Wealth and Wisdom: Week of July 7, 2025
- Mike Brown
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
We enter the second half of 2025 with more questions than we had when the year began – but the financial markets seem to have everything figured out. The S&P 500 is hitting all-time highs again – up 5.5% year-to-date thanks to June’s gain of 5.0%. If history is any guide, however, we suspect even more surprises await us between now and New Year’s.
I’m going to be away for a couple of weeks, so I want to leave you with some longer articles and meaty resources to give you something to do until I get back. Enjoy!
Use this 7-step checklist to better position your investments for what might lie ahead in the second half of 2025. (Reading time: 8 minutes)
I have found these very helpful in my investment research. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
Take it one step at a time, don’t get frustrated – and keep at it. The process described in this article is a good way to get you started. (Reading time: 7 minutes)
A balanced approach has served risk-averse investors well for decades – despite getting an undeserved bad rap in recent years. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in eight years, according to a recent forecast. These three charts explain why Congress must act now to reform the system. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
If you are using this simple rule of thumb to decide how much you can withdraw from your investments in retirement, prepare to be disappointed. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
If the law requires you to withdraw more from your retirement portfolio than you need for spending – consider these 6 ideas for the money. (Reading time: 7 minutes)
The advantages to moving into a smaller home once you retire are many – but there are also a some potential downsides. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Americans spend nearly $19 trillion on goods and services each year. Here’s where all that money is going. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
Here are 50 ideas to choose from – and some tips on how to get started. (Reading time: 12 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“Question: What did socialists use to light their homes before candles?
Answer: Electricity.”
– Author Unknown
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