Natalie Pace Blogs
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 Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Airline and Auto Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? “I probably shouldn’t say this, but when you see one cockroach, there are probably more. And so we should—everyone should be forewarned on this one,” Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman, JPMorgan, 3Q earnings call on Oct. 15, 2025 In the above quote, Jamie Dimon was answering an analyst’s question on non-depository financial institutions and the bankruptcies of the auto companies Tricolor and First Brands. As proof of the cockroach theory, on the same day, Zions Bank reported a $50 million charge-off for commercial real estate loans the bank made where the CRE borrower has been accused of misrepresentations, contractual defaults and other irregularities (fraud). Verijet and Spirit Airlines also declared bankruptcy over the last few months. Are these signs of stress that are at odds with Wall Street ringing in new highs every day? Is it time to take a more defensive position? Email [email protected] if you’d like updated Auto, Airlines. Fintech and Bank Stock Report Cards. Here are the topics we will cover in this blog. Auto Industry Airline Industry Elevated Consumer Debt Buy Now, Pay Later The Kids’ Menu Bank and NDFI Debt & Leverage Recession Warnings? And here is more information on each point. Auto Industry The auto and airlines industries are often the canary in a coal mine before a contraction. When Main Street finds its wallet bare and cuts back on spending, Wall Street takes a hit. Why? Because the US economy is driven about 70% by consumer spending. The auto industry is expecting far fewer sales in 2026, perhaps -5% lower than 2025. This isn’t tragic. However, due to fierce competition, particularly from EV makers (especially Chinese), many companies are absorbing the components inflation and White House tariffs instead of passing these expenses onto the buyer. Higher costs will reduce the net profit of automakers, taking some of them from single-digit profitability into a cash negative position. According to a press release from S&P Global on 10.15.2025, “Among major automakers, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. (GM) continue to face the highest exposure to incremental costs from supply chain shifts due to tariffs and delayed EV profitability; Tesla Inc. benefits from vertical integration but contends with slowing global demand and margin compression.” As I mentioned in my Magnificent 7 blog (Tesla is one of the Magnificent 7), Tesla’s net profit might be $4-5 billion this year, down from $15 billion in 2023. Should a company with less than $5 billion in earnings be worth $1.5 trillion – more than the top 4 automakers combined (Toyota, GM, Ford & BYD)? The recent spate of bankruptcies by auto parts, suppliers and auto dealers reveals a fundamental weakness in a great deal of publicly-traded companies, particularly those founded more than 25 years ago. Over half of the S&P 500 is at or near junk bond status. There is elevated credit risk in the auto industry. All the companies in the Auto Dealers Stock Report Card are below investment grade. The three major US auto makers, Ford, General Motors and Tesla, are all at the lowest rung of investment grade. Ford Motor Company was a junk bond in 2023 and has a negative outlook. Bankruptcies ripple beyond the insurance companies, banks and other non-depository financial institutions (private equity, hedge funds) who loan the troubled companies money. A downgrade would cause financial harm to both stockholders and bondholders. Stock investors almost always lose all their money when a company declares bankruptcy, even if the company continues operating. Elevated debt is a major problem that will affect any industry and corporation that is heavily leveraged. The first sectors to be affected will be those that are losing revenue year over year and are unable to keep up their dividends and loan payments or to meet the terms of their bonds. This is partially why the airline industry is another harbinger of a weakening economy. Airline Industry Airline CEOs have to specialize in restructuring debt because that industry goes through tough times in every recession. Most of the airlines are junk bonds, with the exception of Delta and Southwest, which are both rated BBB (the lowest rung of investment grade). Profitability for airlines can be in the low single digits or negative, as it is for JetBlue. Revenue is slowing down, which puts the C-suite in a pickle, trying to keep up with all their debt obligations. Only Delta and Southwest pay a dividend. However, if either company receives a credit downgrade, or, even before that happens, if the cash becomes squeezed, the company will cut their dividend and the share price will gap down overnight. The dividend cut or other event often happens before the credit is downgraded. One example of a company defying the odds of a downgrade is Boeing, which is still one of the Dow components. Even though Boeing has been a poster child for poorly run operations and cut its dividend on March 20, 2020, the company is still rated investment grade (barely), with a BBB- credit rating, and a negative outlook. Elevated Consumer Debt Consumer debt is much higher than it was before the great recession. We’ve also seen a major uptick in student loan delinquencies – to 12.88% – which sinks FICO scores and makes it less possible for those affected to buy a new house or car. Auto loan debt delinquencies are still low, at 2.93%. However, the rate is ticking up.  