Dec Mullarkey, head of investment strategy at SLC Investments, says that when there is a lot of uncertainty and geopolitical risk, the United States economy and markets benefit from the situation, even if the unrest is partially caused by the U.S. As a result, while many observers worry about what might change under the new Trump Administration, Mullarkey expects economic stability, noting that "given all the headwinds we all can think of, [the U.S.) is better fortified than any other economy right now to sustain continuous growth this year. ... The rest of the world is more at risk." David Trainer, founder and president of New Constructs, revisits Sweetgreen, which he put into the Danger Zone in 2021 and subsequently named a "zombie stock," which has bounced back significantly this year, setting it up for another fall. Plus, John Dorfman, chairman of Dorfman Value Investments brings his classic value style to the Market Call.

Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab & Co., says that while the stock market has done well at the index level — where a few big names carried the benchmarks to big years — the fuller story has been told at a lower level, where the market has had more struggles and there have been rolling recessions in various areas of the economy without triggering a full-blown, broad-based downturn. She says those conditions will persist for at least the first half of 2025, with the market continuing to roll on if earnings remain strong; to that end, she noted that the market's current expectations — calling for 14 percent earnings growth — seem high, which should make investors cautious at least until they see forward-looking estimates. Mark Gatto, co-founder and co-chief executive officer at CION Investment Group, says that global infrastructure spending estimated at as much as $3 trillion annually worldwide is creating an asset class that can overcome political challenges and that has significant earning potential, which is why his firm recently announced plans for the new CION Grosvenor Infrastructure Fund. And in the Market Call, Jason Browne, president of Alexis Investment Partners and the Alexis Practical Tactical fund talks about ETF investing.

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, says that the real story in cryptocurrency in 2024 has not been the massive gains in Bitcoin -- which is up about 120 percent year-to-date -- but the way the business has matured, adding crypto ETFs from some of Wall Street's biggest firms. Coupled with the new administration, which is crypto-friendly, it makes Hougan more positive about his outlook for the future, which he says includes plenty of room for crypto to run higher in 2025. John Cole Scott, president of Closed-End Fund Advisors, digs into his mountain of data to divine the stories he anticipates to be central to the closed-end fund landscape in the new year, and also delivers the names of five funds that he thinks are poised for breakout performances. Plus, financial adviser Patti Brennan helps answer the big question most investors want to know for the new year and beyond, as she discusses her new book, “Am I Going to Be Okay? Timely Intelligence, Actionable Ideas, Answers to the Questions that Really Matter.” 

Michael Kelly, global head of multi-asset at PineBridge Investments, says that the stock market had priced in a soft landing before the recent, temporary spike in volatility, but that action made investors realize that the potential for a hard landing is on the rise, even with Federal Reserve rate cuts on the way. Either way, Kelly says the long-term trend for the market will be positive, but he cautions that where markets go up during soft landings, investors get punished by hard landings until the bottom is reached, so he suggested caution while watching the Fed try to pull off a perfect landing. Also cautious -- but based on the market's technicals, was Lawrence McMillan, president of McMillan Analysis, who said the early August blip was nothing more than a temporary move, what will ultimately be a forgettable day and he thinks the market is more likely to test resistance at roughly 5,700 on the Standard & Poor's 500 before it tests support, which he figures is roughly 5,380. Jonathan Lansner, financial columnist for the Orange County Register turns to the ways that Wall Street resolved and evolved after the ruling that allowed discount brokers as a possible guide for how real estate firms will adapt to rule changes aimed at re-shaping the landscape and process for home sales.

Chris Vermeulen, chief market strategist at The Technical Traders, says that the market's technicals are very strong, with all signs showing a new bull market that should carry the Standard and Poor's 500 to 4,200. 'You have to throw fundamentals and economic stuff out the window,' he says, 'because this market from a technical standpoint is set to go higher,' noting that the market could climb the wall of worry -- with brief respites and corrections -- all the way to 4,600. Also on the show, William Costigan of Guggenheim Partners says that low real interest rates and nominal Treasury yields at or below zero is forcing investors to 'be more creative, more thoughtful and do more homework' to find better fixed-income results, Ed Carson of Investor's Business Daily discusses the latest IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, and Tom Plumb of the Plumb Funds talks about buying disruptive companies in the Market Call.

