Perception vs. Reality? Or Is It Something in Between?

It seems an increasing number of Americans are finding it harder to see "the light at the end of their financial tunnel." Everything costs more, and the necessities of life have increased in number. It seems the cost of living is rising faster than the cost of living it up. Everything from housing to childcare to the electric bill is taking a bigger chunk out of the household budget. This begs the question: is it time to redefine what poverty means in the United States? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent struggles many Americans are having. Is there any hope for improvement? Or do we need to redefine what success looks like?   

Few would debate the potential that AI has to upset the labor markets. However, people seem to have different ideas about which jobs AI will eliminate first, and which jobs are safe for now. So, which are truly at risk — and which aren't?  Further, what can workers do to protect themselves from AI-related job cuts? In this episode of Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the impact AI will have on the labor markets. 

Recent polls suggest younger Americans are less inclined to believe in the so-called American Dream and the benefits of capitalism. But why? Especially when so many non-Americans still do? Could it be social media has skewed what the American Dream really is? Or is there truly a generational difference in the appeal of economic systems like socialism, communism and capitalism? Finally, what is the likelihood greater governmental involvement in the economy will produce the results some politicians have been promising? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris walk a proverbial tightrope while discussing what the recent election results really mean.

A lot of folks seem to believe that the recent tariffs will drive a lot of manufacturing jobs back to the United States. However, the decline of the traditional "blue-collar workforce" in the United States has been decades in the making. Will the imposition of a new tax be the magic bullet to reverse this trend? Does the U.S. even want many of these manufacturing jobs back? Further, why do politicians put such an emphasis on factory jobs when it comes to job creation? Are all jobs good jobs? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the future of manufacturing and manufacturing employment in the United States. Is the future bright, dark or still a little cloudy?

It is no secret technology stocks have been a driving force in domestic stocks. However, their continued rally has led to the overall sector becoming a huge chunk of the market, and therefore the market's return. How has the happened? Is the concentration to tech stocks truly indicative of the overall diversification of the US economy? Has this sort of lack of diversification ever happened previously? What might this mean for the future of the domestic stock market? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss how so-called tech stocks have become the dominant force behind the US markets. It has been a wild, and mostly fun, ride. But will it continue?     

With the government currently shutdown, investors are struggling to determine the true health of the U.S. economy. Key among the concerns is the strength of the U.S. consumer. As the old saying goes: "how goes the U.S. consumer is how goes the U.S. economy." So, have tariffs impacted the price of goods or consumer behavior? What is the U.S. consumer buying? If the focus on 'need to have' goods and services or 'nice to have'? How are companies getting tired consumers to their stores and websites? Finally, what impact will AI have on consumer spending in the future? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the current consumer market, and attempt to answer any questions about the strength of the U.S. consumer.  

This week, the Federal government officially ceased all "non-essential" activities. Unfortunately, this was widely anticipated due to differences of opinion in healthcare spending on Capitol Hill. However, what it all means for the average American isn't completely clear. People want to know: What is a government shutdown and what is it not? What or how have we gotten to this point? What is the practical impact on day-to-day economic activity? What are the long-term ramifications? What is the likelihood this will happen again? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent government shutdown, its potential causes and possible outcomes.

On September 17th, 2025, the Federal Reserve cut the target overnight lending rate between member banks. This was as expected. However, it seems not everyone is completely clear on what it means. So…. What is a Fed rate cut and what is it not? What had the investment markets been waiting for the Fed to cut? What might this mean for mortgage rates? Or for consumer debt? Finally, how will this impact corporate America? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris give a little class on Fed Rate Cuts 101, and discuss some of the potential ramifications of this most recent one.

What does it mean when the Fed meets and doesn't do anything? When the Bureau of Economic Analysis says the economy grew 3.0% when it really didn't? When the Bureau of Labor Statistics announces the labor markets are stronger than anyone believes they really are? When all official measures of inflation don't seem to reflect the consumer's reality? Essentially, what is the truth behind the headlines and all of the noise? In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris dissect a busy week of economic releases, earnings announcements and Fed meetings, and try to make sense of it all.

This week, Democratic voters in New York elected Zohran Mamdani to be their candidate for the mayoral election in November. Perhaps not surprisingly, the 33-year old's popularity with the younger generations helped to catapult to victory. However, his political platform and campaign processes are giving the traditional elites the fits. Rent freezes? Free public transportation. Free childcare? Government-run grocery stores? Higher taxes for corporations and the so-called 1%? A $30/hour minimum wage? Regulating delivery apps? It is very aggressive and more than a little bit idealistic. The question remains: why do these economically questionable positions appeal to younger voters?   In this week's Trading Perspectives, Sam Clement and John Norris discuss the recent mayoral primaries in New York, and analyze the winner's appeal to younger voters. The title is an allusion to a famous headline in New York during the Ford Administration….when Gerald Ford essentially blocked a financial bailout for the city.