Source: New York Federal Reserve Bank. Buy Now, Pay Later Bye now pay later loans have created a shadow debt system that might be flying under the radar of credit scores. In a Lending Tree survey, 41% of BNPL borrowers paid late in the past year, a spike over last year’s rate of 34%. 23% reported having three or more active loans at a time and 25% are using the loans for groceries (1/3 of GenZ BNPL borrowers). Not surprisingly, the personal savings rate is lower today than it has been since 1960 (with the exception of 2005, after the Dot Com Recession). What is the personal savings rate? It is what is left over after you pay all of your bills (including debt payments).  The Kids’ Menu This is more anecdotal, than scientific. However, it makes the numbers come to life. Over the last week I have witnessed two separate examples of adults ordering off the kids’ menu because they couldn’t afford the adult prices. This is saying a lot about how squeezed many Americans are (particularly GenZ). There has been a lot of research about how the wealthiest consumers are the ones who are keeping spending alive these days. According to Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, the delinquency rate on subprime loans jumped to 8.3% in September. This is only 15.3% of bank debt, but is likely much more for the BNPL fintechs like Affirm, Klarna, Paypal and Square, and Sofi Bank. This is one of the reasons why investors and depositors need to understand what’s safe in today’s Debt World. Read my 2026 Dividend and Income Strategies blog for details. As long as stocks are high, wealthy Americans might continue to keep consumer spending alive. However, we have seen that when share prices are elevated and bankruptcies and delinquencies start becoming more frequent, stock prices can fall far and fast. Remember that our best protection against a bear market isn’t selling everything and trying to market time. The best protection against a correction in stocks is having an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan. Do you know how protected you are currently? Are you suffering from paper losses or feel constrained by the limited options you have in your employer-sponsored retirement plan? There are solutions. Email [email protected] to learn more. Bank and NDFI Debt & Leverage Many people aren’t aware that a lot of our banks, insurance companies and fintechs have low credit ratings. Additionally, insurance companies and fintechs (including Paypal, Cash App, Gemini, stablecoins and more) are not FDIC-insured. Check out the credit ratings of many U.S., Australian and Canadian banks listed below.  This is one of the reasons why it is a bad idea to have uninsured deposits at any bank. It’s also one of the biggest reasons why annuities and money market funds are not great bets. They are not FDIC-insured but are only backed by the company that’s offering them. MMFs and annuities can also lose value in a variety of different ways. During recessions, we have seen money market funds that break the buck and have to be bailed out, and insurance companies that were overleveraged and had to be rescued. AIG would not be in business if we hadn’t done the TARP bailout in 2008. That would mean that over 50 million Americans with annuity and insurance products would’ve lost the majority of what they thought they had coming to them. So, why is the broker/salesman pushing their products? Could it be for the commissions? Annuities often pay 6-9% commission for the sale. Recession Warnings? Economists are predicting the economy to slow down to 1.6% in 2025 and 1.8% in 2026. (We’ll get fresh numbers at the Dec. 10, 2025, FOMC meeting.) However, economists are terrible at predicting recessions. If you wait for the headlines, you’ll be late. By the time Main Street gets the memo of the recession, the Wall Street whales have been taking profits for 6+ months, plunging prices by 35% or more. Again, having an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan that we rebalance 1-3 times a year is always important. If you haven’t rebalanced recently, now that stocks are at all-time highs is a great time to do so. Bottom Line We are starting to see signs of the unfortunate events that typically spark a bear market and/or a recession. Remember, it’s never a crash. Rather something startling will happen causing the market to drop significantly. After the initial shock, investors get complacent, until the next crisis occurs, pushing stocks down further. By