The Capital Stewards Podcast

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 Investors3:19 - Retirement Account Planning and Contributions for IRAs and 401ks5:12 - How to Reduce Taxes on Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) 5:46 - ROTH Conversions6:57 - Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs)8:04 - Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)9:41 - Mutual Fund Distributions / "Phantom" Distributions11:28 - Tax Loss Harvesting12:28 - Income Planning 14:19 - Charitable Giving StrategiesStart A Conversion with Capital Stewards: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversationAny 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 - Intro2:11 - What’s Happened in Markets So Far This Year?5:45 - Jobs Market13:49 - Inflation16:10 - What’s Happening in Real Life with Companies18:44 - Stock Market Outlook - Mag 7 vs. the 49322:15 - International Stocks and China24:38 - Oil and Commodities28:00 - Long-Term Interest Rates and Bonds35:18 - Gold36:55 - Election Impact39:43 - Takeaways for InvestorsWatch the Video w/ Charts -> https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/learn/year-end-2024-outlook-soft-landings-are-murkyQuestions? Start a Conversation with Us -> https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversationAny 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 EpisodeQuestion? Start A Conversation with Capital StewardsAny 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 - Intro2:47 - What Caused Inflation / How Policy May Impact Inflation Going Forward13:00 - Tax Plans / Tax Burden / "Fair Shares" / Corporate Taxes30:10 - U.S. Government Spending & Revenue / Tax on Tips36:20 - Tariffs42:55 - Raising the Minimum Wage46:20 - Home Prices / Incentives to Build / Handouts to Buyers49:05 - Price "Gouging"51:01 - Infrastructure52:01 - Energy53:23 - Where the Race Stands / Conclusionshttps://www.thecapitalstewards.com/Start a Conversation: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversationAny 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 FAFSAhttps://www.thecapitalstewards.com/startconversationResources:https://ronlieber.com/books/the-price-you-pay-for-college/https://collegereadyplan.com/

I named the firm “The Capital Stewards” for a reason. I’ve discussed stewardship in other articles and podcast episodes, but this is a concept that we all wrestle with so I wanted to lay out a framework that I hope will be helpful as you think about stewarding the resources that you have been entrusted with. Whether you believe the Bible or not, I think this episode will be helpful in understanding how to think wisely about your money. We discuss: 1) A Biblical Framework for Money2) Generosity & Tithing3) Investing Wisely 4) The Importance of "Doing the Hard Work"Learn More or Connect: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com© 2024 Capital Stewards, LLC. All rights reserved. Capital Stewards, LLC is a registered investment advisor. 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.

In this episode, we discuss Annuities. Are they useful financial tools or are they terrible products? Annuities are like any other financial product, they are useful in some situations and useless in others. The real issue with annuities, like other kinds of insurance, is that they are often sold and promoted by salespeople masquerading as “financial advisors.” So in this episode we are going to shine the light on annuities. We discuss:1:16 - Finding quality, unconflicted advice about annuities and retirement income2:38 - Types of Anuities4:29 - Situations when Annuities Might Be Useful10:29 - Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs), Variable Annuities and Situations When Annuities Don't Make Sense Learn More About Us or Reach Out: https://www.thecapitalstewards.com/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.