News and Commentary

by Jack CintorinoVice President & Senior Financial PlannerMay 15, 2025The way your assets are distributed into accounts, and, specifically, the way those accounts are titled, can directly affect your estate plan.Transferring Assets to Your Next GenerationAn essential piece of the financial planning process is ensuring that your assets will pass to the next generation according to your wishes. There are three ways your accounts can be passed to your heirs:WillContractLawWills and trusts pass most accounts titled in your individual name to the beneficiaries named in the will or trust document. Keep in mind, a will does not avoid probate. Before it becomes effective, every will must be “admitted” by the probate court in the county where a person resided at his or her death. However, assets such as life insurance, annuities, or individual retirement accounts pass directly to third parties through a beneficiary designation. This is true even if your will or trust says otherwise.Understanding Account TitlesHere are the most common account titles, besides individual accounts, and the importance of their impact.Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS)This is one of the most common ways married couples title accounts. This type of account will pass directly to the surviving account holder when the first account holder dies, regardless of what the first account holder’s will says. In fact, it is often desirable to hold an account in JTWROS form between spouses, because the surviving spouse will have access to the funds in the account immediately at the death of the first spouse, rather than having to wait several months for a will to be probated.Transfer on Death (TOD)Almost every state has adopted the Uniform Transfer-on-Death Securities Registration Act, a law that lets you name someone to inherit your accounts without probate. It works very much like a payable on death bank account. This is a designation added to an individually-titled account. In appointing a specific beneficiary, the account will automatically be transferred to the designated beneficiaries on the account holder’s death without going through probate. This is done simply by providing proof of death and some identification to the financial institution. This titling will supersede any instructions in your will.Unlike a JTWROS account, the beneficiaries will not have access to the account during your lifetime. This designation allows you to specify both multiple beneficiaries and the percentage of assets each will receive. If the payable on death (POD) beneficiary dies before the account holder, their share is eliminated and is divided among the surviving POD beneficiaries. A transfer on death (TOD) designation can be used only to transfer certain assets. Some states will allow you only to transfer securities, while other states allow TOD designations to transfer land, cars, and other assets. The TOD designation is not available for all assets in all states. What may be registered varies widely.Transfer-on-Death Deeds for Real EstateIn many states, you can prepare a deed now, but have it take effect only at your death. These transfer-on-death deeds must be prepared, signed, notarized, and recorded (filed in the county land records office) just like a regular deed. But unlike a regular deed, you can revoke a transfer on-death deed. The deed must expressly state that it does not take effect until death.Beneficiary DesignationsWhen you open a retirement plan account such as an IRA or 401(k), or purchase an insurance solution such as life insurance or an annuity, the forms you fill out will ask you to name a beneficiary for the account. After your death, the beneficiary you named can claim the money directly from the account custodian.Surviving spouses may have more options when it comes to withdrawing the money than other beneficiaries. For retirement accounts, if you're single, you're free to choose whomever you want as the beneficiary. If you're married, your spouse may have rights to some or all of the money.A Note About Life Insurance Ownership and BeneficiariesLife insurance proceeds may be reduced by estate taxes. The general rule is that life insurance proceeds are subject to the contract owner’s federal estate tax and, depending on your state's laws, state estate tax as well. An Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) is a trust primarily set up to hold one or more life insurance policies. The main purpose of an ILIT is to avoid federal estate tax.If the trust is drafted and funded properly, your loved ones should receive all of your life insurance proceeds, undiminished by estate tax. If you name the ILIT as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy, your family will ultimately receive the proceeds because they will be the named beneficiaries of the ILIT. This way, there is no danger that the proceeds will end up in your estate.Living TrustA living trust is a popular estate planning tool that lets you retain control over the trust property while you are alive, and pass trust property outside of probate when you die. Assets in the living trust do not pass through your will when you die. Instead, they are distributed by the trustee according to the terms you establish in the trust.Also, the assets in the trust are not part of your probate estate. This may get them into the hands of your beneficiaries faster or, if you desire, provide that the assets be held until the beneficiaries meet certain criteria or attain a certain age. Since the trust is not subject to probate, the terms of the trust are private. A revocable living trust does not minimize income, gift, or estate taxes, nor does it shelter trust assets from creditors in most cases.Are your estate plan and beneficiary designations up-to-date?Any time there