With a goal of simplifying and informing… we are very flattered at the geographic diversity and volume of readers. This is a five year look back!
We asked Gemini (Google’s AI) to give us our top posts… interesting summaries which lets us know we are getting our desired point across!
Top 5 Points: Non-Video Blog Posts
- Q1 2025 Market Sentiment (April 14): The year began with a “loss of stamina” in the capital markets. The blog highlighted that economic data and consumer sentiment had started to sour early in Q1, leading to an “inconclusive ending” for the quarter. This period also marked the return of “Tariffs” to the headline conversation, causing knee-jerk reactions among investors.
- Fall 2025 Newsletter Release (Dec 10): The written Fall Newsletter covered critical “Back to Basics” topics, specifically issuing a 529 Plan Reminder for education savings and providing a deep dive into Residential Housing Analysis, setting the stage for end-of-year financial planning.
- The Pivot to “RMP” (Dec 15): A major monetary policy shift occurred in December. The Federal Reserve officially ended Quantitative Tightening (QT) and introduced a new term: Reserve Management Purchases (RMP). This marked a “flip flop” where the Fed committed to purchasing $40 billion per month, easing pressure on the bond market.
- Housing Demographics Shift (Dec 17): In a significant data point regarding the economy, the blog noted that the average age of a first-time home buyer has increased by nearly 10 years compared to a decade and a half ago. This was attributed to the “perfect storm” of mortgage rates, housing prices, and student loans.
- Mandatory 401k Roth Catch-Up (Dec 22): The year concluded with urgent planning advice for 2026. High-income earners were warned about the new Mandatory Roth Catch-Up Rules, necessitating adjustments in payroll and tax planning for the upcoming year.
Top 5 Points: Video Blog Posts (Key Takeaways)
Government Shutdown & COLA (Oct Review): The videos quantified the economic drag of the government shutdown at 0.04% per day. Simultaneously, it confirmed the Social Security COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) increase of 2.8%, signaling a moderate inflation environment compared to previous years.
The “Donor Roth” Strategy (April Review): The video content highlighted a powerful generational wealth transfer strategy: opening a Roth IRA for a child or grandchild with earned income. The analysis showed that a simple, one-time donation to a young earner could compound to over $300,000 after five decades.
Tax Law “OBBBA” & Continuity (July Review): In the mid-year review, the “OBBBA” tax updates were discussed. The key takeaway was that despite the noise, the vast majority of major changes were actually “keeping things the same,” effectively continuing the 2017 tax laws, though some planning techniques remained “fuzzy” pending IRS clarity.
Cybersecurity Threats: RATs & QR Codes (July & Oct Reviews): 2025 saw an escalation in specific cyber threats. The videos warned of RAT (Remote Access Tool) scams hidden in phishing emails and a new wave of QR Code scams targeting teams and companies. The advice was clear: “Do not bite” and keep software updated.
Bond Market Independence (April Review): Citing Jim Bianco, the video analysis emphasized that the bond market was “dancing to its own drummer.” The point was made that bond yields were moving independently of some outside forces, a critical realization for asset allocation in 2025.
Let us know what you think of the analysis… our first time to use AI in this way. Our goal was an outside unbiased opinion… We think it did a good job, but for the record we had to correct several of the dates!
Happy Friday – Next week the engines rev again – Can’t wait! Will get the December video done over the weekend when we have stronger technology connections…
John A. Kvale CFA, CFP
AI Content Authenticity: AI completed the year analysis and summaries. Occasionally we do use AI for images and will note when appropriate.
Founder of J.K. Financial, Inc.
A Dallas Texas based fee only
Financial Planning Total Wealth
Management firm.
