Jeff Buchbinder | Chief Equity Strategist Last Updated: July 22, 2026 Additional content provided by Kent Cullinane, CFA, Sr. Analyst, Research. Why Does Midterm Election Volatility Create Opportunity? With midterm elections fast approaching, history suggests investors may be better served focusing on market behavior rather than political predictions. As LPL Research highlighted in its Midyear Outlook 2026: Policy, Buildouts, & Bottlenecks, our base case is a split Congress.

Adam Turnquist | Chief Technical Strategist Last Updated: May 28, 2026 Risk appetite remains firmly intact as optimism surrounding a potential resolution to the war with Iran continues to improve investor sentiment. The S&P 500 has now advanced for eight consecutive weeks, with price action remaining remarkably resilient throughout the recovery. Since bottoming on March 30, the index has gained roughly 18% over just 39 trading sessions, producing an average daily gain of more

Jeff Buchbinder | Chief Equity Strategist Last Updated: May 12, 2026 Many have drawn the comparison between the current AI buildout with the dotcom period in the late 1990s, when the infrastructure for the internet was built. It’s a sensible comparison to make because of the massive amount of capital deployed to commercialize the buildout of revolutionary and life-changing technology. It’s also a reasonable comparison to make because technology stocks drove one of the biggest

Adam Turnquist | Chief Technical Strategist Last Updated: March 12, 2026 The market has shifted quickly from concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) disruption to rising geopolitical risks tied to the conflict in Iran. Headlines continue to drive market movements as investors wait for greater clarity on the timing of a U.S. exit strategy. For now, oil remains the primary market driver, with developments around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz acting as either an acce

Jeff Buchbinder | Chief Equity Strategist Additional content provided by Brian Booe, Associate Analyst, Research. The Federal Reserve (Fed) is widely expected to cut its target federal funds rate by a quarter point today. While a half-point cut is possible (markets are placing about a 5% chance on it) and adds some suspense, we think the focus for investors should be on the Fed’s outlook for the job market and inflation for the next several quarters and how their reaction fun

By: Daken Vanderburg, CFA Let’s try something different. Please read the following two paragraphs: 1) President Trump's second term has been marked by an unprecedented surge in executive orders, a clear overreach of presidential power. With over 80 executive orders signed within the first few weeks of his second term, Trump has bypassed the legislative process and undermined the checks and balances that are fundamental to our democracy. This alarming trend starkly contrasts

By: Daken Vanderburg, CFA- Head of Investments for Wealth Management at MassMutual. Please take out a writing implement and a piece of paper. Number the paper from one to four, and answer the following questions:1 What is the official language of the United States? Why were women burned at the stake in Salem? What job did Walt Disney have when he drew Mickey Mouse? On which spaceflight did humans first lay eyes on the Great Wall of China? These questions remind me of inflati

By: D. Michael O'Connor- President of Private Wealth & Trust at MassMutual. Over your lifetime, you’ve saved and invested wisely. Thanks to your diligence, you’re able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle today, but you also want to ensure that the wealth you’ve created can help provide for the people and causes you care about tomorrow. A trust can help Created by executing a document known as a “trust agreement,” a trust is a legal entity that can hold property for the benefit

By: MassMutual Staff - Our executives and experts team up to write educational articles, covering a variety of financial topics such as life planning, college savings, and retirement. For many Americans, being financially well is both a state of mind and a state of wallet. A stable financial life — one where you are able to pay your bills, save for the future, protect what's important, and have money left over at the end of the month — goes a long way toward creating that mi

By: Shelly Gigante- Shelly specializes in personal finance issues. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications and news websites. If you’ve ever yearned for an early retirement, you’re not alone. A small but growing contingent of working Americans have made it their mission to eliminate paycheck dependency well ahead of the traditional age of retirement. More than one-third of Gen Zers, millennials, and GenXers said they plan to retire before age 65, according to the m

By: Allen Wastler - Allen is a former financial journalist with over 30-years of experience, including time at CNBC, CNN, and Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Right now, if your estate is worth less than roughly $13 million (about $26 million for a married couple), you don’t have to worry about your heirs paying a federal estate tax. But that’s likely to change in two years. And a couple of years isn’t very long when it comes to setting up an estate plan. “In my opinion, everybody s

By: Shelly Gigante - Shelly specializes in personal finance issues. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications and news websites. You fully fund your 401(k) retirement account every year, sacrificing a fatter paycheck today for financial security down the road, and for that, you should be proud. Depending on your income and future lifestyle, however, it may not be enough. Not even close. That's because of several factors, including: Contribution limits Inflation Taxes

By: Daken Vanderburg- Daken is Head of Investments for Wealth Management at MassMutual. The market recently took quite a sudden dip, causing lots of consternation. Should we sell? Is this the beginning of the end? Are we about to enter another Global Financial Crisis?! Honestly? Markets just go down sometimes and, candidly, it can be healthy … particularly when viewed through the lens of history and rationality. I know that statement doesn’t make headlines, but it’s historica

By: Allen Wastler- Allen Wastler is a former financial journalist with over 30-years of experience, including time at CNBC, CNN, and Knight-Ridder Newspapers. How do you get to a comfortable retirement? It’s a journey. And like any other trip, it’s easier if you have a map or GPS to help you get there. Here’s an overall guide with links to information and expositions on specific retirement issues. Planning for retirement, early The first step in any trip is figuring out wher

By: Thomas Charla -Thomas Charla is an expert in financial planning and wellness as well as business markets for MassMutual. Before deciding on an investment strategy and portfolio mix, there’s a crucial piece of information you need: Your risk tolerance profile. Simply put, risk tolerance is defined as the amount of risk that an investor is willing to put up with given the volatility in the value of an asset or investment. While everyone’s risk tolerance is different, severa

By: Shelly Gigante- Shelly Gigante specializes in personal finance issues. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications and news websites. You own a home, maybe two. You’ve amassed a sizeable nest egg, even as you continue to set professional goals. And you spend most weekends spoiling your grandkids or hope to soon if your millennial offspring ever settle down. Welcome to the “wealth transfer zone.” Indeed, your financial picture looks vastly different during the pre-r

By: Allen Wastler- Allen Wastler is a former financial journalist with over 30-years of experience, including time at CNBC, CNN, and Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Most people want a long and secure retirement and, to that end, have saved and built up investments over time. But in today’s world, there are threats that can disrupt those retirement savings and diminish their anticipated returns. These include: Uncertain interest rates Market volatility Withdrawal timing and sequence

By: Daken Vanderburg- Daken is Head of Investments for Wealth Management at MassMutual. Before examining what’s happening in the markets lately, including bond surges and equity stumbles, it might be useful to consider perspective. The story of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter can help with that. The professional boxer was falsely accused of murder and sent to prison. But he never accepted the role of prisoner, refusing all the accoutrements and routines associated with it. He made t