the time the recession is declared stocks could have lost 40-45%. We might be closer to the bottom. Many investors sell low, or have to spend most of the recovery hoping to earn back losses, enduring an extended period of hard times after such a significant loss to their net worth. This is something that seasoned investors haven’t experienced since 2009, and younger investors have never experienced. That is because we printed up $5 trillion to avert a recession during the pandemic, due to the economists and Central bankers worrying about having a depression. The powers that be never desire to have a recession on their watch. However, if the 2025 bankruptcies and defaults continue into the new year, if those cockroaches that Jamie Dimon referred to do start coming out of the woodwork, we will see Wall Street react negatively. Again, we want to be ahead of the headlines – to fix the roof while the sun is still shining (and stocks are at all-time highs). 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 Halloween (10.31.2025) to receive the best price and a complimentary, private prosperity coaching session (value $400). 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. 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.  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 Halloween, Oct. 31, 2025 to Receive the best price and a complimentary, private prosperity coaching session (value $400).  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 7 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. 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. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? 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. 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.
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 Top Dividend (Income) Strategies for 2026 Everyone wants to earn income. However, with interest rates getting cut, so goes our dividend. C.D.’s are being called. Yield is going down. Where does the investor turn for the safe side of their wealth plan? Crypto, gold and the Magnificent 7 have offered explosive share price gains over the last three years. However, these investments come with a great deal of volatility, with few or no dividends. As just one example, we could have purchased Nvidia at $94/share on April 8, 2025, when the S&P500 was down -20% from the Feb. 2025 highs. In 2022, when the S&P500 lost -19.44%, many of the Magnificent 7 companies were down by half or more. This has a lot to do with expensive share prices. The companies are the new blue chips. However, should a company that might only earn $5 billion in net income in 2025 be worth $1.46 trillion (Tesla)?  It’s always important to have a percentage equal to our age safe from the Wall Street roller-coaster – invested in assets that can offer an income without risking our principal. However, has the word “income” become bait for risky investments that lose a chunk of our money almost the instant we purchase them? Are you worried that we’re living in a Debt World, unsure of what the consequences might be? Are you tempted or seduced by the idea of earning a 10% yield? What are paper losses? Does it all wash out in the end, since yields rise when share prices fall, or is that just another sales pitch? FYI: We just hosted our annual Fixed Income and Bonds Without Paper Losses Masterclass. Receive access to the recording (value $695) when you register for our New Year New You Financial Freedom Retreat by Halloween (10.31.2025), or purchase a 12-month all-access pass, good for 3-4 retreats and 3-4 master classes in 2026. You’ll also receive the best price and a complimentary 50-minute private, prosperity coaching session. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. Here are the topics we’ll discuss in this blog. Corporate Bonds Treasury Bills Certificates of Deposit High-Yield Savings Accounts Money Market Funds FDIC-Insured Cash at a Brokerage or Fintech Stablecoins Gold Crypto Here are more tips to keep in mind The Rising Yield, Sinking Stock Myth No Blind Faith: Read the Fine Print Keep the Terms Short and the Creditworthiness High Never Reach for Yield Underweight Bond Funds and Money Market Funds Rolling Maturity Dates & FDIC Limits And here is more information on each item. Corporate Bonds The mantra for all fixed-income products is: Keep the terms short and the creditworthiness high. (The additional tips listed below are also key.) Investing in a short-term corporate bond issued by a company with a AAA or AA credit rating in the secondary market could be one alternative to consider, particularly when our C.D.s are called in. With two more 25-basis point cuts expected in 2025 and one in 2026, banks will continue offering below-market interest rates, or calling in the C.D.s that we thought we had locked in. In our masterclass, we found a 5-year Microsoft (AAA) bond, due 9.30.2030, that was offering a yield to maturity rate of 3.7%. As you can see in the Fixed Income Offering graph below (from 10.17.2025), that is a competitive short-term yield.  