1. Volatility Isn’t the Enemy. It Can Bring Opportunity.

There are 10 letters in the word “volatility,” but in investing circles, it’s often seen as a four-letter “dirty” word. It’s understandable because many investors are programmed to believe that increased market turbulence leads to more downside for risk assets. Unfortunately, the conversation typically ends there. “Volatility is bad” and move along. Yes, drawdowns, particularly the big ones, are unnerving and affect returns. The more market participants can do to limit or avoid drawdowns, the better their long-term performance will be. — Todd Shriber

2. Social Media Addiction Ruling Signals New Legal Risks for Tech Giants

A California jury has found Instagram-owner Meta and Alphabet’s YouTube liable for harm to a user who said she became addicted as a child. Jurors concluded that the companies’ design choices were addictive and contributed to her depression. Social media companies have long battled accusations of cultural harm and brain rot. But this is the type of harm that rises to the level of legal liability. — Karoliina Liimatainen

3. Oil Surge and Iran Tensions: What Now for Markets?

Rising oil prices and growing geopolitical risks are hitting markets but is it a reason to worry for the long term? Understand what the Iran war means for inflation, recession odds and long-term investing strategy. The Iran war has led to a dramatic spike in oil prices, pushing up our expectations for inflation and worsening economic growth prospects. At the time of writing, market expectations for interest rate cuts in the UK and US this year have faded – although forecasts are changing day by day. Bond yields have risen, pushing prices lower. And stock markets have suffered. — Robert Farago

4. As Markets React To War and Inflation, One Question Stands Above All

March has not been kind to markets. As we pen this note on the 20th, every major equity index we track has fallen month to date, with the Dow and S&P 500 off 7% and 5.4% and the MSCI EAFE and EM Indices off 9.6% and 8.4%. Bonds have also struggled, with the Bloomberg Aggregate down 1.8%. As to how we got here, the war with Iran has driven oil prices sharply higher and that has Wall Street worried about economic growth (and profits, which has weighed on stocks) and a spike in inflation (which might spell the end of Fed rate cuts and even open the door to rate hikes and has weighed on bonds). As to the underperformance of international equities, that is likely due to those economies’ greater dependence on imported oil and a rallying dollar, an historical headwind for overseas markets. — Tim Holland

5. Markets Falling Fast—5 Red Flags Before You Buy the Dip

War in Iran keeps pushing stocks lower. The S&P 500 is a hair’s length from official correction territory, down 9% from its recent high. Many tech stocks are doing far worse. The “Magnificent Seven”—Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms (META), Nvidia (NVDA), and Tesla (TSLA)—are down 18%, on average. As regular readers know, corrections like this are great opportunities to buy world-class disruptors at bargain prices. — Stephen McBride

6,. Americans Are Living Longer Than You Think – Are You Prepared?

Planning for retirement requires accounting for longevity, which is arguably the most critical factor. Longer lifespans increase the risk of outliving your assets. Given the numbers, it is prudent to prepare for a retirement that could last 30 years or more. A comprehensive plan should generate sustainable lifetime income while also accounting for the potential healthcare expenses that often accompany increased longevity. — Lincoln Financial

7. From Reactive to Proactive: The New Era of Advisor-Led Tax Planning

Tax Planning: Introducing Wealth.com Tax Planning, the next evolution of advisor-led planning. See how you can move beyond fragmented tools and deliver more connected, proactive visualizations and guidance through tax intelligence embedded directly in the Wealth.com platform. — Wealth.com

8.  Closing the Confidence Gap in Financial Planning with John Roberts

John Roberts, Chief Field Officer at Northwestern Mutual, shares insights from the firm’s 2026 Planning & Progress Study, pointing to a growing gap in financial confidence—particularly among younger investors. Gen Z and millennials are increasingly turning to speculative behaviors like crypto, sports betting, and prediction markets as a way to “catch up,” often driven by a sense of falling behind. In contrast, those working with advisors report significantly higher levels of confidence, reinforcing the role of advice in shifting clients toward long-term planning, compounding, and protection. — Power Your Advice

9. The New Defensive Playbook: Defense Spending as a Long-Term Reality

Geopolitical risk has moved from a background concern to a central portfolio variable. Institutional surveys increasingly rank it as one of the most difficult risks to model, surpassing even inflation in some cases. Yet today’s environment is not simply about short-term conflict headlines. It reflects a deeper transformation: a sustained global rearmament cycle, driven by modernization, technological competition and shifting alliances. For investors, the key question is not whether tensions will fluctuate. It is whether defense spending, particularly in Europe and Asia, has entered a durable growth phase. We believe it has. — Samuel Rines & Jonathan Flynn

10. AI Isn’t Just Changing the Game. It’s Revealing Who Can Actually Play It.

Over the past year, publications like Forbes and Business Insider have been flooded with commentary on artificial intelligence. The narrative is predictable: AI is disrupting industries. AI is replacing jobs. AI is changing everything. All of that is true. But it’s not the most important thing happening. — Daniel Krynzel

11. Why Clients Choose One Advisor Without Explaining Why

Clients rarely announce how they make decisions. When they choose another advisor, the explanation they give is usually vague, polite, and unsatisfying. They say it came down to fit, timing, or a personal preference. What they almost never say is what actually happened internally. Most decisions are made quietly, long before a comparison ever takes place. — Ari Galper