At a time when emerging markets investments look particularly promising, Laura Geritz of Rondure Global Advisors says that India is the country where she finds the best opportunities, while China is the market that she finds more troubling. Geritz discusses how the global pandemic -- which has curtailed the brutal travel schedule she keeps, normally spending about three-quarters of the year on the road -- has changed but also improved the investment research process, and why it has created opportunities for small companies around the globe. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes a classic financial-sector fund his ETF of the Week, and James Abate of the Centre Fuds and Centre American Select Equity covers large-cap domestic stocks in the Market Call. 

Mark Fleming, chief economist for First American Financial Corp., says that the real estate market will not be returning to 'normal' when the pandemic is done because it has been fundamentally changed by the way lives have been affected by work-from-home and other trends. Those issues led to a particularly strong year in 2020 and will contribute to another big year ahead, especially with the millennials aggressively moving into their home-ownership phases at a time when there is a low supply of available homes. Also on the show, Janice Quek of Left Brain Investment Research discusses Datadog, a stock that isn't part of the firm's recent cyber-security theme but which has similar growth characteristics and potential, JP Lee of Van Eck Vectors ETFs talks about the gaming and e-sports industries and Matt Schulz of CompareCards.com discusses where consumers went right and wrong with their savings and spending last year.

Avi Gilburt, founder of Elliott Wave Trader, says that nervous investors should turn off the news, look at technicals and Elliott Wave analysis and join him in thinking the market's next move will be to 4,600 on the Standard and Poor's 500, a gain of more than 20 percent from current levels. But Gilburt goes further to say that he thinks the market will get to 6,000 before the current cycle ends, though it may not be until 2022 or '23 before it goes that far. Also on the show, University of Virginia business professor Gregory Fairchild, author of 'Domestic Emerging Markets," Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast discussing a survey showing that a surprising number of Americans spent less money than expected in 2020, plus Chuck Carlson of the DRIP Investor newsletter talking about removing the emotion from investing during the Market Call.

Michael Mullaney, director of global markets research at Boston Partners, says that while investors have good reasons to be nervous, the market and economy are set up for a good year and reasonable returns, provided there isn't some glitch in the end game of the pandemic. While he acknowledges issues like potential inflation, the disconnect between the market and the economy and more, Mullaney says those concerns will take a while before they truly impact the market. Also on the show, Dave King of Columbia Threadneedle discusses a survey of where investors expect to go to generate income this year, David Trainer of New Constructs reviews three Danger Zone picks that didn't work out in 2020 -- but that he still expects to pay off down the line -- and Bill Hench of the Royce Opportunity fund talks small-cap value investing in the Market Call.

Veteran technical analyst Gene Peroni of Peroni Portfolio Advisors is very bullish on the market, expecting it to move substantially higher -- ultimately eclipsing Dow 40,000 before the current market cycle ends -- driven by broad-based market leadership. Also on the show, Larry Antonatos of Brookfield Asset Management discusses real assets and infrastructure investments and the benefits of making them in closed-end funds, Howard Lindzon, founder of StockTwits talks about the unbundling of investments and how that is benefitting individual investors, and bear-fund manager Brad Lamensdorf of the Lamensdorf Market-Timing Report talks stocks in the Market Call.

Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott, says market and economic conditions exiting the pandemic favor equity markets that are driven more by cyclical stocks -- which describes Europe, Japan and emerging markets -- which is why he thinks 2021 'may be the year for non-US equities to outperform domestic ...' Further, those same conditions have him favoring value stocks over growth, and he notes that the recent value rally should continue. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes a brand new fund run by a familiar name his ETF of the Week, and Todd Rosenbluth of CFRA Research talks mutual funds and ETFs in the Market Call. 

