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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.
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Financial coaching
Asset allocation review
Consulting
Speaking engagements
HOME ECONOMICS
June 2026 markets and economic performance wrapped up with a divergence among a resilient stock market, the U.S. consumer grappling with inflation, weaker sentiment, and white color labor concern over the role of AI in the workplace.
STOCK & BOND RETURNS
June 2026, financial markets experienced a brief pause and consolidation following a massive spring rally. Through late June, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average registered robust first-half gains of over 8.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 surged 18% year-to-date. The driver of the bull market is a massive wave of capital expenditure for artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure. The S&P 500 first-quarter corporate earnings grew at a striking 28.6% year-over-year rate. June introduced sharp intraday selloffs and volatility as debates intensified over an AI valuation bubble. The substantial collapse in energy prices was sparked by optimism for a U.S.-Iran ceasefire that brought crude oil to the $70-per-barrel range which offered relief to corporate profit margins, yet consumer inflation expectations remain sensitive. In the bond market, yields reflect a hawkish shift in Federal Reserve leadership under Chair Kevin Warsh. The 10-year Treasury note hovered near 4.38% while the 2-year note finished at 4.07%. The flattening yield curve reflects persistent investor caution over "sticky" inflation. Consumer mortgage rates were down slightly from previous highs, as the 30-year fixed rate stabilized near 6.49%.
Chicago-region economics remain resilient although local metrics reveal a divergence among manufacturing output and labor market tightening. Job creation and unemployment within the Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg metro division remain strong, setting an all-time number of non-farm jobs, while year-over-year data display a modest rise of 2,900 jobs. Sector gains were primarily in private education and health services (+20,200), government (+5,100) and manufacturing (+4,500). However, job contractions occurred in professional and business services (-9,100) and financial activities (-8,800). Chicago local unemployment rate rose slightly by 0.7% to 5.1%, which is among the highest of major metropolitan areas. Local inflation and business economic output remains healthy and projected to hit $963 billion. The regional manufacturing sector experienced a massive rebound according to the Chicago Business Barometer (PMI) to surge 13.5 points to 62.7, a deep push into expansionary territory, and the growth pressures regional inflation. Localized Consumer Price Index (CPI) metrics mirror the sticky national numbers at 3.8% headline inflation and 3.3% core, driven by domestic service costs and infrastructure demands.
Housing market appreciation is a bright spot for the Chicago economy where median sale prices rose 7.7% year-over-year which outperformed the 2.3% national home price growth. The price surge coincides with a 10.5% rise in new local listings that buck national trends of high mortgage rates that compromise seller activity. Demand continues to outpace inventory, pushing average city rents up 6.3% higher annually, and positioning Chicagoland as a premier market for real estate equity growth in 2026.
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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 to 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
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