Strategic Insights November 2026

A clear financial plan should outlast any single political outcome.

Information as of November 5, 2026 | Market data through November 4, 2026

Picture a Thanksgiving table a few weeks from now. The food is ready, everyone has found a seat, and someone brings up the election before the rolls have made it around the table.

One person feels encouraged. Another is concerned. Someone else would prefer to discuss football—or whether there will be enough pie.

Beneath those different perspectives, however, the financial questions are often remarkably similar: Will our family be okay? Can we still retire when we planned? Will our income keep up with rising costs? Can we continue helping our children and supporting the causes we care about?

Those are the questions that deserve our attention.

At Strategic Income Group, we believe elections matter. Policy matters. But your financial plan should not depend on your preferred political party winning. It should be built around your goals, your resources, your time horizon, and the flexibility to respond thoughtfully as circumstances change.

As we enter the final weeks of 2026, that distinction is especially important.

What the Election Changes—and What It Does Not

As of November 5, Reuters reports that Democrats have won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. With a Republican president remaining in office, that points to divided government when the new Congress takes office in January 2027. Some individual races remain unresolved, so final seat counts may still change. ^[1]

For investors, the relevant question is not whether that outcome is politically good or bad. It is how the resulting balance of power may affect taxes, spending, regulation, trade, and business conditions.

Our interpretation is that major legislative changes may require more negotiation. That does not mean policy will stand still, nor does it mean every campaign proposal will become law. Legislation must move through Congress and the presidential approval process; an election result alone does not rewrite your tax return. ^[1]

This is an important distinction for year-end planning. We would be cautious about realizing substantial gains, accelerating income, or making a major investment change solely because of speculation about what Washington might do next.

The better approach is to plan around the rules in effect, evaluate credible proposals as they develop, and preserve flexibility where possible.

Election results can change policy. They should not automatically change your financial strategy.

Markets Reacted Positively—but One Day Is Not a Forecast

Stocks rallied during the first full trading session following the election. The table below puts that move alongside the year’s broader performance. ^[2]

Price changes through November 4, 2026; dividends are not included. These indexes do not represent SIG client portfolio results.

The appropriate conclusion is not that an election outcome guarantees stronger markets. A single trading session cannot establish that. Our takeaway is simpler: making a major portfolio decision around one anticipated political outcome requires getting both the outcome and the market’s response right.

At SIG, we would rather build a strategy that does not depend on either prediction.

Recent gains also provide a useful opportunity to review portfolio alignment. Have certain holdings grown beyond their intended allocation? Has a concentrated position become a larger risk? Are near-term spending needs still appropriately funded?

Those questions are useful after a rally just as they are after a pullback. They keep the conversation centered on your plan rather than on the latest market narrative.

The Economy: Stronger Growth, but an Uneven Experience

The latest economic data provides reasons for confidence, along with reasons to remain attentive.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that real GDP grew at a 3.4% annualized rate in the third quarter, compared with 2.2% in the second quarter. Real final sales to private domestic purchasers—a measure of consumer spending and private fixed investment—grew 4.9% annualized. These figures indicate that the expansion was supported by private-sector demand, not just government spending or inventory changes. The third-quarter figures are preliminary and subject to revision. ^[3]

The household picture is more mixed. September consumer spending increased 0.5% in dollar terms, but inflation-adjusted spending increased less than 0.1%. In other words, higher spending did not translate into a comparable increase in the amount of goods and services purchased. ^[3]

Hiring also remains a watch point. The latest available monthly employment report showed 29,000 additional payroll jobs in September and an unemployment rate of 4.2%. That is a slow pace of hiring, even though the unemployment rate changed little. ^[4]

Our interpretation is that the economy continues to expand, but the experience is not uniform. A strong GDP report does not mean every household feels financially comfortable, just as a weak hiring month does not establish that a recession has begun.

For your plan, both sides matter: the capacity for long-term growth and the need to remain prepared for personal income changes, higher expenses, or unexpected needs.

