Natalie Pace Blogs
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 Answers to the 2026 Rebalancing Your Nest Egg IQ Test 1. What does rebalancing mean? Rebalancing is doing a review of our wealth plan at least once a year to ensure that our current equity and fixed income holdings are age-appropriate, properly diversified and in line with our goals. 2. Why do we need to rebalance? Stocks and bonds gain or lose value throughout the year(s). Regular rebalancing of a properly diversified nest egg ensures that our wealth plan remains age-appropriate and properly diversified. Rebalancing is also a buy low, sell high plan on auto-pilot – a disciplined way to ensure that we keep our wealth growing, instead of riding the Wall Street rollercoaster up and down. Also, each year we get older. As we get closer to retirement, we want less “at risk,” and more of our money earning a steady income without losing our principal. 3. How often should we rebalance? 1-3 times a year. Why? If we’ve made a lot of gains, we capture them at the high. If the markets drop, the safe side of our plan protects us from losses, and gives us the liquidity to buy low. (Most people don’t buy low because they can’t. Buy and hope investors can lose half or more in recessions.) More than three times a year would be overkill. We’re more likely to make mistakes, or be driven by emotions. Our nest egg should be money while we sleep, not an obsession that we have to babysit. Most of us have day jobs. 4. What is the easiest way to rebalance our nest egg? Print out a sample pie chart of what we “should have.” (We have a free web app where you can personalize your sample pie chart.) Mock up a pie chart of your current holdings and their value. Compare what you have to what you should have. Sell high in the slices that are too large. Buy low in the slices that have become slivers. Simply email [email protected] with FREE SAMPLE PIE CHART in the subject line to receive a link to the web app. If you’ve never organized your holdings, then consider having an unbiased 2nd opinion from me in my private coaching program. Email [email protected] for pricing and information. What you receive: 1. An easy-to-understand pie chart of what you currently have. 2. An easy-to-understand pie chart of a plan that has worked great over the past 26 years, earning gains in the bear markets and outperforming the bull markets in between. 3. A Word document where I outline the areas of strength and weakness in your current plan and offers other time-proven strategies to consider incorporating into your current plan. This is an easy-to-follow action plan of how to protect your wealth. You’re the boss of your money. You can choose what you wish to incorporate and what you don’t. It’s much easier to make decisions about your wealth and future when you know what you own. FYI: you can have 18 pages of holdings, and still not be properly diversified and protected. It’s always a good idea to know exactly what you own and why, rather than relying on the word of someone else. No one cares about your money and future more than you do. 5. What are some of the fundamentals to properly diversifying our nest egg? Always keep a percentage equal to our age safe. Overweight or underweight safe based upon market conditions. Know what is safe in a Debt World. (What’s hot and what’s safe changes every year.) Diversify your at-risk equity holdings into ten funds – large, mid and small caps, value and growth, and four hot industries or countries. At our Investor Educational Retreat, we also teach you how to lean into the future and make sure that you are not investing in the typewriters of yesteryear, or companies that are drowning in debt, losing sales/revenue, and not making enough profit to meet their massive debt and overhead obligations. Check out the 10 Wealth Tips of the Rich at the top of this blog. 6. Which assets go into our nest egg? Liquid assets, such as stocks, bonds, funds, REITs, cash, money market funds, annuities, savings, cryptocurrency, etc. are all part of our nest egg. We often have multiple accounts, such as our employer retirement plan (401K or RSP), our personal IRA or TFSA, our checking, our savings, our crypto account, etc. All of these accounts are combined into one pie chart to aid us in getting a better understanding of how our current strategy measures up to an age-appropriate, time-proven system. 7. Which assets do not go into our nest egg? Hard assets, such as our home, income property and other real estate investments, with the exception of REITs (which are paper assets and go in our nest egg). Our business is also separate. Nest egg investments are “money while we sleep,” whereas our businesses and jobs take up a lot of our time. Our wealth might also include art, cars, jewelry and collectibles. These are part of our estate, but tend to be less liquid and are not able to be “rebalanced” in a nanosecond as most stocks and funds are. The same is true of our real estate – which is an illiquid asset. I often do, however, put gold or silver coins as hot slices of the pie chart. Precious metals are very liquid and experience volatile price swings. Having a plan for capturing gains, such as is outlined in our pie chart system, helps tremendously. 8. Should we invest in individual companies in our nest egg? Funds offer more protection than individual stocks, and require less babysitting. Most of us should not have individual companies in our nest egg – at least until we get as great at picking stocks as Warren Buffett. If you do wish to purchase an individual stock, think of it as Vegas Money – not our nest egg and future. We’ll need to babysit individual stocks, using many of the strategies that I teach in my annual Stock Masterclass. 9. What is the difference between value and growth? Value funds should have companies that are on sale. Value funds often pay a dividend. Growth funds include companies that are experiencing strong sales/revenue growth year over year. Growth funds typically offer more upside in capital gains, with more modest income. 10. What is the difference between small, mid and large cap funds? Small companies typically offer better performance. Trillion-dollar companies offer stability. So, it’s important to have both performance and stability in our plan. 11. Why do we evaluate the funds we own? There are many reasons to know what you own. The Magnificent 7 5 doubled in 2023, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average earned less than 14%. (We spend a day teaching this at our Financial Freedom Retreats.) We can lean into the products and services of tomorrow, and avoid last-century products and companies, many of which have an alarming amount of debt, with some losing a notable amount of money. We can begin to green our investments, and ensure that we are not profiting from polluters. 12. What kind of funds do we want to avoid? Some funds are filled with debt-laden, slow-growth companies that are paying dividends to keep investors interested, while putting their principal at risk of large losses. Just as with bonds, the higher the dividend the higher the risk of loss of principal. (Bonds lost -26% in 2022 – more than stocks! This is one reason why we spend a full day revealing what is safe in our 3-day Financial Freedom Retreats.)  13. What kind of funds do we want to own? The fund company itself should be a creditworthy company that has been around for decades, that is well-capitalized and is managed by a respected CEO. When diversifying, we can include foreign countries and hot industries, allocating four of our slices to performance funds. Never just search for a fund online and go with whatever the search or sponsored results reveal. We might end up with IJustStartedMyFundYesterday.com or a company that is highly leveraged and at risk of going out of business. A strategic plan might also help us to avoid capital gains in our crypto investing. 14. What is an “everything and the kitchen sink” fund? Is this a fund we want to own? Why or why not? These are funds (like target date retirement funds) that try to do everything in one product. These were designed for a Buy & Hold strategy – a last-century game plan that hasn’t worked in the 21st Century. They also tend to charge more in fees and pay higher commissions – incentivizing broker/salesmen to sell them, even if they aren’t the best choice for many investors. Many bond and target-date retirement funds have lost money over the last five years, at a time when the S&P500 doubled. 15. When do we switch out funds and pick something new? What’s hot changes every year. So, evaluate your hot slices when you do your rebalancing. If you don’t know what’s hot, this is where you can rely on an analyst with a great track record, or consider adding in an investment that you really believe in (such as a Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, copper, or a Magnificent 7 ETF). 16. What are some key dates to consider rebalancing? Why? September is historically the worst performing month. The Santa and Spring Rallies are typically the strongest. So, we might find some Back to School Stock Sales (fund sales) at the end of September. Early January and early May might be good profit-taking rebalancing times. 17. What kind of return are we aiming to achieve in our nest egg? 10% annualized gains, which is what stocks have done over the last 30 years (and used to be something we could count on for the fixed income side as well.). The Buy & Hope system has been losing more than half in recessions, and using the bull markets to make up losses.  Between 2022 and 2024, the fixed income side of our wealth plan earned a safe 5-ish% yield – but was tricky. As interest rates have gotten cut, the income drops as well. However, it’s important to remember that a 3.5% return on $1 million is $35,000. We want to achieve that without paper losses, which is only doable if we keep the terms short and the creditworthiness high. There is still too much credit and duration risk. Again, we spend one full day teaching what’s safe at the Financial Freedom Retreat. I also host a bond/fixed income masterclass each year. FYI: between 2009 and 2016, we encouraged people to avoid the risk of long-term bonds and lean into real estate instead. Real estate more than doubled. (As we say, “What’s hot and what’s safe changes every year.”) 18. How can dollar cost averaging help our strategy? If we want to add in a hot industry or fund that is trading at an all-time high, we can dollar-cost average, rather than just buying everything at once. That way if the markets keep going up, the gains fill up our slice for us. If the markets go down, we buy more at a lower price, instead of buying high and losing money. 19. How do we determine when to capture gains or buy more? That’s the beauty of the pie charts – they show us how to do the right thing. If our slice is too large, it is prompting us to capture gains and trim the slice back to where it should be. If the slice is too small, it is encouraging us to buy more low. This system smooths out volatility and keeps us on the right side of the trade – even in industries like technology, clean energy and cryptocurrency, which experience wild swings. Technology and cryptocurrency were the worst performers of 2022 and the best of 2023. Clean energy tripled in 2021, was back to all-time lows in 2024, and then performed exceedingly well (+45.20%) in 2025. Clean energy’s returns in 2025 were higher than Nvidia and more than double the performance of the S&P500. 20. What is the difference between a “Stop Loss” mindset and a “Capture Gains” mindset? Stop losses can actually increase your losses, rather than protect you, in a market that is such a rollercoaster, as Wall Street has been in the 21st Century. In a volatile market, if we set stop losses, we will be losing time and again. On the flip side, if we are anticipating the volatility and capturing gains during our rebalancing sessions, we will be winning over and over again. Regular rebalancing allows us to adopt a “Capture Gains” winning game plan. The best protection against a downturn is to have an appropriate amount safe – not at risk. So, the pie chart system protects our wealth better than a stop loss. When we we keep an age-appropriate amount safe, we are automatically protected from market volatility and losses. If we see economic storms on the horizon, overweight more safe. Bottom Line Of course, the devil is in the details. Implementing this strategy will be easier if you attend our Investor Educational Retreat. We also offer a Rebalancing Master Class every year. The next online courses are listed below. Rebalancing Masterclass ONLINE Jan. 10, 2026 https://www.nataliepace.com/rebalancing2026.html#/ Financial Freedom Retreat ONLINE Jan. 17-19, 2026 https://www.nataliepace.com/retreat202601.html#/ If you are a busy professional, or if you want to gain greater clarity on this plan (which is the life math that we all should have received in high school), consider getting an unbiased 2nd opinion from me in my private coaching practices. Email [email protected] for pricing and information. You’ll receive personalized pie charts and a wealth game plan in the 2nd opinion, which allows you to be in control and be the boss of your money – even if you have a financial advisor. (I don’t sell financial products, which is why my 2nd opinion is unbiased.) Email info @ NataliePace.com or call 310-430-2397 to register for one of our online training programs. These time-proven, 21st Century investing, budgeting, debt reduction and home buying solutions will transform your life. You can even learn to save thousands annually in your budget with more-informed big-ticket choices. Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom to create a New Year, New Me in 2026? Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register with family and friends to receive the best price. Teens and college students can attend for just $99.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now.  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest 2026 Crystal Ball. Is the AI Bubble About to Pop? A+ 2025 Performance Report Card with Bragging Rights. The 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday. Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.
