by Robert E. Quittner, Jr. CFP® & CMFC™
Investment Advisor Representative
[email protected]
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to 2026! Having Christmas and New Year’s right in the middle of the week throws you off a little bit, unless of course you are a teacher like my wife. She has the pleasure of being off 10 straight days, and Dublin—my chocolate lab—is enjoying every minute of it.
Instead of diving deep into a single topic today, we’re keeping the commentary light. While many of my clients know me well, some of you I’ve only met briefly and others not at all… even though I’ve been part of the Franklin Retirement Solutions team for almost seven years. So, who is Rob Quittner?
I was born and raised in Blue Bell, PA and currently reside in Ambler with my wife Colleen of 43 years. I have three kids, Caitlin (36), Connor (33), and Bridget (31), and I just became a grandfather when little Mason Anthony entered our lives in October. In case you haven’t noticed yet, my wife is 100% Irish and her maiden name was McCarthy. She begrudgingly gave it up for Quittner.
I am an avid golfer and play every Saturday unless there is snow on the ground or the temperature starts with a two. I also run a golf group of 20+ players in the summertime and volunteer at professional golf tournaments. This fall I worked the Ryder Cup as a Marshall on the 18th hole. Occasionally, I’ll venture onto the ski slopes and this winter I am taking trips to Okemo in Vermont and Vail in Colorado.
I’ve been a financial advisor for over 20 years, beginning my career at Karr Barth Associates in January 2005. In 2009, I moved my practice to Lincoln Financial Advisors. Then, in 2019, Peter was looking to add another advisor, our paths crossed, and I joined Franklin in August of that year. When I started, we had eight employees. With the tail end of the Baby Boomers retiring, we have experienced significant growth and our team has expanded to 14 members. Because of that, when we relocated from Willow Grove to Horsham in 2023, we nearly doubled our office footprint.
We haven’t just added more people—we have also raised the overall quality of our staff. Peter, Jeremy, Nick, Kyle, and I meet every Monday morning to cover a variety of topics, including investment strategies. As we reviewed the year, including our numbers and overall business efficiency, we couldn’t be happier with how well the team performed in numerous areas.
As we close out 2025, we wanted to share a few highlights from the year and what they mean for retirement and income planning in 2026:
Markets & Economy
The markets delivered better than expected results in 2025 with the S&P 500 finishing up 16.65% for the year. As the S&P 500 slid towards bear territory by tumbling almost 20% from mid-February through early April, it was challenging to keep our positive focus. If you persevered and stayed invested through the volatility you were rewarded for it, and it serves as a reminder that volatility is part of the journey. U.S. inflation has been gradually slowing after the pandemic-era surge, with recent data showing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) around 2.7%–3.0% year-over-year. That’s cooler than earlier expectations but the figure is still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Recent GDP numbers were strong and the economy remains resilient… so far.
Interest Rates
At the December 2025 FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of roughly 3.50% to 3.75%—the third straight rate cut this year. This marks the lowest Fed policy rate since 2022.
Taxes
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced a host of new tax breaks while locking in the 2017 TCJA tax brackets. Tax analysts and the Tax Foundation say, “that because OBBBA reduces tax liability for many taxpayers in 2025 (before withholding tables adjust), many taxpayers will see larger refunds when filing 2025 returns in 2026—with total refund amounts possibly rising and average refunds being larger by several hundred to a few thousand dollars compared to recent years.” If you fall into this category, you will want to adjust your withholding in 2026.
Retirement Planning Trends
As retirees continue to live and work longer, many individuals continue to rethink retirement timing and lifestyle choices, with a growing focus on flexibility, reliable income, and managing healthcare and tax considerations.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the new year, staying disciplined, diversified, and focused on long-term income remains key. If you’d like us to review how these trends affect your personal plan, we’re always here to help.
Wishing everybody all the best in 2026! Stay warm!
Rob