The Fed: On Hold, Not Promising Relief

At its October 28 meeting, the Federal Reserve held the federal funds target range at 3.75%–4.00%. The decision was approved by a 10–2 vote, with the two dissenting officials preferring a quarter-point increase—not a cut. The Fed described economic growth as strong while emphasizing that inflation remains elevated. ^[5]

September’s inflation reports help explain that caution. The Consumer Price Index increased 3.7% over the preceding year, while core CPI, excluding food and energy, increased 2.6%. Gasoline accounted for more than half of September’s monthly increase in the overall CPI. ^[4]

The Fed’s preferred PCE inflation measure was 3.6% year over year, with core PCE at 3.1%. CPI and PCE measure inflation differently, but neither report provides an all-clear on price pressures. ^[3]

The planning implication is that we should not build decisions around an assumption that borrowing costs will fall quickly. The election does not resolve the Fed’s inflation challenge.

For income investors, yields also remain relevant. The Treasury’s published 10-year par yield was 4.90% on November 4. That is a market reference point, not a promised portfolio return. ^[5]

Our focus is on matching investments to their purpose: how much liquidity is needed, when the money will be spent, and how much interest-rate or credit risk is appropriate. Chasing the highest available yield is not a substitute for answering those questions.

The More Useful Question: What Does Your Money Need to Do?

After an election, it is natural to ask, “What should we change?”

We prefer to start with a different question:

“Has anything changed about what this money needs to accomplish?”

Has your retirement timeline moved? Are you planning a business sale, helping a family member, making a major purchase, or changing your giving goals? Have your income needs or ability to tolerate a loss changed?

Those developments may call for meaningful adjustments. A headline, by itself, may not.

SIG’s planning-led approach begins with your goals and then organizes investments around them. Our bucket framework distinguishes dollars needed soon from dollars intended for future income, long-term growth, generosity, or legacy. That structure is designed to reduce the pressure to make short-term decisions with long-term assets; it does not eliminate investment risk. ^[10]

Staying disciplined does not mean ignoring new information. It means evaluating that information within a process instead of allowing it to dictate the process.

For Clients in the Accumulation Phase

For clients still working and building wealth, our emphasis remains on contribution discipline, appropriate reserves, tax awareness, and avoiding unnecessary concentration.

November is a useful time to check the remaining payroll opportunities for workplace retirement contributions. The 2026 base employee contribution limit for most 401(k) and 403(b) plans is $24,500, with additional catch-up contributions available to eligible participants. Plan provisions and eligibility matter, so review the details before adjusting payroll elections. ^[6]

This is also a good time to discuss whether a concentrated stock position, accumulated cash, or a change in employment warrants an update. The objective is not to make a political bet. It is to keep your savings and investments connected to the life you are building.

For Clients in the Strategic Income Phase

For clients approaching or living in retirement, the central question is often more immediate: Where will our income come from if markets become unsettled?

Our Reserve, Income, Income+, and Long-Term Growth Buckets are intended to help answer that question before it becomes urgent. Near-term cash needs and longer-term growth goals require different treatment, and the right allocation depends on your spending, taxes, liquidity needs, and overall circumstances. ^[10]

This month, we encourage clients to revisit planned withdrawals, holiday spending, larger 2027 expenses, and whether their current income plan still reflects actual household costs. A thoughtful review is more useful than assuming either a strong market or a favorable election result has taken care of everything.

Three Decisions Worth Making Before the Holiday Rush

Bring your expected income, realized gains and losses, retirement distributions, and charitable intentions into one conversation with your SIG Financial Planner and tax professional.

For some clients, the right discussion may involve a Roth conversion. For others, it may involve withholding, the timing of a distribution, or whether a planned investment sale belongs in this tax year. The objective is not to force a transaction before December 31. It is to understand the options while there is still time to evaluate them.

Our recommendation is to work from a household-specific projection—not from assumptions about what the new Congress might eventually pass.

Generosity deserves planning, especially because the federal charitable-deduction rules changed for 2026.

For taxpayers who itemize, charitable contributions generally become deductible only to the extent they exceed 0.5% of adjusted gross income, subject to other applicable limitations. Eligible taxpayers who do not itemize may deduct up to $1,000, or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly, of qualifying cash contributions. These are deductions, not dollar-for-dollar tax credits. ^[7]

For eligible IRA owners age 70½ or older, a qualified charitable distribution may also be worth discussing. A properly executed QCD goes directly from the IRA to an eligible charity and may count toward an RMD while being excluded from income, subject to the applicable rules. It cannot also be claimed as an itemized charitable deduction. ^[6]

Arizona taxpayers have a separate state-level opportunity to review. For 2026, the maximum credit for contributions to certified Qualifying Charitable Organizations is $506 for single, married-filing-separately, or head-of-household filers, and $1,009 for married couples filing jointly. Eligibility, available state tax liability, and federal tax treatment should be reviewed with your tax professional. ^[8]

The goal is not simply to give before a deadline. It is to make your generosity effective, coordinated, and aligned with what matters to you.

