Jeff Snell

The Department of Labor has pulled Biden-era guidance urging 401(k) plan fiduciaries to use special caution when considering cryptocurrencies on plan menus, in a win for firms that already do so — chief among them Fidelity Investments.

Read the entire article: Financial Advisor IQ – DOL Rescinds Guidance on Crypto in 401(k)s in Win for Fidelity

Barriers for everyday retail investors to access alternative investments—until now primarily the playground of larger, well-heeled clientele—seem poised to crumble.

Newly installed Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said last week it’s about time to roll back investment minimums and accreditation standards required to buy certain closed-end strategies with illiquid holdings.

Read the entire article: Financial Advisor IQ – Even Wall Street’s Top Cop Wants Alts Access for All

Earnings Expectations are Falling. That’s a Good Thing

The first four months of the year were dominated by trade and economic policy uncertainty. But let’s not forget what ultimately matters most for stocks: corporate earnings.I’ll dive into some details below, but the high-level takeaway is that U.S. corporations held up relatively well in the first quarter, while also scaling back expectations for the quarters ahead. And I see this latter point as good news for stocks.As I write, roughly half of S&P 500 companies have reported Q1 2025 earnings, and the results show +14.0% year-over-year earnings-per-share (EPS) growth on +4.0% higher revenues. Approximately 72.3% of companies beat their EPS estimates, which is pretty much in line with historical averages.

Read the entire article: Earnings Estimates Are Falling—And That’s Good | Zacks Investment Management Blog

Market declines come in all shapes and sizes, but they tend to follow similar patterns over time. Corrections are short, sharp declines between -10% and -20%, while bear markets are declines greater than 20% that fall into one of three categories

Structural – These bear markets are caused by severe dislocations, typically in financial markets, and are often associated with ‘bubbles.’ The 2008 Global Financial Crisis is an example of a structural bear, which often take several years to fully recover from.

Cyclical – These bear markets are more closely tied to the business cycle,

Read the entire article: Not All Selloffs Are the Same—Do You Know Which One We’re In? | Zacks Investment Management Blog