The start of a new year is the perfect time to reevaluate your financial habits and prepare for the months ahead. In 2025, staying level-headed in your financial decisions is more important than ever, with new opportunities and challenges shaping the economic landscape. Here’s how you can make thoughtful, strategic choices to potentially strengthen your financial health.

 

Trust the Numbers

It’s easy to get emotional when making financial decisions, but staying objective is essential. Start by tracking your income, expenses, and savings using budgeting tools or apps to better understand your financial circumstances. Before making a big financial commitment, such as purchasing a car or a home, calculate the total cost including hidden fees and taxes. Focusing on the numbers will help you make better choices, especially during volatile times.

 

Distinguish Between Needs and Wants

One of the simplest ways to improve your financial decision-making is by separating necessities from discretionary spending. Before making a purchase, ask yourself if it aligns with your financial goals or provides long-term value. You may avoid making impulsive decisions by delaying non-essential purchases, while also keeping your budget on track.

 

Develop a Financial Framework

Establishing a process for evaluating financial decisions can reduce uncertainty. Start by identifying the problem, such as managing debt or planning for future goals. Research your options and assess their potential outcomes. You may feel more confident in your financial path after carefully considering the risks and benefits of each decision.

 

Invest in Financial Literacy

Knowledge is power, and understanding basic financial concepts can transform the way you make decisions. Dedicate time to learning about topics like compound interest, diversification, and tax efficiency. For additional insight, visit our website or read “Wealth on Purpose” by Bryan Ballentine.

 

Plan for Life’s Surprises

The unexpected is inevitable, but you can prepare for it. Build an emergency fund with three to six months’ worth of living expenses to protect against unforeseen events. Consider insurance policies for health, life, and property to mitigate risks. Periodically revisit your financial plan to ensure it aligns with any recent changes in your circumstances.

 

Avoid Decision Overload

Decision fatigue can lead to poor financial choices. Simplify your routine by automating recurring payments, savings transfers, and investments. By reducing the number of decisions, you’ll have more time and energy for the essential financial matters that require your attention.

 

Learn from the Past

Reflecting on your financial history can offer valuable insights. Take the time to review the outcomes of previous decisions, identifying what benefited you and what did not. Use these lessons to refine your strategies moving forward.

 

Work with Us

Sometimes, the best decision is to seek advice from an expert. We can help you navigate complicated topics like tax optimization, estate planning, or significant investments. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us and a tax professional for personalized recommendations.

 

Start 2025 Strong

Making knowledgeable financial decisions takes practice, but the rewards are worth the extra effort. By focusing on data, setting clear priorities, and planning for the unexpected, you can confidently navigate 2025 and beyond.

For more resources and insights, give us a call!

 

 

Sources located at the bottom of the article

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Golf Tip of the Week

How Making These 2 Key Changes Can Fix Your Chipping, Quickly

If you’re looking to improve your short game, there’s a simple place to start, says Sara Dickson. Dickson, who is on our Golf Digest Best Young Teachers list and is the Director of golf at Wilderness Country Club in Naples, Fla., says you should take a look at your setup.

“The biggest mistake I see people make is that they stick to their full-swing setup when they get closer to the green,” Dickson says. “What happens here is that I’m able to make too big of a backswing, causing me to decelerate on the way through.”

 

2 quick setup fixes

The two key elements to change are the width of your stance and where you grip the club.

1. Set up with your feet one clubhead width apart. “From this setup, I’m not balanced enough to make a big swing,” Dickson explains.
2. Move your hands towards the bottom of the grip, which will give you greater control over the club and help you make a shorter swing.

 

Thanks to these adjustments, you’ll see Dickson makes a swing that’s hip high going back and finishes hip high coming through. Taking the club back a shorter distance means you’ll be less likely to decelerate coming through, which will produce better contact.

 

 

Golf Tip adapted from golfdigest.comⁱ

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Recipe of the Week

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup bulgur

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, finely chopped

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulgur, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.

 

 

Recipe Tip adapted from foodnetwork.comⁱⁱ

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Travel Tip of the Week

These Are the Biggest Travel Trends of 2025, According to Expedia

Expedia is back with its travel predictions, combining a vast trove of first-party booking data across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo with consumer responses from 25,000 consumers.

The term “destination dupe” — referring to places that look and feel similar to a more expensive location — was everywhere this year. And you have Expedia’s annual travel trends report to thank. The phrase was coined in 2023 by the online booking behemoth.

For 2025, Expedia is back with its travel predictions, combining a vast trove of first-party booking data across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo with consumer responses from 25,000 consumers. Think of it as a peek into what will define the travel landscape in the year ahead.

“I’ve been tracking travel trends for eight years and this year, more than ever before, is about experiences as much as places,” Melanie Fish, chief trend tracker for Expedia Brands, told Travel + Leisure.

Here’s some of what to expect in travel, according to Fish.

 

Getting Away For the ‘Goods’

Popular TikTok videos have influenced travelers for years, but now, the trend is spreading even further. Expedia coins it “Goods Getaways.”

The company says travelers are making extra space in their carry-ons, and even creating entire vacations around getting goods, like a viral chocolate bar from Dubai or skincare from South Korea.

