Active Stocks
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DIA - Dow 30
SPY - S&P 500
QQQ - NASDAQ 100
GBTC - Bitcoin
GLD - Gold
AMZN
GOOG
HUBS
META
MSFT
NOW
NVDA
PLTR
QBTS
SNOW
SOUN
TSLA
TSM -
Expectations in 2025?
My expectations for this year will be markets full of volatility, however, by the end of 2025, the markets will be higher from where they ended in 2024. Both 2023 & 2024 were very good to the S&P 500 Index, a third year of 20+ percent gains is unlikely.This growth will continue with Large Cap Tech Stocks leading the way, and all signs are showing they will continue to do so.
I also think money will periodically leave the Tech sector and move to Large Cap Value, stocks that have strong consumer brands and have stumbled throughout 2024.
I do not see Health Care stocks doing well in 2025, with RFK Jr. and President Trump talking about getting rid of the Middle Man in Health Care, and to eliminate Pharmaceutical companies from running ads on TV, this sector will be one of the prime targets for DOGE to eliminate US Govt. costs.
Health Care is an area where reducing costs could help what DOGE is trying to accomplish, reducing Medicare Costs, and getting the US Govt. spending under control.
Reducing Drug Costs for Medicare would be an excellent way to reduce costs while not cutting tens of thousands of jobs in a very short period of time.
If that did end up happening, it certainly would impact the consumer spending numbers and impact the economy, not something the Trump administration is looking to hurt.
In 2025, the volatility will come from Mediocre Economic Data causing markets to rise with anticipation Federal Reserve will keep cutting rates as they did throughout 2024, followed by Mediocre Earnings Announcements with Lowered Forward Guidance by companies, causing the market declines.
When companies announce they are Lowering Future Expectations, that generally means their stock price drops.
Stocks are forward pricing, and Lowering Future Expectations tells investors to reduce expectations for accelerated growth rates enjoyed in the past, which most likely pushed the stock price higher.
My Greatest Concern for 2025
I am watching the 10 year Treasury yield to see if it reaches or exceeds 5%. If that even does happen, the Stock Market could see a healthy decline, as we have seen a couple times in the past two years.
In 2025, there are Trillions of dollars in US Debt needing refinancing, and the new rate will be much higher than in recent years.
These US Debt concerns could weigh heavily on the Stock Market in 2025, however, I am still predicting the Stock market will be higher at the end of 2025 than it was at the end of 2024.
So, WHAT DO I DO YOU ASK, keep investing in Pre-Tax accounts, especially if you are in a 30%-40% Tax Bracket, like 401Ks, Solo 401Ks, SEP & Simple IRAs, sit in Cash / Money Market Funds & collect your 4.25%+ yield, and Very Slowly Buy Stocks Fitting Within Your Risk Profile on market declines.
Negative Markets create Opportunity, although at the time, it seems very uncomfortable to Buy!
If you are looking to Earn Additional Income from your portfolio this year, look into a strategy called "Selling Covered Call Options".
This strategy can be a great source used to create Income from Stocks you already own.
For Stock ideas, Contact Me and I Will Evaluate Your Risk Profile.
- 401K & Solo 401K / IRA / Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2025
If you are under the age of 50, max contribution is $7,000 & if over 50 it's $8,000 for your IRA & Roth IRA.Your 401K limit is $23,700 if under 50, $31,000 if over 50 years old.
For individual business owners, Solo 401K contributions in 2024 increased to $70,000 or $77,500 if age 50 or over.
Solo 401K contributions are based net- income from Self-Employment (i.e. you can't contribute more than you make).
- How Much Should I Pay my Financial Advisor or Portfolio Manager?
The fees you will pay a Financial Advisor generally depend on how much money you are asking the Advisor to manage & whether part of those investment dollars include your 401K.Try to avoid dealing with Financial Sales People who only want to charge you Commissions or try and Sell you A-share Mutual Funds.
IFM 401K & Portfolio Reviews
Do you need help with your 401k Investment Allocation?
Already working with a Financial Advisor with other investment accounts but want a second opinion on your Investment Allocation?
James has worked as a Portfolio Manager & Financial Advisor since 1996 – he will look at your 401k choices & your current investment allocation and give you his recommendation on whether he believes you are allocated correctly based on your investment goals.
IFM will recommend you complete a Financial / Retirement Plan, as a means of determining whether your current allocation meets the annual return you need to get into and through retirement.
IFM will not mandate you complete his Financial / Retirement Plan in order to provide you a Portfolio Review, but does strongly encourage it. It is much more difficult to determine if your current investment allocation will meet your current or future needs on a annual basis if you have never run an analysis to see what annual return you need from your investment accounts.
IFMs Portfolio Reviews are considered a One Time Financial Planning Fee, per our IFM Financial Planning Agreement, and are based on the investment dollars we are analyzing and creating a plan for you.
The fee schedule includes:
- $0 – $50k = $100 fee
- $50k-$100k = $150 fee
- $100k-$250k = $250 fee
- $250k-$500k = $400 fee
- $500k-$1mil = $800 fee
- $1mil-$2.5mil = $1,500 fee
- $2.5mil+ = contact IFM for a custom quote
For IFMs Portfolio Review fee, IFM will complete the following for you:
- Examine your current investment allocation, whether you are currently with a Financial Advisor or not,
- Look at all of your investment options through your 401k, if you have one,
- Determine which investment options may be best for you. His recommendation will be based on your financial situation, age, time frame for which you need your money, and whether you have other investment accounts outside of your 401k. If you do, it is not a good idea to load up on similar investments in and out of your 401k. All of your investment dollars have to be examined and managed based on your needs and whether your investment accounts are Tax-Deferred, Tax-FREE or Taxable.
IFM will provide you with a written recommendation after the completed analysis.
If you would like to contact IFM for your Portfolio Review, please-click-here
All opinions expressed by James R. Wigen on this website are solely his opinions and do not reflect the opinions of IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners, (IFP). Investment Advice offered through IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), a Registered Investment Adviser. IFP and Independent Financial Management, LLC (IFM), are not affiliated.