May Monthly Insights: Top Retirement Spots, Market Headlines & Sector ETF Q&A

1. Best Places to Retire

U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 ranking highlights the top three U.S. retirement destinations and the criteria used:

• Naples, Florida

• Virginia Beach, Virginia

• New York, New York

Key factors considered:

• Happiness (27%)

• Affordability (25%)

• Health care quality (15%)

• Retiree taxes (13%)

• Desirability (12%)

• Job market (8%)

For the full ranking, see U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Retire in 2025 (via U.S. News Real Estate).

2. Client Q&A: Should You Buy Utility or Energy Sector ETFs?

Many clients come to us with this question and my answer is: you already have exposure to these sectors through a broad S&P 500 ETF. Before adding dedicated allocations, ask yourself:

1) Do you believe there’s a way to outperform a broad-market ETF?

2) Do you think sector rotation is a suitable strategy in today’s environment?

3) Utilities and energy offer high dividends and stable cash flows—are you looking to increase income-generating assets?

4) If you answered “Yes” to any of the above, how would you implement this?

Our recommendation: Partner with a professional. Designing and monitoring a sector-rotation or yield-focused strategy requires ongoing research and time—don’t go it alone.

3. Financial News on the U.S. Equity Market

GDP:

1) Wall Street storms back from early losses, echoing manic April moves

a. Cooling inflation to 2.3% helped calm investor fears. (New York Post)

b. S&P 500 closed up 0.15% despite an early report of Q1 GDP contraction.  (AP News)

2) Focus on earnings from Microsoft, Meta; Super Micro Computer shares plunged 17% premarket.  (April 30 Investopedia)

3) Dip-buyers erase late-April losses, betting on trade progress and Fed rate cuts (Bloomberg)

Please reach out if you’d like to discuss any of these topics in more detail.