Natalie Pace Blogs
Photo of Natalie Pace by Marie Commiskey. Avalon Photography.
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 Paper Losses. Were You Assured Your Money Was Safe When It Wasn’t Properly Protected? Should You Buy into the Bond Selloff? What About Those High-Yield Opportunities That Are Popping Up Everywhere? What the Broker/Salesman Might Not Be Fully Disclosing, Including a Warning on Those Losses That They Claim are Just on Paper. Also, Are High Yields in a Low-Yield Market Too Good to Be True and Too Dangerous to Touch? The Retail Apocalypse Continues: Bankruptcies Are at the Highest Level Since 2010 694 companies declared bankruptcy in 2024, up 9.3% year-over-year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. That marks a 14-year high not seen since the 828 bankruptcy filings in 2010. Retail was the most problematic (Big Lots), while industrials (Spirit Airlines) came in second.  This is very relevant for anyone who is suffering from paper losses. When companies restructure their debt, or countries must be bailed out, bondholders lose money. After the Greek bond crisis in 2011, MF Global was forced to take 1/3 of the principle it had invested. That put MF Global out of business. (There’s a Wiki page on this.) How long is the term on your holdings? Will you be alive when the company (or country) has to pay you back? What are the odds that the bond will be part of a restructuring proceeding and you recover far less than you invested? Orange County declared bankruptcy in 1994, while cities like Stockton and Detroit did in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Is the coupon illiquid because sophisticated investors already know that the term is too long and the creditworthiness is too low? These are just some of the ways that we can lose money in a conservative portfolio. Those pesky paper losses are far more problematic than most of us are being told – and few of us are warned before we are sold into these risky assets (which we might be told are conservative). We can’t hold a bond to term if the company goes bankrupt, and we can’t sell it to someone else if there are no buyers. With paper losses, our wealth plunges and our FICO score sinks because our debt to assets ratio is no longer attractive. If a better investment opportunity comes along (lower risk and higher yield), we won’t be able to take advantage of it. (Most people don’t buy low because they can’t.) So, how can we earn income in a Debt World without paper losses, risk or illiquid holdings? Here are the things we will cover in this blog. Why Conservative Plans Are Not Conservative What the Broker/Salesman Might Not Be Disclosing Should You Buy into the Bond Selloff? High Yield in a Debt World Misleading “Expert” Salesmen, Blogs and Webinars And here is more information on each point Why Conservative Plans Are Not Conservative A person who is risk-averse to stocks recently asked me for an unbiased second opinion. He had been told that he was avoiding the losses of stocks from the pandemic, while earning 5 to 10% income on his investments. The broker/salesman had misinformed him because stocks have been on fire, with gains of 24% in 2023 and 23% in 2024. As you can see in the chart at the top of this blog, the 10-year returns of large cap stocks (including the losses in 2022), are 13.1%. The Magnificent 7 companies (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla) doubled in 2023 and led market gains in 2024. Meanwhile, long-term bonds and many bond funds have lost value (money) over that period. 2022 was a terrible year for bonds, when long-term government bonds lost -26%. (Remember that 5 banks failed in early 2023.) Things haven’t improved measurably for fixed income.  Saying that this client was earning 5-10% yield on his bonds was excluding the fact that he had paper losses, which reduced the performance to under 2%. One of his holdings was a junk bond with a term of over 50 years. The investor had lost money the moment he purchased the bonds, and, as they were illiquid, it was questionable whether or not he could exit the high-risk investment and get a better, more protected return. What the Broker/Salesman Might Not Be Disclosing Another client was sold into multiple annuities without being informed that the insurance company who sells them is not FDIC-insured, nor that up to 9% of their money would be lost the moment they purchased the annuity. They were not told about surrender fees prior to owning. Instead, they were told that there was no way they could lose money. Surrender fees are paper losses, too, that you have to earn back over up to 10 years. If the financial advisor can buy and sell without consulting us, we might be sold into whatever their boss (brokerage) is telling them to sell. And any commission-based broker/salesman is going to be tempted when the commission is higher, as is the case with annuities and private placements. 6% commission on $250,000 is $15,000 to the broker/salesman. Be sure to read, “They Trusted Him. Now He Doesn’t Return Calls.” Should You Buy into the Bond Selloff? Another troublesome development is the funds that are flowing out of bonds. If you look at the liquidity chart below, you’ll see that short-term bonds are very liquid, as are S&P 500 stocks and gold. On the other hand, corporate stocks, even investment grade, along with Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks are not very liquid. (The same is true for U.K. gilts and German Bunds).  I recently read an article where the writer was encouraging people to go on the buy side of this trend. The writer noted that when interest rates get cut, bonds benefit, which is true in a normal world, but is ignoring the risks of a Debt World. The greatest risks to loaning money in a Debt World are duration and credit risk. While interest rate cuts help a little bit, they don’t eliminate those danger zones. Interest rates were cut to zero in 2008, and that didn’t prevent the bankruptcies of Stockton and Detroit, the liquidation of Washington Mutual, or the debt restructurings of General Motors and Chrysler.  Par Yield Rates. Source: Treasury.gov Additionally, at 4.5%, we’re not paid to take on the risk. We get paid almost the same amount for short-term, creditworthy, and more liquid fixed-income products than we do for long-term, illiquid, negative-yielding assets. High Yield in a Debt World Have you been approached by someone telling you that you can earn double what the current climate offers? I recently came upon a YouTube advertisement where the CEO of a brand-new company was offering 9-13% annual yield. Remember that this is more likely a red flag, then an opportunity. If it sounds too good to be true it often is. High-yield is quite risky in the world where we’re seeing so many bankruptcies, which is why high-yield is referred to as junk. The commodity behind the investment that this person was offering has a very volatile price history. We have to ask ourselves, “If BBB corporations can still borrow at under 6%, why am I being offered 13%?” Misleading “Expert” Salesmen, Blogs and Webinars The CEO mentioned above who is offering 9-13% yield has no prior experience in finance. He is an engineer by trade. The company has only been around since 2022. Engineers are not trained in capital markets. Their expertise lies elsewhere. Grade your guru before listening to anything s/he says, and certainly before watching her YouTube pitch. Another misleading sales tactic is that investors are being advised that when the corporate share price goes down, the yield goes up. While this is true, there are problems with this concept (such as Detroit, GM, Stockton, Silicon Valley Bank and many commercial real estate REITs). The yield does not go up enough to cover a plunge in share price. The second is that when the price goes down and the company is really getting into trouble, the first thing they do is cut the dividend. When that happens, the share price will plunge even further before investors can sell. (It’s called a gap down.) We’ve seen that in many high-profile corporations, including General Electric in 2017. Prior to General Electric’s dividend cut and share price plunge, the company had been one of the Dividend Aristocrats on Wall Street. (Click to access the blog I wrote in Nov. of 2017.) FYI: I had been warning about GE in my books, retreats and blogs for years before the dividend cut. The company was one of the most egregious at borrowing and was a poster child for the mantra, “The higher the dividend, the higher the risk.” FYI, that is another problem of sales pitches. They come up with sexy names like Dividend Aristocrats to seduce investors, even if the truth is far afield of the name. A better not-so-sexy characterization to remember is that we live in a Debt World, with leverage that is unprecedented in history – far above what it was in the Great Recession. Even today, the long-term debt to equity at GE is 106% (very high).  Bottom line Insurance companies and homeowners are learning the true risk and cost of natural disasters with all of the catastrophes of late. Bond owners are now feeling the paper cuts of loaning money to heavily indebted corporations for 30, and sometimes even 100 years. In an increasingly risky world, it pays to be informed and to be the boss of our money and future. We must understand the danger before we make the purchase, otherwise we jeopardize being a day late and a dollar short. How can you take ownership of your wealth plan? With regard to bonds: Keep the terms short. Keep the creditworthiness high. Consider FDIC insurance levels. Read the fine print. Diversify across banks and with Treasury bills. Have rolling maturity dates. Know the risk before signing on the dotted line and plunking down any money. We might also understand how safe income-producing hard assets that we purchase for a good price might offer the best yield in today’s Debt World. (There are some areas of interest other than just real estate and income property.) We cover what’s safe for one full day at our Financial Freedom Retreat. Join us April 25-27, 2025, online. Register by January 31, 2025, to receive the best price and a private prosperity coaching session with me personally (value: $400). Join us at our online Spring Financial Freedom Retreat April 25-27, 2025 (online) and our Stock Masterclass (learn the strategies that earned me the ranking of #1 stock picker) on May 3, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online Spring Financial Freedom Retreat April 25-27, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register by Jan. 31, 2025, to receive the best price and a complimentary 50-minute private prosperity coaching session (value $400). Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 12-19, 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There are only 9 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more. (2025 is sold out.)  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Apple iPhone Sales Plunge in China. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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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 Homeownership is a great way to build wealth -- if you do it right. Be sure to take our 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Are you an Einstein in investing? A complete novice? Check your Investor IQ with the 26 questions below. If you score 22 correct answers or higher, then you’re in great shape! If you score 18, then you are C-level. Below that indicates that it is truly time to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school and college. (Even math geniuses might not know the basics of Wall Street… We have a lot of financial professionals who attend our retreats!) Join us now at our next Financial Freedom Retreat to learn time-proven strategies that will save you thousands annually, earn money while you sleep and lead to generational wealth. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register now.
