August 2025 – Newsletter
A Mid-Year Message From Don
It’s my pleasure to report to you on the progress of your financial plan during the rather tumultuous first six months of this very eventful year. As always, let’s first remember a handful of the timeless truths about successful wealth management principles that guide us toward your goals. Then we can proceed to some more current observations.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE:
- MID-YEAR MESSAGE FROM DON
- CALENDAR
- NEW LEGISLATION IMPLICATIONS
- INSPIRED WELLNESS
General Principles
- We are goal-focused, plan-driven, long-term equity investors. Our portfolios are derived from, and driven by, your most important lifetime financial goals.
- We don’t believe the economy can be consistently forecast or the markets consistently timed. Nor do we believe any advantage is gained by going in and out of the equity market, regardless of current conditions.
- We believe the most efficient method of capturing coumpounding returns is by remaining fully invested all the time.
- We are prepared to ride out the equity market’s frequent, often significant but historically temporary, declines. We believe that during such trying times, reinvested dividends are able to buy more shares at a lower price – and that the power of compounding will continue, to our long-term benefit.
Current Commentary
If you looked at the equity market on the first trading day of this year, and not again until the end of June, you could conclude that not much – if anything – had happened. In fact, a great deal happened – but at least so far, to no lasting effect.
The S&P 500 Index made a new all-time high on February 19th. By April 8th, it had closed 18.9% lower. And even that doesn’t express the degree of alarm that enveloped the markets upon President Trump’s announcement (on April 2) of a dramatically increased tariff protocol. The panic ended just as abruptly after President Trump announced a 90-day postponement of most of the new tariffs. And in the seven weeks or so since then – buoyed by continued strength in the economy and signs that inflation may be continuing to moderate – the Index returned to the neighborhood of its early January levels.
As it virtually always is, the optimal course of action for long-term investors was simply to continue working your plan. That’s what we encouraged you to do. And as the second half of the year begins, that recommendation stands. Please don’t mistake this for an economic or market outlook. We have no such forecast for the next six months, any more than we did on January 1. Our only forecast is that excellent businesses of the kind we own will go on innovating over time – increasing their earnings, raising their dividends, and supporting our clients’ pursuit of their long-term goals.
Panic doesn’t often seize the investing public as suddenly as it did in the first week of April, nor vanish as suddenly as it did the following week. Still, this episode can and should serve as a kind of tutorial. Its lesson: investors succeed over time by continuously working their plan regardless of the current “crisis”. Others fail by reacting to negative events and liquidating even the highest quality equities at panic prices. We believe that’s always the fundamental choice in investing, and our mission – which we cherish – is to help you continue to choose wisely.
Thank you, as always, for being our clients. It is a privilege to serve you.
Don
Calendar
September 1 – Paramount office and the financial markets closed for Labor Day
September 15 – 3rd quarter estimated tax payment due, if required
New Legislation Likely Has Implications For All Federal Tax-Filers
The sweeping tax and spending law signed on July 4 includes key provisions and potential financial planning opportunities for individuals and families.
The scope of the changes emphasizes the value of having a collaborative professional team, in which your trusted financial, tax and accounting advisors work together to consider your unique circumstances.
This listing is by no means comprehensive to the nearly 900-page law, but you can start here to understand the potential impacts of the tax law changes for you and your family.
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Inspired Wellness
One of the most meaningful shifts we’re seeing among clients designing an inspired life is a growing focus on health, longevity, and luxury experiences that enrich the mind, body, and soul. Today, wellness travel isn’t just about pampering—it’s about purpose.
In this article from Elite Traveler, you’ll explore spa destinations that embrace a “back to basics” approach, blending natural beauty, intentional simplicity, and elevated comfort. These retreats offer more than relaxation—they support a lifestyle rooted in well-being, clarity, and renewal.
If you’re seeking your next inspired escape, this may be the spark that leads you there.
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Jackson, MI 49203
517-787-4444
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www.paramountwealth.com
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