HCM Market Brief: Fed Jitters, Bond Upside, & the High-Yield ETF Trap

Doug Johnson, CFA® and Dan Rinck, APMA, of HCM Wealth Advisors break down a market riding all-time highs on blowout earnings—even after stripping out one-time IPO gains, growth is running hotter than you'd expect this deep into a bull market. They dig into the Fed's coin-flip decision heading into September, why a rate hike could be a policy mistake amid an oil-driven inflation spike, and why bonds are quietly offering one of the best risk/reward setups in years. They also flag what's ahead: seasonal volatility and midterm election uncertainty, including what a potential blue sweep could mean for taxes and spending. Then, a deep dive into the booming world of high-income "covered call" ETFs—the products promising 15%, 30%, even 40%+ yields. How do they actually work, why can the tax treatment be a hidden trap, and are they too good to be true? Real-world blowups included.