Bob Doll, chief equity strategist for Nuveen Asset Management, has been making annual predictions about the market and economy for some three decades, and today he releases his forecasts for the year ahead while reviewing his results from 2020, the first year in which he ever had to adjust his prognostications midstream. In 2021, Doll expects to see real GDP growth increasing at its fastest pace in more than two decades, forecasts an increase in inflation, a weakening of the dollar and a stock market that hits new highs even if it doesn't mount particularly impressive gains. Also on the show, Mark Hines of Left Brain Investment Research examines Zscaler, another cybersecurity stock that posted huge gains in 2020 but which he says is poised for much more ahead, and Chuck discusses the final tally from his keep-the-change savings program for 2020.

Charlie Bobrinskoy of Ariel Investments says in the Market Call that value's recent run is likely to continue, but he notes that value-oriented investors need to be particularly careful right now, with the market near record highs and valuations a bit pricey. He also expects that investors will start seeing inflation sooner rather than later, and suggests preparing for it now. In the Big Interview, Greg McBride of Bankrate.com also discusses inflation, and while he expects that there may be a small increase in the short term, he mostly expects the economy to keep fending inflation at bay for the next few years, McBride gives is 2021 outlook for mortgage and credit-card rates, savings accounts and much more. Also on the show, Michele Schneider of MarketGauage.com talks technical analysis.

Chuck starts 2021 by diving into the dead pool of mutual funds that perished last year, talking about their foibles, follies and the lasting lessons to be learned from a rogue's gallery of failed funds. Also on the show, Joel Fleishman, author of "Putting Wealth to Work" talks about 'philantho-capitalism' and how wealthy donors are changing the world, and Peter Tuz of Chase Investment Counsel talks stocks in the Market Call.

Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Asset Management, says the economic data has lined up so that the economy "can cruise through this soft landing, and not land." In the Big Interview, Haworth says that recessions have been held off for longer than expected up to now, but while he could see heightened volatility for the market for the rest of the year or beyond, the glass-half-full economy means that recession is not likely in the next year and a half. Economists -- as measured by the August 2024 Economic Policy Survey released today by the National Association for Business Economics -- seem to agree, though Lester Jones, chief economist, National Wholesale Beer Association  and a member of NABE's survey committee, notes that the imbalance between loose fiscal policy and tight monetary policy has economists worried about how things might turn after the election. David Trainer, president of New Constructs, puts Lyft back into The Danger Zone -- for the fourth time since 2019 --  noting that the stock still isn't worth $1 per share despite currently trading for more than 10 times that amount. Plus Steve Nicastro, managing editor at Clever Real Estate, discusses how changes in rules governing real estate commissions -- which went into effect over the weekend -- will play out for consumers.

Michael Falk of Focus Consulting Group -- who has joined Chuck every three months in 2020 to discuss the market, investing and his personal battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease -- talks about how his unique circumstances have him viewing Covid as a blessing, bonds as broken and not worth buying for the foreseeable future, and about his hopes for the future. Also on the show, John Cole Scott of the Active Investment Company Alliance reviews the good, bad and ugly in closed-end fund investing from 2020, and Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com taps a red-hot cybersecurity fund as his ETF of the Week.

Ben Carlson, author of 'Everything You Need To Know About Saving For Retirement,' joins Chuck to discuss exactly what people need to know and do to at least get comfortable with building their own retirement, and talks about how the daunting process of building a retirement nest egg is easier and simpler than most people make it. Also on the show, Noland Langford of Left brain Investment Research discusses cybersecurity stocks - and specifically Tenable Holdings -- and why they will keep running even after the pandemic boost the sector has experienced fades away, and Rob Spivey of Valens Research talk about survive-and-thrive stocks and more in the Market Call.

JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade, says it would be healthy for the market to have a sell-off of up to 10 percent in the first quarter of 2021 before moving up from there. That said, he said the pace of stock market gains that have been evident through the holiday season will be hard to maintain in the year ahead. Also on the show, Brian Hamilton, chief executive officer at One, discusses how and why some institutions are offering 'early' advance stimulus checks, and Jason Browne of Alexis Investment Partners talks ETFs in the Market Call.

