Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

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.