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Who is Rajan Private Wealth?Foundation of Discipline and Analytical Insight

Navigating the complexities of significant wealth require layers of knowledge garnered from academics and relevant training, intuition and muscle memory from decades of experience and the humility of having made mistakes and learning from them. Three plus decades in the industry at the highest levels as the former Chief Investment Strategist at Merrill Lynch and Co-Head of Research at Morgan Stanley separates me from my peers.

FOUNDER & FINANCIAL ADVISORAbout Ash Rajan

Ash is an advisor at Prudential Advisors, specializing in asset management, preservation, and wealth transfer for corporate executives, doctors, and business owners, particularly in their pre and post-retirement years. With over thirty years of experience as a senior executive at top investment firms in New York City, including Janney Montgomery Scott Wealth Management and Merrill Lynch, Ash has a strong foundation in handling IRAs, 401(k)s, brokerage accounts, and family protection needs such as insurance, annuities, and long-term care. His extensive Wall Street experience also includes roles like the U.S. Chief Investment Strategist for Merrill Lynch and co-head of the Equity Research Strategies Group at Morgan Stanley.

Ash is a renowned keynote speaker on retirement and estate planning, IRA and 401K rollovers, and stock options, having spoken at global wealth conferences in Davos, New York, and Tel Aviv. He has been a delegate to investment councils for various international dignitaries and frequently appears on media outlets like CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg. Ash holds three master’s degrees, including an MBA in Finance, and has lectured at prestigious institutions such as NYU’s Stern School of Business, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Outside of finance, he is a certified wine writer-educator and an accomplished photographer with six published coffee table books on African wildlife. He resides in New Vernon, New Jersey, with his wife Mariette and their two children, Alexandra and Julian.

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“Knowledge is useless if its not expressed or shared”
- Ash Rajan

Quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Economic Times, The Financial Times and interviewed on CNBC, CNN, BBC and Bloomberg.

Knowledge Authorship

Strong Gains Yesterday As Hope For Peace Continues, And Earnings Season Gets Underway.

Stocks closed higher yesterday with all of the major indexes up by 1% or more. The small-cap Russell 2000 led the way with followed by the Nasdaq (Source: CNBC April 2026).

And almost all of the indexes are barely back in the plus column for the year except the Nasdaq.

Reports over the weekend that the U.S.-Iran peace talks ended without an agreement, and the subsequent announcement that the U.S. would impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, weighed on stocks in the morning.

But by day's end, they were all higher.

Reports that talks are still ongoing kept hopes alive that a longer-lasting peace can still be achieved. And that lifted the markets. Additionally, Pakistan, who hosted the weekend's talks, said the two countries were "very close ... even inches away from a solution." And President Trump on Monday said that Iran had "called this morning," and that "they'd like to make a deal." All good news. But can we believe it entirely?

I would also chalk up some of the market's strength to the start of earnings season.

First off, all of the above is taking place against a backdrop of a resilient economy, rising productivity, an AI boom that's very much alive and well, and forecasts for double-digit earnings growth for each of the next 4 quarters.(Source: Zacks April 2026)

So it's no wonder that the start of earnings season has the markets buoyant. Stocks typically go up during earnings season. And that's the expectation, once again, for this one.

Even though the official start of earnings season doesn't begin until Wednesday, 4/16.

Last week's Consumer Price Index (CPI – retail inflation) came in higher than the previous month, but better-than-expected. ( Source: Zacks April 2026)

The markets are forecasting one 25-basis point rate cut this year, and another one next year.

In the meantime, the momentum for the market has shifted back to the upside. And we'll see if the market can build in recent gains as the week goes on. 

This article was written on April 15, 2026.  The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.


Combined Portfolio Diagnostics & Retirement Ready Report

Combined Portfolio Diagnostics & Retirement Ready Report

 Our Combined Portfolio Diagnostics & Retirement Ready Report is complimentary. Our Analysts will examine your portfolio information to identify areas such as asset allocation, diversification, concentration and potential risk exposure.  The review may also highlight gaps in market exposure or areas for further discussion.  We then assess if the portfolio’s growth projections, combined with your social security and any pensions, are adequate to fund your retirement years with a lifestyle of dignity and grace. Ask for a free report today.

Advising the Affluent is knowing what drives the Affluent

‘My passions are in all things wine, blending, pairing, curating, and educating fellow wine afficianados many of whom are our clients. As one of eight Master Sommeliers in America for French wines, certified in Bordeaux, France my wine videos are curriculum in many wine schools. Travel and Wildlife Photography take up rest of my leisure time.”----Ash Rajan


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