Dan Fuss, who has run Loomis Sayles Bond Fund for three decades -- but who is spry enough to have been named by Morningstar as its 'Outstanding Portfolio Manager' in 2019 -- says that all of the economic stimulus will affect the current economy the same way that past financial booster shots have, by creating inflation, which he says is already visible in a few areas but which he expects to become more visible in the next two years. In a wide-ranging Big Interview, Fuss discusses the dangers of chasing yield in the current low-rate environment, the trouble with moving up the risk scale and more. Also on the show, Christine Benz, director of personal finance at Morningstar and David Trainer, president at New Constructs , taking the year's final trip to The Danger Zone.

In a wide-ranging show, one back note rings out in today's interview, namely the importance of diversification. Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com looks at a fund that buys into countries showing strong momentum -- and that gained more than 10 percent last week alone -- as his ETF of the Week, noting that it can diversify portfolios that don't have enough international exposure. Gene Tannuzzo of Columbia Threadneedle discusses the need to diversify fixed-income holdings and notes how 2020 has highlighted how different bond types can both boost and smooth out yields, Cheryl Pate of Angel Oak Capital talks about the potential for the value stocks in the financial sector to stand out next year, and Craig Hodges of the Hodges Funds talks stocks in the Market Call.

Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, says we are 'in the early part of a new cycle' that is going to include a pretty good bounce in economic growth next year and that should lead to reasonably good returns even as the economy and stock market come back into sync. He's expecting large-cap stocks to deliver 8 to 10 percent in the new year, which he termed as 'not wildly optimistic, but optimistic.' Also on the show, an extended Market Call that's all about investing in Fidelity funds featuring John Bonnanzio, editor of the Fidelity Monitor and Insight newsletter, and Left Brain Thinking, where Brian Dress, research director at Left Brain Investment Research, discusses why MercadoLibre -- a stock that's up 200 percent this year -- still has room to grow impressively in 2021 and beyond.

Neil Hennessy, chairman and chief executive officer at Hennessy Advisors and the Hennessy Funds, is optimistic about the stock market for 2021, and says that the Dow will overcome significant volatility to reach 35,000 -- roughly a 15 percent gain from current record levels --but he notes that it will also be a good year for value stocks and mid- and small-cap names and not just for big brand-name companies. Also on the show, Shane Bartling of Willis Towers Watson discusses the firm's 2020 Global Benefits Attitude Survey which showed that one in four full-time U.S. employees have seen their financial situation deteriorate this year, even though they were the lucky ones to hang onto their jobs amid the pandemic. Also, Barry James, portfolio manager for the James Advantage Funds, talks stocks in the Market Call.

David Jilek, chief investment strategist for Gateway Investment Advisors, says the market is poised for a reasonably good year ahead, but there are many potential trouble spots and risks. He notes that the market is pricing in greater implied volatility ahead for reasons related to the market, the pandemic, the economy, Federal Reserve policy and more more. He also notes that conservative investors are facing a period where their money isn't growing in low-rate fixed-income securities, forcing them to take on more risk to reach their goals. Also on the show, Meredith Stoddard discusses Fidelity's 2020 New Year's Resolution study, Kyle Guske of New Constructs talks in 'The Danger Zone' about why legacy credit ratings -- using traditional metrics and measures of the credit raters -- can create false impressions of corporate strength, and Chuck discusses the lists of the top companies that are being released for 2021 and whether investors should put any stock in these lists of the 'best stocks.'

Noted bond fund manager Mary Ellen Stanek, chief executive officer at the Baird Funds, says that while the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates lower for longer, investors looking to generate yield need to be cautious because the places providing the best returns are a significant step up the risk spectrum. She also noted that while mortgage securities have been viewed by many as improving yields, she is underweight on them now because they have significant refinancing risk that could leave investors with cash to reinvest but little or no attractive places to put it. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes an oil-services trend play his ETF of the Week, and Chuck answers two questions from the audience, one a tax question with some help from IraHelp.com founder Ed Slott.

