Village Private Wealth

09/02/2026

Back-to-school season is bringing higher costs for many families.

A new analysis found that a typical basket of school items, including notebooks, lunch boxes, and index cards, is up nearly 8% compared with last year.

School lunches are also more expensive, with the cost of a typical packed lunch up 11%.

The analysis estimates families may spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, including about $175 on school items and $3,800 on packed lunches.

Some items have seen especially sharp increases. Lunch boxes are up 27%, one-subject notebooks are up 23%, and index cards are up 22%.

Higher tariffs, imported school supplies, food prices, and energy costs are all contributing to the increase.

For families, back-to-school shopping is a reminder that seasonal expenses can add up quickly, especially when everyday costs are already stretching household budgets.

Source:

U.S. households will spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, a new analysis found.

09/01/2026

Something interesting we came across this week.

We hear a lot about how much debt has increased in the U.S., especially government debt. But I thought this chart gave a little different perspective.

When you look at debt across the entire economy relative to GDP, we’re actually well below where we were around the Financial Crisis and the spike during COVID.

Part of that is simply because the economy has grown faster than debt since those peaks.

Obviously that doesn’t mean rising government debt isn’t a concern, but we thought it was an interesting reminder that looking at the total dollar amount of debt doesn’t always tell the whole story.

08/27/2026

If you’ve been investing over the last 15 years, the market has taught you a pretty simple lesson: Buy the dip. And honestly, it’s been a pretty good strategy. COVID sent the S&P 500 down more than 30%, and the market recovered...

08/19/2026

For a lot of people in their 20s and 30s, myself included, the housing market can be pretty frustrating right now. Home prices are high. Mortgage rates are nowhere near what we saw a few years ago and...

08/12/2026

The S&P 500 hit new all time highs again last week.

That headline tends to make people nervous. "It's at a high, I should wait, right?"

History says otherwise. Since 1950, returns after the market hits an all time high look basically identical to returns on any other day (9.4% 1yr, 27.9% 3yr, 51.5% 5yr average forward returns).

New highs aren't a warning sign. They're just what a market that goes up over time looks like.

08/12/2026

Markets navigated mixed signals in July. Inflation eased, tech faced pressure, and energy surged. Meanwhile, Americans are planning record travel spending in 2026: \$1.37 trillion. What's shaping your household budget this summer?

Stocks were mixed in July as investors navigated a cross-current of news on the outlook for AI spending and Q2 corporate reports.

08/05/2026

A lot of the people I talk to about markets only pay attention to the big names. And almost every time, the word that comes up is "bubble," especially when they see the returns some of the top stocks have put up this year. But zoom out...

A lot of the people I talk to about markets only pay attention to the big names. And almost every time, the word that comes up is

07/28/2026

A good reminder after last week: 1% down days are completely normal in the stock market.

The chart below shows the number of days each year that the S&P 500 declined by 1% or more since 1990.

So far in 2026, the S&P 500 has experienced 17 such days, compared to the historical average of 31 per year.

07/21/2026

Of everything happening across markets right now, if I had to name one thing I'm personally watching most closely, it's this: what SpaceX's insiders do over the next few months. I'll be upfront that I've gone a bit more cautious after...

SpaceX’s stock has fallen below its IPO price. Here’s why its upcoming insider selling windows could offer insight into its valuation and the AI boom.

07/14/2026

Nvidia's forward P/E, basically how expensive a stock is relative to what it's expected to earn, is 19.2x right now.

At its 2021 peak it was 65x.

Everyone keeps comparing this AI run to the dotcom bubble, but the numbers tell a different story. Wrote a quick take comparing Nvidia's valuation to Cisco's actual bubble year (2000).

Read more here:

Every day I see at least one headline wondering if we're in a bubble. Everyone keeps comparing today to the dotcom bubble back in 2000, which is exactly why I'm confused it's still in question. Whatever you want to call the broader AI trade, one thing is clear: Nvidia itself...