is a change in your life circumstances, the titling of your accounts and your estate plan should be reviewed and, if necessary, updated. Account titling and beneficiary designations can have income and estate tax implications as well, which should be discussed with your personal legal and tax counsel. We can help ensure that your titling and beneficiary designations are reviewed periodically.Click here for print friendly version...............................................................................................................................................................................Working With JanneyDepending on your financial needs and personal preferences, you may opt to engage in a brokerage relationship, an advisory relationship or a combination of both. Each time you open an account, we will make recommendations on which type of relationship is in your best interest based on the information you provide when you complete or update your client profile.If you engage in a brokerage relationship, you will buy and sell securities on a transaction basis and pay a commission for these services. Our recommendations for the purchase and sale of securities will be based on what is in your best interest and reflect reasonably available alternatives at that time.If you engage in an advisory relationship, you will pay an asset-based fee, which encompasses, among other things, a defined investment strategy, ongoing monitoring, and performance reporting. Your Financial Advisor will serve in a fiduciary capacity for your advisory relationships.For more information about Janney, please see Janney’s Relationship Summary (Form CRS) on www.janney.com/crs which details all material facts about the scope and terms of our relationship with you and any potential conflicts of interest.By establishing a relationship with us, we can build a tailored financial plan and make recommendations about solutions that are aligned with your best interest and unique needs, goals, and preferences.Contact us today to discuss how we can put a plan in place designed to help you reach your financial goals................................................................................................................................................................................Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, its affiliates, and its employees are not in the business of providing tax, regulatory, accounting, or legal advice. These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.Ref #: 1852285

Volatility gripped markets in the first quarter of 2025 and the major stock indices saw moderate declines as chaotic U.S. trade and tariff policies caused a steep plunge in business and consumer confidence, which raised concerns that economic growth would dramatically slow and corporate earnings growth would disappoint. Stocks started the new year by extending the declines of late 2024, as worries the Federal Reserve could pause interest rate cuts weighed on the markets early in January. However, solid economic data, encouraging inflation readings and positive commentary from Fed officials about future rate cuts pushed back on those fears and the S&P 500 recovered much of those initial losses by mid-month. Additionally, stocks rallied into and following Inauguration Day, as investors anticipated a “pro-growth” administration taking power while fears of dramatic tariffs on “Day One” of the Trump presidency went unfulfilled. The S&P 500 hit a new all-time high shortly after President Trump’s inauguration and the rally continued into late January after the Fed signaled it still expected to cut rates in 2025, further calming fears of a pause in rate cuts. However, at the very end of January, investors got a preview of looming tariff/trade volatility when President Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Colombia. However, those tariffs were not ultimately implemented, so markets largely ignored them and stocks finished January with a solid gain. Trade and tariff policy became a major influence on markets in February, however, and dramatically increased market volatility by month-end. During the first few days of February, President Trump threatened and then delayed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, which temporarily spiked market volatility. However, the one-month delay of those tariffs led markets to believe that President Trump was using tariff threats as a negotiating tactic and that substantial tariffs would not be implemented after all. That sentiment helped to ease investor concerns while economic data remained solid. Those factors combined to send the S&P 500 to a new all-time high on February 19th. However, the rally would not last. In late February consumer confidence declined dramatically and some economic reports implied the trade and tariff uncertainty was starting to slow economic growth. Those fears were reinforced when the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow turned negative, implying economic growth may be stalling. Meanwhile, tariff threats and general policy volatility continued through the end of the month and that, combined with plunging consumer sentiment, sparked a “growth scare” amongst investors that weighed on stocks and sent the S&P 500 marginally lower in February.      