Blooming Insights - January '25Blooming Insights - February '25
PlumTree Financial's Monthly Newsletter
Pragmatic Market Outlook, Avoiding Tax Scams, 2025 Tax Season Mailer Schedule, and Meet PlumTree Financial's Newest Plum
February 2025
Capital Markets
Outlook 2025 - Pragmatic Optimism
Looking back, 2024 clearly echoed many of the themes from 2023. By and large, the economy continued to defy expectations and surprised once again to the upside. Stocks continued their strong performance, driven by powerful trends in artificial intelligence and technology. On the other hand, the bond market experienced another lackluster year amid policy ambiguity and uneasiness over rising debt levels.
As we look to 2025, PlumTree Financial remains cautiously optimistic. We are cautious because no market environment is ever permanent, yet optimistic since constructive long-term technology trends are in place. Plus, potential tax policy and deregulation efforts in 2025 could provide some tailwinds — particularly from an economic perspective. While growth asset returns are not expected to be as robust in 2025, the investment environment should prove to be favorable for investors.
Here at PlumTree Financial, we believe that a disciplined, informed approach to investment management is essential for long-term success. For 2025, new fiscal and regulatory policies will need to be digested, and relatively rich valuations may be tested. For the time being, we believe this backdrop favors a constructive, but also a conservative and balanced approach when it comes to tactical stock and bond allocations.
At PlumTree Financial, we are committed to ensuring our clients have the tools, resources, and strategiesto help them pursue their 2025 financial goals. We are ready to continue working closely with our clients, providing personalized financial guidance through every market cycle. We truly value the trust and partnership of each of our clients and remain dedicated to helping them make informed decisions in an ever-changing market.
We remain incredibly grateful for the confidence bestowed upon us, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.
Did You Know?
Tax evaders and scammers often use deceptive tactics to exploit individuals, aiming to illegally reduce their tax burden or steal personal information for fraudulent purposes. Tax scams and evading taxes is nothing new. In a study by researchers from Aberystwyth University, it was noted that eloquent William Shakespeare was fined and almost went to jail for failure to pay his taxes in 1598.1 In addition to this, he was fined several times and faced prosecution for buying essential food items like wheat and barley during times of scarcity, only to resell them at inflated prices for personal gain.2
Tax season can be stressful, and unfortunately, it also brings out scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), here are some common types of tax scams that may impact Americans during the 2025 tax season:3
On Monday, January 27th the IRS officially kicked off the 2025 tax season for the 2024 tax year. Consult our handy 2025 Mailing Guide for Tax Year 2024 forms, and for a downloadable "Quick View Tax Guide 2024-2025," click HERE.
PlumTree Financial is here to provide support, answer questions about your statements, and collaborate with your tax professional.
Hanging out with us in the Plum Tree!
PlumTree Financial is delighted to welcome our newest Associate, Daniel Buettel, to the Plum family. We are eager to see the fresh perspectives and expertise Daniel will bring to our team.
Daniel will help support clients, and he will also support our group plan business, including 401(k)s, Cash Balance Plans, and Deferred Compensation Plans. Daniel brings nine years of 401(k)/ Profit Sharing Plan (PSP) experience from Paychex. Most recently, Daniel worked as an associate at Nitrogen (formally Riskalyze), an industry leading portfolio analytics and risk management tool.
Daniel was born and raised in Mississippi, where he earned his business degree from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Eager to expand his business knowledge and pursue greater opportunities, Daniel made the leap to relocate to the East Coast, and he settled in Washington, D.C. After residing in the area for a while, Daniel met his wife, Jenna. The newlyweds have been married for a year and now call Crystal City, VA home.
An avid sports fan, Daniel has played several sports, including soccer, football, and track. He and Jenna enjoy attending sporting events, concerts, dancing, and cherishing moments with friends and family. Daniel is thrilled to join the team and looks forward to creating meaningful relationships, earning trust, and helping our valued clients pursue their goals.
PlumTree Financial is excited to welcome Daniel as our newest Plum! We look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead as we grow together. Please join us in extending a warm welcome as he begins this new chapter with us.
Upcoming Events
As part of our continued growth, we are revising our company events calendar and are transitioning the annual party to every five years. The next celebration will be in 2030. Throughout the year, we will organize select events focused on connection, learning, personal growth, community building, and meeting the evolving needs of our clients.
March 15, 2025 | 9am - 12pm EST
PlumTree Financial's Shamrock Shred & Sip
Get ready to shred, sip, and celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style!
Join us for a day of shredding fun and drinks in the spirit of St Patrick’s Day! Securely destroy your unwanted personal documents in a Shred-it® mobile shredding truck.
This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Any economic forecasts set forth may not develop as predicted and are subject to change.
References to markets, asset classes, and sectors are generally regarding the corresponding market index. Indexes are unmanaged statistical composites and cannot be invested into directly. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment and do not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.
Any company names noted herein are for educational purposes only and not an indication of trading intent or a solicitation of their products or services. LPL Financial doesn’t provide research on individual equities.
All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.
All investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.
US Treasuries may be considered “safe haven” investments but do carry some degree of risk including interest rate, credit, and market risk. Bonds are subject to market and interest rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Bond values will decline as interest rates rise and bonds are subject to availability and change in price.
