“When you look at bear markets and economic turmoil, markets get a little bit irrational, and sometimes do the opposite of what you expect,” Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer and president of First American Trust, said in an interview.” Learn more about the recent volatility roiling the markets in this Yahoo article. Read More›

“A lot of investors are looking at inflation to get guidance on what the Fed is going to do, to find the bottom in the market once the Fed pivots,” Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer and president of First American Trust..." Read more about how US stocks fell in reaction to a University of Michigan report in this Bloomberg article. Read More›

We’re looking forward to connecting with you at the 2022 ALTA ONE conference October 11-14 in San Diego, CA. Read More›

Jerry Braakman, president and chief investment officer of First American Trust in Santa Ana, Calif., said he is seeking safety in the U.S. Treasury bonds, cash and defensive stock sectors this year. He isn’t looking to add to his international equity exposure, such as in emerging markets, China, Japan and Europe in the near term, he added. Read ... Read More›

“They’re not so concerned about heading into a recession as they are in combating inflation—so that makes for a very dangerous setup,” said Jerry Braakman, president and chief investment officer of First American Trust in Santa Ana, California.” Read more about the anticipated interest-rate increases following Federal Chairman Jerome Powell’s ... Read More›

"…If you try to book an airline ticket, it's still quite expensive, and that's why it doesn't feel like a recession yet. Hopefully we don't get there. Technically, we may be in one, but it doesn't really feel like it because nominally things are still inflating ... and jobs levels are still quite healthy at 3.5%,” stated Jerry Braakman. Jerry ... Read More›

“What you don’t want to do is panic and harm your long-term finances by making portfolio moves driven by fear and emotion that will put you deeper in a hole. What’s past is past. Your job is to minimize the damage of the market downturn and look ahead. You want to position your portfolio for the market’s next phase,” says Jerry Braakman, president ... Read More›

Our tax laws are in a state of flux. Among many potential changes is the possibility of losing a large portion of the $12.06 million (or the $24.12 million for a married couple) estate and gift tax exemption along with other tried and true gifting strategies. If you have been hitting the snooze button on your estate plan, your window of ... Read More›

The first half of 2022 was the worst stretch for markets in almost 50 years, with a significant sell-off in stocks and bonds. All major asset classes are down for the year except commodities, although signs of commodity weakness are also beginning to materialize. Despite year-to-date losses, most asset classes are still higher than pre-pandemic ... Read More›

“You can’t just raise rates and reduce the balance sheet without it doing the opposite of what it did before,” said Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer of First American Trust. “When you do the reverse, you can expect it will do the opposite as well.” Read more about the current stock market and jobs report in this article by the Washington ... Read More›

“One of the biggest money mistakes that investors make in a bear market is thinking they can pick the bottom,” says Jerry Braakman, President and Chief Investment Officer. He also states, “another big mistake that investors make in a bear market is moving to cash. In earlier bear markets, it took years for investors who moved to cash to come back, ... Read More›

“...It's obviously a difficult time for the markets and part of that is our economy is a little bit in transition...not just our economy, but a global economy as well...,” stated Jerry Braakman. Jerry Braakman, President and Chief Investment Officer, and Jason Nerio, Director of Investment Research & Strategy, share their insight on current ... Read More›