Thomas Garretson, CFA

Senior Portfolio Strategist
Fixed Income Strategies
Portfolio Advisory Group–U.S.

Thomas Garretson is a senior portfolio strategist, Fixed Income Strategies, Portfolio Advisory Group–U.S. He has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and joined RBC Wealth Management in 2013.

Thomas currently chairs the firm’s U.S. Fixed Income Subcommittee and serves on the Global Portfolio Advisory Committee and the U.S. Investment Committee. He collaborates with other members in setting firm-wide asset allocation recommendations. In addition, he is frequently quoted in leading sources of business information, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Reuters.

He earned a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Thomas also has a Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Denver.

He obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute and has passed the FINRA General Securities Representative Series 7 and 24 exam.

Thomas' insights

Global Insight 2026 Midyear Outlook: United States

Analysis

There are catalysts for the bull market in stocks to persist. Bonds face a more challenging landscape.

5 minute read

Bond markets seeing the forest for the trees

Geopolitical events and oil prices have upended global bond markets and central bank policy expectations this year, but we see it as just the latest tree in a forest of reasons that has steadily driven bond yields higher.

8 minute read

Fed change is afoot, in more ways than one

A new era is at hand at the Fed with Kevin Warsh poised to become the next chair. We look at how this may affect monetary policy ahead and point out that the days when the chair held outsized influence over the institution may be a thing of the past.

7 minute read

Central bank alphabet soup

The FOMC, BoC, BoE, ECB, RBA, and BoJ held policy meetings this week amid uncertainty caused by the Middle East crisis. While policymakers acknowledged that uncertainty, markets increasingly believe central banks may need to tighten policy rates.

6 minute read

The Fed takes a turn down easy street

Another rate cut from the Federal Reserve this week has taken U.S. interest rates into a new era where we think every rate cut not only means that policy gets easier, but risks becoming too easy, all while the decisions only get harder.

7 minute read

The Fed raises the bar for lower rates

Despite a second consecutive rate cut, a hawkish turn from the Fed supports our view that it’s on hold until at least 2026. While that may have previously caused market turbulence, investors seem content with the idea the Fed has already done enough.

6 minute read

Another round of the Fed’s waiting game

Inflation remains calm in 2025, but tariff-related price hike concerns have kept the Fed sidelined. We look at the Fed’s commentary, the impact of market forces and political pressure on yields, and the probability of rate cuts before year’s end.

6 minute read