Trust Matters
Welcome to the First American Trust media center. Our experts discuss topics ranging from estate planning to investment outlook. Be sure to look for upcoming events and register for live participation.

First American Financial Corporation Recognized as Top Employer at Chapman University

By Trust Matters Editor on February 15, 2024
First American Financial Corporation was recognized as one of Chapman University’s Top Employers of 2024. Read More

Investments

Understanding Required Minimum Distributions

By Trust Matters Editor on February 15, 2024
During the past three years, the retirement industry has experienced unprecedented changes. For industry professionals, like those of us at First American Trust, it is a complex task to understand and digest all of these changes. For the consumer, we know it is even more challenging. A Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is the amount that must be ... Read More

Investments

Market Review Q4 and 2024 Outlook

By Trust Matters Editor on January 24, 2024
Global equities and bonds rose in the fourth quarter of 2023, capping a year of outsized gains in the former and avoiding another year of negative returns in the latter. The broad fourth quarter rally across risk assets was driven by a dramatic change in Federal Reserve tone from continued monetary tightening toward potential upcoming rate cuts on ... Read More

Investments

S&P 500 Falls Short of Record Despite Weekly Gain

By Trust Matters Editor on January 17, 2024
“Our concern is with market valuations, especially right at record highs, when the economy is not as strong as it was,” said Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer at First American Trust. Read More

Investments

Gold’s moves show ‘Fed policy trumps geopolitics’ in the futures market

By Trust Matters Editor on January 8, 2024
"While the Fed has broadcast that the federal funds rate is likely to drop later this year, Friday’s jobs report “supports the soft landing and higher-for-longer stance many were hoping for,” he said. “That’s not positive for gold,” as the metal normally reacts best to lower rates, a weaker dollar, and slower economic growth, Braakman told ... Read More

Investments

Market Review Q3 2023

By Trust Matters Editor on October 27, 2023
The second half of the year got off to a rocky start as equities suffered a broad decline in Q3-2023 as technology stocks came off the boil and market interest rates spiked. The market narrative shifted away from the much talked about “soft-landing” as continued economic strength and slowing disinflation forced investors to contemplate what ... Read More

Investments

EV Maker Lucid’s $338,000 Loss Per Car Is Turning Investors Off

By Trust Matters Editor on October 10, 2023
“Lucid is well below the pace needed to hit even 10,000 cars this years, and that’s why they continue to bleed money,' Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer at First American Trust, said in an interview. 'The stock will continue to be challenged until they can show that they have made a significant progress in the number of units sold'... Read More

Investments

Dow’s 2023 Gains Are Wiped Out as Bond Yields Rise

By Trust Matters Editor on October 5, 2023
"Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer of First American Trust of Santa Ana, Calif., said he has been looking for bargains among healthcare and energy stocks, which trade at lower prices relative to future earnings than the big technology stocks that had fueled this year’s rally. But the firm has also beefed up its allocation to cash. Read More

Investments

Tesla Got an $80 Billion Boost From Analyst Call. Not Everyone Buys It

By Trust Matters Editor on September 13, 2023
“Could Dojo or the full-self-driving technology it empowers be worth $500 billion? Sure, but the key there is ‘if’ it is actually successful,” Jerry Braakman, Chief Investment Officer at First American Trust, said in an interview. “We think that is a big ‘if,’ as replicating the human brain is really complicated.” First American holds about $4.4 ... Read More

Investments

Join First American Trust at ALTA ONE 2023!

By Trust Matters Editor on September 5, 2023
We’re looking forward to connecting with you at the 2023 ALTA ONE conference October 10-13 in Colorado Springs, CO. Read More

Investments

Broad Rally Pushes Stock Indexes Higher

By Trust Matters Editor on August 30, 2023
Jerry Braakman, President and Chief Investment Officer at First American Trust, shares his thoughts on the latest rise in S&P indexes and its influence on the economy. “If consumers are growing more cautious “then maybe the Fed can park out at these levels, as opposed to raising rates higher," said Jerry Braakman, chief investment officer at ... Read More

Investments

FA Trust | Market Review Q2 2023

By Trust Matters Editor on August 2, 2023
Following a solid start to the year in Q1, equities produced broad-based gains in Q2-2023, resulting in a very strong first half of 2023 performance for the asset class, particularly considering the environment. Stocks were surprisingly resilient in the face of March’s mini banking crisis, additional Federal Reserve rate increases and cautious ... Read More

Investments