$treet-¢ents – Making ¢ents out of the senseless Capital Markets

FOMC’s Kevin Warsh forced to raises rates … Bond Vigilantes push back on Scott Bessent … Longer term comparables getting closer …

Late 2025 (October–December):Starting Level: Began October 2025 around 4.09%–4.10%. First Major Drop: In late October/early November 2025, dropped sharply to approximately 3.87%. Second Major Drop: In mid-December 2025, plummeted down to roughly 3.64%. Early-to-Mid 2026 (January–August):Extended Holding Pattern: Remained nearly flat near 3.64% through April 2026. Slight Dips: Ticked slightly lower to around 3.62% during May–July 2026. Recent Spike (September 2026):Current Shift: Bounced back up sharply in mid-September 2026, reaching 3.88%.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Warsh raises, Rates rise, Relief via Comparables in the Spring of 27

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 28, 2026

Markets push back on Bessent, review preview … Greek clarity and second factor … Friday ..

Koyfin line chart comparing US Treasury yields across a 1-year horizon ending in late September:10-Year Treasury Yield (US10Y): Orange line, trading at 5.147% (+0.61%). 2-Year Treasury Yield (US2Y): Blue line, trading at 4.899% (-0.08%). Trend & Structure: Both yields trend upwards throughout the spring and summer months, experiencing a steep upward acceleration through August and September. The 10-Year yield trades consistently above the 2-Year yield, illustrating a classic un-inverted, upward-sloping yield curve environment as long-term rates hit 5.147%.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Rate preview, Greek Update pending

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 25, 2026

Retirement contribution run rate check up time … Catch up Roth/Payroll reminders …

Illustrated Q4 retirement check-up infographic featuring a woman with glasses and a small French bulldog at a desk. Key visual and text elements include: 2026 Contribution Maximums Board:Elective Deferrals: $24,500. Catch-Up (Ages 50–59 and 64+): $8,000. Catch-Up (Ages 60–63): $11,250. Quick Retirement Plan Check Notepad:Review YTD contributions. Check your paystub (Roth section?). Confirm you're on track to hit the max. Look for new investment options or plan changes. Sticky Notes & Prompts:Q4 Calendar: "Time to check your retirement contributions!" Roth Reminder Note: "2026 is the first year companies must defer catch-up contributions into a Roth for those with prior year income of $150k+." Yellow Sticky: "Small check now = big benefits later! :)"

J.K. Financial, Inc. Retirement Contribution Reminder and Maximums

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 23, 2026

Beta- Walking An English Bulldog and a French Puppy Bulldog example…

An educational cartoon illustration explaining Beta in investing using a dog walking analogy. In the center, a person representing the Market Index (Beta 1.0) walks forward on a city sidewalk holding two leashes. On the left, a slow, stubborn elder English Bulldog represents low-beta, slower-moving investments (Beta 0.5). On the right, an energetic French Bulldog puppy bounds ahead, representing high-beta, faster-moving investments (Beta 1.5). Above them are dashed trend lines illustrating speed and magnitude relative to the walker's pace.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Beta - Dog Walking

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 21, 2026

A walk with a Greek … Kevin pulls the trigger … A 53 and 64 Friday?

Line graph showing the trends of WTI Crude Oil prices (CL1) in blue and Brent Crude Oil prices (CO1) in purple, alongside the Federal Funds Target Rate (FDTR) in orange from January 2023 to October 2026.

J.K. Financial, Inc. A Greek, A Kevin with a Hammer, A 53 & 64?

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 18, 2026

Where International Tourist Spend the most … Last two Heavy post quick reviews …

J.K. Financial, Inc.

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 16, 2026

Navier-Stokes Problem Solved – But how? … Creator of AI model resigns and issues warning … President Xi Jinping visits US September 23-25 …

Scientific 3D rendering of vortex dynamics and fluid motion on a clean white background. Inward Spiral: A dense, horizontal disk-like swirling vortex rendered in cyan and bright blue tendrils, labeled on the left as "inward spiral." Axial Stretching: A vertical column running through the core of the spiral along a central axis line, shown in copper/gold colored helical strands, labeled at the top right as "axial stretching." Overall Dynamics: Demonstrates the physical mechanism of fluid vortex stretching, where surrounding fluid spiraling inward accelerates along a central vertical axis.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Navier-Stokes - President Xi Jinping

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 14, 2026

Strange Bedfellows – Crude/Interest Rates … Scott, Careful with challenges …. Friday

Koyfin multi-asset line chart tracking WTI Crude Oil, Brent Crude, and the 10-Year US Treasury yield from June 15 through mid-September. WTI Crude (CL1): Blue line, trading at $102.70 (+6.92%). Brent Crude (CO1): Purple line, trading at $108.07 (+6.77%). 10-Year Treasury Yield (US10Y): Orange line, trading at 4.973% (+2.66%). Trend: After bottoming in late June and experiencing mid-summer fluctuations, all three assets break into a sharp, simultaneous upward surge through late August and early September.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Strange Bedfellows - Challenging Wall Street

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 11, 2026

Q3 ES Tax Payment Reminder for 2026 Due September 15th – Next Tuesday

Image of IRS Form 1040-ES Payment Voucher 3 for 2026 Estimated Tax payments. Key fields and details include: Header: Indicates Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, "2026 Estimated Tax," OMB No. 1545-0074. Due Date: Calendar year payment due Sept. 15, 2026. Instructions: Directs taxpayers to make checks or money orders payable to "United States Treasury" with SSN and "2026 Form 1040-ES" written on the check. Online Payment Prompt: Left margin promotes online payment at www.irs.gov/etpay ("Simple. Fast. Secure."). Form Fields: Blank input fields for payment amount, taxpayer name, Social Security Number, spouse info, address, and foreign address details.

J.K. Financial, Inc. ES Payment Reminder

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 9, 2026

Revisiting the 4% Rule … A theory that 4% draws are ok … In light of recent new publications!

A high-resolution, professional financial blog splash image set inside a modern corporate office. In the foreground, a dark wooden executive desk features an angled widescreen curved monitor on the left displaying a orange-line stock chart titled "US 10-Year Treasury Yields" tracking multi-decade market cycles, labeled "Post-2008 Worry Era" and "Recent Regime". On the desk sit two digital tablets showing financial graphs, a paper notepad, documents, a pen, and a white coffee mug. Behind the desk in the center of the frame is a prominent glass whiteboard featuring black dry-erase text and diagrams. At the top, "THE 4% RULE: THEORY vs. REALITY" is written with "4% RULE" circled in orange. Below it, handwritten notes read "Is a 4% draw rate truly 'SAFE'?" and "Bengen's Theory, Poked & Prodded!" Annotations lead down to a comparison diagram titled "MYTH vs. FACT: PORTFOLIO GPS", illustrating a fluctuating dashed line labeled "Fixed 4% Withdrawal" alongside a steadily rising solid green line labeled "Active, Adaptable Plan". The background features a spacious financial trading floor with large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a city skyline, an overhead ticker display showing market data, and background office personnel working at computer workstations under soft, modern lighting.

J.K. Financial, Inc. 4% Theory/Rule revisited Our Manifesto

John Kvale CFA, CFP
September 4, 2026