The Best 7 Months of the Election Cycle, Apple's Push Into Your Home, and the Fall of AT&T

From Compound Growth · 45:45

Show by Compound Growth

Election ads everywhere, a new Apple product every few months, and maybe a stock in your portfolio that has done so well you're afraid to touch it. It's hard to tell which headlines matter for your money and which ones are noise.Wheeler starts with seasonality and the four-year presidential cycle. Midterm elections tend to bring anxiety, but historically the October through April stretch of a midterm year has been the strongest seven-month window of the entire cycle, averaging about 18% compared with roughly 5.4% for a typical seven-month period. The hosts are clear that this isn't a prediction or a reason to buy, and Colin draws a useful line between politics, meaning who wins, and policy, meaning taxes, tariffs and war, which is what has actually moved markets.Next, Colin breaks down Apple's bigger push into the smart home, led by HomeView, a wall-mounted screen that changes profiles depending on who walks up to it. Apple holds a small share of a market led by Amazon's Alexa, so the hosts debate whether Apple is late to the party or whether Amazon and Google simply warmed up the market for it. Colin sees a race to get an AI assistant into the home and the data that comes with it. Wheeler sees a new leader looking to make his mark, the way the Apple Watch and AirPods defined the last era, plus a political risk if regulators ever loosen Apple's grip on the App Store.That leads Wheeler to a monopoly from another era. AT&T was once the most valuable company in the country and stayed at or near the top for two decades. Early in his career, Wheeler had clients who wouldn't sell their AT&T shares for emotional reasons or for the dividend, even as the company slipped. With SpaceX buying wireless spectrum to bring Starlink to phones, the hosts talk about why owning the infrastructure matters and what the AT&T story means for anyone holding a large position in a Mag 7 company today. Colin shares a story about Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and his own experience selling a fast-rising stock too early, and both hosts explain why realizing some gains along the way, or using them for gifting and estate planning, can make sense.The episode closes with a year-end retirement account check. Colin walks through the 2026 limits for 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, the catch-up contributions for savers 50 and older and for ages 60 to 63, and why October is the time to confirm you're on track if maxing out is your goal. Wheeler asks about clients who front-load their contributions early in the year, and Colin explains why that can cost part of the employer match unless the plan offers a true-up.By the end, you'll understand how election cycles have historically lined up with market returns, why Apple wants a screen on your wall, and what a year-end look at your accounts should include. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.Follow Us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compoundgrowthpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CompoundGrowthPodcastTikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@compoundgrowthpod Wheeler’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wheeler-crowley-0a63933b/ Colin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-walker-mba-6099a038/Credits:Created By: Wheeler Crowley and Colin WalkerProduction, Editing and Post-Production: Tori Rothwell

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