2025 reminded us of something important: markets don’t move based on headlines or how we “feel” about the economy — they move based on earnings, inflation, interest rates, and policy.

And if you’re close to retirement, the goal isn’t to predict the market perfectly.

The goal is to know what actually matters and build a plan that works whether markets are great, average, or ugly.

In today’s episode of the Planning for Retirement Podcast, I start by recapping what we said to watch in 2025, what actually played out… and then I walk through six key themes that could drive markets in 2026.

✅ We’ll cover:

• How tax policy could act as a tailwind (or a temporary sugar high)

• Why the labor market matters more than the unemployment rate

• What the Fed is likely to do next — and why Powell’s replacement could be a big deal

• Why AI is fueling earnings growth and margin expansion (and what that means for markets)

• Why bonds are back — and why fixed income matters even more for retirees

• Why international stocks outperformed in 2025, and the danger of recency bias

By the end, you’ll have a clear framework for what to watch in 2026 — and how to stay focused as a long-term retirement investor.

I hope you enjoy it!

-Kevin

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This is for general education purposes only and should not be considered as tax, legal or investment advice.