Markets sprinted to record highs, stumbled, and carried on like nothing happened, with the S&P 500 and Dow briefly touching new peaks before financials and energy lost momentum. Oil slid as President Donald Trump floated Venezuelan barrels coming to the U.S., a reminder that geopolitics never stays offstage for long, while stocks rising alongside a climbing VIX signaled positioning, not panic. At the same time, Washington rattled Wall Street landlords with talk of banning institutional buyers from single-family homes, media deal drama flared as Warner Bros. Discovery again swatted away Paramount in favor of Netflix certainty, and the through-line became clear: confidence is still driving the party.

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🔗 Resources:

U.S. Stocks Hit New Highs In Record-Setting Start To The Year (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Dow closes more than 450 points lower, S&P 500 pulls back from record: Live updates (CNBC)

Trump says U.S.oil companies will invest billions of dollars in Venezuela (CNBC via Instagram)

Venezuela instability: market implications (Allianz Global Investors)

Venezuela's Maduro Declares Innocence in NY Court Hearing; Trump Reiterates the U.S. Is 'In Charge' (The Wall Street Journal)

S&P 500 and the VIX Post Gains On the Same Day (Market Watch via Instagram)

US will ban Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes, Trump says (Reuters)

Warner Bros rejects Paramount takeover again and tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid (Yahoo! Finance)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the...

Wall Street has apparently reached a group chat consensus: 2026 only goes up. Every major strategist, from big banks to boutique shops, is lined up predicting another year of gains... because after a 90% rally off the 2022 lows, skepticism has officially been benched. Even lifelong bulls are starting to feel uneasy about the total absence of dissent, which historically isn’t exactly when you want everyone pounding the table at once. When pessimism disappears, risk doesn’t... it just gets 'mispriced.'

➡️ Meanwhile, the macro backdrop looks oddly “perfect” on paper and deeply questionable underneath. GDP prints strong, inflation magically cools, housing costs flatline… except a government shutdown quietly forced the data to assume reality took a month off. Add in tariff distortions, election-year volatility, AI bubble anxiety, and a looming funding deadline in Washington, and suddenly the bullish narrative starts to wobble.

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🔗 Resources:

Every Wall Street Analyst Now Predicts a Stock Rally in 2026 (Bloomberg)

The Stock Market Could Soar in 2026 as the Economy Booms Despite President Trump's Tariffs, According to Wall Street (The Motley Fool)

Why This Stock Market Expert Says He’s ‘Cautious’ Heading Into 2026 (Investopedia)

Clock ticking on government funding deadline as House battles other issues (The Hill)

Inflation falls to 2.7% as slower housing and food increases offset a surge in electricity (NBC News)

‘This is a wacky number’: economists cry foul as new government data assumes zero housing inflation in surprising November drop (Fortune)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

2025 didn’t hand out cheat codes... it handed out invoices. High interest rates stopped being an abstract headline and started showing up in monthly payments. Cash flow mattered more than net worth screenshots. Emergency funds went from “nice to have” to “you better have one.” And the illusion that buying a home, chasing trends, or riding hype automatically meant progress finally cracked. This wasn’t a year for predictions or gurus. It was a year that quietly punished bad assumptions and rewarded patience, discipline, and realism.

➡️ In our final episode of the year, we strip the noise away and talk honestly about what actually worked, what didn’t, and why financial literacy is no longer optional if you want peace of mind. No forecasts, no sugarcoating, just hard-earned lessons about money, work, investing, and navigating a system that changed faster than most people were ready for. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: the rules didn’t disappear. They just stopped being forgiving.

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No homework this week kids.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.