Ryan O. Issakainen

Senior Vice-President, Exchange-Traded Fund Strategist at First Trust Advisors, L.P.

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Fewer individual investors are bullish on stocks today (18.9%) than there were on 3/5/09 (18.92%), according to the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) survey published yesterday...the S&P 500 Index bottomed out on 3/9/09 at 666.79 (intraday)...

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

It's a pleasure to host the always insightful @BobStein_FT on the @ftportfolios First Trust ROI Podcast!

[Robert Stein @BobStein_FT]

My most recent ROI podcast with @ftportfolios’s own Podcast King Ryan Issakainen.

https://t.co/goDaX7A7aw

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

@StriderElass Great having you on the First Trust ROI Podcast, @StriderElass! As expected, it was an interesting and insightful conversation! Next time we do it in person…@ftportfolios

[Strider Elass @StriderElass]

Had a great time chatting with @ROIssakainen about everything going on in the economy today. The best interviewer in the biz!

https://t.co/F1IPXaZdPd

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

It was a pleasure to join @FrankCNBC on @CNBC Worldwide Exchange this week to discuss some of our favorite #ETF opportunities...Let's do it again soon! https://t.co/2ulPBicWw5 @ftportfolios

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Remember this chart

[First Trust @ftportfolios]

The “Magnificent 7” dominate headlines—but is there more opportunity elsewhere?

Richard Bernstein says yes. In Ep. 48 of the ROI Podcast, he explains why investors should look beyond the usual suspects.
🎧https://t.co/8ujgWLQFKi
📺https://t.co/PJDDZRunBw

#Markets #Investing #Magnificent7 #ROIpodcast #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Special thanks to @Grok, my research assistant for these calculations!

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Contrary to the narrative, the House #Tax bill is not a tax cut for many of the highest earners...particularly in blue states. In many cases, high earners would pay less taxes in 2026 under the current tax law, because the SALT deduction cap would revert back to unlimited. In fact, the breakeven level of income where the unlimited SALT deduction is more valuable than extending lower marginal rates is lower than you might think.

Where is the crossover point level of income, above which high earners pay less taxes without a "tax cut"? Below we offer an estimate for the 5 states with the highest income tax levels (assuming a married couple, filing jointly, taking the standard deduction, and living in a home valued at the top 5% in each state):

California (Modoc County, $21,500 property tax, no local income tax): ~$850,000

Hawaii (Kauai County, $9,435 property tax, no local income tax): ~$1,250,000

New York (New York City, $12,100 property tax, 3.876% local income tax): ~$550,000

New Jersey (Salem County, $27,989 property tax, no local income tax): ~$400,000

Oregon (Multnomah County, $11,180 property tax, 0.8% local income tax): ~$1,050,000

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Don't expect a V-shaped recovery.

Brian Wesbury calls it a “tilted L”—a slow grind higher, not a snapback.

💡 Tech & productivity will drive it
📉 Don’t be surprised if we dip below 5200

Full episode →

🎧 https://t.co/Vellu7qiEv
📺 https://t.co/vLLshj76X8

#ROIPodcast #Markets #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

7 generations on welfare.
4 generations ago, we knew it was broken.

Fixing it? Painful. Politically costly. Necessary.

Brian Wesbury on systemic reform →

🎧 https://t.co/QPS6m1JhCL
📺 https://t.co/TR20writvS

#ROIPodcast #Policy #Economy #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

The Fed wants to shrink its balance sheet—but capital rules won’t let banks absorb the bonds.

So what’s the fix? Change the rules the Fed created.

Brian Wesbury breaks it down →

🎧 https://t.co/Vellu7qiEv
📺 https://t.co/vLLshj76X8

#ROIPodcast #FederalReserve #Markets #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Savings rate: 📉 15% → 4%
Foreign ownership: 📈
Congress: 💤

Tariffs may not fix the root problem—but they might be the only tool left.

ROI Podcast with Brian Wesbury →

🎧 https://t.co/QPS6m1JhCL
📺 https://t.co/TR20writvS

#ROIPodcast #Trade #Economy #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

“We’re buying quarter-zips… they’re buying our farmland.”

Brian Wesbury says tariffs aren't the root issue—an oversized government and trade imbalance are.

Full conversation on the ROI Podcast →

🎧 https://t.co/Vellu7qiEv
📺 https://t.co/vLLshj76X8

#ROIPodcast #Economy #Trade #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

“The era of easy everything is over.”

Brian Wesbury explains why he sees a normal recession, not a crash:
🟠 No tech or housing bubble
📉 ~0.5% GDP decline expected

More on the latest ROI Podcast →

🎧 https://t.co/Vellu7qiEv
📺 https://t.co/vLLshj76X8

#ROIPodcast #Markets #Recession #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Brian Wesbury says the Fed’s “mission creep” has gone too far—getting involved in things like climate change and lead pipes.

“It’s like they’ve run out of things to do... but forgot to keep inflation in check.”

🎧 https://t.co/Vellu7qiEv
📺 https://t.co/vLLshj76X8

#ROIpodcast #FederalReserve #firsttrust #MarketsWithBS
@wesbury @ftportfolios

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

🌎 Is the tide turning for international equities?

🔹 U.S. valuations stretched
🔹 Fiscal stimulus abroad
🔹 AI-driven shifts in leadership

We believe selectivity matters more than ever. 📈

Read the latest Inside First Trust ETFs: https://t.co/hy2wdK9jdz

#Investing #ETFs #FirstTrust

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Great to have the incomparable Bob Stein on the First Trust ROI Podcast…@BobStein_FT @ftportfolios

[Robert Stein @BobStein_FT]

My latest video podcast….

https://t.co/gIdsPgOWnw

[First Trust @ftportfolios]

Tariffs ≠ runaway inflation?

“We’re not breaking down or running away in interest rates. We’re in a tighter band.” — Bill Housey, First Trust

📺 https://t.co/2rne5OouOu
🎧 https://t.co/GeXae1koaS

#FirstTrust #InterestRates #FixedIncome #Investing #Tariffs #Inflation

[Ryan O. Issakainen @ROIssakainen]

Uncertainty is rising. Volatility is back. But is it too early to call for a recession? 📉

Bill Housey joins me on the ROI Podcast to break down what it all means for equity and bond markets.

🎧 https://t.co/QoTJBijACp
📺 https://t.co/wgIz3lwOYK

#ROIPodcast #FirstTrust #Markets