Category Market Comments

Economy, FOMC, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

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

Economy, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

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

Advanced Analysis, Advanced Analysis, General Financial Planning, Investing/Financial Planning, John Kvale, Market Comments, Personal

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

Economy, FOMC, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

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

Advanced Analysis, AI, General Financial Planning, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

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

General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

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

Audio, Economy, FOMC, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments, Monthly Review, Podcast, Video

August 2026 Financial Planning and Capital Market Audio Video Podcast format Review … 30th Annual Party Reminder/Invite … Cash Purchase Reminders … Social Security Reminder to review … FIMA/Bessent/Warsh … By John Kvale CFA, CFP

Infographic for the August 2026 Financial Planning and Capital Market Update. The top banner announces the 30th Annual Holiday Party on Sunday, Nov 22nd at 1 PM. The left column features a video and podcast player displaying the August 2026 Update title and a professional portrait of John Kvale. The middle column outlines Financial Planning Tips: 1) Cash Purchase Reminder regarding homeowners and title insurance, 2) Social Security Reminder to confirm annual benefit records, and 3) Bottom Line advice on account recommendations. The right column highlights Capital Market Comments including Bessent interactions and FIMA, Operation Baby Twist ($10 billion vs. the 2011 twist), and the Jackson Hole update with FOMC Chair Kevin Warsh. The bottom includes links for Videopress and YouTube.

August 2026 Review by John Kvale

John Kvale CFA, CFP
August 31, 2026

FOMC, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

Warsh on deck at Jackson Hole … Old term making a come back … Friday

Long-term historical line chart from Koyfin tracking US Treasury yields from before 1990 through August 2026. US10Y (10-Year Treasury yield): Shown in orange, trading at 4.674% (+2.1bp / +0.45%). US30Y (30-Year Treasury yield): Shown in purple, trading at 5.192% (+1.8bp / +0.35%). Macro Trend: Both yields exhibit a multi-decade downward trend from near 9–10% levels around 1990, hitting extreme historical lows around 2020 below 1%, before steeply rebounding into the 4.5%–5.2% range by 2026.

J.K. Financial, Inc. Warsh on deck at Jackson Hole Old term making a come back

John Kvale CFA, CFP
August 28, 2026

Advanced Analysis, General Financial Planning, Interest Rates, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments

FIMA – Foreign and International Monetary Authorities and its recent use … Part 2

Image containing text from the Federal Reserve website explaining the Foreign and International Monetary Authorities (FIMA) Repo Facility. Heading: Foreign and International Monetary Authorities (FIMA) Repo Facility Paragraph Text: "The Federal Reserve established a repurchase agreement facility for foreign and international monetary authorities (FIMA Repo Facility). By creating a backstop source of temporary dollar liquidity for FIMA account holders, the facility can help address pressures in global dollar funding markets that could otherwise affect financial market conditions in the United States. Its role as a liquidity backstop also helps to support the smooth functioning of financial markets more generally."

J.K. Financial, Inc. Bessent FIMA use Part 2

John Kvale CFA, CFP
August 24, 2026

Advanced Analysis, General Financial Planning, Investing/Financial Planning, Market Comments, Tax Related

Operation “Baby” Twist … IRS sending notices all of the sudden! … More FIMA soon … Friday

Uncle Sam picture on the Beach

J.K. Financial, Inc. Baby Twist - IRS notices

John Kvale CFA, CFP
August 21, 2026