The Return on Life: A Retrospective on 2025
Wealth is sometimes what you don’t see. It’s the options you have, the anxiety you don’t have, and the time you control.
But other times, wealth is exactly what you do see. It’s the plane ticket to Italy. The keys to the new house. It’s the confidence to walk away from a job that drains you or the freedom to double down on a career that fuels you.
In July, we celebrated our 7th anniversary by looking back at the soft metrics—the stories and the emotions. As we close out 2025, we’re looking at the hard metrics. The intersection of the math and the meaning.
This year was full. Full of milestones, transitions, and the kind of compounding that happens when you make good decisions over long periods of time.
Here is what that looked like…
The Math of Momentum
Let’s look at the numbers first. Across our entire client base, the average net worth grew 32.6% this year.
That number is staggering. But it did not happen by chance. It happened because of a specific equation: Capital + Discipline x Time = Momentum.
The markets helped, certainly. But the real alpha came from behavior. That 32.6% growth came from steady saving and twenty-one of you stepping into new roles or negotiating meaningful salary increases.
It also came from a massive acceleration in liquidity. In July, we celebrated a milestone of guiding clients through 23 major stock liquidation events since our founding in 2018. But the year wasn't over. We ended 2025 with eight liquidity events in just twelve months.
To put that in perspective: Roughly 30% of the major exits in our firm’s seven-year history happened in 2025. This is momentum. We saw direct indexing clients trim concentrated positions like NVDA through strategic gifting—the definition of leverage. These clients supported causes they care about while managing risk with intention.
The Psychology of Transitions
Money is just a tool to navigate the chapters of your life. And 2025 was a year of new chapters.
Internally, our team felt this deeply. Stephanie and Bryan welcomed baby Sloane into the world. We finished chaotic kitchen remodels. Jordan and Janet both sold their homes and moved across state lines, proving that sometimes the best investment you can make is a change of scenery. Janet even added a puppy to the mix because joy rarely arrives quietly.
We watched clients navigate their own transitions with grace:
Two weddings.
Four new babies.
Nine new homes.
Two sabbaticals.
We watched milestone birthdays celebrated in the South of France, Italy, Switzerland, San Francisco, Charleston, Texas, and New York. Not because travel is a flex, but because time is precious and memory is the real return.
The Housing Dilemma
A theme that ran through almost every conversation this year was housing. With interest rates staying elevated, the math of buying a new home often didn't work.
So, behavior shifted. Many clients chose to invest in the spaces they already love. Renovations became the asset class of choice. This required careful planning and a clear understanding of what creates comfort in the long run. It was a rational response to an irrational market.
The Smartest Branch of the Family Tree
One trend grew significantly in 2025: We spent more time meeting with the parents of our clients.
As financial lives become more complex and aging introduces new uncertainties, the "family office" model is trickling down. One parent told us this week that she sees Mana as the "smartest branch of their family tree." She said having us involved brings confidence.
We do not merely hold financial details; we steward trust across generations. In a business of numbers, that remains the most valuable asset we manage.
How to Win in 2026
The calendar is turning, but the principles of wealth building remain the same. The boring things matter most. If you want to start 2026 with momentum, here is your checklist:
1. Revisit your giving.
Generosity needs a strategy. Whether you donate appreciated stock directly or use a donor-advised fund, the structure matters as much as the sentiment. We recently outlined exactly how to maximize your impact in our guide to Giving with Intention in 2025.
2. Map your equity.
Don’t let your net worth be an accident of vesting schedules. Map your timelines, planned sales, and concentration levels in January. If you are unsure where to start, we broke down the essentials of preparation in our guide on How Are Your RSUs Taxed and How to Best Prepare.
3. Check your cash.
Cash is not just an asset; it is an emotional hedge. Rates may shift in 2026. Align your reserves with what you truly need to sleep well at night.
4. Talk to your parents.
If you are supporting aging parents, clarify accounts and care preferences now. Do not wait until decisions become urgent. Urgent decisions are usually expensive decisions. If you aren't sure how to break the ice, we created a framework for How To Talk About Money, Death & Aging With Your Parents.
5. Business owners, look ahead.
Revisit your retirement plan funding at the start of the year rather than the end. Compounding loves an early start. If you want to go beyond the basics, we outlined advanced structures in our guide on Retirement Tax Strategies for High Earners.
We return to this refrain every year because it is the heartbeat of our work: Life is in motion, and your money must move in step.
Thank you for letting us into your homes, your decisions, and your dreams. We are proud of the work you did to create this momentum.
Happy Holidays. Here is to a meaningful 2026.
Follow our Instagram for personal finance tips and inspiration.
Stephanie Bucko and Cristina Livadary are fee-only financial planners based in Los Angeles, California. Stephanie is the Chief Investment Officer and Cristina is the Chief Executive Officer at Mana Financial Life Design (FLD). Mana FLD provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to help clients grow and protect their wealth throughout life’s journey. Mana FLD specializes in advising ambitious professionals who seek financial knowledge and want to implement creative budgeting, savings, proactive planning and powerful investment strategies. As fee-only fiduciaries and independent financial advisors, Stephanie and Cristina never receive commission of any kind. Stephanie and Cristina are legally bound by their certifications to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.