Good morning. Since 1971, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates more than 35 times and nearly every cycle of cuts has followed a market scare, recession, or crisis.
In other words, rate cuts don’t cause the calm… they usually signal the storm that came before.
-Shaun A, Jonathan Kibbler, Jordon Mellor
MARKETS
How’s your favorite today?
Prices supplied by Google Finance as of 4:00am ET - stock prices as of close. Here is what the prices mean.
NEWS
Fed Signals Two More Cuts This Year
The Federal Reserve looks divided but only by degrees. The latest FOMC minutes released Wednesday show one clear theme: the Fed is firmly on the path to cutting, though not everyone agrees on how fast or how far.
After last month’s quarter-point trim, officials broadly agreed that more easing is needed as the labor market cools and inflation drifts closer to target. The debate wasn’t about whether to cut again, it was about how many times before the year ends.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. A Split Committee But a Clear Direction
During their September meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee expressed openness to further rate cuts this year, minutes show.
“Most judged that it likely would be appropriate to ease policy further over the remainder of this year,” the Sept. 16-17 meeting minutes say.
— #Schwab Network (#@SchwabNetwork)
7:32 PM • Oct 8, 2025
Almost all Fed members backed the September rate cut, taking the federal funds rate to 4.00–4.25%, with an 11–1 vote in favor. The lone dissenter, newly appointed Governor Stephen Miran, wanted a bigger 0.50% cut, arguing that the economy needs a stronger jolt.
The rest of the committee leaned toward two more 25-basis-point cuts before year-end, which would bring rates closer to neutral. Some even projected mild easing into 2026–2027, setting a long-term rate around 3%.
It’s clear the Fed wants flexibility, not a fixed plan. As the minutes put it, officials are “well positioned to respond in a timely way” depending on how the economy unfolds.
2. Labor Market Weakness Takes the Spotlight
The turning point was jobs data or rather, the lack of it. With the government shutdown delaying key reports, policymakers are worried about flying blind ahead of the October and December meetings.
Still, early signals point to a softening labor market. ADP data showed slower hiring, and officials noted “downside risks to employment have increased.” Inflation, meanwhile, is seen easing, meaning the balance of risks now favors keeping the economy afloat.
3. The Inflation Story Is Changing
Interestingly, the Fed no longer sees tariffs, especially Trump’s latest rounds, as a long-term inflation threat. Most officials believe the price impact will fade quickly, removing one of the main reasons for past hawkishness.
That gives them even more room to ease without fearing a new inflation spike.
My Takeaway
The Fed might be split on the pace, but not the direction. Rate cuts are coming and markets know it. What stands out is how fragile their confidence looks without data.
If the shutdown drags on, October’s decision could be one of the most uncertain FOMC meetings we’ve seen in years. For us traders, that means one thing: volatility is about to make a comeback.
Why Retail Investors Always Buy at the Top
You buy after CNBC reports the story.
Wall Street bought when Reddit mentions spiked 3,968%.
You buy after "strong earnings."
Wall Street bought when insiders loaded up $31M beforehand.
You buy after "analyst upgrades."
Wall Street bought when Congress filed their positions first.
The pattern is obvious: You get yesterday's news. They get tomorrow's signals.
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Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal.
TRADER INSIGHTS
The Hidden Cost of Changing Your Strategy Too Often
Why do traders keep changing strategies?
One of the biggest mistakes I made was strategy hopping.
I’d take hours sometimes even days testing a strategy only to go live to take some losses, to become disheartened.
So, I’d go and test something else.
New setup. New rules. New indicators.
Same result: inconsistency.
Let’s be clear here, refining your process is necessary, but constantly starting from scratch is deadly.
The Hidden Cost: Compounding Inconsistency
What most traders overlook is the cost of abandoning a strategy before it’s had time to play out.
Here’s the real damage:
❌ No data integrity
When you don’t stick with a strategy long enough, you never collect real performance data. You can't improve what you can’t measure.❌ Emotional instability
Strategy hopping breeds second-guessing. It becomes a cycle of impulsive decisions, rather than a consistent, structured process.❌ The illusion of progress
Switching gives you the feeling of improvement, but in reality you’re not.
What Changed For Me
I went under the hood.
I wanted to find out the ‘Why’ a market moves.
This helped me massively.
I then coined my W.C.S method.
Why, Conditions, Strategy.
The strategy to me is just the consistent way of entering the market.
Here’s a 3 step plan to help you stop strategy hopping.
Get a better understanding of why that strategy works and when it doesn’t.
Become a conductor. Know when to apply the strategy to be more efficient.
Review all the time. Did you change the way you applied the strategy to create the outcome?
Let Me Be Clear
Trading for me isn’t about finding the “perfect” system.
It’s about finding something that works well, when and why? and getting really good at identifying that.
Switching strategies might feel productive, but it often hides a deeper issue: a lack of patience and process.
And that’s the real cost.
CHART BREAKDOWN OF THE DAY (WTI Crude Oil)
WTI Crude Oil is trading near $62.80 after finding support around the $62.00 level, keeping prices steady but below key moving averages. The 50-day and 200-day SMAs continue to cap upside momentum, with major resistance seen near $66.00. A sustained move above that zone could open the path toward $70–$72, while a break below $62.00 would expose deeper support around $55.70. Overall, momentum remains cautious as bulls try to regain control.
DAILY TRADING PSYCHOLOGY NUGGET
“The goal isn’t to trade more, it’s to trade better.” Quality setups don’t come every hour, and forcing trades only feeds regret. The traders who wait for clear, high-probability moves are the ones who stay consistent when everyone else burns out.
TODAY’S MOST TRENDING MARKET NEWS (OCTOBER 9, 2025)
credits: Darren Whiteside
Asian equities surged to new highs, riding a tech-led rally as Wall Street’s strength spilled over. Japan’s Nikkei jumped over 1.5%, and Taiwan’s index hit record levels amid strong inflows. Meanwhile, oil slipped as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas eased geopolitical risk. (source:reuters)
GAMES
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ANSWER
Answer: Day Trading