Data from 10.17.2025. With interest rates expected to be cut to the 3.50-3.75% range in 2025 and 3.25-3.50% range in 2026 (3.0% longer run), high-rated, short-term corporate bonds in the secondary market are one way to lock in a competitive income, while mitigating risk. Treasury Bills Are you being told to just buy Treasury bills when you Certificate of Deposit gets called? Are you aware that there have been liquidity issues in the T-Bill marketplace, or that long-term government bonds lost -26% in 2022 and another -6.415 in 2024? Long-term government bonds were some of the worst performing assets in 2022. So, this offers us a stark reminder that we should not put all our money in Treasury bills, particularly mid and long-term. In September 2022, investors were spooked about the level of debt in the U.K., causing a crisis in their gilts (treasuries). Almost overnight, pension funds were on the brink of collapse (much like the 5 U.S. banks that failed in March of 2023). The Central Bank stepped in for the rescue (in both scenarios). In addition to keeping the terms short and the creditworthiness high, diversify across fixed-income products, rather than putting all of our eggs in T-bills. Certificates of Deposit Many, but not all, C.D.s offer FDIC insurance, adding a level of security. Some C.D.s are not FDIC-insured, so we always want to read the fine print and know what the terms are. With the 2025 interest rate cuts, C.D.s are getting called in. With more cuts expected, trying to lock in a short-term, market-yielding C.D. will continue to be an exercise in futility. What’s hot and what’s safe change every year, which is why it is important to get updated on the areas of opportunity, as well as be forewarned about the money pits, on a regular basis. Our next Financial Freedom Retreat is Jan. 17-19, 2026, ONLINE. Register by Halloween and receive the best price and a complimentary, private prosperity coaching session (value $400), and access to the Fixed Income Masterclass of Oct. 18, 2025. High-Yield Savings Accounts “High-Yield” is false advertising. Many companies that offer these products give just a few tenths of a percent more than the market yield. Additionally, we might be taking on more risk than we realize. What are the additional risks? Many high-yield saving accounts are offered by fintechs, stablecoins or brokerages that are not FDIC-insured. We’ll talk more about those financial services companies below. Money Market Funds Money market funds are not FDIC-insured. All funds, including MMFs, can go down in value. As interest rates get cut, the income you earn in the money market fund goes down automatically. Finally, money market funds are vulnerable to investor runs. As such, they often get into trouble in recessions. A lot of MMFs were bailed out in the Great Recession. However, there is no guarantee that they will be rescued in the next one. FDIC-Insured Cash at a Brokerage or Fintech Many fintechs and brokerages have a relationship with a bank and offer FDIC-insured cash through that relationship. However, it is important to remember that only banks are FDIC-insured. If the brokerage, stablecoin or fintech fails, the FDIC insurance does not kick in. As cautionary tales, depositors had their assets frozen and/or a good deal lost money, during the bankruptcies or crises of Blockfi, FTX, Gemini Earn and Voyager Digital in 2022, and the Synapse and Yotta failures in 2024. PayPal, Coinbase, and Cash.App are all fintechs that are not FDIC-insured. It’s always important to read the fine print before you invest in anything – even if the marketing copy offers assurances that put you at ease. (We’ve seen some egregious claims, outlined later in this blog.) Stablecoins Stablecoins are not government insured. They can go down in value. We have seen stablecoins that have outright failed, some due to an implosion of the assets they were backed by and others by hacking events. TerraUSD is one of the most notorious. However, there have been hundreds of de-pegging incidences, not counting the rampant crypto scams. (More than $16 billion was lost to Internet crimes in 2024, up 33% from 2023.) The 2025 Genius Act, which was passed on July 4, 2025, requires a 1-1 reserve in cash, short-term T-bills, REPOs and other named cash equivalents for stablecoins. Yet there are still ways that a stablecoin can run into trouble. Circle’s USDC stablecoin didn’t collapse, but it did break the buck in March of 2023. The coin experienced a liquidity crisis when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. Why? Circle reportedly had $5 billion in uninsured deposits at the bank. When the FDIC and the Federal Reserve stepped in to guarantee uninsured depositors on March 12, 2023, Circle’s depositors were reassured. Today, the USDC stablecoin is the 2nd most popular, behind Tether’s USDT, with a market capitalization of $16.7 billion. Gold Gold is on fire. However, it is far more volatile than many people realize, and it doesn’t offer dividends. After the highs set in 2011, gold dropped -37% and