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 Crystal Ball 2026 Will stocks soar even higher? Will the safe havens gold and silver continue to rule the day? Will crypto join the party or head for a Crypto Winter? What about the other hot countries and hot sectors we’ve been leaning into? Are they still desirable? Should you continue to use value replacement funds? How can you get a safe income without paper losses? All this and more in my Crystal Ball 2026 blog. Be sure to join my Crystal Ball 2026 videoconference on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at 4 pm PT (7 pm ET). Email [email protected] for the logon information. Watch or listen back at https://www.youtube.com/nataliepace and https://nataliepace.substack.com/. Subscribe there so that you are always alerted when a new podcast/videoconference is published. General Outlook: Optimistic Uncertainty with Notable Risks to the Downside One of the most frequent phrases you’ll hear most economists say is that there is “a great deal of uncertainty” in their forecasts. It’s not that we don’t know what’s happening in the economy. It’s that there are so many factors that make up an economy, including consumer sentiment and especially consumer spending, which make predicting what the future will hold exceedingly problematic. For instance, we thought the economy was going to have a slow year in 2025. Stocks dropped -20% when tariffs hit the headlines in April. However, thanks to retail investors buying on the dip and artificial intelligence driving investments in data centers and energy, stocks roared to new highs, with gains of the S&P500 up 18.20% year to date. The entire world became excited about U.S. stocks, especially in breakthrough technology. (As an anecdote, an acquaintance who lives in Hong Kong loves investing in Tesla.) Economic growth is expected to hit 1.7% this year and 2.3% in 2026. Productivity is up – a positive sign for economic growth. This will make sense to anyone who has used AI. A task that could take a full day can be shortened to an hour with the help of artificial intelligence. Though the promise of what AI holds is beyond the stars, so is the amount of energy needed to power it. So, many firms are burning through money for R&D and to buy up energy – pushing electric prices up. This elevates the risk of some AI crash and burn projects. You’ve probably already heard about the K-shaped economy. While many Americans feel very constrained by their budgets and are taking on crushing debt, the rich keep getting richer. Stocks and real estate prices are at an all-time high. There are many economists who warn that the consequences of economic inequity, particularly with only a few companies (the Magnificent 7) driving market returns, exacerbated when equity prices are as elevated as they are today, heightens the risk of a severe and sustained downside. Having said that, the consensus is that 2026 will look better than 2025, at least in terms of GDP growth. At the same time, I sure hear the word bubble a lot. I remind us that our best friend during uncertain times is an age-appropriate, properly diversified wealth plan that we rebalance at least once a year. If you don’t know exactly what you own and why, now is the time to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school and to be the boss of your money. No one cares about your money more than you do. You can read about this time-proven plan in my books, or learn and implement it at our Financial Freedom Retreats, or get an unbiased 2nd opinion from me personally through my private coaching. The sooner we learn the wealth secrets of the 1%, the faster our lives transform. (They are legal and available to us.) Here are the things we will discuss in this blog. Most of the topics below have their own designated article, where I take the analysis deeper. So, be sure to click over to learn more. Election Year Trends Stocks Artificial Intelligence, Magnificent 7 & Data Centers Bonds Bitcoin and Crypto Gold and Silver Oil and Gas Clean Energy Indonesia Ireland Australia Peru Real Estate Commercial Real Estate And here is more information on each topic. Election Year Trends As you can see in the chart below, mid-term years are typically the weakest in the election cycle.  2022 was a correction year for stocks, with technology and crypto performing quite miserably – far worse than the -19.44% drop in the S&P500.   Long-term government bonds lost even more than the S&P500 – prompting a spate of bank failures in early 2023. Our fixed income strategy has been earning a competitive income without the paper losses that abound in many conservative portfolios. This is VERY important, particularly as we get closer to retirement. (See the Bond section below.) In 2018, the S&P500 lost -6.24%. Stocks Stocks are expensive. The slightest scare sparks a swift retreat. In April of 2025, many of the Magnificent 7 stocks were the worst performers, falling far farther than the S&P500, which dropped -20%. (This was the case in 2022 as well – the Magnificent 7 plunged, dragging everything down with it.)  It’s important to have large cap growth and another hot slice of technology, if we want our gains to keep up. At the same time, due to the volatility in these hot stocks, rebalancing and dollar cost averaging are also very important. We are using value replacement funds for many reasons, including country diversification, with some countries offering a higher yield for less risk. Peru has been one of the best performing ETFs in 2025, with the bonus of a yield that is on par or better than a comparable U.S.-based value fund. See below for additional information. Artificial Intelligence, Magnificent 7 & Data Centers As I mentioned in my December 18, 2025, blog on Nvidia and data centers, AI is here to stay. For the Magnificent 7 multi-trillion-dollar companies, they are profitable in their other businesses, allowing them to invest heavily in the breakthrough technology and the energy required to power it all. For the younger leaders, including OPENAI and X-AI, the companies are burning through cash to a reported tune of $12 billion per company in 2025. Additionally, many of the companies are priced at valuations that make sense down the road rather than today. Elevated valuations are why C3 AI investors have lost 90% and also why Nvidia dropped to under $95/share in April of this year. Creative disruption often starts with a bubble that pops – before the industry hits a 2nd phase when costs come down and adoption is widespread. As one example, the NASDAQ Composite Index plunged -78% when the Dot Com Bubble burst and took 15 years to recover. Now we have the Magnificent 7 companies leading Wall Street, with the highest valuations. Click on the blue-highlighted Nvidia above to learn more on AI.  Bonds Certificates of Deposit are a lesson in futility. As interest rates get cut, the banks call the C.D.s, and we have to find another way of earning income. Money market funds are riskier than most people realize and typically get into trouble in recessions. The mantra for fixed income is, “Keep the terms short and the creditworthiness high.” So, what is the best opportunity? Highly rated, short-term bonds purchased in the secondary market. Email [email protected] for information on our Oct. 2025 Bond Masterclass, where all of this was outlined in depth. Register for the Jan. 17-19, 2026 Financial Freedom Retreat and receive free access to the Bond Masterclass recording. Bitcoin and Crypto Will 2026 usher in another Crypto Winter? If the historical trend of halving events proves true, then it is possible that 2026 will be a terrible year for crypto. Bitcoin is down -30% from the highs set in early October. In the last Crypto Winter (2022), Bitcoin dropped -67%.  However, rather than trying to pick the exact moment to jump in or out, if we use our pie chart system, then the fluctuations of cryptocurrency can be something that prompts us to capture gains at the high, which increases our wealth and secures it – keeping us warm in Crypto Winters, instead of frozen, financially distraught and desperate. We can even avoid capital gains taxes by investing in our tax-protected retirement accounts. Email [email protected] to join us at our Jan. ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat to learn more. Gold and Silver Safe havens soared in 2025, except for crypto, which has struggled to return to the all-time high of $126,280, set on Oct. 6, 2025. Silver (our preferred safe choice!) was the superstar, ringing in returns of 164% in 2025 (as of Dec. 27, 2025), compared to gold’s 72.4%. Both are clearly impressive. Which precious metal will win in 2026? Or is the party over? In the first phase of a stock market downturn, precious metals can be drug down. So, rebalancing, even in hot sectors, is still important. However, if investors lose their appetite for risky stocks due to losses, safe havens can look attractive again. As you can see in the 2022 performance chart above, silver and gold held strong. With both metals at all-time highs, it’s a good idea to dollar cost average into a slice of your age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, and to have a strategy for capturing gains, due to the volatility. Oil and Gas Oil prices are expected to stay under $70/barrel in 2026. The rapid adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in the largest EV market, China, alongside uncertainty in the global economy and the work-from-home trend has resulted in weaker demand for gasoline. A supply glut is expected to be a problem in 2026, which could weaken prices further. According to the International Energy Agency, “surging supplies from the Middle East and the Americas are pointing to an untenable surplus of nearly 4 mb/d in 2026, making it increasingly clear that something has to give.” FYI: many oil companies are profiting from the production of plastic and polyester – which are both oil-based products (with significant environmental costs). ExxonMobil is consistently ranked as the top producer of resins for single-use plastics, with a heavy reliance on virgin plastic. Even more alarmingly, it is estimated that less than 5% of plastic gets recycled in the U.S. Microplastics and the toxic process of producing and recycling plastic mean that recycling plastic is not consistent with reducing toxicity in our water supply and CO2 pollution in our air. There’s no excuse for single-use plastic and it’s a good idea to dress in natural fibers instead of petroleum clothing. It’s time we realize that covering our bodies and food with oil products was never a good idea. Clean Energy Despite having the EPA gutted and tax credits wiped out in 2025 in the U.S., clean energy investors really cleaned up, with annual gains of 46% in the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF. That’s much higher than the Magnificent 7 and more than double the performance of the S&P500.  With energy demand for AI and data centers surging, and the trillion-dollar technology companies committed to a sustainable future with power generated from renewables, 2026 could be another banner year for clean energy. Indonesia Indonesia is expected to have one of the world’s highest GDP growths in 2026, at 4.8%. However, the recent civil unrest does add to the risk factors. (Remember that all stocks and funds carry risk, which is why we also need to keep a percentage equal to our age safe.) The protests affect foreign investment, deter investors and inhibit the Indonesian economy from performing at its potential. While the risk is higher with an investment in Indonesia, there are reasons to buy into the world’s largest exporter of nickel, and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, at 4.9% in 2026. I’ll keep a close eye on this country, and plan to report more in the coming months. FYI: The iShares Indonesia ETF offers a yield of 3.5%. We use it as our mid cap value replacement fund. Ireland Ireland is a mecca for the Magnificent 7, biotech and agribusiness. The country lifted itself out of near bankruptcy in the Great Recession in grand style. Ireland’s GDP per capita is now the 3rd highest in the world (behind Liechtenstein and Luxembourg). GDP growth in 2026 is predicted to be tepid, at just 1.3%. With the EIRL ETF trading at an all-time high, now could be a great time to capture gains and trim back. Having said that, technology, medicine and food will continue to be popular in 2026, so there is potential for an upside surprise and resiliency. I’m personally invested (but have captured gains). FYI: The iShares Ireland ETF offers a yield of 2.68%. We use it as our small cap value replacement fund. Australia As I mentioned in last year’s blog on Canadian and Australian banks versus their U.S. competitors, Australian banks tend to have higher credit quality and a higher yield. It is a rare instance where we are getting paid more to take on less risk.  