying instead that there will be a square-root sign shape, meaning volatile drops and recoveries before things flatten out for a while. Also on the show, Natalie Campisi of Bankrate.com discusses buying and selling homes amid coronavirus precautions, Chuck answers a question about whether these times call for 'extra diversification,' and Tucker Walsh of the Polen US Small Company Growth Fund makes his debut in the Market Call.

David Tice, chief investment officer at the Ranger Active Bear Fund, says that the market will re-test its lows and break through them as it goes through a long, volatile decline. He says investors should not expect a 'standard, garden-variety recession,' but instead will see a depression, though he does not expect a market crash to be part of that problem, noting that the market will grind down as the pandemic economy plays out. Also on the show, author Julia Hobsbawm talks about simplifying your life and changing your relationship with technology, and David Snowball of MutualFundObserver.com talks funds in the Market Call.

Jeffrey Cleveland, chief economist for Payden and Rygel Investment Management, reacts to Friday's massive unemployment numbers by noting that the good news in the report -- that 78 percent of the jobless say their personal trouble is temporary -- may be a bit too optimistic, with the reality being that 40 to 50 percent of the lost jobs may be permanent or longer than anticipated, which would slow any recovery. Also on the show, Mike Brown of LendEDU.com discusses troubles consumers are having paying off student loans right now and how forgiveness programs are working, David Trainer of New Constructs discusses why he thinks passive investors are due for some heightened pain ahead, and John Bonnanzio, editor at Fidelity Monitor and Insight newsletter talks funds and ETFs in the Market Call.

Frank Holmes, chief investment officer at US Global Investors, says that investors heading for cash are being too conservative because the market is creating opportunities in areas that are troubled, like airlines, but he is also expecting the economic stimulus efforts to generate inflationary pressure that will make gold particularly attractive during volatile market times head. Also0 on the show, John Cole Scott of Closed-End Fund Advisors and the Active Investment Company Alliance compares closed-end funds with non-listed interval funds, Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast discusses how Americans' grocery-shopping habits have changed during the quarantine, and Leon Wilfan of Lahardan Financial talks stocks in the Market Call.