Good morning!

In case you missed it, hit the button below to watch a replay of this morning's webinar, Smart Tax Moves: Savvy Strategies to Pay Less and Save More. In it, I discuss some tax strategies designed to help you minimize your tax liability and maximize your savings, along with some valuable insights to make next year's tax season less stressful and more rewarding. And feel free to share the link with anyone you know who may have recently been surprised by an unexpected high tax bill.

Market volatility can be unsettling, but it's important to stay focused on your long-term goals. Folks, our advisors have seen and been through it all: the Dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the 2008 global financial crisis, as well as the 2020 COVID recession. What's important to remember is that our investment plans are designed with resilience in mind, and history shows that markets recover and grow over time. As always, I’m here to provide guidance and ensure your strategy stays on track. Here's what's happening this week...

• Global markets continue to maintain their unprecedented response to President Donald Trump's tariff plans and their potential effects on the world's largest economy. The S&P 500 opened Monday in bear market territory to extend its year-to-date slump to around 16.5%.The NASDAQ, which closed in bear market range on Friday, was marked 565 points, or 3.63% lower, while the Dow slumped 1,215 points. Stocks are set for another volatile week as President Trump stands his ground on tariffs despite global market chaos. A brief rally Monday lasted until President Trump announced plans to add an additional 50% tariff on China if the country doesn’t withdraw its announced retaliatory tariff increase on the U.S. And this morning, stocks rallied again after the White House signaled it was open to tariff talks. *

• Q1 earnings season kicks off Friday, with reports due from the usual financial behemoths. Those include JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Progressive, BlackRock, Bank of New York Mellon, and Unity Bancorp. This should be an interesting quarter, with the first ripples of President Trump's economic policy likely to show up in earnings reports. **

• Adding to the economic gumbo this week is key inflation data from Thursday's CPI (Consumer Price Index) and Friday's PPI (Producers Price Index) reports for March. The consensus calls for CPI to rise 2.6% on a year-over-year basis and for PPI to rise 3.3%. Last month's numbers are somewhat moot, thanks to last week's announcements raising U.S. tariffs to their highest level since the early 1900s. A report out of Yale University estimates that all tariffs implemented in 2025 will raise the consumer price level by 2.3% in the short run, and by adding 2.3 percentage points to the 2.5% PCE inflation estimate the Fed provided in December, inflation could rise to about 4.5%-5.0%. ***

The financial advisors at Miramontes Capital diligently keep up with anything that can impact our clients' finances and tap into more than 175 years of combined investment experience. We do our all to keep your money protected and growing. If you think you might benefit from our financial experience and oversight, contact us today for a FREE, no-obligation consultation. Just call (800) 460-1595. Until next week...

Investment Advisory Services offered through Miramontes Capital, LLC. Securities offered through Balanced Security Planning, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Miramontes Capital, LLC and Balanced Security Planning, Inc. are separate companies affiliated through common control. This newsletter is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Miramontes Capital, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Miramontes Capital, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.