Should You “Ride Out” the Volatile Stock Market?

Both the Dow and the S&P 500 were back to where they were more than two years ago, as of May 31st. It’s been a stomach-churning roller coaster ride along the way.

The S&P 500, however, has been on a tear, up 10% this year. Maybe you’ve been looking at your investment and retirement account balances and wondering why you’re not seeing that kind of gain.

That’s because just five technology companies drove 96% of those gains!

According to the Motley Fool, nearly half of the stocks in the index were negative for the year on May 31. (MarketWatch just called the S&P 500 “ridiculous” and questioned whether you should bet your retirement on the fortunes of a small handful of stocks.)

Of course, the financial “experts” insist that the only way to grow a sizable nest egg is to invest in the stock market over the long term.

But is that really true?

If it was, how do you account for the typical equity mutual fund investor earning a meager 4.3% annually for the past 30 years after adjusting for inflation?

Yet most people we’ve surveyed say they wouldn’t endure the ups and downs of the market for less than a 7% annual return.

Investors who use asset allocation – long considered a strategy that gives you the best chance of coming out ahead – have had essentially no growth over the last 30 years after adjusting for inflation.

And if you thought fixed income investments were a safe bet, think again – they’ve actually lost ground even before factoring in inflation.

These statistics from the Dalbar 2023 Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior paint a sobering picture. It’s a stark reminder that the stock market is a dangerous place for money you’re counting on for a secure retirement, funding a college education, or other financial goals you have.

Volatility May Be Here to Stay Thanks to the Economic Headwinds We’re Facing

To list just a few…

  • Publicly traded companies’ revenues are sliding
  • Inflation remains stubbornly high
  • Lending conditions have tightened significantly, and recessions over the past 30 years have closely tracked banks’ willingness to lend money
  • China’s economic troubles can have significant consequences for the markets and growth in the US

I bet you can add one or two to this list.

At the same time, consumer debt has skyrocketed, averaging $101,915 per household! Meanwhile, the savings rate has dropped precipitously.

Don’t Let Market Volatility Dictate Your Destiny – You Have the Power to Take Control of Your Financial Future!

The Bank On Yourself safe wealth-building strategy puts the lie that you must risk your money to grow a sizable nest egg to rest.

It’s a supercharged variation of an asset that’s grown in value every single year for more than 160 years, including during every pandemic, the Great Recession, and the Great Depression. It comes with an unbeatable combination of advantages and guarantees, including:

  • Your money is guaranteed to grow by a larger dollar amount every yearregardless of what happens in the market or the economy
  • You can even know how much money you’d have at any point in time – guaranteed – before you decide if you want to move forward with this strategy. Just request a FREE, no-obligation Analysis here:
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FREE ANALYSIS!
  • Both your principal and growth are locked in, and don’t go backward when the market tumbles
  • You’ll enjoy growth that’s significantly greater than you could get in a CD or money market account, but without taking on greater risk to do it
  • You have complete control of and access to your equity in the plan to use however and whenever you choose, so you can weather the challenges life unexpectedly throws at you (try doing that with your 401(k) or IRA!)
  • You can access both your principal and growth with ZERO taxes due under current tax law, which lets you avoid unpleasant tax surprises later
  • You can use your money in the plan to eliminate banks and finance companies from your life and become your own source of financing

Does Adding the Bank On Yourself Strategy to Your Financial Plan Make Sense for Your Situation?

To find out how to reach your financial goals without taking any unnecessary risks, request your free Analysis here now.

There’s no cost or obligation, and you’ll get a referral to a Bank On Yourself Professional who can answer any questions you may still have.

Now is the perfect time to truly diversify your retirement savings strategy and explore alternatives that give you guaranteed growth, safety, liquidity, tax advantages, and financial certainty.

In a world of uncertainty, knowledge truly is power. So request your free Analysis here NOW, while you’re thinking of it:

REQUEST YOUR
FREE ANALYSIS!

New Survey Reveals Majority of Americans Now Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck Due to COVID-19 Pandemic… Here’s How to Avoid That

A new survey from Highland Solutions revealed some startling stats about Americans’ spending habits during the pandemic. How many of these describe your situation?

  • 63% are living paycheck to paycheck
  • 47% have run out of their emergency savings
  • More than one-third have opened up a new credit card since the pandemic to help cover expenses
  • 42% have taken on more debt than normal, and nearly a third have racked up over $10,000 in new debt (a recipe for disaster)
  • 82% could not cover a surprise $500 expense
  • 67% regret not having enough savings before the pandemic hit

So How the Heck Did We Dig Ourselves into this Debt Hole?

For starters, you only need to look no further than the conventional advice about emergency funds. [Read more…] “New Survey Reveals Majority of Americans Now Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck Due to COVID-19 Pandemic… Here’s How to Avoid That”

Are You Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’? Americans Are Spending Money They Don’t Have and Hitting Record Debt Levels

Total U.S. household debt just surpassed $14 trillion for the first time ever, and credit card debt hit a new record, as well. These scary debt stats come from the latest report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

As economist Heather Boushey noted… “In the abstract, more debt signals optimism. But in reality, families are using debt as a mechanism to pay for things their incomes don’t support.”

The optimism comes in because the stock market can’t seem to stop hitting new records, and the economy is prospering, so it’s time to spend, spend, spend – even if it’s money you don’t have.

Then the reality sets in as 8.36% of credit cards are now delinquent. Almost 5% of auto loans are at least 90 days overdue. And at least 12% of student loan borrowers are delinquent or in default.

For the moment, let’s ignore the fact that most people have forgotten that the balances in your market-based retirement accounts are “paper” – not “real” – wealth which will vanish with the next market crash.

Let’s focus instead on the lessons most people have forgotten from the last debt crisis. Americans were feeling flush from rising stock market and real estate values, and they were in hock up to their eyeballs.

Then the Bubbles Burst and…

[Read more…] “Are You Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’? Americans Are Spending Money They Don’t Have and Hitting Record Debt Levels”