WashingtonWise

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 ...

On this episode of WashingtonWise, Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, joins host Mike Townsend for a wide-ranging discussion about what’s driven the wild swings in the market in 2025 and what’s on the horizon for the rest of the year. Liz Ann dives into the constantly evolving tariff and fiscal policies and how they are making it harder for companies to plan and for investors to know where things are he...

The last several weeks have seen unusual market volatility, not just in the stock market but in the bond market as well. Fixed income investors have been struggling to make sense of the on-again, off-again tariff policy and its impact on the U.S. economy. In this episode, host Mike Townsend welcomes Collin Martin, director and fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, for a robust discussion about how tar...

China and the United States are locked in an unprecedented trade war, with each imposing tariffs of more than 100% on the other’s imports. On this episode of WashingtonWise, host Mike Townsend is joined by Jeffrey Kleintop, Schwab’s chief global investment strategist, for an in-depth discussion of the trade war’s implications for investors, companies, consumers, and the economies of both countries. They discuss which parts of the U...

The administration's ever-evolving trade and tariff policy has sent the markets on a wild ride not seen in two decades. In this episode of WashingtonWise, host Mike Townsend dives into what's driving the administration's tariff agenda and how the markets are responding. He also considers the broader implications for the U.S. economy, the tricky task facing the Fed, and the struggle on Capitol Hill to move forward with the president...