Answers are listed in the article "Investor IQ Test Answers 2025" in my blog at NataliePace.com. https://www.nataliepace.com/blog/ Email info @ NataliePace.com or call 310-430-2397 if you have any questions about this test, or about the answers, or if you are interested in learning time-proven investing, budgeting, debt reduction, home buying solutions that will transform your life. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Apple iPhone Sales Plunge in China. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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.  Answers to the 2025 Investor IQ Test. by Natalie Pace. If you score 21 correct answers or higher in our 2025 Investor IQ Test, then you’re in great shape! If you score 18, then you are C-level. Below 18 correct indicates that you are in real need of a basic course in life math. (Even Ph.D.s and math geniuses might not know the basics of Wall Street… We have a lot of well-educated professionals and financial executives who attend our retreats!) So, consider joining us at our next Investor Educational Retreat. There you will learn the life math that will save you thousands annually, earn money while you sleep, activate a much richer life, and lead to generational wealth. The sooner you get this information, the faster your life transforms. Our time-proven 21st Century strategies are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary Becker, former TD AMERITRADE chairman and CEO Joe Moglia, McArthur Genius Award winning economist Kevin Murphy and thousands of Main Street investors. They earned gains in the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession, and outperformed the bull markets in between. Best of all, these strategies are as easy as a pie chart. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397, if you’d like to see more testimonials, if you have questions, or if you’d like to register to attend one of our online courses. 1. What are the most important questions you should ask your Certified Financial Advisor before hiring him/her? "How much of my portfolio should I keep safe?" This question will help you to determine whether you are dealing with a trusted professional who is looking after your best interest, or a salesman who is looking to make a quick buck. The industry standard answer to this question is, "A percentage equal to your age.” As stocks are trading at elevated prices and bonds are carrying duration and credit risk, which can make them illiquid and negative-yielding, it would be even better if s/he adds, “But given elevated equity valuations and leverage concerns, we might consider overweighting into safety." If they just sidestep this question and redirect you to a risk tolerance questionnaire, that is a red flag. If they tell you not to worry because things always work out in the end, that it a sure sign that you are adopting the Buy & Hope plan, which wipes investors out in recessions – something that is never ideal, but can be devastating as we get closer to retirement. One more important thing. Since many long-term bonds lost more than stocks in 2022 and have continued their downward trajectory, we need to know what’s safe in a Debt World, rather than just rely upon bonds, annuities or money market funds. These “safe havens” are highly leveraged, subject to credit risk, vulnerable to capital loss and can be illiquid to boot. Now is the time to clearly know exactly what we own and why. You can learn more about why so many “safe” investments are losing money in our blog. Consider getting an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, if you’re unsure just how safe, protected, hot and diversified you are. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing and details. 2. What are 3 red flags that your financial plan is at greater risk of losses than you are being told?
A percentage equal to your age. Consider overweighting more into safety when assets are overpriced, the economy is weak, or you are nervous. Again, in today’s Debt World, it is important to know what’s safe. Long-term bonds are losing value and are illiquid, which makes them substantially riskier than most investors realize. (Our safe side isn’t supposed to lose money!) Money market funds can have liquidity fees, are vulnerable to capital loss and are not FDIC-insured. Annuities are more vulnerable than most investors know because insurance companies are carrying a great deal of risk and leverage, can have hidden fees and terms that mute performance, and annuities are not federally insured. Additionally, you lose up to 9% of your money when you purchase the annuity! (So much for the sales pitch that you can’t lose.) 4. What's safe? In 2025, consider short-term, creditworthy FDIC-insured CDs, Treasury Bills or bonds. Rolling, short-term maturity dates ensure that we have access and liquidity in case another investment opportunity arises, and protects us from duration risk. Read the fine print. Be cautious about extending duration beyond a few years. Factor in the credit risk. Hard assets will hold their value better than paper assets in a Debt World. So, the mantra “safe, income-producing hard assets that you purchase for a good price” is another good option. Real estate is at an all-time high in the U.S., so it will likely be difficult to purchase for a good price in 2025, unless we are looking into a 3-generation family plan (which is a great idea). There are some hard assets that offer the best ROI by reducing our monthly expenses (for life), which we cover at the Financial Freedom Retreat, and in our blogs and videoconferences. You don’t want to be all in on hard assets because you also need liquidity and cash flow. You don’t want paper losses because they reduce your net worth and FICO score, and you might actually need that money. We spend one full day on What’s Safe at the Investor Educational Retreats. Educate yourself now on the best income-producing hard assets that are right for you, so that when prices are more attractive, you know what you want and have the means to take action and close the deal. Call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Everyone is hoping that interest rates will go down in 2025 and 2026. However, the landscape has gotten a little trickier, with the possibility that tariffs will bring back the inflation problem. The Fed Fund rate is projected to go down to 3.9% in 2025, 3.4% in 2026 and 3.1% in 2027 (as of Dec. 18,2024). Incoming data often changes these projections. 5. What is the average return of stocks over the last 10 and 30 years? Large cap stocks earned 13.1% annualized over the last decade and 10.92% over the 30-year period (source: Morningstar). Small cap stocks performed at 7.08% and 9.02%, respectively.  6. What is the average return of gold over the last 10 and 30 years? Gold returned 7.39% annualized over the 10-year period and 6.24% over the last 30 years. Gold mining stocks doubled in 2016, were flat in 2017, and doubled (again) off their 2018 lows by August 2020. The RING iShares ETF is still down 40% from the all-time high set in 2012. Regular rebalancing (1-3 times a year) prompts us to trim high and add low. The all-time high for gold of $2,784 was hit on Oct. 29, 2024. The previous cyclical high of $1,895/ounce in gold in September of 2011, occurred the month after S&P Global Ratings stripped the U.S. of its AAA credit score. That was in the wake of a Congress/White House showdown over the Debt Ceiling. No one panicked when Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. on Aug. 2, 2023. However, that could change. The Debt Ceiling needs to be raised again. The Treasury Secretary began using extraordinary means to pay bills on Jan. 2, 2025. 7. What is the average return of real estate over the last 10 and 30 years? Over the last decade, real estate has performed at an impressive 8.26% annualized. However, there were devastating losses during the Great Recession, when over 20 million homes were foreclosed on. The losses are not reflected in the 10-year statistic.  Remember, you can only build equity when prices increase. In a recession, home values can plunge. If we’ve got a good cushion of equity, then we should be okay. If we don’t and our home value sinks beneath our mortgage, this can cause a lot of problems that will dog us for years. Over a 30-year period, real estate increased 8.5% annualized. Real estate prices are at an all-time high. Housing is largely unaffordable. According to AttomData, average income-earners would have to spend 34% or more to buy a home. Higher interest rates have made this problem a crisis. 2.5% of U.S. homes are still seriously underwater on their mortgage – even with prices higher than ever. (This is largely due to loan mods.) Homeowners are significantly wealthier than renters. So, homeownership is something to aspire to. However, it must be done right. We must buy a home we can afford. It’s a good idea to own in an area that we plan to live in for a decade or more. There is nothing worse than buying high in real estate and watching the value of your home sink below the amount that you owe on it! It can ruin your life and FICO score for years, if not decades. Be sure to read the Real Estate section of the 6th edition of The ABCs of Money. There are at least seven real-world case studies featured there to inform your real estate decisions. We offer time-proven, out-of-the-box, real estate solutions in our master classes and private coaching. Email [email protected] for additional information. There is always a way to move toward our goals in a prudent manner. 8. What was the top performing investment in 2024? Bitcoin started the year in the $44,000/coin range and then rocketed up to $95,670 by Dec. 31, 2024, for gains of 117%. The high for Bitcoin is $108,357.60/coin, set on 12.17.2024. The volatility in crypto is problematic for HODL*. Our pie chart system with regular rebalancing puts us on the right side of the trade. (This strategy is featured on at our Financial Freedom Retreats.) The system itself prompts us to capture gains at the high, and purchase more at the low. *Hold on for Dear Life  Bitcoin data is provided by Coinbase. Large stocks performed quite well, with gains of 23.31% (source: S&P Dow Jones Indices). However, most of those gains were concentrated in the Magnificent 7. Without their help, the S&P500 would have only earned 11.75%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average performed at half the speed of the S&P500, with gains of 12.9% in 2024. Oil was one of the few assets that remained flat in 2023, something that helped consumers keep spending. Even with high interest rates, real estate housing prices gained 4.3%. Long-term government bonds had another losing year, with losses of -6.41% (after -26.08% in 2022). 9. How long will it take for you to have a nest egg as big as your annual salary if you put 10% of your income into a tax-protected (and financial predator proof) individual retirement plan and invest in stocks and bonds*? 7 ½ years. This is based upon 10% average annualized returns of stocks and bonds over a 30-year period, which is what happens in a normal economy. Admittedly, it has been very difficult to earn more than 5% in fixed income safely. (However, most of those who leaned into real estate instead, as we encouraged between 2009 and 2016, doubled their money.)   10. How long will it take for your nest egg to earn more than you earn, if you put 10% of your income into a tax-protected (and financial predator proof) individual retirement plan and invest in stocks and bonds*? 25 years. This is based upon 10% average annualized returns of stocks and bonds over a 30-year period, which is what happens in a normal economy. 11. What’s the safest investment in a slow-growth, high-debt world? Short-term, creditworthy bonds are starting to reward investors. However, avoiding the losses and illiquidity is tricky. If you’ve asked for a conservative portfolio, you might be suffering from paper losses, unless you are quite well-informed (not just having blind faith that someone else is protecting you). Since we need liquidity, short-term, high credit quality FDIC-insured CDs are paying in the 4% range. However, we have to know the loopholes and read the fine print. Some CDs are not FDIC-insured, and many brokerages claim that their cash is FDIC-insured, but there is a big disclaimer in the fine print. Read the blogs below for additional information. Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, SIPC and FDIC. What’s the Difference?  Hard assets hold their value better than paper assets when there is too much paper floating around (debt, like there is today). So, if you have an equity-rich home or income-producing assets with equity, think twice (and consider private coaching) before turning your hard asset into paper money. At the same time, being real estate rich and cash poor can make us vulnerable, as we still need liquidity. The safe side has opportunity and money pits, which is why we spend one full day on this topic at our Investor Educational Retreats. We also host FIRE*, Bond (What’s Safe) and Real Estate Master Classes each year. Email [email protected] if you’re interested in learning more. *Financially Independent, Retire Early Many hard assets are overpriced right now. If you are equity-rich, you still want to do the analysis to make sure that will remain the case if real estate asset prices decline significantly in value, as they did in the Great Recession. Be sure to read the Real Estate section of the 6th edition of The ABCs of Money. In addition to looking for some return on the safe side, think capital preservation. Liquidity will allow us to buy low when things are on sale. Most people don’t buy low because they can’t. They lose too much money in recessions, when bargains abound. 12. Which countries hold the most gold? The United States is the top holder of gold worldwide, by far, with 8,133.5 tons, followed by Germany, all ETFs, the International Monetary Fund, Italy, France, Russia and China. China and Russia have been on a gold buying spree since 2008. Both countries increased their holdings in 2024. Reports are that they are trading oil and other commodities using their own currency backed by gold, in an effort to break free from the dollar hegemony. BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have launched their own currency. India also increased their gold holdings. Learn more about the BRICS currency in my blog. (Click on the blue-highlighted links to access.)  © The World Gold Council at Gold.org. Used with permission. 13. Are annuities safe? Do they really protect us from losses? Annuities are one of the few investments where we lose up to 9% the moment we purchase them. (They call them surrender fees. Many investors are not fully aware of these fees when they buy the products.) Insurance products, including life insurance and annuities, aren't insured by the FDIC. (The FDIC covers banks, not insurance companies.) If we had not bailed out AIG in 2007, more than 50 million annuity holders would have been in real trouble. Your annuity product is only as safe as the insurance company that is selling it to you. Insurance companies don’t fare well in recessions, historically. According to the Nov. 2024 Financial Stability Report: Life insurers continued to allocate a substantial percentage of assets to risky and less liquid instruments such as leveraged loans, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), high-yield corporate bonds, privately placed corporate bonds, and alternative investments. Moreover, life insurance companies have material direct exposures to commercial mortgages and are large holders of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMS). This exposure to illiquid and risky assets makes life insurers vulnerable to an array of adverse shocks, including that of an economic downturn or of a significant further deterioration of the CE market. Insurance products are like being a renter. If you can’t pay, you get tossed out. Many people pay for life insurance their entire working life, and then can’t pay when they retire – when they are really most in need. If you put that money into your own tax-protected account, you could save on taxes, compound your gains, and it would be there for you when you retire, even offering some income, in addition to the capital (instead of disappearing, like insurance plans can do). Billionaire Peter Thiel reportedly has over $4 billion in his Roth IRA. Regular contributions, investing and compounding gains are that powerful. When you can no longer contribute to your own retirement plan and Health Savings Account, they support you. We can be the boss of our wealth, once we learn The ABCs of Money that we all should have received in high school and college. Once we know what we own and invest in, and why, we can stop making everyone else rich and start living a richer life. 14. What were the top performing and the worst months for stocks over the past five years? November, July, May and October performed the best over the 5-year period (in that order), on average. September and February were negative months. Retreat Attendees receive charts of the top-performing months and election year trends. If you’re interested in learning more about our 3-day, life transformational investor educational retreats, call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected]. 15. What was the top performing season for stocks over the past twenty years? October through December – the Santa Rally – performed the best over the 20-year period, but saw greater volatility than normal, particularly in December. December 2018 was the worst performing December in history, with losses of -9.2%. The Spring Rally (March and April) were also stronger seasonally than most of the other months. Understanding seasonal trends can help us with our annual rebalancing in our nest egg, and with our selling strategy for trading. We’ll be hosting a Rebalancing Master Class on Jan. 18, 2025. Regular rebalancing is a very important part of our nest egg strategy. We spend one full day on what’s hot, teaching how to identify the best investments of the year, in our Investor Educational Retreats. (It's important to attend our financial freedom retreat before attending a master class. The next retreats are Jan. 10-12, 2025 and April 25-27, 2025.) 16. What was the worst investment in 2024, NASDAQ, gold, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, bonds, cannabis, oil, bonds or real estate? Long-term government bonds lost -6.41% (as previously mentioned). Oil prices were flat year over year. Single-family home prices increased 4.3%. Short-term (30-day) Treasury bills paid 5.09%. Stocks were swoon-worthy, and Bitcoin shot the moon. Stay tuned into my blogs, podcasts and videoconferences for ongoing news, analysis and vital investor information on how 2025 is expected to shape up. We’ll do a Crystal Ball 2025 videoconference and blog soon. Email [email protected] with VIDEOCON in the subject line to receive the logon information for the next monthly videoconference. 17. Which year is expected to perform better, 2025 or 2026, based upon historical returns of election years? 2025 is a post-election year. Post-election years have been on fire, with 23.16% returns over the 10-year period (average). Midterm years (2026) don’t do as well, with -12.84% losses over the 10-year period. 2022 really skewed the midterm results, with losses of -19.445 on the year. However, 2018 was a loser, too (-6.24%). Over the last 20-30 years, election and midterm years have been the worst performers in the election-year cycle. This has a lot to do with the fact that the Dot Com downturn began in 2000 (election year), while the Great Recession plunge happened in 2008 (also an election year). U.S. stocks are very expensive, which could mute gain possibilities this year, as could slow GDP growth (predicted to be 2.1% in 2025). We’ll know more on April 30, 2025, when the advance GDP for the 1st quarter of 2025 is published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.) As you can see in the CAPE ratio below (Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Shiller’s stock valuation tool), the only time that stocks were more expensive was during the Dot Com Recession. Stocks are higher now than they were in the Great Depression.  Having expensive stocks, unaffordable real estate, and higher interest rates than we’ve had in 15 years, as debt soars to all-time highs and credit is still tight, has increased the potential for volatility on Wall Street. Economists worry that tariffs will bring back inflation and supply chain disruptions, which could negatively impact Wall Street. There have been wild rides over the past five years. This is likely to continue as the hot and fast Wall Street whales seek to gobble up incremental gains. 18. How many companies are in the Dow Jones Industrial Average? 30 companies. Many are household brands. Most have been around for over half a century, and many are carrying far more debt than the value of the company. As I mentioned previously, the DJIA is underperforming the S&P500 by almost half. Leverage has begun to concern economists. Over 50% of the S&P500 corporate bonds are at the lowest rung of investment grade or at junk bond status. This includes a lot of banks, brokerages, financial services and insurance companies. If you don’t understand how much debt corporations are holding, you can learn how to use this valuable tool to increase the performance of your nest egg on the 2nd day of the Investor Educational Retreat. Click to access the names of the 30 companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was launched in 1896. 19. Which index has performed better over the last 5 years, the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the NASDAQ Composite Index? As you can see in the chart below, the NASDAQ has outperformed both the S&P500 and the DJIA. The S&P500 is a better performance choice than the DJIA. At the same time, the DJIA tends to be less volatile than the NASDAQ Composite Index.  Source MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. This is why our pie chart system includes both value (substitutions*, rather than the DJIA) and growth (NASDAQ), as well as regular rebalancing. Using this system, investors can capture gains in artificial intelligence, the Magnificent 7, technology and biotechnology at the high, and buy low when recessions and other economic shocks create opportunities. Learn more at the Investor Educational Retreat and in The ABCs of Money. *We are leaning into country diversification in our value funds, due to the leverage and slow growth in the DJIA. I’ve posted blogs recently on some of our favorite countries. Email [email protected], if you’d like information. 20. How much did investors lose between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020? Why is this important, if 2020 ended up being a great year for stocks? Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite Index dropped 35% in just one month. Some of the hottest stocks, including Nvidia (-38%), lost even more. However, once the government injected over $4 trillion into the economy, technology stocks surged, particularly since everyone was working and doing everything from home. 2020 gained 16.26%, with 2021 scoring 26.89% gains in the S&P500. 21. How much did investors lose during the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession? As I mentioned above, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 55% in the Great Recession. (A million dollars plunged to a value of just $450,000!) The Dot Com Recession saw a drop in the NASDAQ Composite Index of up to 78%. (A million dollars dropped to just $220,000!) It took the NASDAQ 15 years to crawl back to even. Returns of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Oct. 2007 – March 2009  Source: Morningstar.com. © 2020. Used with permission. Returns of the Nasdaq Composite Index March 2000 – Oct. 2002  Source: Morningstar.com. © 2020. Used with permission. We can’t afford to lose more than half and then take 7-15 years to crawl back to even – particularly if you are over the age of 50. It’s time to step off of the Wall Street Rollercoaster and into time-proven, easy systems that protect our wealth, while outperforming the major indices. These strategies cost less time and money, and allow us to sleep better at night, knowing that our wealth is protected. 22. Does Buy & Hope work? If not, what does? Buy & Hope lost more than half in 2000 and 2008 and 35% (or more) between February and March of 2020. Losing more than half impacts everything in our lives, from our ability to borrow money, to our FICO score and everything in between. What’s worse, we then spend a great deal of the bull market crawling back to even, rather than building wealth. Due to the amount of debt and leverage, combined with a relatively slow rate of economic growth, Buy and Hold has not been an effective 21st Century strategy. Our easy-as-a-pie-chart nest egg strategies with regular rebalancing earned gains in the Dot Com and Great Recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. Working off of the pie charts, instead of the brokerage statement, allows us to take the emotions out of the plan, and rely, instead, upon a time-proven system. This pie chart system, with annual rebalancing, is a buy low, sell high plan on auto-pilot – prompting us to do what we should be doing at each rebalancing session. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397, if you’d like to customize your own sample pie chart (free) or receive an unbiased 2nd opinion through our private coaching program. (We teach you how to do this yourself at the Investor Educational Retreat and at the Rebalancing Master Class.) One more thing: low interest rates create asset bubbles. (We’ve only had 4-5% interest rates for a few years.) That is one of the reasons why assets drop so severely and swiftly in 21st Century recessions. Having the right amount safe and knowing what is safe in a Debt World is our best protection. Those pesky paper losses are far more problematic than we’re being told. 23. Why is it that so many investors are unable to Buy Low and Sell High? Buy low, sell high is a mantra that everyone knows. So, why do so few investors do it? There are a few reasons…
