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In many respects, 2025 proved to be an eventful year, particularly as markets recalibrated post-‘Liberation Day’. In the end, returns across a range of public equities benchmarks posted another strong year, with the S&P 500 up 17.9%, NASDAQ 100 up 21.1%, and the Russell 2000 up 12.8%1.
2025’s solid performance means the equities market has now enjoyed a run of three consecutive stellar years. What will 2026 bring? The U.S. market enters the year historically expensive on a valuation basis, but with ample justification, given strong underlying earnings growth, especially among the cohort of names associated with tech-related spending. While conditions across the broader economy have been more mixed, the consumer has been supported by the ‘wealth effect’, with balance sheets, in aggregate, in good shape. The job market continues to be lackluster and represents a potential source of downside risk, though the monetary authorities offered some measure of interest rate relief in 2025, with more likely on the come.
It is against that monetary policy backdrop that we then consider impending tax relief from the OBBBA, which, when taken overall, suggests that we can expect better conditions on ‘Main Street’ in 2026. That, in turn, supports the notion of broadening market participation, a phenomenon we began to see in late 2025. While wider participation doesn’t necessarily mean that overall market indexes will experience the same level of gains they saw over recent years, we do believe it reflects well on the underlying health of the markets.
As we close, we at Venture Visionary Partners would like to wish you and your loved ones a healthy and prosperous New Year. |
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| VVP News
Welcome Laura Hurst and Jordan Harrigan
Please give a warm welcome to Laura Hurst, who joining VVP as a Relationship Manager and Jordan Harrigan, who joined VVP as a Client Service Associate.
Laura brings a wealth of experience to the team. She spent over 13 years with Sun Federal Credit Union, where she served as Branch Operations Manager before being promoted to Director of eBranch. Prior to that role, she was a Branch Manager and Mortgage Loan Officer at Fifth Third Bank, where she earned her Series 6 and Health & Life Insurance licenses.
Laura proudly served in the United States Army as an Aviation Operations Specialist/Counterintelligence Specialist. During her service in the United States Army, she was promoted two ranks within her first year and received recognition for her community service. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business management technology with an emphasis on artificial intelligence at the University of Toledo.
Jordan brings valuable experience from her previous role at Merrill Lynch where she spent over six years, most recently serving as a Senior Operations Representative. Prior to that, she worked for eight years at Hobby Lobby as a Department Head and Office Manager. Jordan holds her Series 7 and Series 66 licenses and is a Notary Public in the State of Ohio.
Jordan earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Criminal Justice from Lourdes College, where she was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Chapter of the National Social Work Honor Society.
We are excited to welcome Laura and Jordan to the team and look forward to the contributions they will bring to the team. |
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| Financial Planning
Key SECURE Act 2.0 Updates Starting in 2026
The SECURE Act 2.0, originally passed in late 2022, continues to reshape retirement savings strategies for 2026, introducing several provisions should be considered into year-ahead planning.
Beginning January 1, 2026, one of the most significant changes affects catch-up contributions for retirement plans. Employees aged 50 and older who earn above a specified threshold (approximately $145,000–$150,000 in prior-year FICA wages) must now make catch-up contributions on a Roth (after-tax) basis rather than traditional pre-tax accounts for 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) plans—a shift that increases current taxable income but potentially offers tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
Additional enhancements under SECURE 2.0 and related IRS guidance include higher overall retirement contribution limits for 2026, with the 401(k) base limit rising to $24,500 and age-50 catch-up limits increasing to $8,000. Workers aged 60–63 may leverage a “super catch-up” provision allowing even larger contributions.
These updates aim to modernize retirement savings rules, encourage greater participation, and shift some savings toward tax-free growth. |
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Advisory services provided by Venture Visionary Partners, LLC (“VVP”). Venture Visionary Partners LLC is registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). VVP only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission nor does it indicate that the adviser has attained a particular level of skill or ability.
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Advisory services provided by Venture Visionary Partners, LLC (“VVP”). VVP and Capital Group are separate, nonaffiliated entities.
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