The market declines accelerated in March as President Trump made good on his threat to implement 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada (and an additional 10% tariff on China). President Trump delayed some of those tariffs on Mexico and Canada until early April, but many other tariffs were left in place and that shattered investors’ belief that tariff threats were just a negotiating tactic. Meanwhile, several corporations from various sectors began to lower earnings guidance, citing reduced consumer spending and business investment. Those guidance cuts reinforced fears that policy uncertainty could cause an economic slowdown, and the S&P 500 fell to a six-month low. In late March, markets tried to rebound amidst a lull in tariff threats but it didn’t last as President Trump announced 25% auto tariffs on March 26th, sending stocks lower once again. The S&P 500 finished the quarter near the year-to-date lows. In sum, investor optimism for a pro-growth agenda and tax cuts was replaced by rising concerns about a new global trade war and a slowing U.S. economy, as policy uncertainty and ineffective communication crushed investor and consumer confidence. First Quarter Performance ReviewMarket internals revealed that while the S&P 500 logged a moderately negative return for the quarter, the declines in the index were mostly due to sharp drops in widely held technology and consumer stocks, as other parts of the market proved resilient.To that point, on a sector level, only four of the 11 S&P 500 sectors finished the quarter with a negative return and two of those four sectors saw only fractional declines. As mentioned, the consumer discretionary and tech sectors were, by far, the worst-performing sectors in the first quarter as both saw substantial declines. And, since those two sectors carry some of the largest weights in the S&P 500, they weighed on the overall index performance. The consumer discretionary sector was the worst performer for the quarter as it was hit by intense weakness in one of the largest consumer stocks (Tesla) combined with general concerns about lower consumer spending in the face of policy uncertainty. The technology sector was the other substantially negative performer in the first quarter as tech stocks fell following the debut of the Chinese AI program DeepSeek, which challenged assumptions about the future economic benefit of AI for major tech firms.     Looking at sector outperformers, energy was the top-performing sector in Q1 thanks to rising demand expectations following strong Chinese economic data and after some European countries committed to increasing debt to fund economic growth. The healthcare, utilities and consumer staples sectors logged modest gains in Q1, as those traditionally defensive sectors were viewed as more insulated from any new trade wars and tend to be more resilient in the face of an economic slowdown. From an investment style standpoint, value significantly outperformed growth in Q1 as growth strategies posted substantial losses due to their large weightings of tech and consumer stocks. Value strategies logged a slightly positive return over the past three months and benefited from exposure to a broader array of sectors that traded at lower valuations and were not as impacted by the negative headlines in the first quarter.Finally, looking at performance by market cap, small caps declined sharply in the first quarter and lagged large caps thanks to a combination of rising worries about economic growth and still high interest rates. Large cap indices also declined in the first quarter, although those losses were more modest.   Internationally, foreign markets massively outperformed the S&P 500 and finished the quarter with a substantially positive return. Foreign developed markets saw the largest gains and outperformed emerging markets after Germany and other EU countries signaled a willingness to increase deficit spending to boost economic growth and defense. Emerging markets logged more modest gains thanks to better-than-expected Chinese economic data.   Commodities were modestly positive in the first quarter as strength in gold helped to boost the major commodity indices. Gold hit a new record high and traded above $3000/oz. thanks to a weaker U.S. dollar and increased demand following policy volatility from the new administration. Oil logged a small loss but finished well off the lows of the quarter thanks to better-than-expected Chinese economic data and expectations for more demand from Europe.Switching to fixed income markets, the leading benchmark for bonds (Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index) realized a modestly positive return for the first quarter of 2025. Better-than-expected inflation readings and general concerns about economic growth boosted bonds broadly and helped longer-duration bonds to outperform shorter-duration bills and notes, as investors sought higher long-term yields amidst policy uncertainty. Turning to the corporate bond market, higher-quality but lower-yielding investment-grade bonds outperformed higher-yielding but lower-quality bonds in the first quarter and that reflected investor concerns about future economic growth amidst policy uncertainty. However, both investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds finished the first quarter with modest gains, reflecting a still present sense of economic optimism from bond investors.     Second Quarter Market OutlookStocks begin the second quarter of 2025 following the worst quarterly performance in nearly three years and facing dual market headwinds of policy uncertainty and potentially slowing economic growth. However, while clearly markets are facing legitimate headwinds, it’s important to realize that stocks fell in the first quarter mostly on fears of what might happen in the economy, not because of what is actually occurring. Point being, if future policy decisions and an economic slowdown aren’t as bad as currently feared, it could cause a substantial market rebound in the coming months. Starting with trade and tariff policy, there can obviously be improvement in the communication strategy from the administration regarding its policy goals and there were signs late in the first quarter that officials realized their errors and were working to communicate