Brij Khurana, fixed income portfolio manager at Wellington Management, says that if either political party sweeps the election in November -- winning the presidency and control of Congress and the Senate -- the result will be higher bond yields, because the market will price in greater financing of deficits, but he notes that a divided government, the market will price in a bigger fiscal contraction regardless of who the president is, bringing yields down. Khurana says the Federal Reserve should already have been cutting interest rates but will start next month, although he is expecting a slow, methodical cutting process rather than knee-jerk cuts in response to any data changes. On the stock side of the investment world, Matt Harris, chief investment officer at The Hausberg Group says that the volatility that surfaced early in August hasn't given him any reason to distrust the trend, which remains intact on a long-term basis and which he does not think will be broken despite heightened volatility between now and election day. Aaron Filbeck, managing director of the CAIA Association, discusses interval funds, their fee structure and potential and responds to a recent Wall Street Journal article on how their fees "will leave you high and dry." Plus, in the Market Call, Conrad Doenges, chief investment officer at Ranger Investment Management discusses small- and micro-cap investing.

Jim O'Shaughnessy of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management and author of 'What Works on Wall Street' discusses how what is working now in the pandemic market is the same as what has always worked, namely patience and diversification. In a wide-ranging interview, O'Shaughnessy makes it clear that investors can get by with simple portfolios and without complex new and alternative investments. Also on the show, Freddy Garcia of Left Brain Wealth Management discusses a few growth stocks in a value sector, financial services, and John Augustine of Huntington Private Bank talks stocks in the Market Call.

Brian Nick, chief investment strategist at Nuveen, says that the disconnect between the stock market and the economy -- what the market running ahead as the economy sifts through pandemic fallout -- will mend itself late next year or in 2022, and that the result will likely be somewhat muted returns for the stock market. Nick says the market should remain positive with pockets of volatility, but that returns are likely to be muted compared to the bounceback investors have seen in 2020. Also on the show, Josh Jamner of ClearBridge Investments discusses the firm's latest Anatomy of Recession report, and says that most economic factors show that we are much closer to recovery than we are to a double-dip recession, and Jordan Waldrep, chief investment officer at Truemark Investments discusses stocks in the Market Call. Plus, Chuck pays tribute to James Coonan, the founder of the American Association of Individual Investors, who passed away at age 89 on Dec. 14.

Eddy Vataru, portfolio manager for the Osterweis Total Return fund, says that he does not see income-oriented investors getting much help on the yield front in 2020.With that in mind, he explains that investors may want to look at the mortgage market, which he suggested can be a great substitute for Treasuries, generating more yield with less risk. Also on the show, David Trainer of New Constructs discusses some stocks that investors love for the wrong reason but that fiduciaries -- financial advisers -- should hate, Chuck answers an audience question about where to put what might be considered piggy-bank savings, and Chris Mack of Harding Loevner makes his debut talking stocks in the Market Call.

Steve Nguyen, portfolio manager at Causeway Capital Management, says that the development of coronavirus vaccines will have short-term and limited impact on health-care and pharmaceutical stocks, but that the change in administrations and the advent of new technologies will have a much more long-lasting and positive effect on the sector. Also on the show, James Clark of Nuveen Asset Management talks about real assets and infrastructure investments, Jill Gonzalez of WalletHub.com discusses a survey showing consumers dislike deferred interest credit cards, and Michael Robinson, chief technology strategist at Money Map Press, talks stocks in the Market Call.

Wayne Wicker, chief investment officer at ICMA Retirement Corp. and Vantagepoint Investment Advisors, says that 2020 should have taught investors the benefits of focusing on the long-term, where the results matter more than the day-to-day journey, and he stressed that 2021 will be a year in which diversification is helpful -- because the market will find different sources of leadership as it recovers from the pandemic -- to go along with what ultimately will be 'surprisingly good' results. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes a unique take on entrepreneurship his ETF of the Week, Simon Zhen of MyBankTracker.com talks about what people do with their spare change, and C.T. Fitzpatrick of Vulcan Value Partners says in the Market Call that people who say value investing is dead aren't defining the style correctly.