stayed there until the pandemic. Most of us can’t afford to lose almost 40% of our wealth for a decade. So, I encourage you to read the Gold chapter of The ABCs of Money 6th edition. Because of the volatility, it’s a good idea to put our gold holdings on the “at-risk” side of our diversified wealth plan. I put it as a hot slice or two, which prompts me to capture gains at the high and add more when prices drop (if I believe it will rebound soon). If you would like to personalize your own pie chart using our free web app, email [email protected] with free apps in the subject line. I also offer an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current plan. Email [email protected] for pricing and information. Crypto Crypto, like gold, is thought of as a safe haven. However, the safe side of our wealth plan shouldn’t fluctuate as much as crypto does. In fact, crypto is still a trading platform, not a currency. Currencies are stable and reliable, whereas Bitcoin and other crypto assets experience steep, prolonged periods of devaluation. During the most recent Crypto Winter (2022), Bitcoin lost -67%, dropping from a high of $69,000 in 2021 to a low of under $15,000 in 2022. In early Oct. of 2025, Bitcoin was worth $126,000/coin and then plunged to $109,000 two weeks later – a drop of -13.5%. It is also important to realize that crypto, like gold and other perceived safe havens, don’t pay an income and are not federally insured. By allocating our crypto in the hot slices of the at-risk portion of our wealth plan, we are prompted to buy low and capture gains at the high – putting us on the right side of the trade of this volatile investment. Keep These Tips in Mind The Rising Yield, Sinking Stock Myth Broker-salesman and stock gurus will often tell their clients not to worry about losing money on their fixed-income products because either they will get it all back when it comes to term or the yield will rise, as the share price sinks. However, if the company or fund gets into trouble and must cut its dividend, the share price will experience a gap down overnight that is far more severe than any amount of income can make up for. If a company must declare bankruptcy before the term of its bond is met, the bondholders will get back far less than they had invested. These are only a few ways that the yield doesn’t make up for the loss of principal, which is why we’re encouraging the mantra, “Keep the terms short and the creditworthiness high.” Email [email protected] if you have any questions about this. No Blind Faith: Read the Fine Print In our bond masterclass of Oct. 18, 2025, I shared many examples of how the marketing copy of an investment can be a lie, while the fine print tells a completely different story – one that legally protects the company. One “defensively-positioned” product for “income-focused” individual investors claimed to have a “high-quality” portfolio. The fine print revealed that the managers invest in junk bonds and use leverage which “will magnify the potential for loss.” Once invested, individuals would have a difficult time selling their shares. It's equally important to read the fine print on our brokerage statement to verify that what we’re being told by our money manager matches the data on the statement itself. It is the fine print that is the legal document, not the conversation. There have been many examples of insurance and financial services companies getting fined by the SEC because their salespersons were misrepresenting the terms of the asset in order to secure the sale. I offer an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current plan. Email [email protected] for pricing and information. Now is a great time to know what you own and why, and to make necessary adjustments, while stocks are still close to an all-time high. Keep the Terms Short and the Creditworthiness High There are many reasons why we want to keep the terms short. Here are a few examples that I used in October’s Bond masterclass. What are the odds that Apple will get into trouble in the next two years? (very low) What are the odds that there might be a different smart phone in the next 25 years? (Are you aware that Samsung is the #1 smart phone maker by units and that Huawei replaced Apple as #2 in 2018?) Apple is back to #2 and is loved by its customers. However, remaining on top for decades is more difficult. What are the odds that Boeing or Ford might get into trouble over the next two years? (high) These two companies are rated at the lowest rung of investment grade – BBB- with a negative outlook. Ford was a junk bond before being bumped up to investment grade on Oct. 30, 2023. When a company gets a credit downgrade, the value of the bond goes down (a gap down). It might become illiquid. If the company has to restructure debt through a bankruptcy process, we’re going to lose some (or much) of our principal investment. Keeping the duration short and the creditworthiness high reduces the risk of these scenarios. Never Reach for Yield The higher the dividend, the higher the risk. Why would a company want to give you a 10% annual income, when creditworthy companies can borrow for under 5%? The above example of misleading marketing, where the truth was buried in the fine print, was offering 10.5% annualized… I mean 9.6% if you read the fine print. Why would a broker-salesman want to sell the product to his/her client? Could it be for the fees? (Annuities can pay up to 9% commission.) Keep in mind the saying of Will Rogers, “I’m more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money.