The iShares Australia ETF (symbol: EWA) offers a yield of 3.16%, which is higher than most U.S. based large cap value funds. We use EWA as our large cap value replacement fund. Australia’s GDP growth is expected to be on par with the U.S. in 2026, at 2.1%. However, that comes with much lower debt to GDP, at 50% in Australia compared to 121% in the U.S. https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/GG_DEBT_GDP@GDD/SWE Peru Peru is the 2nd largest exporter of copper in the world. With copper prices at an all-time high, Peru’s economy is fortified. (If copper prices fall, the economy will weaken.) The IMF is expecting 2.7% GDP growth in Peru in 2026. Analysts are predicting that copper miners will not be able to meet demand next year, as technology and electric vehicles continue to have a ravenous need for the essential clean energy metal. Copper prices are expected to jump by up to 27% in 2026. The iShares Peru ETF was one of the top performers in 2025, with gains of 86%. Here again, rebalancing with an eye to capturing gains, while remaining invested, can be a winning plan. I’ll publish an updated Copper Peru blog within the next week. Real Estate Real estate was one of the worst performers of 2025, with 2.51% gains in 2025, compared to 17.81% in the S&P500. Real estate is one of the reasons why we underweight U.S. value funds. Many REITs offer an above-market dividend. However, they also carry a great deal of debt, with many that are below investment grade, meaning we can lose principal on the investment. Due to the real estate market freezing up, many mortgage companies are losing money. Many builders saw revenue plunge year over year. Email [email protected] if you’d like updated mortgage and builders stock report cards. When we lose our principal investment, we’re often placated with the term that they are only paper losses. However, those pesky “paper losses” that we’re told not to worry about, are rarely made up for by the small amount of income generated and are far more problematic than the phrase implies. Remember: the higher the dividend, the higher the risk. Commercial Real Estate The Retail Apocalypse continues. The K-shaped economy has taken its toll. In 2025, there were more than 700 bankruptcies, including Spirit Airlines, Claire’s and Rite Aid. Since almost 70% of the U.S. GDP is linked to consumer spending, this is a concern. The rich are still buying. However, Reuters is reporting that Saks Global (owner of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus) is weighing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, where the company will stay in business, but restructure their debt and equity. Typically, public shareholders get wiped out in bankruptcies. However, Saks Global is a private company. We all still see a great deal of vacancies in the malls and business districts of our cities. This increases the risk for the banks and insurance companies that loan the CRE owners money, which increases the risk of our annuities and life insurance policies. This is one sector that could spark contagion in the financial system and tank stocks in 2026. Bottom Line The past few years have shown just how exciting and resilient the U.S. economy can be, with AI and data centers providing enough economic fuel to push stocks to an all-time high. At the same time, analysts are worried about a bubble, as there is a lot of historical precedence that when stock prices get this far away from the fundamentals, a correction can be swift and severe. Again, our best protection against a downturn in stocks, which can drag down great companies in the rout, is to have enough on the sidelines – safe. A good rule of thumb is to always keep a percentage equal to our age safe – not invested in stocks or equities, and to diversify, including in a few hot sectors. In a Debt World, we must know what’s safe because we’re not getting paid to take on the ample credit and duration risks that abound, particularly in the U.S. Rebalancing regularly prompts us to capture gains at the high and stay on the right side of the trade. Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom to create a New Year, New Me in 2026? Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register with family and friends to receive the best price. Teens and college students can attend for just $99.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 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 Is the AI Bubble About to Pop? A+ 2025 Performance Report Card with Bragging Rights. The 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday. Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  AI generated image of an astronaut on a horse in the style of Picasso. Nvidia is down -17.8% since its high of $212 on Nov. 3, 2025. Oracle has seen losses of -48% since September. The S&P500 is only off by -1.9%. Nvidia has been the story for the past few years, embraced by Wall Street insiders and Main Street alike. Artificial intelligence and the data centers needed to drive it have led to a surprisingly resilient U.S. economy, with revised (upward) expectations of 1.7% GDP growth in 2025 and 2.3% in 2026. At the same time, as you can see in the results at the top of the blog, Nvidia shares are down almost -20% over the last month and a half. When stocks head south, it’s the Magnificent 7 that is dragging everything down. It’s important to remember that we could have purchased Nvidia shares for $94 on April 8 of this year. Nvidia closed at $170.94 on Nov. 17, 2025; the all-time high is $212.19/share. So, what is your best strategy for incorporating AI into your portfolio, while smoothing out the volatility? Which horse should you bet on? Google AI, Grok, ChatGPT or an upstart that has yet to take centerstage? Here are the things I’ll cover in this blog. The Magnificent 7 Bubbles Scam Ads Make Up 10% of Revenue (Grrrr) OpenAI Google Meta Microsoft X-AI Oracle Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR A Winning Magnificent 7 Strategy And here is more information on each topic. The Magnificent 7 As I mentioned in my performance blog last week, the Magnificent 7 was still leading the S&P500 to new highs in 2025. However, these companies were not the top performers. It was all about silver, gold, Peru and clean energy. Click on the blue highlighted words to read my 2025 Performance blog.  So, what is going on with the Magnificent 7? Are the companies just not as exciting as we thought they were? All the companies have an AI play, and are leading the pack in technological breakthroughs, including quantum computing, robotaxis and productivity. With the exception of Apple, the companies all have double-digit year over year sales growth, and with the exception of Tesla, double-digit profit margins. If we think of these mega corporations in the real world, chances are we’re coming into contact with their products constantly throughout the day. How many Tesla vehicles do you see on the road? Have you taken a robotaxi anywhere? Have you used AI to help you create a presentation or even grammar-check an email? Are you still conducting your business on Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and searching on Google? Are you active on Instagram? Receiving deliveries from Amazon? The companies have in-demand products and are profitable. The problem lies more in the price of the stock. Email [email protected] if you would like updated AI and the Magnificent 7 stock report cards. Bubbles There’s one word that comes up frequently when the Magnificent 7 heads south – bubble. Retail investors have gotten so excited about the prospects of AI that they have forgotten completely about the old adage, buy low, sell high. We just want to own it at any price thinking that if we buy and hold long enough, we’ll get rich. Tesla has a $1.6 trillion market value, but only $7 billion in net income. 2025 might see less revenue and net profit than 2024 for Tesla. The company is on track to earn under $5 billion this year. EV price wars, Chinese EV competition and the expiration of the EV tax credit are all weighing on the company’s growth and margins. Tesla’s price-earnings ratio is the most outlandish at 324. However, all the Magnificent 7 companies have very elevated prices. The shares are selling for what people think they’ll be worth years from now. So, if there’s any sign that the road will not be smooth going forward, the whales of Wall Street want to take the money and run, and we get outsized corrections in a very short period of time. Scam Ads Make Up 10% of Revenue (Grrrr) Reuters blew the lid on a very alarming business practice. According to internal Meta documents reviewed by Reuters, the company projected that 10% of its 2024 total annual revenue, or approximately $16 billion, came from scams or banned goods. Several class action lawsuits have been filed and 42 U.S. state attorney generals urged Meta to take action against “investment scam ads” in June 2025. US senators Josh Howley and Richard Blumenthal have demanded a federal investigation into the Meta scam ad problem by the FTC and SEC. These are the kinds of things that could alarm investors, especially if any investigation is announced, which could cause a very rapid decline in Meta’s share price. Meta’s price-earnings ratio is also elevated, but not as egregious as Tesla’s. Meta made $62 billion in 2024 with a market cap of $1.64 trillion. The questionable business practice isn’t limited to Meta. I listen to a lot of music on YouTube, while working out. It’s not uncommon to see an AI-generated Oprah pushing a Himalayan Sea salt remedy, or a questionable workshop on investing that gets 1-star from Trust Pilot. A simple search on Google‘s own platform asking AI whether the ads are scams usually reveals the truth. So, it doesn’t seem like it’s that difficult to vet. Many of the same ads plague msn.com as well, which is owned by Microsoft. If you’re visiting these sites, be very careful. It’s astonishing that so many outright fraudulent companies are allowed to bait and phish on these platforms. OpenAI Google Meta Microsoft X-AI Oracle and Nvidia Have you used ChatGPT? Meta AI? Grok? While you may not be using an Nvidia app, you certainly know the name and are likely using a chip. Oracle has been making headlines because they’re building data centers and ran into some funding snags, due to the amount of debt that the company has. Oracle’s share price soared to $309 on Sept. 19, 2025, after they announced a deal with OpenAI (ChatGPT). By Dec. 17, 2025, the share price had plunged by -48%, to just $180/share. Oracle has a BBB credit rating (S&P Global) with a negative outlook (at the lowest rung of investment grade). Be very careful of investing on AI headlines. Each one of the AI user applications has its own area of expertise. As an example, I use Meta AI when I’m creating a graphic, Google AI when I’m fact-checking, and Grok when I am putting together a PowerPoint presentation. I certainly know a great deal of ChatGPT devotees – some of whom consider the app to be a “friend.” As Alexis Ohanian is fond of saying, artificial intelligence will not take your job. However, a person who is using artificial intelligence will. An Executive Summary that might have taken days for me to perfect was efficiently achieved with the support of AI in just a few hours. (AI didn’t create the content. It just organized it well, which made it quite easy to edit and beautify.) Artificial intelligence is an innovation that is rapidly becoming mainstream. The question really is can it be profitable? Companies that have been around for quite a while, including the Magnificent 7 make money. Newer enterprises, such as ChatGPT and X-AI are burning through cash, with at least $12 billion in losses per company in 2025. So far, OpenAI and X-AI have had no trouble raising money and getting extremely high valuations at $500 billion and $230 billion, respectively. However, it is important to factor in an important and well-tested economic theory that played into the Dot Com Crash – Peter Schumpeter’s Theory of Creative Destruction. In the 1st phase of disruptive technology, the new companies soar in valuations, even the newcomers who will fail to compete. Then a crash occurs. The weaker businesses will fail. However, even the survivors will suffer. The NASDAQ Composite Index dropped -78% between the Dot Com highs in March 2000 and the lows in October of 2022. The index took 15 years to recover.  Source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. There are time-proven ways to invest in these exciting and profitable innovations, while also protecting ourselves from the crash and restructuring. (Keep reading.) Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR Robotaxis and robot technology are some of the reasons why Tesla shares are so expensive. One of the concerns, especially for the full self-driving, is that Tesla relies on cameras only and is not incorporating LiDAR. Be sure to read my Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR blog, where you can watch a former NASA engineer do a side-by-side test live. It’s very entertaining and informative. We’ve also seen investors and even consumers have very strong feelings about Elon Musk. Tesla is another stock that you could have purchased at a discount of about 40% just a few months ago. The strategy below helps to smooth out the volatility that is inherent in the Magnificent 7 companies, while staying on the right side of the trade. A Winning Magnificent 7 Strategy One of the most important strategies for all at-risk investments, including stocks, funds and target date retirement funds, is to have an age-appropriate, properly diversified plan that we rebalance 1-3 times a year. That may sound like a lot of work. However, it is less time and less money than most of us spend worrying about our nest egg, once we learn the life math that we all should have received in high school. It’s important for us to be the boss of our money because most managed plans do what the market does. That means that you’re exposed to losses in corrections (such as happened in 2022), while experiencing paper losses on the safe side (where your principal is supposed to remain intact) in today’s Debt World. As I reported in our 2025 Performance blog, those who are using our strategies are in the hottest funds on Wall Street, and have no paper losses, while earning a competitive income on the safe side. This isn’t difficult or time-consuming. It’s actually as easy as a pie chart. You can read about these strategies in my books, and you can learn and implement them at our online Financial Freedom Retreat. You can also receive an unbiased second opinion from me through my private coaching. Email [email protected] to learn more now. Visit the https://www.nataliepace.com website for additional information on the retreat and books. FYI: if you do not have large cap growth, then you are not experiencing the massive performance of the Magnificent 7. We have been overweighting into AI and breakthrough technology in our hot slices. As I mentioned in my 2025 Performance blog of last week, the real gains this year have been in silver, Peru and clean energy. Click over to read that blog. Bottom Line AI is here to stay. However, it is in the first phase of the cycle, which could be the bubblelicious phase. The way to prosper without plummeting is to have a hot slice of AI and capture gains at the high, rather than investing blindly and perhaps buying high on headlines before a potential downturn or even crash. If you haven’t rebalanced your wealth plan in a year, now is the perfect time to do it, with stocks still very close to an all-time high. Email [email protected] to start your journey now. Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom and wisdom this holiday season? Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 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+ 2025 Performance Report Card with Bragging Rights. The 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday. Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  A+ Performance Report Card. Bragging Rights. The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on how the year has gone. We are very happy to report that the stock side of our pie chart system has triumphed on Wall Street. Just as importantly, the fixed income “safe” side has returned a market yield without any paper losses. Smart strategies with diligent, forensic analysis really paid off this year. I’ll explain why and how below. But it’s important to remember that most managed plans are charging ½ - 1 ½ %. That could be up to $15,000 per million under management (or more) per year. Most managed accounts shadow the market, but -2% lower due to the fees. Learning the life math that we all should’ve received in high school – so that we can be the boss of our money instead of having blind faith that someone else is protecting us – costs a fraction of that investment. Just as importantly, our pie chart system earned gains in the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession, which was a life saver for many who follow our strategies, and outperformed the bull markets in between. I encourage you to join us for our New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat ONLINE Jan. 17-19, 2026. The sooner you learn and implement this time-proven 21st Century wealth blueprint, the faster your life will transform. We can even teach you how to save thousands annually in your budget with more-informed big-ticket choices. 2025 Year-to-Date Performance Chart  Here are the things I’ll cover in this blog Superstar Silver and First Majestic Silver Gold and McEwen Mining Copper and the iShares Peru ETF Bitcoin and Crypto Value Replacements The Magnificent 7 Underweighting Old-School Blue Chips Ad here is more information on each topic Superstar Silver and First Majestic Silver We’ve been leaning into silver over gold for a few years because up until 2025 silver had been left behind in the precious metals rally. This year, silver is on fire hitting new highs and far surpassing the performance of gold, as you can see in the chart below.  Source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. Will that continue to be the case in 2026? Don’t miss my Crystal Ball 2026 blog and videoconference in early January. Email info @nataliepace.com to make sure you’re on the list. Subscribe on YouTube and Substack, so that you’ll be updated when it’s published. First Majestic Silver: In my June 23, 2025, blog, we identified a small cap silver mining company that had a mint and was selling its own collectible coins. First Majestic Silver saw their revenue jump by 130% in the first quarter of this year. Revenue growth is still on fire, at 95% in the third quarter. The stock was at $8.00/share when we featured it. It’s now at $16.80. If the company keeps increasing revenue and net profits, it could still have room to run – particularly if silver remains the safe haven darling on Wall Street. At the same time, silver can get drug down with stocks, in the first phase. So, there is nothing wrong with taking some profits when you double your money in a few months. I would dollar cost average in, if I didn’t already own it because there has been some volatility. It was down to $10/share on November 5, 2025. Remember that investing in an individual stock is separate from our pie-chart nest egg strategy. Think of it as Vegas Money, and adopt a buy low, sell high mentality. Gold and McEwen Mining Gold has been capturing headlines for its 60% gains this year, though our mid-cap value replacement, Peru (+67.5%) and silver (doubled) performed even better. McEwen Mining has projects in all of those metals – copper, silver, and gold. Like many small mining companies, McEwen Mining struggled between 2012 and 2020, when gold prices dropped from their $1895/ounce highs to under $900/ounce at the low. While the stock’s performance has been great in 2025 and over the past five years, Rob McEwen, the chairman and Chief Owner of McEwen Mining, believes the company is still undervalued. Be sure to check out my videoconference and interview with Rob from November 14, 2025, on YouTube and Substack. Copper and our Peru ETF Copper prices are close to their all-time high. As the 2nd largest exporter of copper, we selected Peru as one of our international diversification funds. The iShares Peru fund (symbol: EPU) performed at the top of the street with almost 68% gains in 2025. It also offers more than double the dividend of a comparable U.S.-based mid cap value fund. Bitcoin and Crypto At $90,000 a coin, bitcoin is still in the money – above $65,770, where it was when I published my March 24, 2024, blog when I selected it as the Investment of the Year. However, as importantly, we strongly encourage crypto lovers to rebalance and capture gains – something we’ve been harping on since Oct. 6, when bitcoin hit a high of $126,280. So, are we entering another Crypto Winter? If history proves accurate, bitcoin might freeze over by Spring of 2026. Read my blog for the historical context. Of course, history doesn’t always follow the trend. Rebalancing 1-3 times a year is very important. This strategy keeps us on the right side of the trade and takes the emotions out of the decision. When cryptocurrency is one or more of the hot slices in our age-appropriate, properly diversified plan, the system prompts us to capture gains at the high when the coins shoot the moon, and to add more low during Crypto Winters. During the 2022 Crypto Winter, bitcoin lost -67% of its value, dropping to $15,600/coin. Most people don’t buy low because they can’t. If you've captured gains, you have the emotional fortitude and the liquidity to buy more at a lower price, if you still believe in the asset. We could even divest ourselves of capital gains taxes by selecting a bitcoin or ethereum ETF within our retirement plan. There are important considerations about where and how you purchase these funds. We talk about this at the Financial Freedom Retreat. Will bitcoin soar to new highs or tank next year? Either is a possibility, which is why it is important to have a plan that can keep our wealth growing no matter which way the wind blows. Be sure to read my Crypto Winter blog from November 30, 2025. Value Replacements U.S. equities are very expensive. Many of the industries and companies that are included in U.S. based value funds are heavily indebted, with slow revenue growth and slim profit margins. Boeing, a Dow Jones Industrial Average component, is at the lowest rung of investment grade with a BBB- rating (source: S&P Global). The company lost almost -$12 billion in 2024. What is a value (on sale) when the DJIA keeps hitting new highs and the average price-earnings ratio is elevated? Another challenge for U.S. based value funds is that they are offering a very low dividend. I mentioned that Peru was earning double the income. The Peruvian ETF current yield is 3.27%, whereas the S&P 500 mid cap value fund is only offering 1.67%. In our sample pie charts, we diversify internationally with value replacement funds. Many foreign countries offer higher yields with much lower debt than the U.S. As you can see with the Peruvian fund, performance can be another added attraction. The Magnificent 7 The Magnificent 7 continues to be responsible for a great deal of the S&P 500 performance. Even with four out of the seven companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia), the DJIA performance was far lower than the S&P500. I mentioned that Boeing is one of the 30 DJIA components. So are 3M (chemicals) and Chevron. (See below for some of the challenges in these companies.) It is important to understand how to lean into performance. Do you have a large cap growth slice and potentially an extra hot slice of AI or technology in your wealth plan? It is equally advisable to underweight areas of the market that have fundamental challenges, such as we’re seeing with the commercial real estate and oil sectors. Even with all the headlines and hoopla, the Magnificent 7 were not the best performers this year. That is why we strongly suggest having four different hot selections in our wealth plan.  Underweighting Oil & Old-School Blue Chips The rapid shift away from ICE* to electric vehicles, particularly in the world’s largest vehicle market – China, has resulted in lower demand for oil products. This is something I pointed out in my Oil blog from March 31, 2025. Reduced demand is expected to keep prices low. In the 3Q 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Survey, oil executives expected the price of oil to be around $63/barrel at year’s end, perhaps recovering to $69/barrel (still too low for many new drilling projects) in two years. On Dec. 11, 2025, oil prices were at $58.15/barrel. *ICE: Internal Combustion Engine Oil companies are not the only heavily indebted, slow growth enterprises on Wall Street. Over half of the S&P500 companies are at the lowest rung of investment grade or in junk bond status. Ford Motor Company was below investment grade for most of 2023 and is currently at the lowest rung (BBB-) with a negative outlook. Again, a lot of the low-credit quality companies are concentrated in our value funds. These are some of the reasons why we are underweighting the U.S. value funds and the oil industry (also better for the planet), and leaning into the products and companies of tomorrow, which tend to be more eco-friendly with superior performance. Many of the Magnificent 7 companies have a treasure trove of cash and enviable profit margins, along with impressive revenue growth. Some value funds and most target date retirement and bond funds have lost money over the last five years, while the S&P500 doubled. With stocks back to an all-time high, now is the time to rebalance and make sure that we keep our money, and that our wealth plan is age-appropriate and properly diversified, with no paper losses on the safe side. Bottom Line It’s been a volatile year. By April 8, 2025, stocks had plunged -20% in about a month. However, everything is coming up roses, with 18% gains in the S&P500 and a 3-year return of 86% or 24.49% annualized. As you can see in the performance chart above, if you were using our hots (crypto, clean energy, silver, AI, Magnificent 7) and our value replacement funds, including the iShares Peru ETF (symbol: EPU), then your nest egg equity performance was even higher. Having said that, 1-3 times a year rebalancing is one of the most important success strategies for investors. At the end of December, after the Santa Rally, is a great time to make sure that our wealth plan is age-appropriate and properly diversified – to capture and keep the impressive gains before heading into the New Year. Why not treat yourself to an online Financial Freedom Retreat this holiday season? Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 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 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday. Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  Photo: Gabe, Natalie, Davis at Hotel Negresco in Nice, France. Christmas 2010. The 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday Including a list of eco organizations worldwide that you might consider donating to. Before writing this blog, I asked my young adult son, “What was your favorite Christmas gift?” Not surprisingly, he listed the years he got the paintball gun, a portable CD player and various gaming devices. However, he also mentioned a special belt he got from his Cowboy Grandpa, with a stone for a buckle that his grandfather had found and polished. (My father was quite a rockhound.) It was a very meaningful gift to my son. His friends have coveted it over the years because it was so special and unique. Alas, it’s not something that can be purchased, and most of us don’t have a lapidarist in the family. Another thing was also mentioned – our holidays together in Amsterdam and France. Again, it was a generic question without any prompts leading him to what I wanted him to say or what might support this blog. His response confirmed that, in addition to things, what kids really want for Christmas and what makes a lasting impression are presents and experiences that we cannot buy at the superstore. So, I’m encouraging us to get creative this holiday season about establishing new family traditions that might bring us even closer together and make the holidays even more special. For families who are feeling budget constraints, the tips below might help us to use the lack of funds as a prompt to create winter holiday magic in a whole new way. Today's Sustainability Tip: "Did you know that recycling is the least effective of the 6 Rs, as less than 5% of plastic gets recycled in the U.S. and less than 9% worldwide? What are the 6 Rs? Rethink. Refuse. Repair. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. This is important to consider this holiday season! Maybe the gift of time and adventure (in an eco-friendly way) are better than things." Natalie Pace, author The Power of 8 Billion: It’s Up to Us and co-creator of the Earth Gratitude project. The Giving Season Are you interested in protecting the rainforest? In conserving elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other iconic animals? Would you like to see student gardens and healthier lunch choices in schools? Are you ready to reduce your personal CO2 footprint by learning more about the power of individual choice? Do you know why an attitude of gratitude is so effective? Are you learning more about healthy, non-toxic, nutrient-dense food, regenerative agriculture and the Make America Healthy Again movement? If any of these topics interest you, check out the contributors’ page of EarthGratitude.org where you will find links to organizations that are moving the needle in each of these areas. I also encourage you to watch our Earth Gratitude 5-part docuseries. You’ll be inspired by all the great work that is happening globally. The 6 Rs of a Sustainable Holiday Rethink. Refuse. Repair. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. And here is how each R might create a treasured and sustainable holiday season Rethink. Rent a Living Christmas Tree! Did you know that some nurseries allow you to rent a Christmas tree in a pot? After you use it, it gets returned and will eventually be planted in a forest. There are other ways that we can incorporate trees into the holiday tradition without chopping one down and putting it in our living room. What if the family went and visited the trees at the nearest nature preserve? Is it possible to start a new tradition without a dying tree that will have to be composted a few days after Christmas? It’s our family after all. We get to decide what’s important to us, how we want to bond together and the central themes that we wish to reinforce as a through line for our children. If preserving nature is one of those things for you, then this is an invitation – a challenge – to embrace the ethos you believe in, while rethinking your holiday tradition. Experiences, Not Things I mentioned above that two of the presents my son specifically called out were our trips to Amsterdam and France. Amsterdam was my son’s study abroad during college. He decided to conserve money, and he wasn’t going to fly home for Christmas. I went there to celebrate the holiday with him. There were only a few students in his group who remained in the Netherlands, which made our celebrations even more meaningful and bonding. Beyond that, seeing all the Nederlanders commuting by bike, instead of car, gave me the courage to give up my vehicle in Santa Monica and embrace walking and biking, especially for local errands. People driving around in single-occupancy vehicles are a big part of the reason why Americans, Canadians, Australians and people living in the Middle East have a CO2 footprint that is 3X that of many Europeans.  