more directly, effectively and consistently with markets. Regardless of what actual tariff policy ultimately looks like, improvement in communication of the administration’s policy goals will be a market positive and could help end this pullback. Turning to economic growth, while fears of a slowdown surged in the first quarter, economic data stayed mostly resilient. Jobless claims remained subdued, measures of manufacturing and service activity showed continued expansion and the unemployment rate remained historically low, close to 4.0%. Put simply, there was little in the actual data in Q1 to imply the economy is weakening. If economic data stays solid throughout the second quarter, it will push back on those recession fears and could help fuel a rebound in the markets. On market valuation, the declines of the first quarter have resulted in the S&P 500 trading at a more reasonable valuation compared to the start of the year, as extremely bullish investor sentiment has been replaced by a decidedly bearish outlook (which has historically set the stage for a market rebound). Bottom line, the market was richly valued at the start of the year and investor sentiment was complacent, but the volatility of the first quarter has removed both of those conditions and that is a general positive for the markets. Finally, while the S&P 500 suffered moderate declines in the first quarter, there were many parts of the market that weathered the volatility and posted positive returns. More than half of the sectors within the S&P 500 logged positive returns in the first quarter while two other sectors only saw slight declines, underscoring that the volatility we witnessed in the first quarter didn’t result in a broad market wipeout and there are sectors and factors that can continue to outperform in this environment. Bottom line, the first quarter did contain several negative surprises for investors and we begin the second quarter with significant uncertainty on trade policies and legitimate concerns about future economic growth. But there are also positive factors at work that must be considered, including a still-resilient economy and looming positive economic policies such as deregulation and potential tax cut extensions. So, despite depressed investor sentiment, the outlook for the economy and markets is not universally negative.   At Towson Partners Wealth Management, we understand the risks facing both the markets and the economy, and we are committed to helping you effectively navigate this challenging investment environment. Successful investing is a marathon, not a sprint, and even intense volatility is unlikely to alter a diversified approach set up to meet your long-term investment goals.Therefore, it’s critical for you to remain patient, and stick to the plan, as we’ve worked with you to establish a unique, personal allocation target based on your financial position, risk tolerance, and investment timeline.Rest assured that our entire team will remain dedicated to helping you successfully navigate this market environment.Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, or comments, or to schedule a portfolio review.Sincerely,Towson Partners

The S&P 500 rose to an all-time high in the fourth quarter and extended 2024 gains as the election results raised expectations for tax cuts and other pro-growth policies in 2025, while the economy remained on solid footing and the Fed continued to cut interest rates. The S&P 500 logged a modestly positive return for the fourth quarter and an annual return greater than 20% for the second straight year.While the fourth quarter was positive for most of the market, it didn’t start that way as anxiety over the election and an increased focus on the fiscal state of the U.S. weighed on sentiment in October. Presidential polls tightened materially in October and left the race too close to call, increasing political and policy uncertainty. Additionally, much of the financial media’s focus in October was on the potentially negative fiscal consequences of both candidates’ policies. Specifically, a Wall Street Journal article focused on possible large future increases in the deficit and national debt that could cripple future economic growth. Those fiscal concerns, along with stronger-than-expected economic data, pushed Treasury yields higher and the 10-year Treasury yield rose from 3.75% at the start of October to over 4.20% by Halloween. That rise in yields combined with political and policy uncertainty pressured stocks and the S&P 500 finished October with a modest decline, falling 0.91%.   Those headwinds on stocks were short-lived, however, as Donald Trump convincingly won re-election while Republicans took control of both houses of Congress, completing a “Red Sweep.” Reminiscent of 2016, the Trump and Republican victories proved to be bullish catalysts as investors embraced the idea of future tax cuts, deregulation and a pro-business administration. That helped the S&P 500 rise above 6,000 for the first time. Shortly following the election, however, investors were reminded of the volatile nature of a Trump presidency, as the president-elect nominated several unorthodox supporters to prominent cabinet positions. These surprises caused investors to contemplate policy risks to the pro-growth agenda and stocks dipped mid-month. However, the withdrawal of Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz and the nomination of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary helped to calm investor nerves about the president-elect’s cabinet and stocks resumed their rally in late November and closed the month near all-time highs. In December, renewed focus on the potential economic benefits of an incoming Trump administration combined with the “Goldilocks” economic environment of solid growth and