“ Underweight Bond Funds and Money Market Funds Many bond funds (and target date retirement funds) are losing money. Money market fund downsides were already mentioned above. Remember: the safe side of our plan is there to keep our wealth intact.  Source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. If you have a 401(k), and bond or MMF funds are the only choices on the safe side, there are a few strategies to consider. One is to contribute only to the employer match in your 401(k), while maxing out your individual retirement accounts, which offers a larger selection of options, including Treasury bills, bonds (not just funds) and C.D.s. Another would be to see if your employer-sponsored plan can be self-directed. If you’ve left the company, you can easily roll old employer-sponsored retirement accounts into an IRA, where you will have far more options on the fixed-income and the equity side. Rolling Maturity Dates & FDIC Limits Have rolling maturity dates, so that you have liquidity and access to your money. This is different from laddering. Also, observe FDIC-insured levels. While the uninsured deposits of Silicon Valley Bank were bailed out in March 2023 when the bank failed, that was a special exemption. There is no guarantee that there will be exceptions made in the future. When times get rough, buying opportunities abound, but only for those who have liquidity (not those caught on the wrong side of the trade). Rolling maturity dates and shorter durations ensure our ability to buy low, when most will not have the resources to take advantage of assets on sale. Bottom Line Getting safe in a Debt World, where the debt to GDP of wealthy nations has not been this high since the Napoleonic wars (with the exception of the pandemic) is tricky. Paper losses are far more problematic than we are being told. It isn’t difficult to earn a competitive income without paper losses, once we clearly understand the terms I’ve outlined above. (Time to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school.) There are many reasons why a financial representative might not be painting a clear picture of the risk vs. reward required for a safe and sober wealth plan. We must be the boss of our money because when times get tough, it is our money at risk. This time around, even the safe side is vulnerable. Since our inception in 1999, we have been offering fixed-income strategies with a competitive market yield and no paper losses. During the 15-year period after the Great Recession, when we weren’t getting paid to take on the risk (0% interest rates), we encouraged people to lean into income-producing real estate. Real estate more than doubled over that period, while offering the best and safest yield. (Not so today, as prices are too high and wipe out the cap rate.) There is always opportunity when we let wisdom, research and time-proven systems be our North Star. 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 Halloween (10.31.2025) to receive the best price and a complimentary, private prosperity coaching session (value $400). 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. 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.  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 Halloween, Oct. 31, 2025 to Receive the best price and a complimentary, private prosperity coaching session (value $400).  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 7 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. 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. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? 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. 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.  Will There Be a Santa Rally? Or was the September Rise the Highlight of the Year? Stocks are at an all-time high, making a lot of us feel comfortable, if not complacent, heading into the final quarter of the year. However, Santa Rallies are not guaranteed to be big winners. In 2008 and 2018, Santa put coal in investors’ stockings. Just three years ago, the S&P 500 lost -19.44%. The Magnificent 7 were some of the worst performers of that period, down by -50% or more, with Tesla plunging -67%.  You don’t even have to go back to 2022. In April, Nvidia sank to under $100/share.  Source: MSN.com (c) Microsoft. 