Fed Dot Plot Explained: How to Read the SEP
The Fed dot plot shows where 19 policymakers think interest rates should go. Here is how to read it, what it does not say, and what the June 2026 dots signal.
investing basics
Sequence of Returns Risk: Why Order Matters in Retirement
Two retirees with the same average return can end wealthy or broke — because withdrawals turn the ORDER of returns into the decisive risk. Here’s why.
How IPOs Really Work: S-1, Pricing, Greenshoe, Lockup
From S-1 to greenshoe to the 180-day lockup — a plain-English guide to how a company actually goes public in the U.S., with Ritter’s 1980-2025 data.
What Wall Street’s Buy, Hold, Sell Ratings Actually Mean
Buy/Hold/Sell scales aren’t standardized. Here’s how sell-side analysts build ratings, derive price targets, and why the consensus beats any one call.
CPI vs Core CPI vs PCE: How the Fed’s Inflation Gauges Differ
Why the Fed targets PCE inflation at 2%, how CPI and PCE differ in formula, scope, and weights, and what June 2026’s readings actually show.
The Wheel Strategy Explained: How the Options Cycle Works
The wheel strategy in plain English: sell a cash-secured put, take assignment, sell covered calls, get called away, repeat. Mechanics, math, mistakes.
How to Read an Earnings Report: Beats, Misses, Guidance
A step-by-step guide to a public company’s earnings report — the three statements, beats vs misses, GAAP vs non-GAAP, and what guidance really tells you.
Stock Splits Explained: Forward, Reverse, and What They Do
How stock splits work, why NVIDIA and Chipotle did them, and when a reverse split signals distress. Real numbers, no jargon.
WACC Explained: The Weighted Average Cost of Capital
WACC is the blended hurdle rate a company must earn on its investments. Learn the formula, a worked example, and the mistakes that break the number.
Price-to-Book Ratio Explained: When Book Value Matters
P/B compares stock price to the accounting value of a company’s net assets. How to calculate it, why it works for banks, and when book value misleads.