The first financial advice I got as a child was from my grandfather, and I remember it vividly. He said, “David, it doesn’t matter which party is running the country. What matters is investing in the right companies. Politicians come and go, but corporate brands are here to stay.”
In that spirit, I want to give you a few steps to zero in on your tax burden and help you find ways to be more efficient.
One thing I’ve experienced throughout my career is that when we have a good year in the markets, as we did in 2025, folks sure don’t seem to have many questions for their financial advisory team!
That said, when we have a stretch of market volatility, typically hand in hand with daily shock-and-awe news headlines — think the first two months and maybe three of 2026 — the (natural) reaction is — uh-oh.
No matter your level of investment or where you are in your retirement journey, the first quarter of 2025 has probably felt chaotic. We’ve been drinking from a fire hose with many headlines and announcements flying around. If you had looked at your statement from January, you likely would have felt pretty good. Mid-March, you probably started thinking, what’s going on here? Do I need to make some adjustments?
If you’re like me, you’re probably being bombarded with all of the doom and gloom surrounding the recent market downturn. It’s tempting to think that the sky is falling and wait until better days to invest in your retirement accounts.
It’s important to remember that, as a younger investor, market downturns can present investing opportunities. During these times, you may be able to buy quality stocks at cheaper prices.
Listen, we said it would be challenging as the entire world tried to interpret what a Trump presidency and a Musk Department of Government Efficiency would mean. It still will be. Add in that we’ve yet to see the impact of hurricanes, floods, and fires on the cost of goods. Think inflationary. It’s reasonable to think that there will be historic supply chain pressure as tens of thousands of families around the country rebuild their homes and replace lost possessions.
Let’s get this out of the way — my job is not to take a political position. I’m here to help you grow your family’s nest egg while doing my best to protect it from harm.
If you’re like me and my family, you’re going to have Democrats, Republicans, and the rest around your table this Thanksgiving. While many families avoid talking politics, the ramifications of the recent election will be on everybody’s mind. Over the last few weeks, our whole team has had conversations with clients and prospective families, and every one of them is concerned about the changes that may be coming with the new administration.
As expected, the Federal Reserve announced last month that it is making its first interest rate cut, with all signs pointing to more in the near future. I’ve been writing about this for a while, and it should mean good news for those of you who are in the market for a new home or car or are simply looking to save a little money each month by refinancing a loan.
As expected, the first few days of the year started with everyone selling off the stocks that did so well last year — large-cap tech. We did the exact same thing in our own investment accounts. The reason is simple — any gains from the start of January don’t have to have taxes paid on them until April 2025, and some of these stocks went up 50% or more in 2023.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve made it to the end of another year. Amidst the hustle of the holidays, I want to encourage you to stay diligent about your financial plan. Here is a little end-of-year to-do list that will help set you up for continued success in 2024.
With the new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and rather than telling you all about mine (you’re welcome), I thought I would set some resolutions for the American economy in 2024.
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