WashingtonWise

The military conflict in Iran is roiling markets around the globe. In this episode, host Mike Townsend is joined by Kevin Gordon, head of macro research and strategy at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, to unpack what the war means for investors amid volatile markets. Kevin shares his perspective on how geopolitical uncertainty is driving sharp swings in oil and gas prices; why markets in the U.S. have so far been more resi...

Just as investors were getting comfortable increasing their artificial intelligence holdings, the "AI trade" has been shifting, affecting a wide range of companies across a variety of sectors. Nathan Peterson, director of derivatives research and strategy at Schwab, joins host Mike Townsend to discuss the power of AI as well as its ability to disrupt. They dig into what AI can deliver now, where it is headed, the types of businesse...

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 meta...

The barrage of unsettling headlines has investors wondering how to manage their investments amid ongoing changes and disruptions coming from Washington. On this episode of WashingtonWise, Kasey McCurdy, chief portfolio strategist at Schwab Wealth Advisory, joins host Mike Townsend to tackle the turbulent start to the year. Kasey shares insights on how investors can tune out the noise when making investment decisions, even when ther...

Policy and politics are likely to have an outsized impact on the markets in 2026 as the administration, Congress, and the courts seek to shape the policy landscape in advance of the midterm elections. In this episode of WashingtonWise, host Mike Townsend focuses on six issues that could directly impact investors in the year ahead, including Federal Reserve independence, geopolitical events like the U.S. military operation in Venezu...

Affordability is the political buzzword of the moment, contributing to a widening gap between what consumers and investors think about the economy versus how the economy is actually performing. In this episode, Kevin Gordon, head of macro research and strategy at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, joins host Mike Townsend to discuss how affordability, though difficult to define, is shaping consumer sentiment and policy debat...

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history may be over, but Washington now finds itself facing several tough issues that will have significant implications for the markets and the economy. In this episode of WashingtonWise, host Mike Townsend examines the fallout from the shutdown, including the risk of another shutdown in early 2026, how the lack of government economic data could impact the Fed's December decision on rate cut...

With the Fed cutting rates and the bull market in stocks continuing its run of more than three years, some investors are wondering whether bonds still play an important role in a portfolio. On this episode, host Mike Townsend and guest Collin Martin, managing director and head of fixed income research and strategy at Schwab, discuss why bonds still matter when it comes to providing stability in a diversified portfolio. Collin share...

We are living in highly emotional times. But how can investors make sure those emotions don't get in the way of good investing decisions? In this episode of WashingtonWise, host Mike Townsend welcomes Stephanie Shadel, senior wealth advisor at Charles Schwab, for a timely discussion on managing emotions during turbulent markets and the impact of Washington policy decisions on investing. Steph shares practical strategies for keeping...

The bull market has been running since April, despite persistent economic and political headwinds, including tariffs, sticky inflation, a weakening jobs outlook, questions about the Fed's independence, and now a government shutdown. On this episode of WashingtonWise, Joe Mazzola, head trading and derivatives strategist at Charles Schwab, joins host Mike Townsend to discuss traders’ perspectives on whether this market can sustain it...

At last week's remarkable Federal Reserve meeting, the Fed's decision to cut the baseline interest rate for the first time in 2025 took a backseat to questions over which members would get to vote at the meeting. On this episode, Kathy Jones, Schwab's chief fixed income strategist, joins host Mike Townsend to break down the Fed's struggle to balance inflation concerns with a softening job market—and what they might do if they get i...

The coming weeks will see a series of major policy decisions in Washington that will play out in Congress and in the courts. On this episode, host Mike Townsend explores five key issues that are nearing resolution and discusses how the markets may react. He examines the Federal Reserve's plan to resume cutting interest rates and how the president's attempt to fire a Fed governor means the courts will have to resolve a fundamental q...

2025 has been the Year of the Tariff. Since he took office, President Trump has unveiled aggressive tariffs on imports from foreign countries, reshaping U.S. trade policy, sending the markets on a roller-coaster ride, and causing uncertainty for companies of all types. Now a new deadline of August 1 looms that could bring higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries. On this episode, host Mike Townsend is joined by Michelle G...

As cryptocurrency makes its way into the investing mainstream, investors have lots of questions. In today's episode, Nate Peterson, director of derivatives analysis at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, joins host Mike Townsend for a timely discussion that covers cryptocurrency basics, how this technology could evolve, and how Washington is taking notice by moving forward on the first-ever crypto legislation. Nate explains c...

The One Big Beautiful Bill, the Republicans’ massive tax and spending package, has passed the House of Representatives, but now the Senate is making significant changes to the legislation. In this episode, host Mike Townsend takes a closer look at what’s in the bill and how it may affect taxpayers, investors, and the markets. 

He examines the key differences between the House-passed bill and the Senate version, discusses the most co...

Financial fraud is not new, but it evolves so quickly that it can be hard to keep track of the latest developments. Host Mike Townsend is joined on this episode by DJ Johnson, managing director of financial crimes risk management at Charles Schwab, for an informative discussion of what kinds of financial scams are proliferating now and how investors can protect themselves. DJ highlights how fraudsters are using new techniques with ...