On November 12, 2026, Microsoft reported a global service outage affecting organizations across a broad range of industries worldwide.

This widespread disruption has been extensively covered by national and international news media.

We rely on Microsoft as a primary technology provider due to its established reliability, scalability, and ability to support our extensive technology infrastructure.

We are actively working with Microsoft and monitoring the situation as we await full restoration of services.

Between the Margins with Marta Norton

Between the Margins with Marta Norton

In this edition of Between the Margins, Empower Chief Investment Strategist Marta Norton examines the reliability of gold as a hedge against inflation and recession.

  • Gold has been on a tear, not just in 2025, but in 2024 too. 
  • Yes, it’s a macroeconomic thing, but it’s also a technical thing: Central banks have been buying. 
  • That’s the trouble with gold: Macroeconomics and technical factors are hard to predict. If you want to own it anyway, recognize the unpredictability and size it accordingly

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