A+ Performance Report Card. Bragging Rights.

A+ Performance Report Card. Bragging Rights.


The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on how the year has gone. We are very happy to report that the stock side of our pie chart system has triumphed on Wall Street. Just as importantly, the fixed income “safe” side has returned a market yield without any paper losses.
 
Smart strategies with diligent, forensic analysis really paid off this year. I’ll explain why and how below. But it’s important to remember that most managed plans are charging ½ - 1 ½ %. That could be up to  $15,000 per million under management (or more) per year. Most managed accounts shadow the market, but -2% lower due to the fees. Learning the life math that we all should’ve received in high school – so that we can be the boss of our money instead of having blind faith that someone else is protecting us – costs a fraction of that investment. Just as importantly, our pie chart system earned gains in the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession, which was a life saver for many who follow our strategies, and outperformed the bull markets in between.
 
I encourage you to join us for our New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat ONLINE Jan. 17-19, 2026. The sooner you learn and implement this time-proven 21st Century wealth blueprint, the faster your life will transform. We can even teach you how to save thousands annually in your budget with more-informed big-ticket choices.
 
2025 Year-to-Date Performance Chart

Here are the things I’ll cover in this blog
 
Superstar Silver and First Majestic Silver
Gold and McEwen Mining
Copper and the iShares Peru ETF
Bitcoin and Crypto
Value Replacements
The Magnificent 7
Underweighting Old-School Blue Chips
 
Ad here is more information on each topic
 
Superstar Silver and First Majestic Silver
We’ve been leaning into silver over gold for a few years because up until 2025 silver had been left behind in the precious metals rally. This year, silver is on fire hitting new highs and far surpassing the performance of gold, as you can see in the chart below.
 

Source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission.

Will that continue to be the case in 2026? Don’t miss my Crystal Ball 2026 blog and videoconference in early January. Email info @nataliepace.com to make sure you’re on the list. Subscribe on YouTube and Substack, so that you’ll be updated when it’s published.
 
First Majestic Silver: In my June 23, 2025, blog, we identified a small cap silver mining company that had a mint and was selling its own collectible coins. First Majestic Silver saw their revenue jump by 130% in the first quarter of this year. Revenue growth is still on fire, at 95% in the third quarter.

The stock was at $8.00/share when we featured it. It’s now at $16.80. If the company keeps increasing revenue and net profits, it could still have room to run – particularly if silver remains the safe haven darling on Wall Street. At the same time, silver can get drug down with stocks, in the first phase. So, there is nothing wrong with taking some profits when you double your money in a few months. 
 
I would dollar cost average in, if I didn’t already own it because there has been some volatility. It was down to $10/share on November 5, 2025.
 
Remember that investing in an individual stock is separate from our pie-chart nest egg strategy. Think of it as Vegas Money, and adopt a buy low, sell high mentality.
 
Gold and McEwen Mining
Gold has been capturing headlines for its 60% gains this year, though our mid-cap value replacement, Peru (+67.5%) and silver (doubled) performed even better. McEwen Mining has projects in all of those metals – copper, silver, and gold. Like many small mining companies, McEwen Mining struggled between 2012 and 2020, when gold prices dropped from their $1895/ounce highs to under $900/ounce at the low.
 
While the stock’s performance has been great in 2025 and over the past five years, Rob McEwen, the chairman and Chief Owner of McEwen Mining, believes the company is still undervalued. Be sure to check out my videoconference and interview with Rob from November 14, 2025, on YouTube and Substack.

Copper and our Peru ETF
Copper prices are close to their all-time high. As the 2nd largest exporter of copper, we selected Peru as one of our international diversification funds. The iShares Peru fund (symbol: EPU) performed at the top of the street with almost 68% gains in 2025. It also offers more than double the dividend of a comparable U.S.-based mid cap value fund.
 
Bitcoin and Crypto
At $90,000 a coin, bitcoin is still in the money – above $65,770, where it was when I published my March 24, 2024, blog when I selected it as the Investment of the Year. However, as importantly, we strongly encourage crypto lovers to rebalance and capture gains – something we’ve been harping on since Oct. 6, when bitcoin hit a high of $126,280.
 
So, are we entering another Crypto Winter? If history proves accurate, bitcoin might freeze over by Spring of 2026. Read my blog for the historical context. Of course, history doesn’t always follow the trend.

Rebalancing 1-3 times a year is very important. This strategy keeps us on the right side of the trade and takes the emotions out of the decision. When cryptocurrency is one or more of the hot slices in our age-appropriate, properly diversified plan, the system prompts us to capture gains at the high when the coins shoot the moon, and to add more low during Crypto Winters. During the 2022 Crypto Winter, bitcoin lost -67% of its value, dropping to $15,600/coin. Most people don’t buy low because they can’t. If you've captured gains, you have the emotional fortitude and the liquidity to buy more at a lower price, if you still believe in the asset.
 
