As IBD’s Market Strategist, I guess it's my obligation to put out one of the silly 2025 predictions, forecasts, crystal ball things…so here you go

Webby’s 2025 predictions, forecasts, wish lists, advice, keepin’ it real & RULES

PREDICTIONS & FORECASTS

The market will fluctuate

The market will confuse

The market will frustrate

The market will look like it's going to crash only to go straight up

The market will look like it's going to go straight up but go straight down

The market will do its best to fool the most amount of people…most of the time

BUT the market will also give opportunities of a lifetime if you pay attention!

You will buy too soon

You will sell too late

You will miss some huge winners

You will own stocks that gap down out of the blue with no warning

BUT if you are diligent, disciplined & determined (& with a little luck, just keepin’ it real) you can make the trades of our lifetime!

You’ll hear folks only discuss what they’ve done right

You’ll hear folks brag about…well just about anything (you know who they are😉)

You’ll hear folks put down folks who don’t trade the way they do

BUT if you listen very hard, the tune (I mean truth🤘) will come to you at last

Remember what Bill taught us! Our job is NOT to predict what the market is going to do! Our job is to interpret what the market is  But it is to actually doing RIGHT NOW!!!

WISH LISTS

Folks on X HELP others on their trading journey❤️

Folks on X are KIND to others❤️

Folks on X start lifting others UP rather than the other way around

Unity in the U.S.A.🇺🇸

Led Zepplin does a reunion tour🤘

Guns N’ Roses put out some new music🤘

Marcus King’s forthcoming album is at least half as good as his last one👑

Wolf Van Halen puts out Mammoth III🤘

ADVICE

Screen for stocks daily! Not just to find new stocks but to give yourself a “feel” for the market (underappreciated IMO)

Find YOUR style!!! This is critical, don’t try and be someone else…be YOURSELF (reread that line)

Focus on learning what is normal & natural! IMO that is the key to trading

Look at hundreds (preferably thousands) of charts every day. But only do so if you are going to try and learn something from every single chart you look at...that is KEY!!

Learn from your mistakes…but spend more time focusing on your strengths (what you did right) & do more of that!

Keep trading FUN! If its too stressful try temporarily moving 90%+ of your money into a separate account & keep that money in cash. As the stress reduces slowly start moving money back into your trading account until you find the right balance.

Be kind to others, you never know what they are dealing with in life❤️

Most importantly get healthy…life is way too short…do everything possible to make it longer

Keepin’ it real

The market is the hardest & most fascinating game around & isn’t for the mentally lazy

When you make a bad trade, don’t be too hard on yourself, we all make them

When you make a great trade, don’t get carried with yourself

Remember what the Grateful Dead told us, “When life looks like Easy Street, there’s danger at your door”

RULES

Back in 1997 I became obsessed with writing trading rules. I’d updated them weekly looking for the Holy Grail of rules. This went on for years and years.

In 2000 I was fortunate enough to share an office with Bill for a few years. My habit was to tape my current version of my rules flat on my desk, it was kind of like a security blanket for me. 

Apparently, when I was away from the office Bill went over and read them and loved them so much that he asked for a copy!

If you knew Bill, you knew how unusual that was for him…he frankly didn’t care about anyone else’s rules or takes on things…he had his own very distinct style.

While I continued modifying my rules over the years, I’m glad I kept the version that he dug, I hope you dig them too (yes, I wish I would have proofread them…but I’d never planned on anyone else seeing them).
Happy (early) New Year!

Webby