continued Fed rate cuts to send the S&P 500 to yet another all-time high near 6,100. However, that rally stalled mid-month as President-elect Trump doubled down on his support for other unorthodox cabinet nominations and lobbed tariff threats at major trade partners including Canada, Mexico and China. Market volatility increased as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates at the December meeting but also reduced the number of expected cuts in 2025 to just two (from four). That sparked a sharp selloff in stocks that continued into year-end, causing the S&P 500 to finish slightly positive for the month, but well off the highs. In sum, 2024 was a very strong year for the broad markets as the Fed seemingly achieved a soft economic landing and aggressively cut interest rates, while foreign and domestic political risks and drama failed to derail the rally. Q4 and Full-Year 2024 Performance ReviewDespite the late year dip in stocks, all four major U.S. stock indices finished the quarter with a positive return. The Nasdaq was the best performing major index in the fourth quarter and outperformed the other three major indices on a combination of earnings-driven AI enthusiasm combined with growing uncertainty on when future pro-growth economic policies could actually be enacted. For the full year, the Nasdaq also was the best performing major index although it only slightly outperformed the S&P 500, as that index benefitted from the large weightings to tech stocks and financials. The Dow Industrials and Russell 2000 both also finished the year with solid gains, but they relatively underperformed the Nasdaq and S&P 500. By market capitalization, large caps outperformed small caps in the fourth quarter and for the full year, thanks mostly to strength in large-cap tech stocks on the aforementioned AI enthusiasm and strong earnings. Small caps did see a solid rally initially in the fourth quarter on hopes for pro-growth policies from the incoming administration, but the Fed’s guidance to fewer rate cuts in 2025 weighed on small caps later in December and the Russell 2000 finished the quarter with only a slight gain.     From an investment-style standpoint, growth significantly outperformed value both in the fourth quarter and for the full year. The reasons were familiar: Artificial intelligence enthusiasm powered tech-heavy growth funds early in 2024, while in the fourth quarter solid AI chipmaker earnings extended those gains. Additionally, doubts about the timeline for implementation of pro-growth policies from the incoming administration weighed on value stocks late in the year.  On a sector level, only four of the 11 S&P 500 sectors finished the fourth quarter with a positive return, although all 11 sectors ended 2024 with gains. The Consumer Discretionary sector was, by far, the best performing sector in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a big Tesla (TSLA) rally and as the outlook for consumer spending remained solid, with low unemployment and the prospects of tax cuts and other pro-growth measures coming in 2025. The Communication Services and Financials sectors also performed well and benefited from expectations for less regulation given the incoming administration. For the full year, Communication Services and Financials were the best performing sectors and both benefited from strong earnings as well as general AI enthusiasm and an un-inversion of the yield curve, respectively. Looking at sector laggards, Materials was the worst performing sector in the fourth quarter and posted a substantially negative return while Healthcare also declined sharply. Those two sectors were the worst relative performers for 2024 as the Materials sector was only fractionally positive for 2024 while Healthcare logged a small gain. Concerns about regulation and poor earnings results weighed on the Healthcare sector in 2024 while the Materials sector was consistently pressured by concerns about the Chinese economy, tariff and trade risks as well as general global demand concerns.  Internationally, foreign markets badly underperformed the S&P 500 in the fourth quarter and produced solidly negative returns thanks to lackluster growth prospects and surprising bouts of political uncertainty in developed and emerging markets. Emerging markets and foreign developed markets saw similar negative returns in the fourth quarter as the South Korean political crises and worries about Chinese growth pressured emerging markets while political turmoil in France and Germany weighed on developed market performance. For the full year, foreign markets again badly lagged the S&P 500 but did finish with modestly positive returns. Emerging markets outperformed developed markets on a full-year basis thanks to Chinese stimulus announcements in the second half of 2024, which raised investors’ hopes for an economic rebound and boosted emerging market performance relative to those foreign developed markets.   Commodities saw mixed performance in the fourth quarter as a late surge in the U.S. dollar weighed on parts of the complex. Gold finished the quarter with a slightly negative return thanks mostly to a drop in December as the U.S. dollar rose to two-plus-year highs. Oil, meanwhile, saw a solid gain in Q4 thanks to some better-than-expected Chinese economic data, which boosted future demand expectations. For 2024, most commodities saw modestly positive returns on rising demand expectations following global rate cuts. Gold logged strong returns on the year thanks to consistent geopolitical uncertainty and sticky inflation, while oil also rose slightly on OPEC supply discipline and more optimistic global growth estimates in 2025.   