Although rates on other instruments appear to be firming up and even rising, it seems that mortgage rates are very close to moving substantially lower.

Traders preparing for FOMC Wednesday should focus on "bear traps" in a bullish grinding market. Avoid calling tops near all-time highs; instead, buy dips below prior swings using tick charts for precise entries.

In this video, Ira Epstein discusses the current state of the financial markets, highlighting the impact of the US government's insufficient Medicare payment increase on healthcare stocks...

Revaluing US gold from $42/oz to market rates could inject $1T into the Treasury without new debt. Aimed at boosting the economy before the 2026 midterms, this move is bullish for stocks and gold but risks long-term inflation by 2027.

So while the S&P 500 grinds higher, mainly due to the implied volatility dispersion trade ahead of earnings from the mega-cap technology names, implied volatility on the index is rising, too.