Rob Arnott, founding chairman of Research Affiliates, says that domestic stocks are priced to deliver a 'terrible performance' for the 2020s, although investors who invest heavily into international and emerging markets will mitigate the domestic stock situation and show strong overall portfolio results. Also on teh show, Ben Johnson, director of global ETF Research at Morningstar talks ETFs in the Market Call and Janice Quek of Left Brain Investment Research checks in from Singapore to discuss a company that is ni a surprising market to benefit from COVID pandemic fallout, but which she sees as having explosive growth as the economy returns to normal.

Rob Sharps, head of investments at T. Rowe Price, says that unfulfilled demand that has been building up throughout the pandemic will be unleashed when the coronavirus threat is diminished and it will fuel a major rebound in many of the stocks and sectors that have been beaten down this year. Sharps is optimistic that the market can push higher, though he warns that any recovery will be uneven and says that income investors will need to get creative to overcome low interest rates. Also on the show, Jason Thomas, chief economist at AssetMark,  Jason Thomas says the current economic environment has made it easy for typical investors to miss out on the market's run back to record highs, and while he is optimistic about the future, he notes that average investors may still miss out. And Leo Leydon of Financial Focus Advisory Services says that the market's technicals are showing that a pullback is in the offing; he expected the Standard and Poor's 500 to have a decline of more than 10 percent back to October lows before it can rebound to set new long-term highs.

Ed Slott, the founder of IRAhelp.com, says that while retirement savers do not have to take 'required minimum distributions' this year -- a move made as part of the government's Covid-19 relief package -- he believes many investors who don't need an RMD could benefit from pulling money this year, making the money taxable at a time when earnings may be down as a result of the pandemic. He also discusses other year-end steps and why -- this year more than most -- key tax-reduction strategies are more accessible than in normal years. Also on the show, Glenn Williams from Primerica discusses the firm's recent survey of middle-income Americans and the impact coronavirus has had on their finances, David Trainer of New Constructs talks about index investing in the Danger Zone, and Chuck answers three audience questions about trading.

Brian Beitner of Chautauqua Capital Management says that investors are risk-on right now -- despite a market and global economy that could have trouble shaking off the impacts of coronavirus -- at a time when they likely should be risk-off, meaning more conservative and fearful of a downturn.  Also on the show, John Cole Scott of Closed-End Fund Advisors and the Active Investment Company Alliance answers audience questions and discusses how big discounts don't actually make closed-end funds 'cheap' on a relative basis, Lawrence McMillan of McMillan Analysis discusses why the market's technicals have him optimistic right now, and Ken Laudan of the Buffalo Discovery fund talks health-care and pharmaceutical stocks in the Market Call.

Barry Ritholtz of Ritholtz Wealth Management -- one of the nation's leading financial planners -- and Axel Merk of the Merk Funds agree that forecasts tend to be misleading, meaningless, overplayed but mostly wrong. In separate interviews, they talk about why they're not in favor of making predictions, but then cover wide stretches of ground, with Merk discussing the market for equities, gold and more, while Ritholtz discusses the importance of being able to ride out the trouble spots and the twists and drops that happen between now and when some long-term market projection comes true, noting that investors might have entered 2020 expecting low double-digit returns but many didn't get them because they couldn't stand the market's steep decline in February and March. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com discusses a dividend-investing strategy that he says can be an income replacement or supplement in a portfolio.

Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com, digs into the site's latest credit-card debt survey, which says that half of American credit cardholders are now carrying debt month-to-month, up six percentage points from the start of the year and the higher level since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. 50% carry debt month to month. This figure is up 6 percentage points from January and is the highest figure seen since March 2020. Rossman discusses the current numbers for credit-card debt nationally, noting that while candidates have focused on the total of more than $1.4 trillion, the way the Federal Reserve calculates credit-card debt clearly includes a lot of consumers who are not financially challenged. With the likelihood of interest rate cuts coming as soon as next month, Todd Rosenbluth, the head of research at VettaFi, turns to the municipal bond space to pick his ETF of the Week; Burns McKinney, senior portfolio manager at NFJ Investment Group, brings his style of "modern value investing" to the Market Call, and Chuck answers two questions from a listener who is primarily interested in how to take advantage of the start of the rate-cut cycle and recent declines in the price of most Magnificent Seven stocks.

