570 | State of the Stock Market Q&A

ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc

Careers, Business, Investing

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 October 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The S&P 500 just notched its third consecutive year of double-digit gains, pushing valuations near a 25-year high — yet market veteran Brian Feroldi isn't hitting the panic button. In this deep-dive, Brad sits down with Brian to dissect where the market stands heading into the end of 2025, why sustained growth at this pace defies historical precedent, and how Brian is personally navigating the tension between staying invested and managing risk. The conversation shifts to the practical — how AI can supercharge stock analysis when fed the right prompts, why dollar-cost averaging remains unshakable for most investors, and whether bonds still have a place in modern portfolios. Brian also fields listener questions on individual stock picks, fee-only financial advisors, and the mental game of investing during uncertain times. Key Topics & Timestamps Introduction to the State of the Stock Market (00:01:01) S&P 500 has delivered over 15% growth year-to-date, marking three consecutive years of double-digit returns. Current Market Valuation Insights (00:02:04) Historical performance indicators signal high valuation levels. "Sustained double-digit growth in the stock market isn't feasible long-term." (00:02:15) Brian Feroldi's Personal Investment Strategy (00:05:00) Brian maintains a 30% cash position during high valuations while keeping 70% invested. "Investment strategies should reflect personal financial situations." (00:05:00) Impact of AI on Stock Analysis (00:24:19) AI can dramatically enhance stock analysis when given clear directives. "As long as you're giving AI clear directions, it can provide incredible analysis." (00:26:10) Audience Questions and Answers (00:30:00) Discussion on individual stocks vs. index funds and tax implications. Benefits of Fee-Only Financial Advisors (00:53:24) Fee-only hourly consultations offer transparent financial advice versus traditional AUM models. Conclusions and Future Predictions (01:03:05) Summary of thoughts on market sustainability and investor strategies moving forward. Resources Notebook LLM (00:25:05) Finviz Stock Screener (00:40:09) Nectarine (00:53:24) OpenPath Financial (00:54:32) Abundo Wealth (00:54:32) Key Quotes Brian Feroldi: "Sustained double-digit growth in the stock market isn't feasible long-term." (00:02:15) Brian Feroldi: "Investment strategies should reflect personal financial situations." (00:05:00) Brian Feroldi: "Dollar-cost averaging into total stock market index funds is just so rock solid." (00:21:27) Brian Feroldi: "As long as you're giving AI clear directions, it can provide incredible analysis." (00:26:10) ▶ Listen Next: Ep. 572 — Bias Towards Action: The Adventure List(s) | Essential Listening

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Chusify. Today on the show, we have Brian Feraldi, and this is a state of the stock market 2025 Q&A. So this episode has a little bit of everything from our favorite investor, Brian Feraldi. We spend the first half hour plus talking about the state of the stock market, what he sees, how he's making changes in his own life, both
0:22.2	with his actual portfolio and how he's researching companies with the use of AI, which I found
0:27.3	really fascinating. And then we asked for your questions via my newsletter, via Facebook, and via
0:33.8	the community at chooseavide.com. And Brian goes through a whole number of questions.
0:38.5	I think you're really going to enjoy this episode.
0:40.6	I found it extremely timely, extremely topical, and extremely relevant to my own life.
0:46.4	And I know you will as well.
0:47.8	And with that, welcome to Choose Defi.
0:59.1	Brian, welcome back to Chiazai.
1:00.2	Always good to see you, my friend.
1:01.4	Thank you for having me, Brad.
1:02.3	Always great to be here.
1:02.7	Yeah.
1:05.2	So the last time you're on, we did episode 531.
1:07.9	We called it the 2025 state of the stock market.
1:12.2	And that might have been more appropriate for this episode since this is coming out. We're recording this on October 10th, coming out in early November. And we can actually
1:17.3	talk about the state of the stock market throughout 2025. So give us the lay of the land. Where are we now?
1:23.1	Well, it's been another great year for stock market investors. As of the time is recording,
1:29.6	the S&P 500 is up just over 15% on a year-to-date basis. And that would mark, if that
1:36.8	holds throughout the end of the year, that would mark the third year in a row of double-digit
1:41.5	gains for the S&P 500. And if you look back at the last 10 years, they've been fabulous for a long-term S&P 500 investors.
1:50.6	There's been only two down years.
	...

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