I'm about to share my thoughts and commentary on what happened in the financial markets in 2025 in this the 185th episode of the Retirement Planning Education Podcast.

Welcome to the Retirement Planning Education Podcast, where you can learn all about IRAs and Roth IRAs, employer retirement plans, taxes, social security, Medicare,

portfolio withdrawal strategies, annuities, estate planning, and much more. And now here's your host,

Andy Panko. Hello everyone. Welcome back. Welcome to a new year of retirement planning education.

So the day this episode comes out is January 1st, 2026, hence a new year.

So it's the 185th episode.

Thank you for all those who have been listening.

I started this podcast January of 2022 and other than a roughly six-month hiatus in

2023.

This thing has come out every week consistently at, uh, what times is it?

One a.m. Eastern on the third every Thursday. So anyway,

thank you for, uh, for sticking along here. Uh, today's topic,

something I don't usually talk about, investments, investment returns,

investment, you know, different specific investments and indices and stuff like that.

But I wanted to, now that 2025 is over, there were some things I think are mentionable that I want to bring up.

Now this is not not not investment advice.

This is in no way a recommendation

for what you should or shouldn't buy, sell, hold, or whatever. The past returns are no guaranteed

future results, et cetera, et cetera. So this is all just simply kind of observation and commentary.

And I will kind of share my thoughts on some things that I believe are worth bringing to people's attention.

Before we get into it, my joke is, what is it called when cows spy on you?

Steak out. It is called a steak out, where steak is spelled S-T-E-A-K. You're welcome.

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