With regard to France, all his friends were going. He had a girlfriend in France (again this was during his college years). I figured out a way to make it even more special by getting a few rooms in a historic hotel in Nice, France – not far from where my son’s French girlfriend lived. (This was right after the Great Recession, and this amazing destination was quite affordable.) Oddly, we don’t remember giving or receiving any particular present during either one of those trips. It is possible that the trip itself, along with the special meals and museums, was the gift. (That has become a tradition – saving up to do something very special together.) We now have Christmas memories of the tour of Rembrandt’s home studio, the dinner at Five Flies restaurant (where Rembrandt used to trade his etchings for food), the Van Gogh Museum, and Hotel Negresco (Nice, France) with all its artwork and masterpieces. Of course, I did not spend all the time with my son and his friends. I was prepared to spend much less time together, since he was a college student with his peers. However, we ended up sharing a lot of meals with his friends (because I was paying and college students are on tight budgets probably). It didn’t feel like they were censoring themselves in anyway, but rather that I was invited to participate, not quite on par with them, but still as an intimate guest. I understand that these are exotic and expensive destinations that carry a CO2 footprint. These days, we fold that decision into the mix. As an example, our most recent adventure was a train ride and a few days in San Diego – close to home in Santa Monica, but with a much lower CO2 footprint than flying or driving. It is also more fun and easier to chat when the train is part of the adventure, and you don’t have to focus on the highway and other drivers’ peculiar (and potentially dangerous) steering habits. Another adventure that is at the top of my list is the year that we gave my cousin’s family a trip to Disneyland. They were moving from California to Utah, and their children had never been. Our little family came together to make it happen for them and joined them there. It was so special. (We have a tradition of giving a gift to a family in need each year.) Refuse. Polyester is an oil product, just as plastic is. They are toxic from the drilling of oil, to the microplastics, through to those petroleum-based toys and clothing going to landfills because they are not recycled or recyclable. There it could take centuries to break down. Pact, Mate, Blue Canoe – there are many brands that offer competitively priced natural fiber clothing. Natural fiber clothing composts, enriching the soil (once you remove any synthetic buttons, zippers, elastic, etc.)! It is healthier for our skin to wear. Oftentimes it’s warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Putting petroleum all over our food and bodies was never a good idea. Learn more in my Plastic blog. Also be careful of the vegan label. The oil industry loves it when their products are labeled “vegan-friendly.” However, if we’re concerned about animals, we should be factoring in all the animals that die each year and species that are getting exterminated as a result of oil drilling, habitat destruction, oil and chemical spills, microplastics and more. CROCs are made of polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA), which is chemically related to plastic, and was part of the toxic spill in Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, 2023. There are many beauty products that are considered “green” or “vegan” that are full of petroleum-based chemicals. Until recently, petroleum-based synthetic food dyes were the norm in a lot of processed food – something that the HHS and FDA are trying to phase out. My friends and family have been trained to only purchase natural fiber clothing for me. They also know that I’m not that into things, in general. Which brings me to one of the easiest and most important choices we might make this holiday season: The most eco-friendly gift we can give is the one we don’t buy. Repair. Are you the fix-it person in the family? Could the best gift be your time & talent? As I mentioned above, one of my son’s favorite gifts was a Western-style belt with a polished stone belt buckle that his grandfather made and gave him. It’s been a staple of his wardrobe for over a decade now – even more special now that his grandfather is no longer with us. If we take liberty with the repair idea – is it possible that the best gift is something that you teach someone? One gift I plan to give this holiday season is an ebook of my favorite recipes. I love cooking and have added some personal touches to a few of my favorite celebrity chef creations. I quite enjoy seeing family members use some of my cuisine hacks in their own food preparation. Reduce.
Eat local and regeneratively produced organic food. It’s nutrient-dense, healthier, tastier and is better for our planet. If we don’t know the origin of our food, we could be eating Rainforest Beef or Cancer Alley Chicken – bad for our bodies, our oceans, our air and so much more. Learn more in my Rainforest blog. It’s tempting to purchase the cheapest thing or buy into the chic-looking ads of fast fashion, particularly if we just want to get through our gift shopping list. Rarely do the products hold up to the marketing images, and often there is a giant waste dump of discards and social concerns that we’ve had to overlook to click and pay. Learn more in my Fast Fashion/Temu blog. Is there some experience or personal touch we might offer that might be more lasting and touching? Should we investigate our closet or attic instead of online? Reuse. Many families have boxes of holiday decorations. Bravo! If you’re buying something new, is it made of plastic? Can you think of something more sustainable, such as wood? Also…
Recycle. Now that we know that recycling isn’t really happening, we can focus on the solutions that actually work. There is a reason why Recycle is at the bottom of the 6Rs of Sustainability list. Happy Holy Days! Tag me at @NatalieWynnePace on Instagram with your ideas and new family holiday traditions. I’m so interested to see what you’re dreaming up. Why not treat yourself to an online Financial Freedom Retreat this holiday season? Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.
 Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 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 Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  Image: MetaAI Are We Headed for Another Crypto Winter? Watch my free videoconference on YouTube.com/NataliePace or listen to my podcast on NataliePace.Substack.com. Bitcoin’s high was $126,279.65 on Oct. 6, 2025. On Nov. 29, 2025, the coin was valued at about $91,000. That’s down -28%. Will bitcoin recover and soar even higher, or are we headed into another Crypto Winter? During the last down cycle in 2022, bitcoin sank to $15,683 (on November 9, 2022). So, what is the crypto lover to do to profit and to protect oneself? Buy? Sell? Hold? Here are the things we will cover in this blog. Isn’t it better to just buy and hold? Will crypto go up or down in 2026? How often do Crypto Winters come around? How long do Crypto Winters last? Who does the selling at the high? Is crypto being used as a currency? A buy low, sell high system on autopilot Capital gains taxes Crypto scams And here is more information on each topic Isn’t it better to just buy and hold? The trouble with buying and holding is that Crypto Winters can be very long and frigid. On November 9, 2021, crypto was at $69,000. It dropped to $15,000 by November 2022. Those kinds of losses, more than -75%, have serious consequences. At minimum, your FICO score plunges. When you’re worth $1,000,000, your FICO score and assets to debt might be in tiptop shape. If a year later your wealth has dropped to just $250,000, you might have a great deal more debt than money – and a lot of agents calling to collect. If you have borrowed money based on feeling super rich, whether it’s to purchase a house or sail around the world, banks and credit card companies don’t wait until crypto recovers to demand their payments. This could put us in a real vise, where our debt starts compounding at a rate that could swallow us whole, even if crypto recovers. Finally, perhaps as a result of debt, leverage and the real-world losses that accompany having too much of them, we see mental health challenges in Crypto Winters, with some of them resulting in loss of life. If you bought crypto in 2009, and you held it to today, you’ve made a great deal of money. If you bought it the all-time high and you sell now, you will lose a lot of money. What if there was a way that you could easily invest in the cryptocurrency of your choice, while also capturing gains when it hits an all-time high, and being prompted to buy low when it bottoms out? There is an easy plan that does this. Keep reading. Will crypto go up or down in 2026? If history holds true to form, 2026 will not be a great year for crypto. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the asset will follow the past trends. Here’s why. In 2022, when stocks dropped -19.44%, crypto hit a low as well. The losses were -66% for bitcoin in 2022.  The 2022 Crypto Winter was part of a historical trend that is worth noting. The future doesn’t always look identical to the past, but it often at least rhymes. As I mentioned in my March 24, 2024 Investment of the Year blog (before bitcoin soared 85%), the bitcoin halving trend has happened three times now. So far, we’re holding true to the historic tendency, as you can see in the chart below.  The most recent bitcoin halving event was on April 19, 2024. As has happened in the three prior halving events, the price of bitcoin soared over the next year. The high was on October 6, 2025. However, another part of the cycle is that by the second year the price has plunged into a Crypto Winter. That might indicate that the current rout is not over yet. Again, history doesn’t always repeat itself, which is why it’s better to use a time-proven system for capturing gains at the high and adding more at the low, rather than trying to market time things. How often do Crypto Winters come around? We’ve had Crypto Winters in 2014, 2018 and 2022. How long do Crypto Winters last? The average length of the Crypto Winter is about 2-3 years. Who does the selling at the high? This is the rather heartbreaking thing. While a lot of retail investors subscribe to buy and HODL, Wall Street whales just want to make a buck. So, typically, it’s the big money that is making all the profits by strategically selling high. Sadly, less-experienced traders often end up buying at peak prices before a market downturn – sold in by the hype and headlines, without doing the proper due diligence. This type of behavior is not limited to crypto, which is why our easy pie chart strategy helps with all investments. Is crypto being used as a currency? While some countries and companies will accept cryptocurrency, the use of crypto as a currency is very limited. The point of currency is to have something that’s going to be stable in value from day to day. As you can see in the chart above, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have wild fluctuations in their value. You can’t have a currency that is worth XYZ one month and less than half a few months later. A buy low, sell high system on autopilot After the devastating crypto cliff in 2022, crypto was the best performer of 2023 and 2024 by far, with gains of 167% and 116%, respectively. However, how many people bought bitcoin when it dropped to $15,000 on November 9, 2022? Sometimes people get so fed up with the losses that they sell low. (The cycle of emotions will almost always put us on the wrong side of the trade.) That’s the trouble with not having a system. When bitcoin hits its highs, everybody thinks it’s going to a million, and when it drops to its low, either people don’t have any money to buy low or they don’t have the stomach for it, worried that it will just keep dropping even further. Most people don’t buy low because they can’t. They lose too much in the bear market. Our pie chart strategy with 1-3 times a year rebalancing is very effective in helping retail traders and investors to make sure that they are capturing gains at the high, keeping that money and liquidity, which allows us (and actually prompts us) to buy low. This system takes the emotions out of our plan. If we have a slice of bitcoin and the slice doubles, capture gains and trim it back to where it should be. That increases our wealth and we get to keep the money (and our FICO score). If the asset keeps going up, you can do it again. Conversely, if we’ve captured our gains and bitcoin plunges, the thinner slice is encouraging us to buy low (if we still believe in the investment). Learn more about our time-proven, 21st Century investing system at the New Year New You Financial Freedom Retreat January 17-19, 2026. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. You can also check out our free web apps, where you can personalize your own pie chart. Just email [email protected] with Free Web Apps in the subject line. Capital gains taxes Crypto can be volatile. Fortunately, there are now ways that we can own bitcoin or ethereum in our tax protected, self-directed retirement account. This could take our capital gains exposure down to nothing. Be careful just searching online or asking AI how to do this. You might end up with the company that paid for prime placement, rather than the most creditworthy one. There are a few very important considerations before we purchase any fund. (I cover this at the Jan. 2026 retreat.) Crypto scams There are some crypto funds that are owned by creditworthy multibillion-dollar financial services companies, and there are crypto funds owned and operated by criminals. There are a great deal of scams in the crypto space. According to the FBI, over $9.3 billion was reported lost to crypto fraud in 2024. Since not everyone reports their losses, the actual amount is likely higher. Bottom Line As I indicated above, if the history of bitcoin halving events is true to form, 2026 will not be a very good year for cryptocurrencies. That is a guarantee. However, rather than trying to pick the exact moment to jump in or out, if we use our pie chart system, then the fluctuations of cryptocurrency can be something that prompts us to capture gains at the high, which increases our wealth and secures it – keeping us warm in Crypto Winters, instead of frozen and desperate. Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register by Cyber Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. 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 Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts. Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales Give the Gift of Adventure & Other Novel Holiday Gift Ideas Receive Free Gifts and Massive Discounts This Weekend Only! Special Holiday Blog by the Natalie Pace team Our online courses, books, blogs and coaching are time-proven 21st Century strategies that are not found in the mainstream. Learning the life math that we all should have received in high school will transform your life and remove the obstacles that may be standing between you and your dream come true life. Whether you want to double your money in stocks, protect your wealth, reduce debt, thrive (instead of struggling to survive), live a greener life or make prosperity and abundance your daily habit, we have free videocoaching available to you. Just email [email protected] with your 2026 New Year, New You goal and we’ll offer some tips and ideas (some free) to help you achieve it. See below for our… Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales & Free Gifts Complimentary Coaching Receive a 50-minute Private Prosperity Coaching Session (value $400) when you register for our New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register now. Save $200 On the New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat Now through Dec. 1, 2025, you’ll save $200 when you register for our Jan. 17-19, 2026, online New Year, New You Financial Freedom Retreat (while also receiving a free coaching session). Bring someone with you and they pay half of the Early Bird price. (Bring a teen or college student with you for $99!) Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register now. Most people earn back the cost of the retreat in budget savings alone within a few months. Of course, once you start employing the Rule of 72, and doubling your money every 7-10 years, while protecting your wealth, everything changes. Our time-proven, 21st Century strategies protect wealth, earn income safely (without paper losses), lean into the future and hot industries like AI, teach you how to stay on the right side of crypto and stay warm during the frigid Crypto Winters, while making all of this as easy as a pie chart. https://www.nataliepace.com/retreat202601.html#/  BOGO Coaching Buy one coaching session at full price and receive a 2nd free. Buy three and receive six. (Volunteers: Your prices will be lower.) Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 for pricing and information. Many people use our private coaching program for an unbiased 2nd opinion of their wealth plan and to employ our time-proven, 21st Century budgeting, investing and sustainability strategies. 8 Complimentary Private Prosperity Coaching Sessions Receive this special gift from Natalie Pace when you register (in full) for our exclusive Restormel Royal Manorhouse adventure, living for a week on a private royal estate in Cornwall, England. (Available this weekend only.) Should this be the year that you give yourself and your loved ones the gift of a bucket-list adventure that will transform your life forever? There are only six rooms still available. Learn more and read testimonials at the retreat flyer. What wisdom will you drink in by walking in the footsteps of a family who has kept their wealth for centuries? Two community projects were born there from our retreat attendees. This specially curated retreat will transform your life forever.  FREE GIFTS Complimentary Videocoaching Our videocoaching series are designed to assist you in mastering the solutions needed for everyday challenges. There is no purchase necessary. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register now. Below are some of the targeted solutions that you can select from. 21 Days of Prosperity and Abundance training. Our daily mantras and action plan will activate a Healthier, Wealthier, More Sustainable You. This course touches all areas of money – budgeting, investing, career and family – by pointing us in the direction of solutions that will work and away from spiraling in the drama that doesn’t. Budgeting and Adulting Life Hacks. When life doesn’t add up, we need better information and to make brave choices. Most of us are not shopaholics. When we address the big-ticket spending with more-informed solutions and fresh ideas, we can save thousands of dollars annually. This is essential to living financially free. Debt Solutions. When we stop making the debt collector rich, we can start living a richer life and build lasting wealth. Too many think that once they pay off debt, then they’ll start saving and investing. However, becoming debt-free requires a different plan than the one that is keeping us indebted. Only a complete money makeover that includes an effective budgeting and investing plan will achieve this goal. 21 Days of Green. Make sustainability seamless in our daily life by understanding some of the fundamental truths of CO2. Putting plastic all over our bodies (polyester) and food was never a good idea. Did you know that plastic and polyester are petroleum products that are harmful to the environment, animals and humans from their inception at the oil well to their never-ending life as microplastics? Why do Americans, Australians, Canadians and people living in the Middle East have a CO2 footprint that is 3 times (or more) higher than most Europeans? Free Ebooks make great stocking stuffers! Dec. 21, 2025 through Dec. 25, 2025, you will be able to download Natalie Pace’s bestselling ebooks for free (in the U.S.). (For those living outside the U.S., while the Amazon offer might not be free to you, many of our ebook prices are under $5.) Get links to the ebooks below. Go to https://www.NataliePace.com and click on the book cover to be sure that you are receiving the most up-to-date edition. The ABCs of Money (6th edition) Time-Proven 21st Century Strategies for Debt Reduction, Budgeting, Real Estate, Stocks, Bonds, Crypto, Gold and more. The Power of 8 Billion: It’s Up to Us Learn the triple win of greener choices. Save thousands annually. Healthier You, Healthier Budget, Sustainable Planet. The ABCs of Money for College (2nd edition) Get a better degree for up to half the cost. Parents: read this book when your child is born. Teens: here are great tips and resources that you just won’t learn about from most college counselors and those standardized personality tests. Natalie Pace plans to update and publish the 2nd edition before the free ebook gift date of Dec. 21, 2025
BOGO Coaching Sessions These sessions can be used for an unbiased 2nd opinion of your current wealth plan. Learn exactly what you own and what a safer, hotter, and more diversified plan looks like. With stocks at an all-time high, now is the perfect time to do this. Natalie Pace’s analysis comes with color-coded details of all your holdings and easy-to-understand instructions that you can choose to use (or not). You’re the boss of your money. However, are you using blind faith or informed strategies? When you know what you own and what a healthy plan looks like, it’s much easier to make the right choices. You’ll learn what’s toxic, what’s safe, what you have too much of and what you’re missing. Our mission is to provide the news, information, time-proven systems and education to make it easier for you to navigate through all the noise, hullabaloo and traps, in order to live a richer life, protect and grow our wealth, earn money while you sleep and stop making the billionaires rich at our own expense (also good for the planet). Thank You! Your presence in our community means the world to us. The best things in life don’t cost a thing – friends, family, Mother Nature’s many blessings. This year, Natalie is particularly grateful for you because your participation in our community allows her to do what she is most passionate about and what she believes is very important to be bringing to the world. We thank you for helping us to spread the word of just how effective and empowering the Thrive Budget and easy-as-a-pie-chart investing strategies are. We work hard to add a splash of green to Wall Street and transform lives on Main Street. Thank you again for your continued support! The above offers expire at midnight PT on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for? Share with us on social media. FYI: Natalie Pace posts regular money tips on her Instagram Broadcast Channel and on her other social media (links below). See the collage of Natalie Pace's own life journey to financial freedom in some of the pictures below (and in a reel on Instagram.com/NatalieWynnePace.) https://www.instagram.com/nataliewynnepace/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepace/ https://x.com/NataliePace https://www.facebook.com/TheABCsofMoney/ https://www.tiktok.com/@natalie.wynne.pac https://nataliepace.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/nataliepace Praise for The ABCs of Money and Natalie Pace’s work. "The ABCs of Money will teach you how to stop getting buried in debt and start scoring gains for the home team. The more you score, the more you'll win financial freedom and enjoy your life. College students need the information before they get their first credit card. Young adults need it before they buy their first home. Empty nesters can use the information to downsize to a sustainable lifestyle, before they get into trouble." Joe Moglia, former Chairman & CEO, TD AMERITRADE "Thank you, Natalie, for saving my retirement!" Nilo Bolden, executive director at a law firm in Century City, CA “Many people, including educated men and women, often get into trouble when they neglect to follow these simple and fundamental rules.” Professor Gary S. Becker Gary Becker won the 1992 Nobel Prize in economics. “As a young professional, between the knowledge gained through retreats and the experiences from our immersive trip [to Cornwall England], I feel much more aligned with my visions and values than most of my peers.” M “We asked Natalie Pace for a second opinion on our investment portfolio. She researched and reviewed each stock and fund. She then explained to us in plain English how we were positioned in the market and how high our risk exposure was. Her knowledge was so profound that we decided to take her retreat in Arizona. My husband was still quite skeptical, but 20 minutes into the retreat he turned to me and said, ‘Thank you.’ Stocks and investing are no longer rocket science. We are finally able to take control of our money. We give thanks just about every day that we met Natalie. I feel like I live on a different planet. I'm so grateful. Thank you for changing our lives, our peace of mind, our future and our vision of what is possible. We made a tectonic shift with you.” AC & AM "The ABCs of Money is a must-read to help people understand the complicated economics of modern day (and how to protect and grow their wealth), or to go from surviving to thriving. It helped me and numerous members of my non-profit, The New Hollywood, to become empowered, educated bad asses with their financial literacy." Brianna Brown Keen Film and Television Actress Founder and CEO of The New Hollywood Learn the ABCs of Money that we all should have received in high school and college to score As in: life math, investing, budgeting, housing, debt reduction and living a richer life. Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Dec. 1, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Photo by Brian McLernon. Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Will the World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Which Industries Performed Best? Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  Argentina (Lionel Messi) won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Photo: Lionel Messi during New England Revolution vs Inter Miami on July 9, 2025. Photo by: Bryan Berlin. Wiki Commons. Used with permission. Will the 2026 World Cup Save the Travel Industry? Tourism Dropped in 2025 in the U.S. Will 2026 Come Roaring Back? International travel to the U.S. is expected to be down by -15% this year compared to the levels seen in 2019 (source: Trade.gov). Starting next year, there are many major events on the horizon that could seduce international guests to American shores again, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, America’s 250th Anniversary (2026), the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the Rugby World Cups in 2031 and the Salt Lake City Winter Games in 2034. However, before you pick your favorite hotel chain, travel app or airline to invest in, including Airbnb, there are a few other considerations, including the big question, “Why are foreigners choosing to forego the U.S.?” Here are the things I’ll cover in this blog. Sonder Holdings. Marriott’s Partner Bites the Dust. Oh Canada! Visa Roadblocks Cyber Monday & Consumer Uncertainty Airlines, Hotels & Booking Sites High Valuations with Slow Growth Tempting Headlines And here is more information on each point. Sonder Holdings. Marriott’s Partner Bites the Dust. On November 14, 2025, Sonder holdings Inc. filed for chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy. The company had been a partner with Marriott. According to Business Insider, Marriott terminated its agreement with Sonder because the company owed Marriott $17.7 million. Since the bookings were made on a Sonder page on the Marriott website, Marriott is now embroiled in helping disgruntled clients recover fees that were prepaid for adventures that are no longer available. So far, investors aren’t concerned. Marriott is still trading at an all-time high, with a 32 price-earnings ratio – quite lofty for a company with only 4% year-over-year revenue growth. However, the challenge could show up in the 4Q earnings report, which should be released in February of 2026. Oh Canada! Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States, generating $20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs according to USTravel.org. In the wake of tensions between Canada and the United States over tariffs and the rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state, Canadian politicians launched the Destination Canada and Canada Strong Pass marketing campaigns, encouraging citizens to forego travel to the US and instead explore the destinations at home. That resulted in a gangbuster year for the travel sector in Canada, and in a steep short fall of Canadian visits to the US in 2025. According to Statistics Canada, the drop in visits was 23% year over year. California and Montana have responded with their own welcome passes and love campaigns for Canadians. Will this work, or has Canada fallen out of love with the U.S.? Visa Roadblocks In 2019, 35 million (43%) of international visitors and $120 billion in spending (50%) came from countries where a visa is required to enter the United States. Brazil, India and Mexico are three of the top inbound markets that accounted for nearly 22 million (63%) of these visitors. According to USTravel.org first time visitor visa applicants can wait more than a year for their visas. (This has been the case since 2022.) In 2025, there was a new visa integrity fee of $250 (on top of the regular visa application fees) added to the cost of a visa. Immigration crackdowns have also had a negative impact on worried international travelers. Cyber Monday & Consumer Uncertainty Consumers account for almost 70% of GDP in the United States. Domestic travel makes up about 90% percent of the $1.35 trillion annual U.S, travel revenue. So, economists are going to be closely watching Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending trends to gauge signs of how American consumers feel about spending this holiday season. We are already seeing early signs of economic stress in rising unemployment and rising delinquencies, particularly in student loans and auto loans. According to the New York Federal Reserve Bank’s Consumer Debt and Credit Report for the 3Q of 2025, 14.3% of student loan debt was in serious delinquency (90 days or more delinquent), with 3% of auto loans.  Airlines, Hotels & Booking Sites: Low Yield, Low Credit Quality, Substantial Debt One of the first things you’ll notice if you take a look at the Travel and Airline Stock Report Cards, is that a lot of the companies have very low credit quality, massive debt, and very tepid year over your sales growth to support it. Most of the companies are either junk bonds or at the lowest rung of investment quality. Some of the companies are cash negative. Email [email protected] if you would like to receive these stock report cards. A gangbuster year in travel might help the industry. However, just jumping in on any World Cup related investor fever might put investors on the wrong side of the trade, particularly given the lofty valuations that some hospitality companies are enjoying. High Valuations with Slow Growth Despite the above concerns, a lot of companies are trading at five-year/and or all-time highs, including Las Vegas Sands, Hilton Worldwide, Expedia and Marriott. Price-earnings ratios for most of these companies are very high, particularly considering the slow revenue growth most are experiencing. Even if the travel industry gets a small bump next year with the FIFA World Cup, will this be enough to offset a potentially weaker, domestic travel market, if the economy does not strengthen, and inflation proves to be persistently sticky? Will the high leverage and debt in the industry make more headlines making investors nervous? Tempting Headlines Headlines always make things sound exciting, and it is highly likely that some bloggers are going to latch onto the FIFA World Cup narrative to support an investment in hospitality. (Some companies may even pay influencers to promote this angle.) However, when we wait for the headlines, we’re usually late. Successful investing requires looking at the entire picture of a 100-piece puzzle and buying and selling at favorable prices – more analysis than whether the World Cup will bring an expected recovery of 3.7% growth in international travelers in 2026. Bottom Line When an economy slows down, travel and leisure tend to be one of the first areas where families tighten their budgetary belts. With so much of the United States tourism tied to the U.S. consumer, and a recent downturn in popularity for U.S. destinations from international travelers, betting on hotels and airlines could be a very risky investment. In the short run, Wall Street can be a popularity contest. So, anything can go up just because the headlines are screaming that they are a great idea. However, in the end, it always goes back to good business practices. And sadly, perhaps due to the pandemic hangover, many of the airlines, hotels and booking companies have not fully recovered to their pristine fiscal health. While I might buy a ticket for a World Cup event, I’m unlikely to invest in the hotel I stay at, the online website I book my experience on, or the airline I fly with. Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 6 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Pace at the Ritz Carlton in Ireland. Photo by Marie Commiskey. Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  Image by MetaAI. Save Thousands Annually on Health Insurance and Medical Care. The high cost of health insurance is making headlines again. While inflation has been a major problem since the pandemic, the rising rate of medical care and medical insurance has been a crisis for more than a decade. Health care debt is the biggest reason cited for personal bankruptcy filings, according to many experts. This blog provides resources, tips and strategies to save thousands annually on our healthcare premiums, receive a tax deduction, invest for tax-free capital gains, and all while promoting greater health.  As you can see in the chart above, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the average 40-year-old is spending about $644/month on her health insurance premium cost. That’s $7,728 every year. According to the CDC, $4.9 trillion is spent annually on healthcare (with a projected $5.3 trillion in 2024). 90% of the expenditures are on people with chronic and mental health conditions. At 18% of GDP, the US spends more on healthcare than any other nation in the world, with worse outcomes than other developed world countries. According to multiple sources, the US has the lowest life expectancy, the highest rate of preventable and treatable deaths, the highest infant mortality rate, and the highest, chronic disease burden, combined with an obesity rate that is twice the OECD average. While these facts are startling and horrifying, there are remedies that will promote greater health and strategies that reduce the amount that we must spend on health insurance. Getting more informed about our options can result in a higher FICO score and lasting personal wealth, in addition to longevity. Here are the things I’ll cover in this blog. The High Cost of Health Insurance and Healthcare Health Savings Accounts Nutrient-Dense Food Student Gardens Community Gardens Fast Food, Obesity and Disease And here is more information on each one of these topics. The High Cost of Health Insurance and Healthcare $7,728/year is a lot of money. For families, the cost can be even more. At the same time, if we don’t have health insurance and we end up having to go to the hospital that could bankrupt us. There is a way to lower premium costs, while keeping coverage – with an option that is not advertised very often in the mainstream media – the Health Savings Account (see below). A lot of people are under the impression that their employer pays for their health insurance. It is more common for an employer to sponsor the health insurance program and contribute to it but not pay the entire amount. Most of the time our cost comes out of our paycheck and goes directly to the insurance company. So, it’s very important to check our W-2 statement to see how much we might be spending. Once we have a greater understanding of the bills we’re paying without knowing it, we can start keeping more of that money with more-informed choices. One of the easiest ways to stop making the health insurance company rich at our own expense is to open a health savings account. Health Savings Accounts If we are healthy and spending an arm and a leg on health insurance, purchasing a very high-deductible health insurance plan with a Health Savings Account: * Could save us thousands of dollars every year, * Offers a triple tax advantage (tax-deductible contributions, tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals) * Is the best long-term health care plan – something we can keep into retirement and can will to our heirs. Health savings accounts work alongside a high-deductible health insurance plan to lower the premiums – but to also start building up our own personal wealth, which can be used to cover the higher deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. Many HSA owners save thousands, some even tens of thousands, annually in health insurance premiums. HSAs work better for healthy people who are committed to building up the assets in their HSA. After we have a couple of years’ worth of total out-of-pocket expenses, we might consider investing for growing and compounding our gains. Learn more in the Congress.gov report or email [email protected]. The HSA works best when we treat it as a way to build long-term wealth rather than something we dip into every time we go to the doctor. Another tip is that I like to establish my HSA at a brokerage, where I have more options for investing than might be offered through the employer or the health insurance company. Nutrient-Dense Food Exercising and eating right is a well-known mantra for health. However, eating right also requires understanding the difference between empty calories and nutrient-dense food. As one example, the U.S. recently announced plans to phase out the petroleum-based color dies that are rampant in a lot of the packaged foods, including chips, mac & cheese, sports drinks and candy. According to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development.” There has been a plethora of studies that have shown that regeneratively grown organic food is nutrient-dense, without the toxic chemicals (pesticides, herbicides and other inputs) that are commonly used for growing conventionally. Studies have found links between insecticides and Diabetes 2, obesity and even autism. Some people worry about the higher cost of regeneratively grown organic food. However, if we factor in the amount spent on health insurance and healthcare, investing in food as preventive medicine could be a smart, lucrative strategy. Healthy individuals pay lower premiums for healthcare coverage. Health is the best health insurance. Another way to lower the costs of eating fresh, nutritious produce is to join a community garden. (Good Neighbor Gardens is a nonprofit in San Diego that will do this for you.) If we want to promote health in the next generation, we can start by improving the nutrition in our school lunches. Student Gardens Green Our Planet hosts the largest student-run farmers market in the United States every year in Las Vegas. That organization helps schools to save water by eliminating the carpet of grass and uses crowdfunding to cover the cost of planting student gardens. The Edible Schoolyard, founded by Alice Waters in Berkeley, California, has great garden and composting curriculum for schools. Damers First School in Poundbury, England does all of this and more, using the proceeds of their student gardens, compost and beeswax cling film products to fund their own nature garden and power their school with solar. Around the world, we’re seeing parents, teachers and administrators come together to make learning more fun and meals more nutritious and delicious. (While on a tour of The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, the tween student tour guide told me her favorite snack was kale pesto.) As Dr. Sherridan Ross, the founder of the Compton Community Garden, is fond of saying, “Kids love eating fresh vegetables that they grow.” Learn more about these success stories in the Eco Kids episode of the Earth Gratitude docuseries at EarthGratitude.org.  Community Gardens Ron Finley quite famously planted his own Garden of Eden in the verge between the sidewalk and the street in South Central LA. Finley, like some urban dwellers, lives in a community rife with fast food joints and dialysis clinics, while a fresh tomato can’t be found for miles. Compton Community Gardens has free gardening classes taught by a master gardener (Dr. Sherridan Ross) and offers garden plots for a small semi-annual fee. The Compton fire department has a few garden beds there. The executive directors harvest a few beds for gleaning and food distribution to individuals in need. Getting master gardening tips from Dr. Sherridan Ross is priceless. Click to check out a few of his tips on the Earth Gratitude Instagram account.  