Events like Hurricane Helene, rising Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions, the upcoming US election, and an ongoing Federal Reserve rate-cutting cycle are all contributing to heightened volatility within markets (^GSPC,^IXIC,^DJI). MJP Wealth Advisors chief investment officer Brian Vendig joins Wealth! to discuss his market outlook.

Vendig notes that October is historically a volatile month for markets, and with new events adding to this trend, he says, "going into earnings, it wouldn't be surprising that the volatility levels" remain until after the US election and throughout the beginning of 2025. However, despite this, he points out that earnings outlooks for the remainder of the year and throughout 2025 remain robust, stating, "We still have an economy that's chugging along."

"I think investors need to look past some of the short-term emotional responses to some of these variables and come back to the fundamentals longer-term," he advises.

For retirement investors during this time, Vendig recommends focusing on "controlling the things that you can control." He suggests individuals review their contributions to retirement accounts, which can aid in areas like tax deductions. Additionally, he proposes looking into investing in municipal bonds, noting they tend to be less volatile than stocks.

"At the end of the day, have a plan is what I'm saying real simply," he told Yahoo Finance.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth!

This post was written by Angel Smith