2025. Used with permission. What’s causing the volatility on Wall Street? Will stocks just keep ringing in new highs? Can we make an educated guess as to whether 2025 will experience great gains in the last quarter, and what lies on the horizon for 2026? Here are the things we’ll cover in this blog. Average Santa Rally Performance Was There a Santa Rally in 2022? Santa Rallies When Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs (like 1999, 2000 & 2007) Corporate Buybacks Are at an All-Time High December 2018 Bewitching October Trends And here is more on each topic. Average Santa Rally Performance The Santa Rally – the 3-month period of October through December – is a historically strong quarter, featuring almost 9% gains on average over the last five years. The 10-year period is lower, at under 5.5%, largely due to the terrible December performance of 2018. (We’ll discuss this below.) The 20-year period is still positive, but even lower, at less than 4% gains over the quarter, on average. See the chart below for the monthly performance of the S&P500 over the last 5, 10 and 20 years. Of course, the down years get swallowed up in the average, so let’s dive into the details of the last correction in 2022.  Was There a Santa Rally in 2022? 2022 was a down year on Wall Street, when the S&P500 dropped -19.44%. October and November started out strong in 2022, with impressive gains of over 13% in the two-month period. December lost -5.90%. All told, the quarter was a gain of over 7.0%. However, that wasn’t enough to recover the losses of the year. While the Magnificent 7 were some of the worst performers in 2022 (see chart above), they have been on fire since then. The S&P500 has more than doubled over the last five years. 2023 and 2024 were spectacular years on Wall Street, with gains of 24.23% and 23.31% in the S&P500 (not including dividends), respectively. Many target date retirement funds have lost money over that same period. Do you know what you own in your retirement account? The trend keeps moving up, up, up, despite the down years. However, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla remain volatile. In April of this year, you could have purchased Nvidia for under $100/share. Tesla was down -54.6% on March 10th. I’ll discuss how to manage this volatility in the Bottom Line section below. We also teach this in our Financial Freedom Retreat. Santa Rallies When Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs (like 1999, 2000 & 2007) Everyone partied like it was 1999 during that year’s Santa Rally, pushing the S&P500 up almost 14% in the last quarter. However, the index sank -10.14% in 2000. The NASDAQ Composite Index, where the hottest Dot Com stocks were listed, dropped -78% between the highs of March 2000 and the lows of October 2002. In 2000, GDP growth decelerated to 1% by the 4th quarter but was still positive. However, because stocks were overpriced, the whales of Wall Street took their gains off the table. Equities today are almost as elevated as they were in 2000 and are far higher than the Great Recession and the Great Depression, as you can see in the chart below.  CAPE Ratio data provided by Professor Robert Shiller, Nobel Prize winning economist. In 2007, before the Great Recession, stocks hit an all-time high in October before retreating -5.26% in November and December. 2008 was a terrible year on Wall Street. The S&P500 plunged -38.49%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off by -55% between the high of Oct. 2007 and the low of March 2009. The interesting thing about the Great Recession is that debt, leverage and slow growth were all triggers for the global financial crisis. Today debt and leverage are far higher than they were then, as you can see in the chart below.  Even though Wall Street is on fire, the economy is predicted to slow in 2025 to 1.6% GDP growth from last year’s 2.8%. Slow growth is a negative indicator for continued strength in stocks, as are debt, leverage and expensive prices. Despite the rather tepid expectation, we might see another 3rd quarter surprise when the GDP numbers are released on Oct. 30, 2025. GDPNow is projecting that the 3Q 2025 GDP growth could be as high as 3.8%. With the government shutdown still happening, data is not being refreshed. So, it’s anyone’s guess whether the numbers will be that strong. 3.8% GDP growth will excite retail investors. However, the whales will be looking to see what 4Q has in store when determining whether to buy or sell. Corporate Buybacks Are at an All-Time High Corporate buybacks hit a new record in the 1Q of 2025. Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Nvidia are all engaged in robust share purchases of their own stock, accounting for almost 27% of share repurchases in 2Q of 2025. Apple is the leader by far as you can see in the chart below.  