Posts made in December 2025

Tax Tip | Should You Work with a Tax Preparer?

Here are some tips from the IRS on how to choose a tax preparer who meets your needs:

Check the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers
Check the preparer’s history with the Better Business Bureau
Ask about fees
Ask if the preparer plans to use e-file
Make sure the preparer is available
Check to see if the preparer signs and includes their preparer tax identification number
Understand the preparer’s credentials

Choosing a reputable and reliable tax preparer can help protect you and your tax return.

This information is not a substitute for individualized tax advice. Please discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional.

Tip adapted from IRS.gov⁹

Footnotes And Sources
^{9. IRS.gov, April 23, 2025}

Weekly Market Insights | Santa Arrives on Wall Street

Stocks delivered for investors last week as positive economic data and bullish holiday cheer powered the start of a “Santa Claus rally” past consumer bah humbug sentiment.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.40 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 1.22 percent. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.20 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, moved ahead 1.16 percent.^1,2

AI Stock Sleigh Delivers

Stocks rallied at the start of the week, riding pre-holiday momentum as artificial intelligence (AI) related technology names continued to drive gains.³

Fresh data out Tuesday initially quashed market momentum, reflecting investor concern that the stronger-than-expected Q3 economic growth might dissuade the Fed from adjusting interest rates in 2026.

But those fears appeared to subside after a Fed official said the U.S. is “way behind the curve in terms of lowering rates” compared with other central banks around the world. Those comments, combined with continued momentum and market leadership from the AI trade, boosted sentiment and lifted the S&P 500 to a record close despite a fresh consumer confidence reading that missed expectations.⁴

Christmas Eve brought more of the same, kicking off what’s known as the “Santa Claus rally” period—the last five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the new year. The S&P hit new intraday and closing highs on Wednesday’s shortened trading day—its fifth consecutive session of gains.⁵

While stocks largely went sideways on Friday amid thin holiday volume. The S&P 500 hit another intraday high, and all three major averages posted weekly gains. It was the S&P’s fourth weekly gain in five weeks.⁶

GDP Jumps

The delayed Q3 gross domestic product report was released on Tuesday, showing that the economy grew at an annualized 4.3 percent rate. That number beat expectations by more than a full percentage point and marked the strongest economic growth in two years.⁷

While it didn’t garner many headlines, another metric released on the same day told a similar story. Industrial production grew 2.5 percent year over year in November—the highest annualized increase since September 2022 and nearly triple what it was at the start of 2025.⁸

Footnotes And Sources

^{WSJ.com, December 26, 2025}
^{2. Investing.com, December 26, 2025}
^{3. CNBC.com, December 22, 2025}
^{4. CNBC.com, December 23, 2025}
^{5. CNBC.com, December 24, 2025}
^{6. CNBC.com, December 26, 2025}
^{7. WSJ.com, December 23, 2025}
^{8. KPMG.com, December 23, 2025}

Tax Tip | What is the IRS Alternative Media Center?

The IRS Alternative Media Center offers a variety of resources and accessibility services for visually impaired taxpayers. Using this platform, they provide tax-related content in several formats, including:

Text-only
Braille-ready files (available in English and Spanish)
Browser-friendly HTML
Accessible PDF (available in English and Spanish)
Large print PDF (available in a variety of languages)

The IRS also offers enhanced accessibility services. Taxpayers can complete Form 9000, Alternative Media Preference, to choose how they would prefer to receive their tax notices (ex: in Braille, large print, audio, or electronic formats). They also have an accessibility helpline that can answer questions related to accessibility services.

This information is not a substitute for individualized tax advice. Please discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional.

Tip adapted from IRS.gov¹⁰

Footnotes and Sources

^{10. IRS.gov, January 22, 2025}

Weekly Market Insights | Jobs Data Delivers Bumpy Week

Stocks posted a slight gain last week as mixed jobs data triggered some selling pressure before a cooling inflation report helped stocks recover.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index inched ahead 0.10 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.48 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.67 percent. The MSCI EAFE Index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, rose 0.21 percent.^1,2

Round Trip for Stocks

A mixed jobs report on Tuesday created some concerns about the economy, leading the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials to modest declines. However, the tech-heavy Nasdaq posted a modest gain.^3,4

Stocks continued their retreat on Wednesday with a handful of AI-related names leading the decline.⁵

Markets then staged a rebound as a fresh inflation report came in cooler than expected for November, raising investor hopes that interest rates may trend lower. The S&P 500 and Dow Industrials broke four-day losing streaks, while the Nasdaq rebounded 1.4 percent on Thursday alone.⁶

Megacap tech stocks rebounded on the last trading day of the week, lifting the broader market. Investors appeared to look past a disappointing report on consumer sentiment.⁷

The Push & Pull of Jobs & Inflation

The Bureau of Labor Statistics combined its October and November employment data into one report. However, the October report only contained partial data due to the shutdown, while the November numbers reflected full data.

While November saw an unexpected increase (+64,000 versus economist expectations of +45,000), the October report showed employers cut 105,000 jobs. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6 percent.⁸

The Consumer Price Index’s (CPI) 2.7 percent year-over-year pace for November was slower than the 3.1 percent economists expected, and slower than September’s 3.0 percent pace. Market gains were tempered, however, as economists cautioned that shutdown-related gaps may have influenced some of the data.⁹

Footnotes and Sources

^{1. WSJ.com, December 19, 2025

2. Investing.com, December 19, 2025

3. CNBC.com, December 16, 2025

4. WSJ.com, December 16, 2025

5. CNBC.com, December 17, 2025

6. WSJ.com, December 18, 2025

7. CNBC.com, December 19, 2025

8. WSJ.com, December 16, 2025

9. WSJ.com, December 18, 2025}