The History of All Time Highs & Tax Strategies

Humility is a Financial Advantage

By Matthew D. Kane | President | Partner

Some of the most financially successful people we know are also the humblest. If you were to meet them in a coffee shop, you would often not realize the number on their balance sheet.

Their humility is more than a character trait. I would argue that it is a distinct financial advantage that helps them build and steward wealth. When our ego is not driving financial decisions, we stay far more focused on what’s important to those around us. Humility makes us much less distracted or driven by what we may think we want or need to be fulfilled.

The other trait I see is generosity, which goes hand in hand with humility. One tempers the ego. The other releases control. Together, they reflect a kind of financial posture that isn’t performative but principled. Lived out consistently, they demonstrate that to give is better than to receive.

The clients who live this way tend to make wiser, more enduring decisions. They aren’t driven by status or stress. They’re grounded, aligned, and thoughtful about their impact.

I’m deeply grateful for how so many client families have modeled this to me and have had a profound impact on how I view my own life.

Buying High: The S&P 500 just notched another record high for 2025. While the old saying goes, “Buy low, sell high,” there may be advantages to buying into rallies. It could still be quite lucrative as well.

As the BNY chart notes, forward returns for investors who bought the S&P 500 right after it notched a record high are slightly better than those for investors who bought the index after any other trading day. Market technicals indicate that when the market is already up, the path of least resistance is … up.

The S&P 500 is up more than 25% over the past three months, ranking among the top six strongest short-term rallies in history, according to data from Ryan Detrick, chief market technician at the Carson Group.

In the five previous cases, the market was never down one year later.
The average 12-month gain after those rallies? +22%.

Fundamentals can’t be forgotten when looking at technicals. However, technicals show us that stocks, over time, go up.

Planning your Tax Strategy: A part of what we want to help you do, especially as you age, is plan your tax strategy. Many factors contribute to how we recommend your approach. How, for example, can a married couple pay $0 in federal income tax on an income of $143,300?

Meet Sarah and Matthew, both aged 65. They distribute $46,700 from a traditional IRA. They realize $96,700 in long-term capital gains in their taxable brokerage accounts. Their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is $143,400. But here’s how that affects their tax bill:

Their combined deductions (standard + additional + senior) of $46,700 completely wipe out their ordinary taxable income.
Their $96,700 in long-term capital gains (LTCG) all fall within the 0% LTCG tax bracket.

Federal Income Tax Due: $0

With planning, the tax code can be your friend in retirement. As you work with your tax accountant, we would love to be part of the conversation.

Croissants Feel the Crunch: There can be a variety of ways that economic difficulties affect us—some very serious, some annoying. Somewhere in the “what a shame” category is the current croissant “crisis.” Due to high prices and scarcity of French beurre de tourage, a flat butter used by bakeries, bakers are having trouble providing a steady flow of Paris’ famous pains au chocolat and croissants. Read more here, especially if you’re planning a trip to Paris!

*The views expressed represent the opinions of Compass Ion Advisors, LLC, as of the date noted and are subject to change. These views are not intended as a forecast, a guarantee of future results, an investment recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any securities. The information provided is of a general nature and should not be construed as investment advice or to provide any investment, tax, financial, or legal advice or service to any person. The information contained has been compiled from sources deemed reliable, yet accuracy is not guaranteed.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2 available upon request or at the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website here. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.