24. What is the 3-Ingredient Recipe for Cooking up Profits? 1. Start with what you know and love 2. Pick the Leader 3. Buy low; sell high (easy to say; hard to do) This recipe, along with my Stock Report Card, Four Questions, market strategies and data drilling, is how I earned the ranking of number one stock picker. The recipe is easy. Learning how to use these tools requires practice. You must begin by locating and analyzing data, which is actually less time and far more informative than reading blogs, which have a fraction of the information and might be written by a novice. Come to our next Investor Educational Retreat to learn firsthand how easy and effective due diligence is, and how it can supercharge our returns. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. If you don’t like stock picking, no problem. Our easy-as-a-pie-chart nest egg strategy is designed for money while you sleep. Once you set up your financial house properly, you’ll just need to Spring Clean it once or twice a year. No trading is necessary. 25. What are the Four Questions for Picking Winning Stocks? The Four Questions for Picking Winning Stocks. 1. What’s the product? 2. Who’s the customer? 3. Can the company continue to make a superior product going forward and get it to their customer at the best price before the competition? 4. Who’s the CEO and can s/he motivate the employees to make the best product faster, better and cheaper than the competition? As you can see, three out of four questions can be answered by being a good customer of the company. The 3rd question will benefit from you completing a Stock Report Card, and understanding how to use the data (something we teach on Day 2 of our Financial Freedom Retreat). So, the more you know about a company (ingredient #1 of the recipe for Cooking Up Profits), the easier it is to pick the leader. In Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is, I used these questions and tools to compare two companies. Google scored an A (in 2006, when it had only been publicly traded for 2 years). The Dow Component that I gave a D- to went on to declare bankruptcy a few years after this prediction was made (General Motors). Using the Stock Report Card and 4 Questions, I identified both of these trends years before these major events occurred. The book was written in 2006, three years before GM went bankrupt. In fact, I applauded Google on national television before its IPO, when most pundits pooh-poohed it. This is the power of asking the right questions and relying upon the data, rather than just listening to the mainstream media. (We also warned about General Electric years before it was booted from the DJIA and cut its dividend. This was also evident in the data, but not in the headlines) 26. How many Dow Jones Industrial Average companies were bailed out or went bankrupt in the Great Recession? Most people don't realize that 20% of the companies of the DJIA (6 companies: AIG, American Express, Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan and General Motors) were bailed out or went bankrupt in the Great Recession. Others, like General Electric, received support. The DJIA was the leading bailout index in the Great Recession. Learn more about how to add in performance and avoid the bailouts in your funds and retirement account at the Investor Educational Retreat and in The ABCs of Money. Due to debt and leverage, it is important to remember that the higher the dividend is, the higher the risk likely is (read the chapter of the same name in The ABCs of Money for additional information). GE investors learned this the hard way in 2017. Many REIT investors are learning it now, particularly those invested in commercial real estate. So, are you an Einstein in investing? A complete novice? If you scored 21 correct answers or higher, then you’re in great shape! If you scored 18 right, then you are C-level. (Come to our next retreat to proceed up the path to financial wisdom!) Below 18 correct indicates that you are in desperate need of a basic course in life math, which will transform your life and relationship with money. (Email [email protected] to start with one of our free videocoaching courses in Prosperity/Abundance, Debt Reduction, Sustainability or the Thrive Budget.) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The High Cost of Free Advice A few years ago, our team was told yet another story about someone who lost a substantial amount of money by trusting the "free" advice of a financial advisor. Learn the truth about commissions & conflicts of interest & how to get a 2nd opinion now in the guest blog “They Trusted Him. Now He Doesn’t Return Phone Calls.” Know what you own. Protect your future now! Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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. Data Sources:
(c) 2024 Morningstar Direct, S&P Dow Jones Indices, the World Gold Council and The National Association of Realtors. All rights reserved. Used with permission. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar, the National Association of Realtors, the World Gold Council, Natalie Pace, nor any content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Apple iPhone Sales Plunge in China. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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.  Apple iPhone Sales Plunge in China Huawei Emerges Strong. How will this impact Apple’s Dec. 2024 quarter earnings report? A new report compiled by CNBC using Chinese data warns that foreign mobile phone shipments to China were down -47.4% year over year in November. Apple is the dominant foreign smart phone brand in China, and this development could negatively impact the company’s Dec. 2024 quarter earnings report. Huawei is expected to be the company taking the bite out of Apple. (This is something we warned might become an issue back in Sept. of 2023, when China banned Apple phones for government use.) We’ll know more mid-January, when IDC reports on global smart phone shipments. Here are the topics we’ll cover in this blog. Apple’s Dec. 2024 Quarter Outlook Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales and Market Share Apple’s Chinese Sales iPhone’s Share of Apple Earnings Apple Share Price and Valuation And here is more information on each point. Apple’s Dec. 2024 Quarter Outlook During the September 2024 quarterly earnings call, Apple’s CFO Luca Maestri forecasted that Apple revenue would grow low to mid-single digits in the final quarter of 2024. That assumed that the macroeconomic outlook remained stable. However, did it account for a plunge in iPhone sales to China? We have seen this scenario play out before – when Huawei made a solid play for Apple’s dominance in China and even European countries in 2017. In fact, this competition was largely responsible for December 2018 being the worst performance on Wall Street since the Great Depression, with losses of -9.18% in that month. Apple is a prolific purchaser of its own stock, with $25 billion shares repurchased in the September quarter of 2024, and over $100 billion in buybacks over the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2024. In Dec. of 2018, when Apple discovered they would miss their earnings outlook (due to Huawei competition), the company stopped their buybacks without warning or notice. The stock market followed Apple’s descent, with coal in the stocking of everyone’s Santa Rally. Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales and Market Share You might be surprised to learn that Apple is not the #1 mobile phone provider in the world. Samsung is (and has been for most of the past decade).  Huawei didn’t show up in the top 5 global smart phone providers (by units). However, the company was mentioned in the IDC press release on Oct. 14, 2024, as having “strong growth.” The next IDC report on the 4th quarter and full year of 2024 should be available mid-January. iPhone’s Share of Apple Earnings iPhone sales make up almost half of Apple’s earnings. Clearly a plunge in exports of iPhones will have a meaningful impact on Apple’s Dec. quarter earnings.  Apple’s Chinese Sales Sales to China make up about 16% of Apple’s total revenue. A plunge of almost 50% (47.4%) of Apple’s sales to the region (if that is indeed close to the number) could easily cause the company to miss its revenue projections – something investors are quick to react to.  Apple is discounting its products in China for the Chinese New Year, in an effort to spur sales. While this might help out the Jan. 2025 quarter, it could also spell out a continued weakness in sales. (Lower prices typically equate to lower revenue and net profit.) Apple Share Price and Valuation Apple’s returns for investors have been one of the happiest stories on Wall Street since the launch of their game changing smart phone in 2006. The company has been on fire. However, we’ve seen Apple’s share price fluctuate wildly over the past decade, even though the company is clearly one of the dominant players in the Magnificent 7, with a market cap of $3.7 trillion. In March of 2020 (the pandemic), the share price dropped -20%. In 2022, the share price dropped from $177.57 to $129.93, a drop of -27%. Of course, each time, Apple soared to even greater heights. However, is that possible as the worldwide economy slows, debt continues to balloon beyond belief, and consumers are forced to cut back on their spending? A price/earnings ratio of 40 is typically reserved for companies with quite strong revenue growth. Meanwhile, Apple is expected to experience low single-digit growth for the final quarter of 2024. If this meager expectation is missed, it will be difficult for investors to justify such a lofty valuation – that a company with a $3.7 trillion value is only earning $94 billion annually. Of course, it is just as concerning that during the quiet period, Apple has a tendency to curtail their buybacks – particularly when they know bad news will be reported, just as they did in December of 2018. Email [email protected] if you’d like an updated Magnificent 7 Stock Report Card. Bottom Line Apple will report earnings sometime around the end of January or early February. (They haven’t announced the date yet.) However, when you wait for the headlines, it’s too late to protect your wealth. If you are overweighted in Apple, now could be a great time to capture gains and trim back exposure to an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan. January is a great time to do our annual rebalancing of our wealth plan, particularly as the markets have been known to follow Apple’s share price path over the last decade. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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.  Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil. View of palm oil plantation in Cigudeg, Bogor. Wikimedia. Used with permission. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Aspirations of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. Indonesia Predicted to Have Strong GDP Growth in 2025 Looking for country diversification in your wealth plan? Wondering if adding Asia can increase performance? (It certainly hasn’t been the case with Chinese equities.) Indonesia is predicted to have one of the strongest GDP growths in the world in 2025 (at 5.1%), with a debt to GDP ratio that is far lower than most developed world countries, at 39.6%. So, what are the risks and potential rewards of investing in Indonesia? Below are the topics we’ll cover in this blog. 5.1% GDP growth 39.6% Debt to GDP BBB Credit Rating 4.85% Yield Risk Factors And here is more information on each point. 5.1% GDP Growth Indonesia is a major manufacturing hub. It is also the number one producer of nickel, which is used in stainless steel, lithium ion batteries and other products. Indonesia is a major exporter of crude petroleum, natural gas, rubber, coffee, cocoa and palm oil. Many of their exports are used daily by consumers around the world. Many economists are predicting that Indonesia will be in the Top 4 World Economies by 2050. It is already the 10th largest economy by purchasing power equity. The country has export bans on nickel, as it moves to offer higher-value nickel products, such as lithium-ion batteries. Their first EV battery plant opened in Java in 2024. Indonesia has the world’s top nickel reserves, alongside Australia (source: U.S. Geological Survey).  39.6% Debt to GDP Indonesia’s debt to GDP is much lower than the developed world. However, this nation is heavily reliant upon commodity prices, which have had wild swings over the past five years. For instance, the price of nickel is half today of what it was in March of 2022.  Fluctuating revenue (taxes and commodities) makes it more difficult and expensive for Indonesia to raise money in tough times, which is why the focus is on bringing in more government revenue and lifting the locals out of poverty. In 2025, the VAT (value-added tax) will increase by 1%. Indonesia has been successful in reducing the poverty rate to 9.4% in 2023. However, the country still has a very low GDP capita of just 5.25 thousand (compared to 107.24 thousand in Ireland, the 3rd highest in the world). BBB Credit Rating The high GDP growth and relatively lower debt to GDP ratio help Indonesia to remain investment grade, albeit at the lowest rung. If the debt levels were to increase, or if foreign investors lose confidence in the Indonesia economy, the credit rating could be downgraded. Increased tax revenue, lower reliance on commodity prices and improvements in “governance standards” could help Indonesia’s credit rating to improve. 4.85% Yield The iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF currently has a 4.85% yield. That is much higher than most U.S. investment grade value funds offer. Risk Factors According to the Index of Economic Freedom, “Corruption remains a serious impediment to the emergence of a more dynamic private sector.” Property rights, government integrity and judicial effectiveness all rank low on the index. This has the potential to spook investors. However, if the trend toward EV battery factories continues, the story about Indonesia could become more seductive. Another risk is that the share price of the EIDO ETF has been volatile over the past five years. The fund is trading near its 5-year low, at a time when U.S. equities are still close to their all-time highs. Rebalancing and dollar-cost averaging can help to smooth out the wild swings in share price. Bottom Line Indonesia’s economy is expected to grow at more than twice the speed of the U.S. economy in 2025. The trajectory is that the economy will rise from 10th in the world this year (in purchasing power equity) to 4th over the next two decades or so. The commodities that the country export are key to the daily lives of citizens around the world. At the same time, investor appetites wax and wane (something that can happen with all industries, even the super hot technology sector). With an age-appropriate, diversified plan, adding a slice of Indonesia might be a good idea for an investor who is interested in one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and is willing to take on the risk of Asia and a developing economy. It’s always a good idea to have a plan to capture gains, something that regular rebalancing can assist with. (Rebalancing 1-3 times a year is easy and manageable with our easy pie chart system.) Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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.  Source: Waymo. AI. Robotaxis. Electric Vehicles. And the Magnificent 7. GM crashes. Waymo expands. Tesla launches. More than a few Magnificent 7 companies have their fingers in the pie of autonomous vehicles and robotaxis. You might have seen Waymo’s robotaxis around town in San Francisco, Phoenix or Los Angeles, or Tesla’s online. Are you aware that GM scrapped their Cruise robotaxi project on Dec. 10, 2024? According to GM’s press release, this will save the company $1 billion annually – beginning in the first half of 2025. Microsoft, GM’s partner on the project, is expecting to take an $800 million impairment charge in the next quarter as a result. Apple also reportedly canceled Project Titan in late February 2024 – a decades-long project for their own autonomous EV. So, which companies are leading the pack in terms of AI, robotaxis and electric vehicles, and why are some pulling out? Here are the topics we’ll cover in this blog. Robotaxis and the Algorithms that Drive Them GM Puts Cruise on Pause Magnificent 7: Google, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla Autonomous Vehicles Don’t Drive Drunk Magnificent 7 Buybacks And here is more information on each point. Robotaxis and the Algorithms that Drive Them Microsoft was the AI behind the GM Cruise robotaxi. Waymo is a Google project. I’ve ridden in a Waymo. You can check out my Waymo ride on my Instagram channel. (Click to access.) Tesla wants to put its cybercabs on roads before 2027. However, Elon Musk also promised they would be available in 2020 back in 2019. As mentioned above, Apple pulled their project. Nvidia is adding staff in China to focus on autonomous driving technology. Whether we like it or not, cars now run on AI and autonomous technology. Whether it assists us in parking in a tight space or stops us cold before we have an accident, robots are gaining control of the steering wheel, gas and brakes. For many Magnificent 7 companies, autonomous driving is another robust revenue stream. However, that only happens if the auto industry itself remains strong. So, why is the #1 carmaker in the world, GM, cutting back? GM Puts Cruise on Pause GM had a high-profile robotaxi accident involving a pedestrian in San Francisco that went viral. The settlement reportedly cost GM $8-12 million. The public and political appetite for having Cruise cars on the road dissolved. However, GM also cited increased competition in autonomous and electric vehicles as factors in the decision to focus away from robocabs and back on autonomous driving technology. Meanwhile, Waymo is expanding and has the first mover advantage in the U.S., while Baidu’s Apollo Go robocab is expanding in China. China is moving rapidly to EVs, and represents the biggest EV car market in the world. Of the 17 million EVs that are expected to be sold in 2024, China could purchase 10 million, or almost 60%. More and more, Chinese consumers are purchasing from Chinese EV makers, pushing the year-over-year revenue growth of many Chinese automakers to the top of the Auto Stock Report Card. With hundreds of EV makers in the market, including new EVs from Chinese smartphone makers, the price wars have been intense. Few companies are profitable. General Motors and Ford Motor Company still sell the most cars by far (in terms of revenue), at $172 billion and $176 billion, respectively. However, increasing protectionism (tariffs) is likely to make a challenging auto environment even more daunting in 2025. GM, Stellantis, Ford and Volkswagen have all announced furloughs and layoffs. Tesla reduced its workforce by 14% in 2024 – laying off around 19,000 employees. The automakers are definitely hunkering down for a challenging 2025. The questions are, “How will this affect the autonomous driving AI companies?” and “Is Tesla a carmaker or an AI and technology investment?” Magnificent 7: Google, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla Google, Microsoft and Nvidia all benefit from being technology and AI companies that are expanding into the autonomous vehicle space. Meanwhile, automakers, like Tesla, are seeing their main revenue stream impacted by price wars and Chinese competition. Tesla’s year-over-year revenue growth was just 8%, compared to 11% (Alphabet) 16% (Microsoft) and 94% (Nvidia). While robotaxis and EVs are exciting and are the fastest growing vertical in transportation, as developed world economies slow down, car sales are the first industry to be impacted. (We saw GM and Chrysler go belly-up in the Great Recession.) Economists are predicting lower GDP growth for the U.S. and China in 2025. The differences between automakers and AI leaders are very important distinctions to make. While Tesla talks up its AI and technology, car sales (and credits) make up 80% of the company revenue – 90% if you include vehicle maintenance and the supercharger network. As Tesla soars to all-time highs, the company boasts a very expensive price tag – a P/E of 130 – the highest on the Magnificent 7 Stock Report Card (which includes the very popular Nvidia). Email [email protected] with AI SRC or Auto SRC in the subject line to receive an updated report card. Autonomous Vehicles Don’t Drive Drunk The move for autonomous vehicle technology and robocabs is based upon the premise that robots don’t drive impaired. Any poor decision (like the one that resulted in the Cruise pedestrian accident) can be reprogrammed for better results. Elon Musk envisions a world where your personal vehicle can moonlight as a robocab while you sleep – earning some extra income. There is another important consideration that doesn’t get enough conversation: that single-occupancy vehicles create gridlock and are not the most sustainable transportation option. Transportation is the largest emitter of CO2 in the U.S. (source: EPA.gov). European countries that focus on public transportation have a CO2 per capita that is 1/3 that of the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Middle East, where SOVs are rampant. While EVs have a lower CO2 footprint than ICE* vehicles, having one car per adult in the developed world comes with a high demand for lithium, copper and nickel. Companies like Redwood Materials are working hard to recycle these elements. *internal combustion engine  Magnificent 7 Buybacks 2023 and 2024 were all about the Magnificent 7. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, without the spectacular performance of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla, the S&P500 would have performed at less than half the speed, which is what the Dow Jones Industrial Average did. According to Howard Silverblatt, the senior index analyst of S&P Dow Jones Indices, “[Year to date], the Magnificent 7 has accounted for 53.5% of the total return, as the 28.35% return would have been 13.17% without them.”  One of the reasons why the Magnificent 7 has been on fire is that these companies are also the biggest buyback purchasers. The top 4 Buyback rankings go to Apple, Alphabet (Google), Nvidia and Meta. Microsoft is in the Top 10.  These companies all have a war chest of cash and have aggressive buyback authorizations, so it’s easy to assume that the repurchases will continue. However, that doesn’t guarantee continued share price gains. 2022 was the top performer for buybacks, with $922.68 billion in shares bought back by companies. Yet, the NASDAQ and the Magnificent 7 companies were some of the worst performers in a year that saw losses of -19.44% in the S&P500.  Sources: Morningstar, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Coinbase, MSN.com. Bottom Line Robotaxis and autonomous driving are all part of the artificial intelligence craze. They are embedded in the cars of the future and will continue to push technology’s growth dominance. The potential is factored into the elevated share prices, however. While I would definitely want to own a technology-heavy large cap growth fund, and extra hot slices of Breakthrough Technology and Artificial Intelligence ETFs, now would be a great time to capture gains and make sure that my plan is age appropriate and properly diversified. Many “conservative” portfolios have missed out on these gains (and might have suffered losses on their long-term bonds). There is a way to fix this, with a carefully crafted plan. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more about our easy-as-a-pie-chart nest egg strategies, Financial Freedom Retreat and unbiased 2nd opinion. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 Charitable Giving. Nonprofits that are Worthy of Supporting. The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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.  Charitable Giving Ideas Tis the season of giving and receiving. If we are confused as to just where to start, the best route is to follow our heart. Another important tip is to commit not only our money, but also our time and talent. If money is in limited supply, don’t underestimate how valuable showing up with a helping hand is. Although giving is its own reward, you might be surprised at how our charitable acts benefit us personally. As I often say, the life of my dreams was launched through my charitable giving projects. I met the women who would help me launch the Women’s Investment Network when I was the chairman of the silent auction for my son’s school. We raised over $35,000 for music, instruments, technology and computers, which were funded by the Booster Club. When you are passionate about helping, giving your time, talent and money, you’ll find yourself surrounded by your people. That is a fertile place to be. Charity is the best networking. The Earth Gratitude project was launched after two decades of my personal commitment to researching and highlighting inspiring sustainability projects from around the world. It’s a win-win. I enjoy learning about the solutions, and I’m grateful to have a platform where others can discover sustainability best practices, too. We have a free 5-part docuseries on 1) Kids, 2) Animals and Conservation, 3) Food & Soil Health, 4) Everyday Sustainability, 5) The Power of Gratitude. Go to https://earthgratitude.org/ to check them out!  Below are a few ideas for your charitable giving, including the one that is closest to my heart, the Earth Gratitude project. The Earth Gratitude Project Inspiring sustainability solutions from around the world. Is sustainability as close to your heart? Why not team up with us to produce, create and distribute a short documentary on the great and effective ways that each one of us can lead much greener lives. There is power in our habits and our consumption choices. Small changes can have a massive impact, especially if we’re all doing it. An added benefit is that a lot of these green choices save thousands of dollars annually in our own budget, while promoting greater physical and physical health. Email [email protected] with Earth Gratitude in the subject line to start the conversation. Other great organizations to consider donating to. The New Hollywood. This is the passion project of our Earth Gratitude spokesperson Brianna Brown Keen. One of their projects is a partnership with Harvest Home, where they provide training and resources for formerly homeless single moms to start on the path to financial freedom. https://www.thenewhollywood.org/ The Ron Finley Project. Ron Finley believes that growing your own food is like printing your own money. He offers all kinds of resources for backyard and community gardening. Ron started his journey in his own backyard, which is a food desert. https://ronfinley.com/  Kiss The Ground. Soil health has many benefits for humanity, including being the most powerful tool for carbon sequestration. Regenerative agriculture takes organic farming one step further. It’s a great way to conserve water, preserve topsoil, promote animal husbandry and welfare, and produce nutrient-dense food. One formally conventional farmer is saving millions of dollars each year by moving out of toxic chemicals and fertilizers, and into working with nature to solve the challenges of cultivation. You can learn more about Kiss the Ground and regenerative agriculture in Brianna Brown’s interview with farmer Gabe Brown, the star of the Common Ground film. (Click to access.) https://kisstheground.com/ The Edible Schoolyard Project Decades ago, Alice Waters installed a student garden in a public middle school in Berkeley, California. That led to developing the necessary school curriculum to support hands-on, outdoor learning by students. When I toured the school a few years ago, a 12-year-old student farmer led me around. I asked her what her favorite thing to cook and eat was, to which she responded, “kale pesto.“ Imagine my surprise! What middle schooler would say kale pesto instead of French fries? If you are interested in student gardens at your own child’s school, this is a great resource. And if you want to promote healthier food at schools, this is a great movement to donate to. https://edibleschoolyard.org/ Wildlife Direct If protecting iconic animals such as elephants, giraffes, and rhinos are important to you, then consider supporting the vital work of Wildlife Direct. This is a continuation of Dr. Richard Leakey’s important work in Africa. Dr. Paula Kahumbu is the current CEO. Their work includes animal sanctuaries, education of locals, and immersion camps for children to learn how to understand, support and conserve the environment and the iconic animals that are native to the great country of Africa. Wildlife Direct also partners with major media organizations to raise awareness around the world. Be sure to check out Nat Geo’s Secrets of the Elephants. https://wildlifedirect.org/ H.M. Queen Diambi H.M. Queen Diambi is active in supporting her people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and, also in promoting sustainability solutions (which are vital to her people, who suffer from climate change, water scarcity and plastic pollution).  As you can see from the above picture of H.M. Queen Diambi at the 2024 Daytime Emmys, where a docu drama she was featured in won 4 awards, her dresses are gorgeous. They are also made by local DRC artisans from only natural fiber materials. Whether you wish to help Queen Diambi expand her clothing line, or install wells and schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo, consider donating to Queen Diambi’s Elikia Hope foundation. https://www.theelikiahopefoundation.org/ https://www.queendiambi.com/ Pachamama Alliance Pachamama Alliance began out of a partnership with the Achuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon to support their work to keep their land and culture intact. They offer courses and retreats that are designed to shift the global north from consumption, exploitation, and extraction to one that honors and sustains all life. If you care about protecting the rainforests, then donating to the natives who are living in the Amazon and protecting nature on behalf of all of us is a great use of funds. https://pachamama.org/ EARTHDAY.org EARTHDAY.org leaders created Earth Day on April 22, 1970. They are the largest environmental organization in the world, and have been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day and every other day to protect the planet. This organization is a continuous source of information, inspiration and community action in the halls of Congress, on Main Street and on their social media platforms. https://www.earthday.org/ The Dillon Henry Foundation This is a foundation that is near and dear to my heart. Dillon Henry was my son‘s best friend, and my son is on the board. One of the most important things that the foundation is doing is the Peace School that they built in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to educating the locals, they also build wells to provide water. https://dillonslist.org/ Bottom Line The holiday season is when our heart grows three times its normal size. Whatever your passion is concentrate your efforts on one project that you believe is doing the most to help the situation. When we combine our time and talent with our money, we increase the value of the contribution by three times. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 7-14, 2025. Only one room is still available. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 The DJIA Plunged 1100 Points After the Dec. 2024 FOMC Meeting. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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. Sec  Source: MSN.com. The DJIA is still trading near an all-time high (as of 12.19.2024). (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. The Dow Plunged over 1100 Points After the FOMC Meeting. What does that signal for 2025? Why are we starting to hear about an “overdue market correction?” Will it actually happen? Wall Street wasn’t happy after the FOMC Meeting on Dec. 18, 2024. Thursday, Dec. 19, broke the 9-day Dow Jones Industrial Average losing streak by the slimmest of margins (+0.04%). The DJIA is down 6% from the high of 45,074, set on Dec. 4, 2024. What caused stocks to drop? What should we do, if anything, to protect our wealth from another drop? Is this a temporary setback, or is an overdue market correction waiting in the wings of 2025? Here are the factors we’ll cover in this blog. Why the Negative Market Reaction to the Dec. 18, 2024, FOMC Meeting? Don’t Panic! Prepare. Rebalancing is Key How Will Tariffs Affect the Economy And here is more information on each point. Why the Negative Market Reaction to the Dec. 18, 2024, FOMC Meeting? On Dec. 18, 2024, we learned that inflation is moving “sideways” instead of down. As a result of the economy remaining strong and inflation staying sticky, the expectation for further rate cuts in 2025 was trimmed from a full percentage point in 2025 to half that. That offers little help for anyone hopeful to purchase a home at a lower interest rate, for corporations, car purchasers, credit card payments, or for those struggling half-empty office buildings and malls. There’s a lot of debt that needs to be paid off or refinanced, so stubbornly high(ish) interest rates are negative for growth, for consumer spending (almost 70% of the GDP tally) and for the economy. It’s not just the $36.2 trillion public debt that we all hear about that is the problem. Consumer and corporate debt and loans are also alarmingly high. The total of U.S. debt and loans is at $99 trillion. Email [email protected] if you’d like an updated Debt and Asset Bubble Chart. This isn’t a dire warning, however. The economy is expected to slow down to 2.1% in 2025 from 2.5% this year. That is still growth (not a recession). Is it enough growth to support the already lofty stock prices? After 2 years where the S&P500 simply soared (+26.3% in 2023 and +23.7% in 2024 so far), can stocks continue at this pace? The 10-year average return for large caps was just 12%. So, the S&P500 has far outperformed of late. Incidentally, the DJIA returns for 2023 and 2024 were just and 13.7% and 12.2%, respectively (half that of the larger index). Which index you own matters! So what should you do? Don’t Panic! Prepare. When the DJIA is underperforming the S&P500, there’s an easy way to lean into performance. When stocks drop, we have a plan for that – before it happens. It’s why we: · Adopt a diversified, age-appropriate plan, · Rebalance 1-3 times a year, · Overweight an additional amount safe, · Dollar cost average into any new fund that is at or near an all-time high. This time-proven plan earned gains in the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession and outperformed the bull markets in between. It’s as easy as a pie chart. The plan protects us from market drops, while allowing us to benefit from stocks soaring. Just like a well-built house, once we set our financial home up properly, we move in and spring clean once a year. It’s not a day trading strategy. It’s the life math we all should have received in high school and college. Rebalancing is Key Late December and early January are great times to do an annual review of our wealth plan to make sure that it is age appropriate and properly protected and diversified. Yesterday’s sell-off is just a reminder of how important it is to adopt a time-proven 21st Century plan instead of gambling that good times will continue forever. You can read about this easy strategy in the 6th edition of The ABCs of Money. You can learn and implement it at our January 10-12 Financial Freedom Retreat. Or you can get an unbiased 2nd opinion in our private coaching program. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. How Will Tariffs Affect the Economy According to the CBO, the proposed tariffs would have “upward pressure” on inflation. (Some FOMC participants factored this into their economic projections.) The tariffs could also decrease GDP by 0.6%. Inflation could prompt the Feds to increase interest rates, while a weak or stalled economy would prompt them to cut. Clearly these two scenarios put the FOMC in a bit of a pickle. We’ll have to see which seems the most pressing in real time as the 2025 government fiscal policies are put into play. Bottom Line The Summary of Economic Projections are not set in stone, as we saw by how much they changed yesterday, compared to the Sept. 2024 projections. There are a lot of moving parts that will affect things either positively or negatively – including, potentially, continued strength in the Magnificent 7 and AI, and the potential negative effects of tariffs, elevated equity prices, a weak real estate market, half-empty office buildings and malls, and astronomical debt. There are high expectations for the breakthrough technology, artificial intelligence, and Magnificent 7 companies. However, the good news is already priced in. Investors are not fans of uncertainty, particularly when prices are so high, which is why the markets reacted so swiftly and severely. Wall Street experienced extraordinary gains in 2023 and 2024 (if you purchased the right index). However, we have seen some heartbreaking reversals of fortune multiple times in the 21st Century. Stocks sank in the pandemic, losing over 35% in just one month. That is why it’s important to fix the roof while the sun is still shining. With Wall Street still very high, now is a perfect time to capture gains and keep that money, instead of just waiting and seeing whether an overdue market correction of -10% or more happens. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.  This is a Facebook AI-generated image. Why Are so Many “Safe” Investments Losing Money? Some are considered to be legit but have fine print that can lose you a great deal the minute you buy them. Some are outright fraud. Billions are purloined each year, often to people who just want to earn some income without losing money. The words “safe” and “income-producing” are used to entrap so many (as are get-rich-quick schemes). So, what are some of the common conservative money pits? Here are the things we’ll cover in this blog and an upcoming videoconference, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. Email [email protected] if you’d like to join us live. 1. Annuities We lose up to 9% of our investment the minute we buy them. 2. Income-Producing REITs A couple was told they own the property and were earning over 10% in interest. Instead, they lost $18,000. 3. Bonds and Bond Funds Long-term bonds lost more than stocks did in 2022. Bond funds are losers over the 5-year period. 4. Dividend-Paying Stocks The higher the dividend, the higher the risk. When dividends get cut, share prices plunge. 5. Safe Havens Safe havens are the most volatile investments we can own. 6. Crypto Scams. Crypto scams cost Americans $5.6 billion last year. And here is more information on each point. Annuities While we all heard about the five banks that failed in 2023, we haven’t heard a peep about the four insurance companies that went bankrupt in 2023 and 2024 (or the two additional banks that failed in 2024). 40 insurance companies have become insolvent since 2000. If we hadn’t bailed out AIG and the industry in 2008 that list would be substantially longer. Would anyone have any faith in insurance at all? However, the potential for insolvency and the fact that annuities are not FDIC-insured are not the only reasons why annuities and other insurance products are riskier than we are being told. They are sold to us as safe – as guaranteed from losses. However, how many of us know that we lose up to 9% of our investment the minute we purchase an annuity? They call it a surrender fee. (That’s not the only fee that we might be subject to.) We tie up our money for 5-15 years, for typically a below-market return, and lose money if we need access to the investment before the lockup ends. If we were thinking about purchasing a 5–15-year Certificate of Deposit, we’d probably think twice about whether we might want or need access to that money. How many annuity purchasers are truly aware of what they’re signing up for, and how much commission the broker-salesman is making (up to 8%)? The November 2024 Financial Stability Report echoes those warnings, writing, “Exposure to illiquid and risky assets makes life insurers vulnerable to an array of adverse shocks, including that of an economic downturn or of a significant further deterioration of the CRE market” (source: Federal Reserve Board). All of those half-empty office buildings and vacant malls are a serious challenge, particularly for insurance companies. Insurance company bankruptcies are not rampant. However, with debt at an all-time high, the commercial real estate market in a crisis and life insurance companies at the center of those storms, the years ahead might look a lot different than the past. As you can see in the chart below, debt in all forms is substantially higher than it was in the financial crisis of 2008, when AIG (the largest insurer in the world) had to be bailed out.  2. Income-Producing REITs A good salesman will lure us in with the bait that we are most likely to swallow. If we’re nervous about stocks, then they might start talking about how important it is to earn income and that you can do it safely by owning real estate. Real estate investment trusts are not like owning real estate. You own stock in the company that owns the real estate. If the company goes bankrupt, you don’t get the real estate. What you get is a big fat loss on the money you gave them. A couple called me about the REITs that they had been told were a very secure, stable investment, which were paying high-yield interest rates. (You have to wonder why the company is willing to pay you 10+% when creditworthy companies can borrow from the capital markets at a much lower rate.) We were able to discover that these companies had been cash negative for over five years. The couple ultimately ended up losing $18,000 that they really couldn’t afford to lose. Meanwhile, the salesman who sold them this lie likely earned a commission of $15,000 or more. You can read about this couple’s journey in their own words in the blog, “They Trusted Him, Now He Doesn’t Return Phone Calls.” Bonds and Bond Funds Long-term bonds lost even more than stocks did in 2022. They did not make up those losses in 2023.   Even though interest rates are expected to go down over the next two years, that doesn’t mean that the problems or “paper” losses will disappear. There is still elevated credit, liquidity and duration risk. In addition to the losses, we could get stuck with an asset that no one wants to take off our hands. That paper loss can become permanent for a multitude of reasons. Our net worth plunges, as does our credit score. Getting safe in today’s debt world is tricky, which is why we spend one full day on this topic in our Financial Freedom Retreat. There can be a lot of pressure on broker-salesmen to sell us things that are not necessarily good for our fiscal health. Bond funds are not any better. As you can see in the chart below, they have lost money over the 5-year period. Again, bonds are supposed to be the safe side of our portfolio where our principal investment remains intact. In addition to the liquidity, credit and duration risks, there is an added challenge that investment grade bond funds can have up to 20% junk bonds and very sketchy mortgage-backed securities in them.  Source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. Dividend-Paying Stocks The higher the dividend, the higher the risk. When dividends get cut, share prices plunge. We’ve seen this with General Electric, Boeing, banks during the pandemic, and with quite a number of commercial real estate companies. In the worst-case scenario, you have what I discussed in the REITs part of this blog, where the couple lost $18,000. Over half of the S&P500 is at or near junk bond status. That includes a lot of U.S. banks and financial services companies.  At our retreats (and in my books), we have been underweighting U.S. value funds (where a lot of the dividend-paying stocks are) and instead diversifying into other countries. There are some countries that offer higher credit ratings than the U.S. and a higher yield as well. Join us at our January 10-12, 2025 Financial Freedom Retreat. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. Safe Havens Safe Havens are the most volatile investments we can own. When they are hot, nothing beats them. When they sink, nobody wants them. This includes crypto and gold. After the extreme highs in 1980, gold plunged and stayed there for a quarter of a century. After the top in 2011 ($1895), gold prices sank by 40%. They didn’t come back until the pandemic. Additionally, each time that Bitcoin soars to new highs, it then drops like a knife. The whales take their profits before Main Street investors can protect themselves. Crypto is not an HODL investment. The average holding time of Bitcoin is just 100 days, while Ethereum is held for under two months (45 days). The other issue with safe havens is that they tend to be sold to us as “the only thing that will be of value when the dollar becomes worthless.” So many of us treat them like a buy-and-hold product, when we would be better served to have a strategy for capturing gains at the high and purchasing more at the low. Our pie chart investing system makes this easy. When prices soar, the pie chart prompts us to capture gains at the high. When prices sink, we have the liquidity and emotional fortitude to buy more at a lower price. The challenges of safe havens don’t mean that we should not invest in these industries. They can add performance if we know how to be on the right side of the trade. In fact, I named Bitcoin as the Investment of the Year back in March 2024. Since then, coin values have surged by 57%. Of course, whenever an asset gets hot, the fraudsters come out of the woodwork. Crypto Scams Cost Americans $5.6 billion Last Year There are so many ways we can be taken in by scams. We might be promised shoot-the-moon gains. A relative might tell us about all the money they’ve made on something, which might be an MLM scam that they haven’t done the proper due diligence on. We might even see a celebrity endorsing the investment. FTX had A-list brand ambassadors and Kim Kardashian hocked an EthereumMax crypto scam. Another hallmark of a ruse is to show you extraordinary gains on a fictitious statement. Making something look legitimate is not difficult. So, how can you avoid getting taken in? Check out my FTX blog, where I outline 6 red flags to avoid. Join me for my What’s Safe videoconference, which is scheduled for December 26th at 4 pm PT. Email [email protected] if you’d like to join us live. You can watch all of my interviews and videoconferences back at https://www.youtube.com/nataliepace. Bottom Line It’s embarrassing and painful to lose money. For some, it’s too much to bear. (I talk about this in the introduction of The ABCs of Money 6th edition.) We don’t want to be immobilized by our slipups. Mistakes allow us to learn and make better choices going forward, so that we will not be fooled again. Learning the life math that we all should have received in high school is a great start. Informed investors aren’t taken in by sophisticated sales tactics. An additional benefit to our time-proven strategies is that you’ll learn how to adopt a Thrive Budget, which allows us to live a richer life, even in an inflationary world that doesn’t add up. We can save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices. When we feel empowered, we’re less likely to fall for the too-good-to-be-true, get-rich-quick scams. Read about these time-proven strategies in my books or learn and implement them at our Financial Freedom Retreats. Join us at our online New Year, New Me Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025 (online) and our Rebalancing Masterclass (Capture Gains & Protect Principal) on Jan. 18, 2025. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia and artificial intelligence, * 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 and EVs), * Evaluate stocks, * 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.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 A Bargain-Priced AI Company. Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. Should You Go Conservative or Aggressive? Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Can Crowdstrike Recover from its Colossal Catastrophe? Featuring a Cybersecurity Overview. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. Stocks Keep Hitting New Highs. Are You Thinking "Capture Gains?" 5 Green Tips for Clean Beaches Week. Nio Sales Expected to More Than Double in 2Q 2024. So, You Think You Want to Be a B&B Owner... Retiring Soon? Start Planning Now. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. May is National Bike Month. Paris and Amsterdam are the Stars. Vacations that Color Our World Forever. 9 Inflation, Budgeting, Debt Reduction and Investing Solutions. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. 2024 Investment of the Year? Bitcoin Sets a New Record High. The Importance of Rebalancing. Uh. Oh. More Bank Trouble. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. 2024 Investor IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Investor IQ Test. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. A Spectacular Year for 3 of the Magnificent 7. The Best ROI* (Almost 40%!) & 7 Life Hacks That Save Thousands. Portugal Eliminates Tax Advantages for Ex-Pats. WeWork's Bankruptcy. Half-Empty Office Buildings. Problems in our Personal Wealth Plan. Cruise Ships Give Freebies to Investors. Should You Take the Bait? Should You Take a Cruise? Bonds. Banks. The Treacherous Landscape of Keeping Our Money Safe. 7 Rules of Investing 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. China Bans Apple 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Bank of America has $100 Billion in Bond Losses (on Paper) Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Are There Any Safe, Green Banks? 7 Ways to Stash Your Cash Now. Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors.  An AI image of Christmas on the moon, in the style of anime. A Bargain-Priced Artificial Intelligence Company. Artificial intelligence has been the hottest thing on Wall Street for the past few years. Most of the companies are trading at very expensive prices. Nvidia is up ten-fold over the past two years. However, there is one very high growth artificial intelligence company that is trading at a discount of 67% off the highs set in March of this year. Why did investors give up on the company? Were they wrong? Here are the things we’ll cover in this blog. The Hottest AI Growth Stock Hindenburg Research’s Accusations A Special Independent Committee’s Report Super Hot and a Super Bargain? Why Feb. 25, 2025, is an Important Date Tariffs, China and National Security The Nvidia of Servers Reducing Risk with AI ETFs And here is more information on each topic The Hottest AI Growth Stock Super Micro Computer shows up as the clear leader on our Artificial Intelligence Stock Report Card, with year-over-year revenue growth of 143%. (If you’d like an updated AI Stock Report Card, email [email protected].) The company forecasts that next year’s revenue could double over fiscal 2024. The September quarter grew 150% from last year, to $5.31 billion, while the December 2024 quarter is expected to bring in net sales of $5.5 - $6.1 billion, an increase of 67% annually. Hindenburg Research’s Accounting Manipulation Accusation on 8.27.2024 Hindenburg Research, a notorious short seller, accused Super Micro Computer of accounting manipulation on August 27, 2024. A month later, on September 26, 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Justice Department was looking into the accusations. As a result, between mid-August and mid-November, the Super Micro Computer share price dropped by more than half – and was down 85% from the high of $123/share set on March 8, 2024. Incidentally, anyone who purchased at the low of November 15 ($17/share) has doubled their money since then. On Sept. 16, 2024, Icahn Enterprises celebrated the dismissal of a class action lawsuit that had been based upon alleged “false and misleading reports published by Hindenburg.” So, other companies have successfully argued against Hindenburg’s “research.” A Special Independent Committee’s Report On December 2, 2024, Super Micro Computer released a press release, writing that the Special Committee found no evidence of misconduct by the company. The expectation is that there will be no restatement of reported financials. SMCI’s stock has been rallying since November 15, 2024. However, it is still down about 67% from the March high. Super Hot and a Super Bargain? So, is Super Micro Computer super hot and a great buy? If the forward outlook turns out to be accurate, then absolutely. The price/earnings ratio is 20, which is low for such a high growth company. As I mentioned above, 2025 revenue is expected to double over 2024. Of course, the proof is in the pudding. We’ve got to see those earnings reports in order to believe them. That is likely why Super Micro Computer’s share price is still trading at a bargain, even though the Independent Special Committee has cleared them of wrongdoing. Investors are also waiting to hear from the Department of Justice. A lot of Super Micro Computer’s troubles stem from a lawsuit by Bob Luong, a former employee and whistleblower. It’s become a bit of a drama because it has been reported that Super Micro Computer fired Luong for bullying people who reported to him, and for skipping meetings, yelling, cursing, and routinely being absent from work. There can be a lot of money made by being a whistleblower and by short selling stock. Somebody placed a very large put order on Super Micro Computer in July. More will likely be revealed over the coming months in this matter. However, being cleared by the Independent Committee and delivering outstanding earnings reports are positive omens. Why Feb. 25, 2025, is an Important Date The NASDAQ Stock Market has granted a request by Super Micro Computer to file its annual earnings report by February 25, 2025. If the 10-K filing is indeed just an official documentation of what has already been reported as an outstanding fiscal year 2024 with $14.94 billion in net sales (more than double what it was in 2023), investors should get very excited. The December 2024 quarter results should be announced at the end of January. Tariffs, China and National Security Artificial intelligence is a highly protected industry. There are restrictions on what can be shared with certain countries, particularly China and Russia. As a result of trade restrictions, one of Super Micro Computer’s partners, Nvidia, has seen their Chinese revenue drop from 22% last year to 15.4% in the most recent quarter. Silicon Valley partners are more than making up for the weakness in Asia, accounting for half of Nvidia’s revenue. Super Micro Computer, Nvidia and many other technology companies use Taiwanese factories to build their products. Given the geopolitical risks, and China’s aggressive moves to bring Taiwan closer to its authority, this is a threat that all investors should be aware of. An invasion of Taiwan would mean all the chips are down. However, even without an invasion, the war of words between Washington and Beijing is raging. America is threatening China with tariffs. China is restricting exports of certain rare earth minerals. The Chinese are investigating Nvidia for Antitrust violations. China is also suspected of being behind targeted cyberattacks on Super Micro Computer that occurred in 2015 and 2018. The Nvidia of Servers Super Micro Computer has been called the Nvidia of servers. At the 2024 Computex, Super Micro Computer CEO Charles Liang was joined by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on stage for the keynote. (Click to check out that video.) It’s a positive sign when a $24 billion company is a partner of a $3 trillion company in the world’s hottest industry. Reducing Risk with AI ETFs The volatility of Super Micro Computer’s share price illustrates the risk of investing in individual companies. The reticence of people to buy low, even after the company has been cleared of misconduct by an independent committee, is further evidence that our emotions often work against us. When we wait for the headlines, it’s too late to invest. Nvidia is proof of that. If we buy Nvidia today, we are purchasing a company that is valued at $3 trillion with only $30 billion in net income. Nvidia‘s price/earnings ratio is a very lofty 55. Yet, this is the company that everybody wants to invest in – purchasing for a price that is 10 times what it was two years ago (buying high). Purchasing a targeted Artificial Intelligence ETF is one way to reduce risk and potentially increase performance of our nest egg. Nvidia and Super Micro Computer are two of the top holdings in the iShares Future AI and Tech ETF: symbol ARTY. The ARTY ETF is trading at a two-year high. So, dollar cost averaging in might be a good strategy for adding an AI ETF to our wealth plan. Bottom Line Super Micro Computer is very popular with its partners and its customers. However, a disgruntled employee and a short seller have certainly had their impact on the company’s share price. (Still waiting to hear from the DOJ.) It appears that the worst of it might be behind them. There is always a possibility of the Department of Justice finding some merit to Luong‘s claims that the Independent Committee overlooked. However, if SMCI’s troubles are behind them, a $40 price is a great deal, particularly when most AI companies are trading at multiples that are double or triple where SMCI is currently. Full disclosure: I own shares of Super Micro Computer.  Join us for our Online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 10-12, 2025. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 7-14, 2025. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now. There is only 1 room available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two, and three 50-minute private, prosperity coaching sessions. Much more affordable than you might think. Email [email protected] to learn more.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability, Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money 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 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 Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sweepstakes. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Stocks Soar as Nvidia Joins the DJIA. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 4 Ways to Celebrate World Sustainability Day, Oct. 30, 2024. Will There be a Santa Rally or will the Election Ruin Everything? The Chips are Down. ASML, Intel and Super Micro Computer Plunge. Is Nvidia Next. Will Insurance Companies & Homeowners Weather the Hurricanes? 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Will Boeing Be Booted Out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average? Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. We Must Be the Boss of Our Money. Why? Oil Prices Tumble. Why? Sweepstakes for the Release of The ABCs of Money. 6th Edition. 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Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure. Which Countries Offer the Highest Yield for the Lowest Risk? Why We Are Underweighting Banks and the Financial Industry. Save Thousands Annually With Smarter Energy Choices Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? My 24-Year-Old is Itching to Buy a Condo. Should I Help Him? The 12-Step Guide to Successful Investing. The Bank Bail-in Plan on Your Dime. 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 or funds 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 a diversified strategy, which has been designed with the assistance of a financial professional who is 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 and patience. 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. Securities, financial instruments or strategies mentioned herein may not be suitable for all investors. |
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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