“Social media has also inspired travelers to visit local grocery stores when they’re traveling, like Erewhon in LA for their celeb-approved smoothies,” Fish noted. Global Expedia Group survey data revealed that 39 percent of travelers visit grocery stores or supermarkets when vacationing while 44 percent shop for local goods they can’t get at home.

 

All-inclusives Are Hot

Expedia predicts all-inclusives will see even more traction in 2025, as bigger chains like Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton continue to push further in the category. In recent months, Hyatt rolled out the Hyatt Vivid all-inclusive concept and W Hotels is also leaning in, with its first resort planned in 2025 in the Dominican Republic.

“The all-inclusive era has been driven in part by financially savvy younger consumers who want luxury stays and stress-free, nothing-to-think-about convenience,” Fish added. According to Expedia Group data, usage of the “all-inclusive” filter increased by 60 percent compared to the year prior.

A Hotel Restaurant Renaissance

Hotels are investing even more into ensuring restaurants are a destination in their own right. That includes involving world-renowned chefs and ensuring menus rotate regularly to attract guests.

For instance, San Laurel, a California-meets-Spain restaurant from acclaimed chef and humanitarian José Andrés, opened to much fanfare at the Conrad Los Angeles. In Maui, a destination eager for tourists to return after 2023’s devastating wildfire, Ferraro’s Restaurant & Bar recently reopened as the flagship dining concept for Four Seasons Maui as the only oceanfront open-air restaurant in Wailea.

Meanwhile, nearly a third of travelers said room service from a famous hotel restaurant would make them more likely to book, while 31 percent said tables reserved exclusively for hotel guests would move the needle.

 

Instead of ‘Dupes,’ Think ‘Detour’

For 2025, Expedia is declaring travelers won’t skip tried-and-true destinations. Instead, they’ll add on another locale as a day trip detour. In a survey, 63 percent of consumers said they are likely to visit a “detour destination” on their next vacation.

Expedia compiled the 10 trending detour destinations for 2025, based on increases in searches:

• Reims, France (detour from Paris)
• Brescia, Italy (detour from Milan)
• Cozumel, Mexico (detour from Cancun)
• Santa Barbara, California, USA (detour from Los Angeles)
• Waikato, New Zealand (detour from Auckland)
• Girona, Spain (detour from Barcelona)
• Fukuoka, Japan (detour from Tokyo)
• Abu Dhabi, UAE (detour from Dubai)
• Krabi, Thailand (detour from Phuket)
• Canmore, Alberta, Canada (detour from Calgary)

 

The ‘Phenomena-List’

With 2024’s total solar eclipse sparking mass travel along the path of totality, Expedia believes that travel for natural phenomena will continue to be hot. Vrbo selected several natural events where travelers will want a seat in 2025:

• International Dark Sky Park – Arches National Park, Utah
• Synchronous firefly season – Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN
• Penguin parade – Phillip Island near Melbourne, Australia
• Bioluminescent plankton – Vero Beach, Florida
• “Black Sun” starlings’ migration – Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark
• Ballet of Japanese cranes – Hokkaido, Japan
• Highest tides in the world, walk on the ocean floor – Bay of Fundy, Canada
• Starling murmurations – Somerset, United Kingdom
• Volcanoes, lava fields, and black sand beaches – Reykjavík, Iceland
• Northern Lights – Lapland region, Finland

 

‘Set-Jetting’ Isn’t Going Anywhere

If you think the term that entered the everyday vernacular in 2023 is going away, think again. For 2025, “The White Lotus effect” is going strong, said Fish. “Two-thirds of travelers say movies, streaming services, and TV shows have influenced their travel choices, a 16 percent increase from last year.”

Some of the destinations on next year’s set-jetting forecast are inspired by reality shows, like The Real Housewives of Dubai and The Traitors, which took place in Scotland.

 

 

Travel Tip adapted from travelandleisure.com ⁱⁱⁱ

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Copyright © 2025. Ballentine Capital Advisors. All rights reserved.

 

Our mailing address is: 

Ballentine Capital Advisors
15 Halton Green Way
Greenville, SC 29607

 

Sources:

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Decision-Making and Budgeting Tools
• Investopedia: Financial Literacy Basics
• Federal Reserve: Economic Well-Being Reports
• Ballentine, B. (2023) Wealth on Purpose: Your Path to Grow, Protect, and Keep Real Wealth

 

Disclosure:

Ballentine Capital Advisors is a registered investment adviser. The advisory services of Ballentine Capital Advisors are not made available in any jurisdiction in which Ballentine Capital Advisors is not registered or is otherwise exempt from registration.

Please review Ballentine Capital Advisors Disclosure Brochure for a complete explanation of fees. Investing involves risks. Investments are not guaranteed and may lose value.

This material is prepared by Ballentine Capital Advisors for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation or any particular security, strategy, or investment product.

No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve future profits or losses similar to those shown. You should not assume that investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal the investment performance of the past. Past performance does not indicate future results.

 

Advisory services through Ballentine Capital Advisors, Inc.

ⁱhttps://www.golfdigest.com/story/short-game-pitch-shot-set-up

ⁱⁱhttps://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/greek-style-stuffed-peppers-recipe-1946946

ⁱⁱⁱhttps://www.travelandleisure.com/biggest-travel-trends-2025-expedia-group-projection-8728078