Money Life with Chuck Jaffe

Bob Doll, chief investment officer at Crossmark Global Investments says that 2022 was harder than anyone anticipated for investors and markets, in large measure because the stock and bond markets came into the year 'ridiculously expensive.' The market's decline has brought valuations down, but Doll considers both stocks and bonds to be 'in no-man's land' now, better than they were a year ago but not yet attractive. Doll reviews his 10 forecasts made for 2022 and how the year turned out; he'll return to the show in early January with his predictions for the year ahead. Meanwhile, John Cole Scott, chief investment officer at Closed-End Fund Advisors makes his forecasts for the closed-end fund business in 2023 today, and his top sector bets for the new year are some of 2022's weakest areas, most notably real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real assets. He also expects international bonds and more to be in the sweet spot, and suggested that investors tilt equity portfolios toward value, dividend and international funds. Plus, Chuck puts a bow on the year with a commentary on the day his daughter is getting married.

John Bonnanzio, editor at Fidelity Monitor and Insight, says that the economy keeps chugging along, and that the data suggests that the economy can avoid recession and the Federal Reserve can deliver a soft landing. Speaking in the Market Call segment, Bonnanzio says he is making gradual shifts to portfolios, moving away gradually from large-cap stocks and technology companies and moving towards value stocks including the ones that are economically sensitive that he thinks could be poised to rebound if his recession/soft landing call comes to fruition. Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi makes the iShares MSCI Turkey fund his pick for ETF of the week, noting that its the best-performing non-leveraged ETF out there for 2022, but that's no reason to think you want to jump in now, after the big gain and with so many other emerging markets and other parts of the world also presenting good values now. Plus, Chuck talks about some financial chores you can resolve, plan for or make your goals as you look ahead into the New Year.

Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer at The Leuthold Group foresees 'the best buying opportunity in the global stock market for at least a decade' to come into view after the market goes through a recession and some pain in the first half of 2023. He believes that valuations will reflect the economic ills first, saying investors should be prepared for 'significant further losses' of as much as 25 percent before the market reaches the purchasing point. Talking technical analysis, Chris Vermeulen, chief market strategist at The Technical Traders certainly agrees with the assessment that trouble is coming, but he believes the downturn will take root and that any recovery -- at least anything occurring in the new year -- is likely to be lackluster. Plus, Chuck interviews Rob Wells, author of 'The Insider: How the Kiplinger Newsletter Bridged Washington and Wall Street.'

Patrick O'Hare, chief market analyst at Briefing.com, dislikes the cliche of a 'stockpicker's market' but he says the proverbial shoe fits for the year ahead, because while the overall tenor of the market has been muted and the economy has been bordering on recession, there are industry-leading stocks with solid balance sheets and profits and nice dividends that investors can build a portfolio around. O'Hare says the first half of the year will be challenging until inflation is under better control, and that the entirety of 2023 could be a struggle if the Federal Reserve and the markets don't get on the same page fairly soon; as a result, investors will want to look at income-production and safe havens in stocks and bonds to ride it out to better times. Also on the show, Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at BankRate.com discusses the uncertainties, worries and concerns that a majority of consumers have entering the new year, noting that this may be the worst year he's ever seen in terms of how shaky consumers and investors are at the turn of the calendar, plus Brian Shephardson, portfolio manager of the James Advantage Funds, talks value-oriented investing in the Market Call.

Rusty Vanneman, chief investment strategist at Orion Portfolio Solutions, says that persistent inflation -- for longer than most observers are expecting -- is going to keep the Federal Reserve hawkish for longer, which investors will have to adjust to by diversifying away from the mega-cap stocks that have been a particular drag on portfolios this year. He suggests that investors look to small-cap stocks, non-US issues plus real assets and value investments to smooth out the ride in the year ahead. In The NAVigator segment, John Cole Scott of Closed-End Fund Advisors and the Active Investment Company Alliance looks back at 2022 for the closed-end fund industry and reviews his forecasts, most notably how his basket of five funds for the year came out ahead of the market and poised to rebound in the new year. Plus, University of Toronto professor Opher Baron discusses how retailers are changing return policies in response to consumer habits and global supply-chain issues -- saying that consumers must pay more attention than ever to how stores handle returns -- and forensic accountant Tracy Coenen -- author of 'The Marriage Money Guide (for Women)' -- discusses financial fidelity and how couples can keep their finances on the level so that money doesn't make them lose their minds.

