Sure, there was a selloff. But the underlying signals are still strong. : John Schlifske knows his way around the stock market. Before he became CEO of Northwestern Mutual, for more than 20 years he was calling the shots on how to invest the firm's huge multi-billion dollar portfolio. So when he says he's bullish on the markets, it's worth listening why. When I spoke with Schilfske in June, he ticked off the reasons for his optimism. No signs of recession. Easy monetary policy. No major bubbles to worry about. Earnings are strong. Companies have cash.