Most ongoing annual RMDs must be completed by December 31, although first-year and inherited-account situations can have different requirements. Confirm what applies to each account rather than assuming all retirement accounts follow identical rules. ^[6]

For clients reviewing Medicare Advantage or prescription-drug coverage, the annual Open Enrollment Period runs through December 7, with changes generally effective January 1. This is the time to review coverage against your anticipated needs with an appropriate Medicare resource or qualified professional. ^[9]

Our practical recommendation is to raise these items now. Leaving time for questions, documentation, and coordination is usually better than trying to complete everything during the final business days of the year.

Our review process connects investment decisions with cash flow, taxes, risk, and the timing of client goals. That includes evaluating whether each investment still serves its intended purpose—not simply whether it performed well recently. SIG’s stewardship framework also calls for reviewing portfolio drift, tax opportunities, charitable strategies, planning assumptions, and major life decisions. ^[10]

In the current environment, the questions we believe deserve attention are whether inflation is becoming more persistent, whether hiring stabilizes, whether business investment continues supporting growth, and which policy proposals actually move toward implementation.

We also want to distinguish genuine diversification from simply owning more investments. Public stocks, bonds, private investments, and alternative strategies each need a clear role within the plan. None should be included simply because it is fashionable or because an election has made it the topic of the week.

The objective is not constant activity. It is thoughtful oversight and appropriate action.

Thanksgiving provides an opportunity to turn our attention toward what we are working to support: family, relationships, generosity, meaningful experiences, and the ability to make a positive difference.

Our mission at Strategic Income Group remains:

Empowering individuals to live their best lives and leave a lasting legacy of financial security and positive impact.

We are grateful for the trust you place in our team. We take seriously the responsibility of helping you optimize your wealth while keeping the larger purpose of that wealth in view.

If you do not already have a year-end review scheduled, please reach out to your SIG Financial Planner. We can review what has changed, what remains on track, and which decisions deserve attention before the year closes.

Washington will have its agenda. Your financial plan should remain centered on yours.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Keep your plan at the center.

If you do not already have a year-end review scheduled, connect with your SIG Financial Planner to discuss what has changed and which decisions deserve attention before December 31.

Laurie Simons

CFP®, CTFA® · Chandler Office

Book with Laurie →

Chad Manberg

CFP® · Peoria Office

Book with Chad →

Keri Alcos

CWS® · Peoria Office

Book with Keri →

Prefer to call? (480) 466-7070

Numbered references correspond to citations in this article. Publisher links open in a new tab.

1. 1. Election and legislative context. Reuters, November 5, 2026, reporting on congressional election outcomes and the January transition; USA.gov, How Laws Are Made. Reuters report | USA.gov
2. 2. Market performance. Associated Press, How Major US Stock Indexes Fared Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Figures are price changes, not total returns. AP market report
3. 3. Economic growth, spending, and PCE inflation. Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP—Advance Estimate, Third Quarter 2026 and Personal Income and Outlays, September 2026, both released October 29, 2026. GDP release | Income and outlays
4. 4. Employment and CPI inflation. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation—September 2026, released October 2, and Consumer Price Index—September 2026, released October 14. Employment release | CPI release
5. 5. Interest rates. Federal Reserve, October 28, 2026 FOMC statement; U.S. Treasury, Daily Treasury Par Yield Curve Rates, November 4, 2026. FOMC statement | Treasury yields
6. 6. Retirement planning. IRS, 2026 retirement contribution limits; Publication 590-B; and RMD Comparison Chart—IRAs vs. Defined Contribution Plans. Contribution limits | Publication 590-B | RMD comparison
7. 7. Federal charitable deductions. IRS, Publication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, including the 2026 charitable-deduction provisions. IRS Publication 505
8. 8. Arizona charitable tax credit. Arizona Department of Revenue, Credits for Contributions to QCOs and QFCOs, 2026 limits and eligibility guidance. Arizona Department of Revenue
9. 9. Medicare enrollment. Medicare.gov, Joining a Plan, annual Open Enrollment Period. Medicare.gov
10. 10. SIG planning framework. Strategic Income Group, The SIG Stewardship Investment Strategy, internal source: planning-led portfolio construction, bucket strategy, and ongoing stewardship oversight.