Get Safe & Hot with One Easy Plan.

​Get Safe & Hot with One Easy Plan.
 
I love hosting our Financial Freedom Retreats and meeting with my private coaching clients because it helps me to understand the kind of pressure most of us are under to purchase certain kinds of investment products. Whether it is an advertisement on social media or YouTube, a warning that the dollar is going to be worthless, a call from our broker-salesman, or just peer pressure from friends and relatives, whatever advice is being given makes the investment strategy sound super sexy and smart. We might even be told we’re dumb not to do it. And if we’re told that we must do it within a week or lose out on the opportunity, well that’s just a giant red flag. (Did you know that buyer’s remorse is high among recent home buyers – especially those who felt pressure?) At the same time, when we walk down the street and see all the boarded-up buildings or hear our friends and neighbors complain about the high cost of living, we start feeling a little less assured of everything.

Investing is really the only path to financial freedom, as you can see in the Saving vs. Investing chart below. Owning your own home is also something that can create wealth, as homeowners are 10-40 times wealthier than renters (depending upon whether you use the mean or median average).

However, buying high before stocks drop or real estate prices plunge can be a sure path to financial ruin. Rather than betting, hoping or praying that everything keeps going up (getting more expensive), is there a way to protect our wealth, while also enjoying rallies and bull markets? What about investing in AI, robotaxis, cybersecurity, gold or hip replacements? How do you get the formula right? Is it going to be super difficult, time-consuming, or require a lot of expensive education?
 
Yes, we can have it all. There is a time-proven, easy strategy that earned gains in the Dot Com and Great Recessions and outperformed the bull markets in between. We can lean into the companies of tomorrow and underweight debt-laden, slow or no growth last-century companies. We can earn gains in the hottest industries, including the Magnificent 7, AI, crypto (or not), earn income and protect our wealth. The solution is literally as easy as knowing what an age-appropriate properly diversified plan looks like and what is safe at a time when over half of the S&P500 is at or near junk bond status.
 
Here are the topics will cover in this blog.
 
Target Date Retirement Funds
AI, Air Taxis, Robotaxis, Quantum Computing and Other Breakthrough Technology
Vegas Money
Value Funds
Paper Losses and Bonds
Headlines and Peer Pressure
 
And here is more information on each topic.
 
Target Date Retirement Funds
Target date retirement funds are severely underperforming the market and are more at risk of losses than most of us might realize. Look at the chart below where you can see that the S&P 500 has almost doubled over the last five years, whereas this 2025 target date retirement fund performed at about 1.5% annualized. Bonds have been offering above 4% since 2023, so the fund is underperforming the asset classes.

Chart by MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission.

You might also notice that when stocks plunged in April 2025 and in 2022 (-19.44%), so did the fund. However, one of the other problems with the fund is that it includes everything, including junk bonds (very risky and not really appropriate for someone who is retiring). Diversification into separate funds, rather than having one giant amoeba which is designed to buy and hold, is important so that we can see and capture gains, rather than riding the Wall Street rollercoaster. Diversifying into size/style, hots and safety requires only 10 funds, which is easy to self-manage or to work with a broker-salesman.  
 

Archer Aviation is the official air taxi of the 2028 L.A. Olympics.

​AI, Air Taxis, Robotaxis, Quantum Computing and Other Breakthrough Technology
If you’re interested in any of these hot industries, or even cryptocurrency, there is a way to add performance to our portfolio safely. Some of them must be considered Vegas money, which we’ll discuss next. However, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence are things that we’re already using. The companies that are leading the innovation in these hot industries are worth trillions of dollars, and are more commonly referred to as the Magnificent 7.

​The truth is: if you didn’t have the Magnificent 7 over the last couple of years, your returns were half that of the S&P500. (The Dow Jones Industrial Average performed at half of the S&P500, as just one example.) Many “conservative” investors missed this performance because they didn’t have large cap growth in their wealth plan. If you added a hot slice of breakthrough technology, your portfolio was on fire in 2023 and 2024.

Chart by MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission.

At the same time, because the Magnificent 7 companies are very popular, they are often overvalued. When Wall Street retreats, they tend to plunge further and faster than other stocks. This occurred in April of this year, when the general market hit a -20% bottom, but did not close there so it wasn’t an official bear market. It also occurred in 2022, when stocks dropped -19.44%. Tesla dropped -67% in 2022 as did bitcoin. Nvidia lost half. Cathie Woods ARK Innovation Fund was another big loser that year, at -67%.
 

Vegas Money
Our wealth plan should be an age-appropriate, properly diversified strategy that we rebalance once twice or three times a year. Designating ETFs of AI, crypto, electric vehicles, medical devices, or another industry that we think is going to perform well, into one of our hot slices helps us to capture gains at the high during our regular rebalancing sessions. I like to put my hot slices in my Roth IRA. Peter Thiel does, too. ProPublica reported that he has $5 billion in his Roth IRA.
 
So, what is the difference between your wealth plan (money while you sleep) and Vegas money? If you are certain that you want to invest in an individual company or a young industry, like quantum computing, or even air taxis, at this point, it must be with your Vegas money. (Click on the blue-highlighted words to learn more about each industry.) There are no funds (provided by creditworthy legacy fund companies) for these emerging disruptive industries. If you just try to pick the one you think will be the next Nvidia, you’ll need to do a tremendous amount of research (not just reading an analyst or guru’s recommendation, which might turn out to be a paid for promotion).
 