Frank Holmes, chief executive at US Global Investors, says that key indicators suggest that central banks will keep priming the pump for the global stock market well into 2021 and beyond, and that most current trouble signs will simply turn into short-term dips that represent good buying opportunities as the market and economy emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Also on the show, Noland Langford from Left Brain investment Research goes to an unlikely place -- the shopping mall -- to find two surprising stocks with the kind of near-term growth potential he likes, and Rob Lutts of Cabot Wealth Management talks stocks in the Market Call.

D.R. Barton Jr., editor of Straight-Up Profits, says that investors have so much money currently on the sidelines that when they start to put the money to work, it will force the market higher no matter the other market conditions, which is why he will be 'buying hand over fist' every market dip for the foreseeable future. Barton particularly likes cyclical stocks right now, but also likes the undervalued industrial companies and says that financials represent his favorite beaten-down sector. In the Big Interview, George Kinder of The Kinder Institute of Life Planning discusses how investors should size up their own good fortunes during the troubles of 2020 and find ways to be mature with their money, making them more generous during the holidays this year. Romana King discusses Zolo.com's recent survey showing how badly consumers overestimate their financial knowledge, and the Market Call has Mark Yusko of Morgan Creek Asset Management talking about how individuals can apply the 'endowment method of investing' using ETFs in their own portfolios.

David Trainer of New Constructs has railed against Tesla Corp, in the past, putting the company and its stock in the Danger Zone on multiple occasions. He revisits the stock now, as it is entering the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, noting that status won't keep the company flying at its current too-high levels forever. He believe the economic value of the company is less than 10 percent of its current price. Also on the show, Ted Rossman of CreditCards.com discusses the site's latest survey of credit-card fees, cannabis banking expert Jason Wilson of ETF Managers Group discusses pot stocks and how they're responding to increasing legalization via elections held across the country, and David Snowball of MutualFundObserver.com talks about what investors should seek out in funds during the Market Call.

Jonathan Browne, director of closed-end fund research at Robinson Capital, discusses the yield challenges facing investors today, when low interest rates have challenged the traditional 60-40 portfolio and when bonds have performed in lock-step with the stock market. He talks about how closed-end funds offer an 'alternative light' solution to some of those issues. Also on the show, Jill Gonzalez of WalletHub.com discusses the site's new survey on how the coronavirus is re-shaping holiday shopping habits this year, Howard Dvorkin of Debt.com on how to steer clear of holiday spending troubles this year, and Kevin Miller of the E-Valuator Funds talks ETFs and traditional mutual funds in the Market Call.

Mark Hines, managing director at Left Brain Investment Research, says that the 5G evolution is fueling growth among major players -- notably Nvidia -- that is going to continue even when the pandemic ends and the stocks that have benefitted from providing improved stay-at-home technology have seen the big wave settle down. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes an ESG fund his ETF of the Week, Lauren Kaminsky of EZ Pawn Corp. discusses the pawn business -- the world's oldest form of lending -- and how pawnbrokers have seen unexpected trends during the coronavirus pandemic, and George Young of the Villere Funds talks stocks, dividends and valuations in the Market Call. 

Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial, says that economic surprises over the last six months have built up 'animal spirits' for the market to push higher, and that once vaccines help to diminish the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that the stock market is headed higher for a long time, delivering low double-digit returns next year. Opening the show talking technical analysis, Jeff Bishop of RagingBull.com talks about why he thinks Santa Claus will be coming to the market in late December and why he isn't currently worried about a big decline from near-record high stock-market levels. Also on the show, author Lawrence Cunningham discusses 'Quality Shareholders' and why individuals should gravitate toward companies that seek out those long-haul focused, patient investors, and Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast discusses the firm's latest research into how the pandemic has changed consumer spending habits.

Clyde McGregor, who recently celebrated his 25th anniversary at the helm of the Oakmark Equity and Income Fund, says that fixed income simply will not deliver the kinds of income investors have traditionally sought and expected, so investors have to change expectations and strategies to generate more yield. Also on the show, Munish Malhotra of Cambiar Investors notes that 'Cheap is not value,' David Trainer puts an upcoming IPO in the Danger Zone and Francesca Ortegren of Clever Real Estate discusses the firm's latest survey on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on consumer behaviors.

