Is inflation on the rise again? According to the Federal Reserve it may be.

Will we have a recession in 2025….or ever?

Are stocks overvalued after 2 years of strong returns?

Will the largest technology stocks just keep rolling or is it time for other areas of the market to play a bigger role?

What about bonds? Why bother with bonds if they have such low returns?

These are just a few of the questions investors are asking as we head into 2025. In Capital Stewards's Economic and Investment Outlook for 2025, I share my views in detail and back it all up with lots of charts and illustrations.

Start A Conversion with Capital Stewards: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

This time of year is "outlook season" for Wall Street. Investors and analysts are publishing their S&P 500 and economic outlooks for next year. But were they right about this year? Are market forecasts useful for investors?

Well, I kept the receipts! In this episode I look back at a few from last year (including my own) and see how they turned out.

Understanding how difficult it is to predict the market has significant implications for how investors should build portfolios. I also discuss how to invest if you can't be right about the future all the time.

Start A Conversion with Capital Stewards: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

This episode covers common myths and misconceptions about alternatives. What are alternative investments? Are private – or alternative – assets just for the ultra-wealthy? What is (or is not) the secret sauce of private managers that drives the high returns you see in the media? How should you think about private assets in your portfolio?

1:54 - Myth 1 - Private Assets are only for the very wealthy and not for me.

2:32 - Myth 2 - New fund structure innovations mean that I don’t really have to give up access to my cash for 8-10 years.

4:25 - Myth 3 - Private managers have a secret and that allows them to drive special, secret returns that everyone must access!

7:32 - Myth 4 - Private Equity Funds borrow and lay-off lots of workers. They are just corporate raiders.

9:35 - Myth 5 - Private Debt has grown too fast and is the next Financial Crisis waiting to happen.

13:34 - Myth 6 - Some real estate developers and owners are struggling, now is a great time to try to get a deal by investing in a privately held REIT or fund.

15:59 - Myth 7 - All alternatives are designed to provide higher returns than public securities.

17:22 - Myth 8 - Alternatives are all the rage, so the fund I’m being sold should work out ok.

18:38 - Myth 9 - All private fund managers are created the same.

Start A Conversion with Capital Stewards: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Year-end is upon us. The time to plan reduce your 2024 taxes and get your financial house in order is now, not after we turn the calendar page to 2025 and you can no longer act! Here is our year-end financial planning tips checklist with items that you should consider before the end of the year.

1:40 - Election Recap and Implications for Investors

3:19 - Retirement Account Planning and Contributions for IRAs and 401ks

5:12 - How to Reduce Taxes on Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)

5:46 - ROTH Conversions

6:57 - Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs)

8:04 - Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

9:41 - Mutual Fund Distributions / "Phantom" Distributions

11:28 - Tax Loss Harvesting

12:28 - Income Planning

14:19 - Charitable Giving Strategies

Start A Conversion with Capital Stewards: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Will the market keep charging forward or are we on the brink of a recession? Soft landings are just that, slower, softer economic activity. They don’t feel great. What about the Mag 7 technology stocks, will they continue to lead the way forward? Will a Trump victory ignite more inflation and cause interest rates to rise? I cover all of this and more in our Outlook for the 4th Quarter.

Topics:

0:00 - Intro

2:11 - What’s Happened in Markets So Far This Year?

5:45 - Jobs Market

13:49 - Inflation

16:10 - What’s Happening in Real Life with Companies

18:44 - Stock Market Outlook - Mag 7 vs. the 493

22:15 - International Stocks and China

24:38 - Oil and Commodities

28:00 - Long-Term Interest Rates and Bonds

35:18 - Gold

36:55 - Election Impact

39:43 - Takeaways for Investors

Watch the Video w/ Charts -> https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/learn/year-end-2024-outlook-soft-landings-are-murky

Questions? Start a Conversation with Us -> https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

IRAs, 401ks, the TSP, ROTHs.

It’s a soup of acronyms. What's the right prioritization of accounts for saving? Which account should you spend from first in Retirement?

In this episode I’m diving into the main retirement account types and how to use them. I'll cover:

1) Accumulating wealth…when you’re saving for retirement and

2) Decumulating wealth...or spending your assets in retirement.

We will talk about contributions, backdoor contributions, income limitations and common misconceptions. So if you have questions about which retirement accounts to use – you’re not alone – and this is the episode for you.

Bucket Chart Referenced In Episode

Question? Start A Conversation with Capital Stewards

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Want to go deeper than cable news on the proposed economic policies of both presidential campaigns? I evaluate policy proposals with history and data as the guide to discover which proposals may really create growth and reduce inflation in the economy. Neither Vice-President Harris nor Former President Trump lay out all good or all bad proposals. Whether you consider yourself a republican, democrat or independent, you might be surprised at the proposals from your party. Lastly, I will discuss what the proposals mean for investors.

0:00 - Intro

2:47 - What Caused Inflation / How Policy May Impact Inflation Going Forward

13:00 - Tax Plans / Tax Burden / "Fair Shares" / Corporate Taxes

30:10 - U.S. Government Spending & Revenue / Tax on Tips

36:20 - Tariffs

42:55 - Raising the Minimum Wage

46:20 - Home Prices / Incentives to Build / Handouts to Buyers

49:05 - Price "Gouging"

51:01 - Infrastructure

52:01 - Energy

53:23 - Where the Race Stands / Conclusions

https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/

Start a Conversation: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Any commentary is provided for general information and educational purposes only and should not be construed as specific investment, tax or legal advice. Instead, readers should make an independent assessment of the information and determine if any content mentioned is appropriate for their personal situation. Past performance of market results is no assurance of future performance. This information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Is college worth the high cost? If my kids are going to college, how should I save and pay for college? In thie episode we dive into college planning. I cover:

2:15 - A framework to make college pay-off

9:20 - Saving for college, 529s, ROTH IRAs.

17:10 - Paying for college, strategies for asset ownership and the FAFSA

https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversation

Resources:

https://ronlieber.com/books/the-price-you-pay-for-college/

https://collegereadyplan.com/