Investing in individual stocks is like a 100-piece puzzle. It’s a lot more complicated than most people realize. And when it is early stage in a high cash burn industry, such as air Taxis and quantum computing, not only do you have to be worried about whether that company will win the competition, but also that they will have enough cash to get them through the end zone. (Many companies have already gone belly-up in both industries.) Individual stocks require a great deal of research and babysitting. That is not money while you sleep.
 
So, if you wish to invest in an early-stage industry or an individual company, it’s not really part of your nest egg. It is better thought of as Vegas money – something we might win with or lose. We also need to have a capture gains plan or exit strategy and might consider taking profits early and often. Buy low and sell high is a Wall Street aphorism for a reason, especially with stocks on such a rollercoaster. Investing in individual companies is like playing tennis with Serena Williams. We’re on the court trying to beat whales and hedge funds who have a significant advantage in resources, skills and experience over us.
 
Value Funds
Value funds are supposed to include companies that are on sale. However, is anything really a great deal when stocks are at an all-time high? Today, price earnings ratios are almost as high as they were before the Dot Com Recession, when stocks dropped -78% in the NASDAQ Composite Index. Prices are higher than they were in the Great Depression. You know from the history books what happened there.

CAPE ratio is a tool developed by Prof. Robert Shiller (Nobel Prize winning economist) at Yale.edu.

We are underweighting U.S. value funds in our sample pie charts and substituting countries that have lower debt and industry diversification that we’re just not getting in our U.S. funds. Our large value replacement country has a higher credit rating, lower debt, and typically pays a higher yield than the US value funds.
 
Paper Losses and Bonds
We’re starting to see warnings about private equity and debt from Moody‘s and other rating agencies. In my private coaching, I’m seeing high net worth individuals who are sold into qualified investor products that are far riskier than their conservative appetite, invest in junk, and tie up their money with very little recourse to extricate it. Many times, the minute the product is purchased, there are paper losses. A saying from Will Rogers comes to mind. “I’m more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money.”
 
What are paper losses? Your investment is worth less than you paid for it. You’ve lost some of your principal investment. When you buy something that nobody else wants, and then decide that maybe you didn’t want it in the first place, you’ll find that those people who didn’t want it will only take it off your hands if you sell it to them at a big discount.
 
The salesman of the big banks who talk their clients into purchasing these products will say, “These are only paper losses. Just hold it to term.” But have you bothered to look at the term? I am seeing high net worth individuals who are sold into junk bonds with an 85-year term. They lost 25% or more of their principal the minute the investment was purchased. Those same clients are then told about the amount of income that they are earning, while the brokerage statement itself will show that if you factor in the paper losses and expenses, the income is almost completely wiped out (or can be negative). If you are hearing any of these things, now is the time to consider receiving an unbiased second opinion from me in my private coaching program. It’s unbiased because I don’t sell financial products and I have no incentive to point you in any direction that benefits me at your loss.
 
There is an easy way to earn 4% without any paper losses. It is a little tricky in today’s world. That is why we spend one full day on this topic at our Financial Freedom Retreat. FYI, we’re in the Free Gift and Early Bird pricing period. When you register for the retreat by June 30, 2025, you receive the lowest price and one complimentary, 50-minute private prosperity coaching session (value $400), which can go toward your unbiased 2nd opinion. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now.
 
Headlines and Peer Pressure
 
When we wait for headlines we’re almost always late. When everyone is telling us we should buy something, quite often we’re just buying high. In stocks that could mean putting ourselves at risk of serious losses, and in real estate that could mean a decade of hell. When no one wants to purchase anything, or can’t because they lost too much in the recession, that’s the area of most opportunity, when in fact, we should consider buying. No one‘s going to be telling us to buy something at the low. Instead, they’ll tell us we’re in an Apocalypse and will never escape it. Added to all that, if we are one of those people who did buy high, and didn’t properly protect ourselves, we have no money to take advantage of the opportunities that abound.
 
Bottom Line
When stocks and real estate are near all-time highs, as they are today, the informed investor is going to be making sure they protect and keep their wealth. It’s not jumping all in or all out. Market timing doesn’t work. However, market complacency or a Buy & Hope strategy can be even more deadly. Investors who are new to the game might be having so much fun at the party that they forget that getting home safely is a key part of the positive experience. We want to be sober at the top of the market, and brave enough to invest when opportunities arise.
 
Fortunately, adopting our time-proven, age-appropriate, properly diversified plan that just needs to be rebalanced 1-3 times a year, could mean we earn gains in the next recession (as Nilo did during the Great Recession). This plan, with the hots and the capture gains rebalancing system, outperforms the bull markets in between as well. I encourage you, while stocks and real estate are both near all-time highs, to fix the roof while the sun is still shining. Adopt this plan now. It’s human nature to wait until something is broken to fix it. When it comes to our money, waiting until we lose half or more of our wealth can be a heartbreaking way to learn that there is a better plan that could’ve saved the day before the losses. It took the NASDAQ Composite Index 15 years to crawl back to even after the Dot Com losses. Some investors are still reeling from the 2008 Great Recession. Wisdom and time-proven wealth strategies are the cure.



​Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Oct. 11-13 2025 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget and how to hedge in a volatile Debt World. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. 

Receive the best price and a complimentary 50-minute private prosperity coaching session (value $400) when you register for the Financial Freedom Retreat Oct. 11-13 2025 by June 30, 2025. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. 

Learn how to:

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

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

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

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

Receive the best price and a 50-minute private coaching session with Natalie Pace when you register by June 30, 2025. Visit NataliePace.com to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register.

Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. March 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and eight private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 8 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!

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

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Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube.

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

ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy.  
​
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.