We could even divest ourselves of capital gains taxes by selecting a bitcoin or ethereum ETF within our retirement plan. There are important considerations about where and how you purchase these funds. We talk about this at the Financial Freedom Retreat. 
 
Will bitcoin soar to new highs or tank next year? Either is a possibility, which is why it is important to have a plan that can keep our wealth growing no matter which way the wind blows. Be sure to read my Crypto Winter blog from November 30, 2025.

Value Replacements
U.S. equities are very expensive. Many of the industries and companies that are included in U.S. based value funds are heavily indebted, with slow revenue growth and slim profit margins. Boeing, a Dow Jones Industrial Average component, is at the lowest rung of investment grade with a BBB- rating (source: S&P Global). The company lost almost -$12 billion in 2024.
 
What is a value (on sale) when the DJIA keeps hitting new highs and the average price-earnings ratio is elevated? Another challenge for U.S. based value funds is that they are offering a very low dividend. I mentioned that Peru was earning double the income. The Peruvian ETF current yield is 3.27%, whereas the S&P 500 mid cap value fund is only offering 1.67%.
 
In our sample pie charts, we diversify internationally with value replacement funds. Many foreign countries offer higher yields with much lower debt than the U.S. As you can see with the Peruvian fund, performance can be another added attraction.
 
The Magnificent 7
The Magnificent 7 continues to be responsible for a great deal of the S&P 500 performance. Even with four out of the seven companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia), the DJIA performance was far lower than the S&P500. I mentioned that Boeing is one of the 30 DJIA components. So are 3M (chemicals) and Chevron. (See below for some of the challenges in these companies.)  
 
It is important to understand how to lean into performance. Do you have a large cap growth slice and potentially an extra hot slice of AI or technology in your wealth plan? It is equally advisable to underweight areas of the market that have fundamental challenges, such as we’re seeing with the commercial real estate and oil sectors.
 
Even with all the headlines and hoopla, the Magnificent 7 were not the best performers this year. That is why we strongly suggest having four different hot selections in our wealth plan.
 

Underweighting Oil & Old-School Blue Chips
The rapid shift away from ICE* to electric vehicles, particularly in the world’s largest vehicle market – China, has resulted in lower demand for oil products. This is something I pointed out in my Oil blog from March 31, 2025. Reduced demand is expected to keep prices low. In the 3Q 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Survey, oil executives expected the price of oil to be around $63/barrel at year’s end, perhaps recovering to $69/barrel (still too low for many new drilling projects) in two years. On Dec. 11, 2025, oil prices were at $58.15/barrel.
 
*ICE: Internal Combustion Engine

Oil companies are not the only heavily indebted, slow growth enterprises on Wall Street. Over half of the S&P500 companies are at the lowest rung of investment grade or in junk bond status. Ford Motor Company was below investment grade for most of 2023 and is currently at the lowest rung (BBB-) with a negative outlook.

Again, a lot of the low-credit quality companies are concentrated in our value funds. These are some of the reasons why we are underweighting the U.S. value funds and the oil industry (also better for the planet), and leaning into the products and companies of tomorrow, which tend to be more eco-friendly with superior performance. Many of the Magnificent 7 companies have a treasure trove of cash and enviable profit margins, along with impressive revenue growth. Some value funds and most target date retirement and bond funds have lost money over the last five years, while the S&P500 doubled. With stocks back to an all-time high, now is the time to rebalance and make sure that we keep our money, and that our wealth plan is age-appropriate and properly diversified, with no paper losses on the safe side.
 
Bottom Line
It’s been a volatile year. By April 8, 2025, stocks had plunged -20% in about a month. However, everything is coming up roses, with 18% gains in the S&P500 and a 3-year return of 86% or 24.49% annualized. As you can see in the performance chart above, if you were using our hots (crypto, clean energy, silver, AI, Magnificent 7) and our value replacement funds, including the iShares Peru ETF (symbol: EPU), then your nest egg equity performance was even higher.
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Having said that, 1-3 times a year rebalancing is one of the most important success strategies for investors. At the end of December, after the Santa Rally, is a great time to make sure that our wealth plan is age-appropriate and properly diversified – to capture and keep the impressive gains before heading into the New Year.



Why not treat yourself to an online Financial Freedom Retreat this holiday season?
Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now.

If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. 

Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. 

Learn how to:

* Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing,
* Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices
* Hedge against a weaker dollar,
* Invest and compound your gains,
* Green your retirement plan,
* Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies,
* Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto),
* Evaluate stocks,
* Avoid capital gains and financial predators,
* Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and,
* Know what's safe in a Debt World.

Yes, it's a complete money makeover. 
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Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. ​

"Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM

If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.

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Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.

Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!

​Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 
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Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden.​​

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Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify.
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Important Disclaimers
Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations.

ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy.  
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Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.