New Focus On Wealth With Chad Burton

In 2023, interest rates underwent significant fluctuations, starting with an inversion where the two-year U.S. Treasury paid more than the 10-year U.S. Treasury. However, as the year progressed, interest rates rallied. By year-end, the 10-year U.S. Treasury rate stood at approximately 3.88%, reaching a peak of 4% at one point. Meanwhile, the two-year treasury closed the year at 4.23%. This unprecedented volatility in interest rates had a profound impact on the market. The episode highlights the strong performance of the NASDAQ, with the QQQ ETF rallying by 54.85%. This indicates that the QQQ ETF, which tracks the NASDAQ's performance, achieved a total return of 54.85% in 2023. This remarkable increase surpassed other major indexes like the S&P 500. The NASDAQ's robust performance can be attributed to the recovery of tech stocks, which had experienced a decline in the previous year. Additionally, the S&P 500 delivered a total return of 26.19% in 2023, indicating a positive year, albeit not as strong a