Each week, the Stokes Family Office staff puts together a list of our favorite news and updates on all things wealth management. From financial planning, portfolio construction, tax and estate planning, and retirement plan services to anything we found interesting. Enjoy this week’s curated list for your weekend reading!
Economy News
How the 2026 World Cup Could Shape the U.S. Economy and Markets
- Joel Riha-Aldrich: We have learned that the World Cup may not be as beneficial as promoted by FIFA initially, which led to higher optimism than will more than likely play out. Keeping our eye on the ball as investors is key to correctly position and allocate on differences of pure optimism and those companies that are correctly positioned for success.
Why Poverty Really Plummeted in America
- WSJ Editorial Board: The enormous rise in living standards is among the greatest success stories in human history.
May CPI Is Less Bad
- The Bonddad Blog: But bad enough to edge consumers closer to recessionary income levels.
Related:
Markets News
America at 250: The Greatest Compounding Machine In History
- Meb Faber: While headlines fixate on the next quarters earnings or election cycle, the real story of wealth creation has always been measured in decades. For 250 years, America has been the best place in the world to let that story unfold.
The Whirlwind Is Upon Us
- Owen A. Lamont: It’s official, the world stock market is now as wild as it was during the tech-stock bubble. Since April 2026, we’ve had epic levels of return dispersion. AI excitement is driving extreme price moves, with some large-cap technology stocks up 50% to 100% in a single month. While it’s normal for small-cap stocks to sometimes rise 50% in a month, it’s not normal for the whole market to be meaningfully impacted by extreme winners. The chamber of dispersion has been opened, the beast of volatility has awakened, and the season of chaos is at hand.
Companies Cash In On Consumers’ Unwillingness To Bargain Shop
- Sam Ro: Many companies have been able to increase profit margins not just by cutting costs, but by charging higher markups because consumers have become less sensitive to price increases.
Chart of the Week
Via Ben Carlson, it’s historically normal for large down days to happen. Read more here.
Stokes Family Office is 100% Family Owned, and has been continually operating in the New Orleans Area for over 35 years. As a family office, we are focused on family wealth, financial planning, and tax planning. We are your local experts for Gulf South wealth management.
