Our Most Popular Pieces of 2025 and What They Reveal About the Year Ahead
Holly Wanegar, CFP®
Associate Vice President & Wealth Advisor
Every December, we at WHZ like to look back at the year, not just at market performance or policy shifts, but at what mattered most to our clients and audience. And one of the clearest barometers of that is which of our articles and podcasts get read, shared, and talked about the most.
Here’s what the collective story of our top five pieces tells us.
We’re thinking differently about when to transfer wealth—and what it means emotionally.
Our most-read article of the year, “Gifting vs. Inheritance: Which Is Better for Your Beneficiaries?,” told us something important: families are asking more questions about timing, taxes, and strategy, but also about what’shealthiest for their kids and what creates the strongest legacy.
Right behind it was “The Psychology of an Inheritance Windfall.” And that pairing was telling. It wasn’t just the technical side of wealth transfer that people were eager to understand; it was the emotional side.
That makes sense in a year when conversations about the Great Wealth Transfer have reached a fever pitch. Whether or not the incoming $84 trillion in assets is as evenly distributed as headlines imply, one thing is true: families want to get this right. Not only the mechanics, but the impact. Not only the tax savings, but the stewardship. This shift toward intentional, emotionally informed wealth transfer is going to define the next decade.
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We’ll be launching a special series on our podcast, You & Your Money, in early 2026 focused on “Getting Ahead of The Great Wealth Transfer.” We’ll cover all the key points you need to know to begin positioning your family for success through this transition – watch for it on our website and on major podcast platforms!
Policy change took center stage, and people wanted clarity, not noise.
Another top-performing piece was “Financial Impacts of Trump’s First 60 Days in Office.” It’s not surprising that our readers gravitated toward straightforward, apolitical guidance about what shifting policy actually means for portfolios, taxes, and long-term planning.
The lesson we took from this is simple: In moments of political noise, people crave calm, credible interpretation more than ever. And 2026 will likely demand even more of it. With monetary policy in transition, global fractures altering supply chains, and regulatory agendas shifting, informed perspective—not sensationalism—is what clients are seeking.
Rising costs—and rising complexity—are reshaping retirement planning.
One of our most practical and widely shared posts explored a worry we hear every day: healthcare costs eating into retirement security. The fact that “How to Keep Rising Healthcare Costs from Killing Your Retirement” became a top article and podcast this year wasn’t just about fear – it was about empowerment. People want a plan. They want to know how to navigate the most unpredictable major expense of their later years.
At the same time, our piece on Buy Now, Pay Later and the new FICO credit-scoring models underscored another trend: complexity in personal finance is growing, not shrinking. Credit behavior is changing. Debt is changing. Risk is changing. And that means the old rules of thumb don’t always apply.
Together, these two topics signal something we expect to see more of in 2026.
People are looking for financial guidance not only on investments, but on the broader ecosystem that influences financial health: borrowing, spending, longevity, healthcare, and policy.
And here’s the bigger truth tying all of this together:
These five topics – inheritance, psychology, policy, costs, and credit – aren’t isolated. They’re the pillars of a new era in wealth management where technical strategy and human experience carry equal weight. What our audience engaged with most this year reveals three big shifts that will shape 2026 and beyond:
- Wealth is becoming more multi-dimensional. Clients aren’t just planning for returns anymore – they’re planning for values, transitions, family readiness, and legacy complexity. The emotional side of financial decision-making is finally getting the attention it deserves.
- Risk is being redefined.
It’s no longer only about market volatility.
- It’s: healthcare inflation
- credit-model disruption
- debt behavior
- long-term care risk
- and policy uncertainty
In other words, risk is sneaking in through the side door, and clients want help spotting it early.
- Adaptability is now the new core competency. With global growth expected to remain modest, monetary policy evolving, and innovation (particularly AI) accelerating across industries, the financial environment is becoming more fluid. Clients don’t just want a plan; they want a plan that can move with the world around it.
What this means for you in 2026
Looking ahead, the themes that rose to the top in 2025 offer a roadmap for how to approach the coming year:
- If you expect to give or receive wealth, start early and be thoughtful about both structure and communication.
- If you’re nearing retirement, deepen your focus on healthcare and long-term cost planning.
- If you’re managing credit, know that lenders are looking at you differently today than they did five years ago.
And if you’re worried about policy or markets, stay focused on fundamentals—the noise will always be loudest near inflection points.
Most importantly: continue to view financial planning as a lifelong conversation, not a series of transactions.
Closing thought
The most-read pieces of 2025 weren’t simply popular, they were telling. They revealed where people are anxious, where they want clarity, and where they’re ready to grow. And more than anything, they revealed this: people today don’t just want wealth management. They want partnership, perspective, and a strategy that evolves as they do. That is exactly what we strive to provide to each and every one of our clients: “Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life.” Schedule a complimentary discovery session now on our website at whzwealth.com or give us a call (860) 928-2341.
Authored by Holly C. Wanegar, CFP®, Vice President at WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors. AI may have been used in the research and initial drafting of this piece. Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. 697 Pomfret Street, Pomfret Center, CT 06259 and 392-A Merrow Road, Tolland, CT 06084, 860.928.2341. http://www.whzwealth.com. These materials are general in nature and do not address your specific situation. For your specific investment needs, please discuss your individual circumstances with your financial advisor. WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing in the accompanying pages should be construed as specific tax or legal advice.