Sir Angus Deaton, winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics for his groundbreaking work on 'deaths of despair' says that statistics don't support the critics of coronavirus shutdowns, who suggest that economic woes will lead to increased suicides among displaced workers and business owners. In a wide-ranging interview, Deaton discusses the economic impacts of the virus and more. Also on the show, Rob Shaker of Shaker Financial says that the tax-loss selling season for closed-end funds should be particularly interesting in 2020, given the volatility funds saw throughout the year, and Chuck talks about his ultimate holiday gift for children this year, stocks, which are easier than ever to give as a present.

David Brady of Brady Investment Counsel talks in the Market Call about the importance of making good buys with the right long-term prospects because the ideal investment behavior would be to hang onto those stocks for years; selling has a way of not working out so well, Brady notes. In the Big Interview, Alan Gayle of Via Nova Investment Management discusses the market and the economy, noting that the new normal society is moving towards for after the pandemic 'will be business as usual, done in unusual ways.' Also, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com talks about investing in small-cap stocks through his 'ETF of the Week.'   

Blair Sheppard, author of 'Ten Years to Midnight: Four Urgent Global Crises and Their Strategic Solutions," discusses current situations that threaten orderly governments, economic systems and more in the United States and around the globe and talks about the steps that can be taken to avoid a dark future. Also on the show, Freddy Garcia of Left Brain Wealth management discusses how the election did -- or didn't -- change the outlook on growth stocks the firm liked before the voting, and suggests a new entry in a sector that's warming up, Greg McBride of Bankrate.com talks about why many Americans are missing out on current mortgage refinancing opportunities, and Bill Stone of Stone Investment Partners gives his take on the market and the economy.

Tim Hayes, chief global investment strategist at Ned Davis Research, says the Federal Reserve has gotten inflation under control and is ready to start cutting, which will create an environment that favors stocks. That should make last week's sudden spike in volatility and nervousness a blip, likely forgotten quickly.  Hayes talks about how the shift from rate hiking to rate cutting will impact investment strategy, noting that the improved environment for stocks should help broaden out the number of securities driving things higher. Susan Fahy, executive vice president at VantageScore discusses the firm's most recent CreditGauge, which shows the country is "reaching a potential turning point in consumer credit health." Plus, Glenn Tompkins, senior global market strategist at VectorVest talks in the market call about finding safe, undervalued stocks that are rising in price in a rising market.

Howard Dvorkin of Debt.com discusses his site's study of 1,200 adults, of whom six in 10 expect to spend less this holiday season, even though that cutback is not caused mostly as a result of the pandemic, but rather is because of the muted emotions of the socially dstanced holiday. Dvorkin says that every year the surveys show that consumers enter the holiday season with good intentions of spending less, and they never wind up holding to those spending goals once they actually get to shopping. Also on the show, David Dowden of MacKay Municipal Managers discusses the outlook for muni bonds, John Divine of U.S. News and World Report sounds off on the prospects for Pfizer, Moderna and the investors who are making a play on the vaccine stocks now, and we revisit a recent Market Call chat with Chuck Self of iSectors.com.

Ed Shill, portfolio manager for the QCI Balanced Fund says in today's Market Call that he is feeling defensive about the market now, putting airbags on portfolios with more cash to insulate against a market he describes as overbought. He is looking into stocks that have been underbought, the names that have been suffering during the pandemic but that stand to benefit as the economy finally moves through the illness and starts to reopen more fully; that means airlines, travel companies and much more. In the Big Interview, however, Ed Confrancesco of International Assets Advisory goes the other way, suggesting that investors ride with the hot work-from-home kind of names that have led the market's rebound from March lows. Also on the show, Amy Pirozzolo of Fidelity Charitable discusses the pandemic's impact on volunteerism and charity, and Kyle Guske of New Constructs revisits some past Danger Zone picks that are no longer on the firm's 'most dangerous list,' some of which were big winners and others that defied gravity and logic.