Switching to fixed income markets, the leading benchmark for bonds (Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index) realized a moderately negative return in the fourth quarter as concerns about U.S. federal deficits combined with expectations for fewer rate cuts in 2025 to pressure bonds, although the benchmark did log a slightly positive gain for 2024. Looking deeper into fixed income, longer-duration bonds declined solidly in the fourth quarter while shorter-duration debt logged a small positive return. The outperformance by shorter-duration debt was driven by continued Fed rate cuts as well as more resilient inflation and growth metrics (which weighed on longer-duration debt). Shorter-duration debt also outperformed long-term bonds on a full-year basis thanks to the start of the Fed rate cutting cycle, while U.S. fiscal concerns and the resilient growth and inflation outlook weighed on the longer end of the yield curve. Short duration debt finished the year with solidly positive returns while longer duration bonds posted a slightly negative annual return. Turning to the corporate bond market, high-yield bonds outperformed higher-quality but lower-yielding investment grade debt in the fourth quarter as the election results boosted investor confidence for continued economic growth, resulting in investors accepting higher yields in exchange for greater risk. For the full year, high-yield bonds logged a solidly positive return while investment-grade bonds were only slightly positive, again reflecting investor preference to take on more risk in exchange for a higher yield/return, given underlying economic confidence.  Q1 and 2025 Market OutlookMarkets begin 2025 with great expectations as anticipation of tax cuts and pro-business deregulation, a continued economic soft landing and ongoing Fed rate cuts helped propel stocks higher throughout 2024 and the S&P 500 completed the best two-year run since the late 1990’s. Starting with politics, investors are eagerly awaiting the implementation of pro-growth policies from the Republican Congress and Trump administration, which includes an extension of the 2016 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and possible additional corporate and personal tax cuts, along with sweeping deregulation. If executed, those policies should result in increased corporate earnings, personal incomes and spending (all of which are positive for stocks). On growth, the Federal Reserve appears to have achieved the elusive economic soft landing, as economic activity is solid, unemployment is historically low and inflation has declined substantially. That allowed the Federal Reserve to aggressively cut interest rates in 2024 and investors expect rate cuts to continue in 2025 and to further support continued economic growth. Finally, geopolitical tensions remained high in 2024 but investors finished the year with hopes for progress on ceasefire agreements between Israel and its antagonists (Hamas and Hezbollah) and between Russia and Ukraine. And, if all these expectations are realized, we should all expect another strong year of returns in the markets.However, as we all know, nothing in the markets is guaranteed and while the outlook is positive as we begin 2025, there are significant risks to the outlook we must acknowledge. Politically, Republicans hold small majorities in the House and Senate and large, complicated tax cut bills could easily be delayed (or derailed). Additionally, while investors have focused on potential positives of pro-growth policies, increased trade tensions and possible tariffs could create unanticipated market and economic headwinds.On growth, the economy remains in a “sweet spot” with solid, but not spectacular, growth and the Fed can claim a soft landing has been achieved. However, growth can still slow as rates remain historically high and elevated stock valuations imply complacency in the markets regarding the possibility of an economic slowdown.   Geopolitically, while hope for progress on resolution of major global conflicts is high, nothing is guaranteed and the possibility exists that both conflicts spread in 2025.Finally, global bond markets are expected to have a bigger influence on stock returns in 2025 and if bond investors think aggressive tax cuts or fiscal spending will dramatically increase the deficit or national debt, bond yields will rise and present a headwind on stocks (as we saw in 2022).  Bottom line, while the outlook for markets is positive as we start the year, we won’t allow that to create a sense of complacency because as the past several years have shown, markets and the economy don’t always perform according to Wall Street’s expectations.As such, while we are prepared for the positive outcome currently expected by investors, we are also focused on managing both risk and return potential because the past several years demonstrated that a well-planned, long-term focused and diversified financial plan can withstand virtually any market surprise and related bout of volatility, including multi-decade highs in inflation, historic Fed rate hikes, and geopolitical unrest.At Towson Partners Wealth Management, we understand the risks facing both the markets and the economy, and we are committed to helping you effectively navigate this challenging investment environment. Successful investing is a marathon, not a sprint, and even intense volatility is unlikely to alter a diversified approach set up to meet your long-term investment goals.Therefore, it’s critical for you to remain patient, and stick to the plan, as we’ve worked with you to establish a unique, personal allocation target based on your financial position, risk tolerance, and investment timeline.Rest assured that our entire team will remain dedicated to helping you successfully navigate this market environment.Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, or comments, or to schedule a portfolio review.