Historically, summer tends to be a quieter time for the stock market. This year? Not so much.
Between market swings, the Fed still holding interest rates steady, and the One Big Beautiful Bill in Washington that could reshape parts of the tax code, there’s a lot at play that could directly impact your financial picture.
Somehow, the fate of entire portfolios seems to rest on a handful of giant tech stocks, known as the Magnificent 7. It’s a lot to take in, whether you’re a seasoned investor or not.
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The Kiplinger Building Wealth program handpicks financial advisers and business owners from around the world to share retirement, estate planning and tax strategies to preserve and grow your wealth. These experts, who never pay for inclusion on the site, include professional wealth managers, fiduciary financial planners, CPAs and lawyers. Most of them have certifications including CFP®, ChFC®, IAR, AIF®, CDFA® and more, and their stellar records can be checked through the SEC or FINRA.
This is why having a strong and stable financial core is so important. It might not sound dramatic, but it’s what helps you stay grounded and clearheaded, even when everything else feels up in the air.
What trusted advisers are doing now
I want to share what some of the most knowledgeable financial advisers are doing in this climate. They aren’t chasing headlines or overhauling portfolios — not even close.
The best fiduciary advisers — the ones I know and trust — are making small, thoughtful adjustments, not big dramatic moves.
Why? Because they’ve already built their clients’ portfolios to handle uncertainty.
Now it’s about keeping their clients anchored to their long-term priorities — because that’s what works when everything else feels uncertain.
I asked two highly qualified analytical advisers in my Wealthramp network how they’re navigating this moment and what they’re doing to help nervous clients stay grounded.
Their perspectives aren’t exactly the same, and that’s actually a good thing. There’s no one “right” answer. But both share the same core philosophy: Adjust with purpose, not panic.
Here’s what they had to say.
Stay invested, stay quality-focused — especially in tech and dividends
Joe Sroka, a chartered financial analyst (CFA), offers a big-picture reminder: The S&P 500 isn’t just a number on a screen — it’s a reflection of the U.S. economy.
And tech’s outsize role in the index is rooted in real earnings power.
“For 2025, the consensus forecast for S&P 500 earnings growth shows the technology sector with 18.0% growth vs 9.1% for the S&P 500 overall,” Sroka notes. “Yes, tech can be volatile, but that greater earnings growth offers greater return opportunities.”
Sroka emphasizes consistency, especially for people in their prime wealth-building years. Rather than chasing headlines or trying to time the market, he recommends making steady contributions to retirement plans or taxable accounts, which deliver better long-term results than reactive moves.
“The risk of being on the wrong side of a market move is often more damaging than staying the course,” he says.
For those nearing or in retirement, Sroka doesn’t shy away from equities — quite the opposite. He leans into dividend growth stocks. These are companies with strong financials and a track record of paying and increasing dividends year after year.
“If you’re going to be retired for 20-plus years, you still need growth. Dividend growers help fight inflation and offer real staying power.”
Sroka’s investment playbook is all about resilience. Diversify with businesses that grow cash flow, maintain healthy balance sheets and raise dividends annually. That’s the foundation for smoother outcomes in a bumpy market.
Counter uncertainty with risk management and global perspective
Jeff George, chartered financial analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), shares Sroka’s belief in staying invested. But George’s focus leans more toward managing risk and keeping a wide-angle view of the world.
“Most big market changes play out more slowly than headlines suggest,” George says. “If you’re paying attention and adjusting gradually as the probabilities shift, you’re already halfway there.”
George’s approach is all about anticipating risks early and making thoughtful, incremental adjustments rather than sweeping, reactionary shifts.
He points to clear moments in the past few years when that mindset paid off — spotting the signs of rising interest rates after 2021, as well as understanding how stimulus and supply-chain issues could stoke inflation.
Right now, he’s watching a few key trends:
Equity imbalance. U.S. stocks have ballooned from making up 25% of the global equity markets in the 1980s to around 75% today. That’s an imbalance that raises the risk of U.S. underperformance down the road.
George suggests trimming overweight U.S. positions and reintroducing exposure to international markets.
Technology’s dominance. He highlights growing market concentration in tech. Ten years ago, tech made up 15% of the market. Now it’s closer to 30% to 40%.
Rather than try to time when that might reverse, George recommends shifting into underweighted sectors such as utilities, materials or consumer staples, and using equal-weighted index funds to rebalance exposures.
Value and dividends. While growth stocks have dominated since 2015, George sees value and dividend stocks regaining ground. Adding high-quality dividend-paying companies, he says, can help hedge against a potential market rotation.
Deficits and debt. He flags rising U.S. fiscal deficits and long-term debt as risks that, while slow-moving, have become harder to ignore.
Trimming interest rate exposure and adding inflation hedges, such as gold, are ways to manage those longer-term threats.
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“We’re in a time of extreme uncertainty,” George says. “But that doesn’t mean you blow up your portfolio. It means you pay attention and shift gradually — retirees especially appreciate this kind of measured, risk-aware approach.”
Why the ‘already tweaked’ strategy matters
Here’s what both advisers are really saying. Your portfolio shouldn’t need a massive overhaul every time headlines turn scary.
The whole point of having a smart investment strategy is that it’s designed for real life, with all its noise, surprises and reversals.
That’s the difference between going it alone and working with an experienced fiduciary adviser who’s paying attention. It’s the difference between guessing and planning, and reacting and staying ready.
My takeaway: Strategy beats reaction — every time
Markets will always keep us on our toes. But what I hear from seasoned, no-nonsense fiduciaries such as Sroka and George is this:
- Don’t flinch
- Stick to your plan
- Make smart, small moves when they’re warranted
- Stay focused on your long-term goals, not the latest headlines
This isn’t about guessing what the Fed or Nvidia will do next. It’s about making sure your investments are working for you, whether you’re building wealth, preserving it or living on it.
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