Risk, Reward, & Record Highs

Nearly every major index is at a record high — and everyone’s asking the same question: is this the beginning of something great, or the end of something that’s gone too far?This week on Money On Tap, Ben Brayshaw and Dan Michelon take that question apart with 75 years of market history, a few statistics that genuinely surprised them, and a clear look at what a record high means for you — whether you’re decades from retirement or already drawing income.What you’ll learn:

• The Fidelity data showing investing at an all-time high beats investing on a random day
• Why a record high is usually a signal of a healthy economy, not a top
• A walk through 1982, 1987, 1995–1999, 2000, 2009, and 2020
• Why today’s AI market looks more like 1995 than the 2000 dot-com bubble
• Why timing the market is a loser’s game — and why taking profits isn’t fear
• Sequence-of-returns risk — why the first years of retirement decide everything
• Buffered ETFs — staying in the market with downside guardrails
• Annuities with lifetime income and long-term-care riders

Plus Money In The News:

• American financial literacy hits a 10-year low — U.S. adults answered just 47% of the TIAA Institute’s 2026 questions correctly (Yahoo Finance, Kerry Hannon)
• America’s data-center build-out falls behind schedule — Google’s $80B equity raise and what it signals about AI’s real cost (WSJ, Katherine Blunt)
• Exxon chief warns oil could spike to $160–$170 a barrel as strategic reserves run thin (Fox Business, Robert McGreevy)

Mentioned on air: Our short sequence-of-returns risk video — watch it at brayshawfinancial.com.Read the companion blog: brayshawfinancial.com/blog
Schedule a free consultation: app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta
Full Money On Tap episode library: brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tapContact Us
Phone: 855-226-8551
Email: info@yourmoneyontap.com
Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110
Web: brayshawfinancial.com

• If the S&P 500 is up 10%, why isn't my portfolio?
  Because the S&P 500 is cap-weighted: seven stocks absorb about a third of every dollar, and the top 10 holdings make up 35–55% of most S&P funds. In 2026 those mega-caps lagged — the Mag Seven are collectively negative — while sectors like energy (+28.1%) and technology (+26.8%) led. If your ETFs overlap in the same top names, you own the laggards several times over. The fix starts with knowing what you actually own.