Darrell Cronk, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management says that investors can expect a recession and market troubles during the first half of the New Year, but a recovery to start later on, noting that he expects the stock market to bottom out while the economy gets to where interest rates and inflation start becoming more reasonable. Cronk says that investors looking to be back in the market next year should be dipping into sectors where demand is consistent regardless of the economy, meaning health care, life sciences, defense companies and energy stocks. Also on the show, Tom Lydon, vice chairman at VettaFi -- the founder of ETF Trends -- reverts to his roots and makes a trend-following fund his pick as the ETF of the Week and, in the Market Call, Scot Bennett of Invest With Rules talks about how the rules apply and how well they have been working in today's difficult market conditions.

Roger Aliaga-Diaz, Americas chief economist and head of global portfolio construction at The Vanguard Group, says that the Federal Reserve and other central banks will be reluctant to stop interest-rate hikes in 2023, and while they will get inflation under control it will be a slow process to get it down to the 2 percent level they are hoping for until at least 2024 and possibly 2025. As a result, any economic recovery is likely to be lackluster, featuring more choppiness and sideways movements than significant, fast rebounds. Alliaga-Diaz says the stock market looks better now than a year ago -- when it was trading at up to 40 percent over fair value -- but that it is positioned to deliver between 6 and 10 percent annualized over the next decade, which means returns going forward will struggle to reach historic norms. In the Market Call, Rob Spivey, director of research at Valens Securities, says he expects a 'supply chain super cycle' to help sustain or even spur economic growth as consumer spending slows in the face of inflation, which should support the economy as it goes through a transition, but he notes that those conditions should make stock investors particularly picky about what they are buying now. Plus, Chuck answers a listener's question about tax-loss harvesting.

Dana Telsey, chief executive/chief research officer at Telsey Advisory Group -- a leading analyst of the retail industry -- says she is cautious about the status of consumers and how they will respond to continuing inflation, noting that spending has moderated a bit. Telsey thinks retailers will see less spending and success than the last two years, but she thinks that retailers who can get through these times without much leftover inventory will be healthy enough to weather the storm that's coming early in 2023; she expects that to spur a few last-minute deals that consumers can take advantage of this week. Also on the show, Chuck answers a listener's question on how to beat back sequence-of-return risk, Fidelity's Meredith Stoddard discusses the firm's 14th annual survey on financial New Year's resolutions, and Stephen Dodson, manager of The Bretton Fund, talks stocks in the Market Call.

Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist for Charles Schwab and Co. says that investors should be hoping that the medicine necessary to help a weaker economy reduce the inflationary fever would be best taken sooner than later, leading to 'a much more meaningful deterioration of the economy ... that sets up a Fed pause.' With that in mind, Sonders expects more short-term market pain, setting up a recovery and better opportunities beyond that. David Trainer of New Constructs puts Digital Realty Trust back into the Danger Zone this week, noting that while the stock is already down significantly, it could drop another 75 percent before he thinks the market price will reflect the company's true value. Plus, Vivian Tsai, chairman of the College Savings Foundation discusses programs for gifting future college tuition monies for the holidays, and Bryan Armour, director of passive strategies research at Morningstar, makes his debut in the Market Call talking investments in exchange-traded funds.

Barry Ritholtz, chairman and chief investment officer at Ritholtz Wealth Management, says that with the market being driven by inflation, there is a very slim chance that the Federal Reserve 'sticks the landing, gets it just right and we're off to the races again,' but an equally small worry about the central bank taking rates too high and making a giant mistake that craters the market. He believes the Federal Reserve likely lands somewhere in the middle, triggering a small, shallow recession. Ritholtz says investors need to stay focused on their goals and not get too excited by market moves in 2023, noting 'You have to be short-term greedy, not long-term greedy.' Also on the show, Stacey Morris, head of energy research at VettaFi, talks midstream energy infrastructure investing in The NAVigator segment and, in the Market Call, Eric Schoenstein, chief investment officer at Jensen Investment Management discusses focusing on quality amid volatile, choppy markets.