2Q 2025 share repurchases were down a bit from the 1st quarter. However, Howard Silverblatt, the senior index analyst of S&P Dow Jones Indices wrote in an email on Sept. 17, 2025, that “Q3 2025 is expected to spring back to near the record levels.” This is positive for the Spring Rally for two reasons. Buying activity increases share prices, which makes happy investors chase the gains. Secondly, the reduction in share count increases the earnings per share and lowers the price earnings ratio. That makes the stock, even at a higher price, look like a better bargain. These phenomena have had a hand in the September 2025 jump on Wall Street. Companies with a lot of cash (like the multi trillion-dollar technology companies) have considered share repurchases to be a very good strategy over the past decade, which has provided a great deal of support for stocks. However, none of this helped much in April of this year when the tariff scare put buying on hold from investors and corporations alike. While robust share repurchases in Q3 helped to push stocks to ever-increasing all-time highs in September, there is a great deal of uncertainty and concern about an increase in unemployment and persistent/problematic inflation, which creates volatility on Wall Street and reticence in the C-Suite. AI and technology continue to be the bright spots, while retail, real estate and health care continue to struggle. December 2018 December 2018 was the worst December in U.S. stocks since the Great Depression. Stocks dropped -9.2% in one month. One of the catalysts of the drop was a cessation of corporate buybacks from Apple. Apple was concerned about missing their end-of-year revenue forecasts due to fierce competition from Huawei. They ceased their buybacks in December 2018 without notice or warning. Learn more in my Jan. 3, 2019, blog about Huawei knocking Apple to the #3 spot in global smart phone sales. Bewitching October Trends October tends to have gains, as high as 1.79% on average over the last five years. However, it’s known as the bewitching month because when it doesn’t have positive performance, the results can be devastating. October was the beginning of the Great Depression. It also hosted Black Monday 1987. Bottom Line With a slowing economy, trade wars, inflation, high housing costs, increasing unemployment and global tension, there is no guarantee that this year’s Santa Rally will bring investors what we want for Christmas. With stocks at an all-time high, and recent examples of swift and severe plunges, our best protection is to rebalance, capture gains and make sure that we have an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan in place. Typical recessions can take a decade or longer for a full recovery. (It took the NASDAQ Composite Index 15 years to return to the March 2000 highs.) 21st Century recessions have shattered the old trope of Buy and Hope. Economists aren’t predicting a recession this year or next. However, some have pointed out that many states are already experiencing an economic downturn. Mark Zandi, the senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, posted on X on Sept. 29, 2025, writing, “The economy’s performance and near-term prospects remain far from bright. Recession risks… remain uncomfortably high.” Corporate buybacks were strong in the 3rd quarter but can turn on a dime without warning. While it’s possible that stocks can continue to rise with the Santa Rally trend, it’s not a given. It’s better to be ahead of the news than wait until an economic storm has wiped out our gains to think about fixing our financial house. With stocks at an all-time high, now is a great time to make sure that we have an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan in place. The great news is that we can also capture gains at an all-time high, while making sure that we have exposure to the hottest industries and are underweighting the paper losses and underperformance of the sectors that are struggling. Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Oct. 11-13 2025 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget and how to hedge in a volatile Debt World. 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 Oct. 11-13 2025. 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, * 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. You'll even discover how to save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. 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.  Receive the best price when you register with friends and family. Visit NataliePace.com to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register.  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 7 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. 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. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? 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. 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. |
AuthorNatalie Pace is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project and the author of The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, The ABCs of Money, The ABCs of Money for College, The Gratitude Game and Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. She is a repeat guest & speaker on national news shows and stages. She has been ranked the No. 1 stock picker, above over 830 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency, and has been saving homes and nest eggs since 1999. Archives
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