We specialize in optimizing our clients position
Avare Financial financial coaching protects you from blind spots
Avare (TM) Financial Coaching
312-286-6287
Transform the way you manage finances
Financial Solutions & Guidance
Avare Financial(TM) offers personal financial coaching, consulting and planning that protects you from financial blind-spots.
Joel achieved the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA), the most rigorous credential in finance. Avare Financial focuses on the human side of finance by explaining the 'why' and 'how' behind investing, which comes from decades of experience. Combining high-touch service with disciplined project management makes sophisticated financial concepts accessible and actionable. For those seeking analytical depth, Joel’s approach turns complex wealth optimization into a clear path for your long-term goals.
SERVICES
Financial coaching
Asset allocation review
Consulting
Speaking engagements
HOME ECONOMICS
May 2026 markets and economic performance wrapped up with an extraordinary divergence between a surging, record-breaking stock market and a deeply stressed U.S. consumer grappling with hot inflation, weak sentiment, and a global bond rout.
Stock and Bond Returns
Stock markets defied mounting macroeconomic risks, while bonds suffered heavy losses from soaring yields. The S&P 500 capped a historic nine-week winning streak, surging 5.2% in May to close at a record high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite spearheaded the rally, jumping 8% fueled by massive artificial intelligence infrastructure spending, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 51,000 mark.
A global bond rout intensified as traders realized sticky inflation would delay Federal Reserve rate cuts. The 30-year U.S. Treasury yield climbed to a 19-year high of 5.19%, heavily depressing underlying bond prices and erasing year-to-date returns for core fixed-income portfolios. Consumer Prices & CPI, and cost of living remained the most critical economic and political headwind throughout the month. The headline Consumer Price Index came in hotter than expected, climbing 3.8% year-over-year. The monthly reading spiked 0.9%, driven aggressively by a 21.2% annual surge in gasoline alongside rising shelter costs. Core CPI, excluding volatile food and energy components, rose 2.8% annually.
Underlying price tags for everyday consumer items such as medical care (+2.5%) to computer software (+5%) broadened significantly causing real wage growth to contract roughly 2%. The retail sales environment began to expose cracks in household balance sheets as shoppers grew increasingly price sensitive. Total retail sales numbers eked out modest first-quarter gains, multi-year high tax refunds and Buy Now, Pay Later schemes heavily masked underlying consumer exhaustion. Discretionary spending sharply cooled as consumers redirected their wallets heavily toward essentials and discount retail, a massive shift highlighted by Dollar Tree which reported a 7.2% year-over-year net sales surge as shoppers traded down. Consumer sentiment psychology deteriorated as high prices continue to erode personal finances. University of Michigan Index, the closely watched index plummeted to a historic 70-year low, hovering just below the previous pandemic-era. The outlook: a striking 57% of consumers surveyed spontaneously cited high prices as a major strain on household finances.
General economic optimism plunged 5% to just 35%, the lowest reading in two years. Energy costs were rocketed by geopolitical instability, keeping utility bills high despite a late-month commodity price retreat. Crude oil futures experienced severe daily volatility. While optimism over a potential diplomatic breakthrough regarding the closure of the Strait of Hormuz pulled Brent crude back to $91.89 by late May, the multi-month supply deficit kept costs elevated. High gas prices continue to squeeze commuters, keeping the national retail gasoline average painfully high. Furthermore, rising data center power demands and grid upgrades pushed residential electricity costs higher.
The housing sector navigated a severe affordability gridlock, resulting in nominal gains but real losses. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index reported a flattening annual growth rate of 0.67% to 0.7%. This was closely mirrored by a modest 1.7% yearly uptick tracked by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Because consumer price inflation (3.8%) heavily outpaced these minor nominal home value gains, real inflation-adjusted housing wealth actually declined. Furthermore, the market was deeply fractured geographically, as Midwest regions posted strong growth while previously overheated Southern and Mountain states suffered corrections.
_____
I traded the boardroom to help high-achieving individuals and retirees apply institutional-grade discipline to their personal balance sheet. Whether you are navigating a complex career transition, retirement planning, or seek to eliminate volatility in your financial life then you have an objective lens not found elsewhere. Avare brings the same risk-management rigor used for Fortune 500 pension funds for your home. Our shared goal is to help you master money challenges and biases.
You hire decades of market experience for your personal strategist-coach-partner with no conflict of interest. Following a career managing fortune 500 company portfolios I found my calling to help bridge the gap between ‘having money’ and ‘having a plan’. Avare Financial does not track your spending – we engineer your freedom.
Visit Uncle IRA on Substack for investment newsletters - Uncle IRA is an Avare Financial company.
INVESTMENT TOOLS
Uncle IRA.substack.com
sofi.com/student-loan-calculator
navyfederal.org/loans-cards/auto-loans
bankrate.com/credit-cards
bogleheads.org
We have a long road ahead lets navigate it for success
Contact Us
Better yet, see us in person!
We like to engage with our clients so feel free to call during business hours, or meet for coffee.
Hours
Open today | 09:00 am – 04:00 pm |
Subscribe
Take charge of your money and find your financial future with AvareFinancial Coaching
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.