Jonathan Koop

Embracing digital innovation: Understanding the new cryptocurrency reserve

On March 6th, the Trump administration announced the establishment of a cryptocurrency reserve. This reserve is purported to modernize the nation's financial strategy by holding digital assets—such as Bitcoin—as part of its national reserves. Since the reserve's establishment, the price of Bitcoin has experienced a sharp sell-off as investors reacted to the order's potential regulatory and market implications.... Read More

Investing in bull markets

Currently, the S&P 500 is approximately 0.5% off its all-time high, while small-cap and international stocks are a bit further back, trailing by 4% and 6%, respectively. Despite being close to all-time highs, it's crucial to remain invested and focus on risk management to achieve long-term investment success.... Read More

The small-cap stock resurgence

Recently, a seismic shift has occurred in the stock market. Once overshadowed by their larger counterparts, small-cap stocks have dramatically outperformed the market. This unexpected turn of events has caught many investors off guard. It's a stark reminder that market trends can change rapidly, and that chasing performance and only investing in the hot trends can have detrimental effects on your portfolio.... Read More

Stuck: Ultra-low rates are anchoring the housing market

The housing market remains a puzzle in 2024. While headlines focus on rising interest rates and a potential cooling-off period, there's a hidden force impacting the market: millions of homeowners are locked into incredibly low mortgage rates from the pre-2023 era. This creates a unique situation where many people hesitate to sell, impacting buyers and sellers.... Read More

Riding the (weight loss) wave: Balancing FOMO with prudent risk management

The past year has witnessed a spectacular rise in the stock prices of certain companies. Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (LLY) and microchip producer Nvidia (NVDA) have captured significant investor attention, boasting impressive gains of nearly 150% and 250%, respectively, over the past twelve months alone.... Read More

Choices for investing cash

Offered by most brokerage institutions, money market funds are comprised of many ultra-short-term (30-40 days), low-risk investments that various government agencies or corporations typically issue. They offer several positive attributes, including quick access to your money, making them ideal for everyday expenses or emergency funds. You can easily withdraw these funds without penalty, unlike other investments. ... Read More

Are You at Risk of Concentrated Returns?

Despite turbulence, the S&P 500 Index is on track to post a healthy double-digit return in 2023. While this is generally considered a success, looking under the hood reveals that most of the S&P 500's return has been concentrated in just a few of the largest stocks. ... Read More

Eli Lilly’s tremendous year leaves investors with big decisions

Eli Lilly and Co. is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and is headquartered in Indianapolis. Many Hoosiers, especially those employed by the pharmaceutical giant, which often distributes stock grants as compensation, have been fortunate enough to accumulate sizeable stock positions. ... Read More

Hedging risks with structured notes

Structured notes are an increasingly popular investment vehicle that can expose investors to different asset classes with unique and customizable risk and return profiles. But how are structured notes formed, and what role can they play in your portfolio?... Read More

Silicon Valley Bank and the Bank Term Funding Program

Last weekend, the FDIC put the failing Silicon Valley Bank (and, lesser known, Signature Bank) into receivership. This marked the largest commercial bank failure since the 2008 Great Recession and the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history.... Read More