Fast Food, Obesity and Disease Fast food has a lot of empty calories and trans fats. According to the CDC, there is no level of trans fat that is good for us. Fast food has been linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease, Diabetes 2 and obesity. Organically grown and ripened food that is eaten in season tastes better, in addition to being better for us (after we kick the sugar/salt addiction that is common in fast food). The money we think we’re saving by eating on the cheap is costing us in health insurance premiums, poor health, more visits to the doctor, pharmaceuticals, and weight loss jabs. When it comes to our health, it doesn’t pay to be penny wise and pound foolish. Bottom Line Healthy Americans can save thousands annually on health insurance premiums by getting a high-deductible plan with their own health savings account. I only wish more people knew about this. (Gary S. Becker was the one who apprised me of this over two decades ago.) Most of us are aware of the time-proven trope, “Eat right and exercise.” However, how many of us are aware of that eating right is not just about eating our fruits and veggies, but really leaning into regeneratively-grown agriculture, which has so many benefits that outweigh the additional expense. For those of us who can’t afford an extra dime on food, growing our own can be far more affordable than buying conventional food in a grocery store. Kids love learning about science outside in their own garden and writing about it (language arts). Big kids, adults, who save thousands or tens of thousands annually in their budget (by choosing a health savings account with a high deductible health insurance plan and leaning into a lifestyle that supports physical fitness), are going to be leaping for joy at being able to spend thousands each year on something they love a lot more than going to the dentist or the doctor, or watching a significant portion of their paycheck get siphoned over to their health insurance company. One more thing. The high costs of health insurance and medical care are not the only things that are breaking the budget. Unaffordable housing, student loan debt, transportation costs and higher food and gasoline prices are also oppressing many wallets – particularly of anyone under the age of 40. Waiting for our leaders and politicians to fix things hasn’t been working. If we want to exit the rat race and start thriving again, we must get very creative. As a young single mother, I had to live my way into answers for a budget that didn’t add up. Twenty years later, those solutions are still working. I outline them in my book, The ABCs of Money, 6th edition. I also have a complimentary Thrive Budget videocoaching series on https://www.youtube.com/nataliepace. There you’ll find coaching on Debt Reduction, Prosperity & Abundance and How to Live More Sustainably. Email [email protected] for additional information. Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 7 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Pace with her son on Good Morning America discussing housing solutions. Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest The S&P500 Has Doubled Over the Last 5 Years. Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.  The S&P500 Doubled Over the Last Five Years. How well did your portfolio do? Do you know why you did better or worse than the index? We’re happy to report that our emphasis on the Magnificent 7, artificial intelligence, silver, copper, crypto and international funds has paid off far better than the S&P500, while our fixed-income, safe strategies have been earning a market yield without paper losses. For years. See the chart below for details.  FYI: I’m interviewing Rob McEwen, the Chief Owner and Chairman of McEwen Mining and McEwen Copper and Kelley Wright, the managing director of Investment Quality Trends, a leading Blue Chip newsletter, next week. Email [email protected] for information on how you can join us live, or visit https://www.youtube.com/nataliepace or https://nataliepace.substack.com/ to watch or listen to the interviews in their entirety, once they are published. Below are the things I’ll cover in this blog. Wall Street is On Fire, But in Elite Areas Only Gold and Silver Miners Why Silver Over Gold in 2025? What About 2026? The Magnificent 7 and AI Copper and Peru (not Chile) Value Replacement Funds S&P500, Not DJIA Underweight U.S. Credit Risk Valuations and Volatility Rebalance to Capture Gains And here is more information on each topic. Wall Street is On Fire, But in Elite Areas Only As you can see from the chart above, the S&P500 has doubled over the past five years. Silver & Peru are shining even brighter than the Magnificent 7. If you don’t have large cap growth, technology, safe havens, or artificial intelligence, then your portfolio likely did less than the S&P500 performance and might have lost money. As you can see in the chart below, the Vanguard 2030 Target Date Retirement Fund spent most of the last five years in the red and is still worth less than it was in Nov. 2021. (Let’s talk about better options for your employer-sponsored retirement fund. Email [email protected])  source: MSN.com. (c) Microsoft. Used with permission. The U.S. is experiencing a K-shaped economy, where those at the top are living the rich life and those at the bottom are in serious trouble. Likewise, Wall Street is bifurcated between safe havens, AI, copper and the Magnificent 7, and the distressed or underperforming industries of commercial real estate, health care, energy and consumer staples. Are you aware that over half of the S&P500 is at or near junk bond status, including a lot of banks? Many of the weaker industries are concentrated in U.S.-based income-producing value funds, which is why we have been using value replacement funds (for years) in our sample pie charts. Peru has been our mid cap value replacement choice since October of 2021. Over that 4-year period, the iShares Peru ETF (symbol: EPU) has doubled. Silver, the Magnificent 7, AI and Cybersecurity have been among our hot slice choices. Even clean energy (symbol: ICLN), which many people had thought was out of favor, has gained 52% year to date. Bitcoin was the 2024 Investment of the Year, and has been on fire since 2023, but has had more muted performance in 2025. in fact, if history is true to form, we could hit a Crypto Winter between now and spring of 2026. (Rebalancing 1-3 times a year to capture gains and keep a diversified, age-appropriate portfolio in play is a very important part of our easy pie chart strategy.) Be sure to read my Investment of the Year blog for additional information. Learn more about rebalancing in my Rebalancing IQ Test blog. Now, with stocks at an all-time high, is a great time to rebalance, to capture gains and to make sure that we have exposure to the hottest areas on Wall Street, while underweighting the weakest performers. As importantly, we must know how to avoid paper losses and earn some income safely, while keeping a percentage equal to our age (or more) intact. This is simply the life math that we all should have received in high school, which we aim to make easy and actionable in our work. So, how can you navigate the divergences we’re experiencing in the economy? Getting safe, protected, hot and diversified is much easier than you might think. While a lot of research and analysis goes into the design of our sample pie charts, we do the heavy lifting to make things simple for our retreat attendees and Main Street coaching clients. When we know what to underweight and how to lean into strength, we can enjoy the best that Wall Street has to offer and earn income safely, without the paper losses and underperformance that are commonly seen in managed portfolios and 401Ks. Our wealth will be protected from a recession or from stocks losing value. Gold and Silver Miners Silver had quite a year in 2025, while gold has been in favor since the pandemic. The mining companies, which had been left behind in the precious metals rally, really came roaring forward this year with exponential performance. RING (the iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF) is up 118% in 2025, while the silver miner ETF (symbol: SLVP) is up 122%. Targeted ETFs are a great option if you want to skirt the volatility of owning an individual company. Most Main Street investors don’t have the time or expertise to compete with Wall Street analysts and hedge funds. While First Majestic Silver and McEwen Mining have also doubled in share price this year, individual companies tend to be more volatile. Why Silver Over Gold in 2025? What About 2026? For the past few years, we have been leaning into silver because silver was still trading at a better price, which we assumed would give it more upside potential. With silver hitting a new all-time high, will investors continue to prefer silver to gold? It is possible that will continue to be the case because the price point for silver is so much lower. Anyone who wants to purchase coins might find the more affordable silver coins attractive. One of the reasons that I singled out First Majestic Silver in my June 2025 blog was that they also mint their own coins. They will even customize the coin for their customers (with a minimum order amount). I prefer investing in funds rather than the coins for many reasons. (I outline the reasons in The ABCs of Money, 6th edition.) One of the most important is that if we have our own self-directed retirement account (particularly a Roth IRA), then it’s a great idea to put our highest performing investments, including the gold, silverm Bitcoin or Ethereum funds, within that account to avoid capital gains taxes. There are other advantages too, so I do encourage you to read up on the safe havens in my books and blogs and to learn more at our Financial Freedom Retreat. The Magnificent 7 and AI The performance of the Magnificent 7 has been responsible for Wall Street’s strength over the last five years. Investors from around the world are piling into U.S. AI and technology equities. Additionally, the multi trillion-dollar technology companies are investing in data centers, which is helping to push U.S. GDP above expectations, to an anticipated 2.0% in 2025 (source: IMF). Conservative investors could easily have missed out on the rally because those type of plans typically hold value, not growth. (Even more concerning, there’s a great deal of risk in the conservative investments, where we might be lured in with pie-in-the-sky promises of earning income, while being patted on the shoulder and told not to worry about all those paper losses, which are typically far more problematic than we are being advised.) A diversified plan should include growth, income, protection, and hot industries. The best protection we can have against a stock downturn isn’t market timing or avoiding stocks. It’s having the right amount safe, and potentially overweighting safe, while knowing what is safe in a Debt World where there is a lot of credit and duration risk. We teach this at our Financial Freedom Retreats. The next one is January 17-19, 2026. Register before November 30, 2025, during our early bird pricing period. Copper and Peru (not Chile) Copper, which is essential for a great deal of our energy needs including electric vehicles and power transmission, is enjoying a period of great strength. As you can see in the chart above, Peru, the second largest exporter of copper in the world, has been one of the best performers on Wall Street this year, with gains of 56%. Peru has been our mid value replacement since 2021. In addition to offering higher GDP growth and lower debt to GDP than the U.S., the Peru ETF (symbol: EPU) often has a dividend yield that is double a comparable U.S. mid cap value fund. The current yield is 3.50%. Value Replacement Funds We have been using value replacement funds in our nest egg, for better performance, diversification, sometimes lower risk and often double the yield. The countries that we have been most interested in typically have higher GDP growth with lower debt to GDP than the U.S. The story of the goods they provide the world is also in favor. Peru is one example of this, with general government debt to GDP of 31% (compared to the U.S.’ 121%) and expectations of 2.9% GDP growth in 2025 (compared to 2.0% in the U.S.). We have also been leaning into Australia, Ireland, and Indonesia. Click on the blue highlighted words to read blogs on each of these countries. What’s hot and what’s safe can change every year, as we enter a new phase of the business cycle. So, it is key to do our 1-3 times a year rebalancing and to have a reliable source of analysis to determine which equities and fixed-income products are in favor and which we should underweight, particularly in today’s world with such unprecedented high debt. S&P500, Not DJIA The S&P500 has been outperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average, as you can see in the chart above. Why is that the case? One of the reasons is that the S&P 500 includes all seven of the Magnificent 7 companies. Another is that the 30-component Dow Jones Industrial Average still has a great deal of the most heavily indebted slow growth companies in it. The index includes Boeing and 3M (a diversified chemical company that has agreed to pay billions in settlements for allegedly polluting water with forever chemicals). If we are only contributing to our employer-based retirement account, we might have very limited options for investing, unless we have a self-directed option. It’s always a good idea to have a personal Roth IRA, in addition to whatever retirement account we have at our employer. With our personal, self-directed plan, we have a lot more freedom of choice in what we invest in. I offer solutions for how all these plans work together (including, potentially, a health savings plan) in my private coaching and also in the Q&A portion of the Financial Freedom Retreat. Underweight U.S. Credit Risk The lowest performing industries on the sector report card at the top of this blog have a few things in common. Most of them are heavily indebted with slow growth. While many of us are aware of the U.S. public debt at $38.1 trillion, few might be informed that the total debt and loans in the United States are an eyepopping $104.1 trillion. These unprecedented levels of debt are more than double what they were before the Great Recession, during the Financial Crisis.  Central banks around the world are trying to manage these indentures and cycle through them in a long and determined way by 1) extending duration on many fixed income products, and 2) lowering interest rates, which makes it easier for these beleaguered companies to keep borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, instead of restructuring. In a normal world without all this financial engineering, a great deal of these companies would have already gone through bankruptcies and debt restructuring, such as happened in the Great Recession and the Dot Com Recession before that. Inflation is the bug in the ointment that is making the RX more complicated. Credit and duration risks lie at the heart of why so many bond funds, bonds, and treasury markets around the world are suffering from paper losses and experiencing liquidity challenges. We’re happy to report that those who are employing our fixed income and safe strategy are not suffering from paper losses and are earning a competitive market yield without the credit and duration risks that are abundant in the fixed-income marketplace. If you’re being offered an investment that is double what the Fed Fund Rate is, you could be sold into a scam or scheme. Ask yourself, “Why would a company want to borrow from me at double what they would pay a bank if they were in good standing?” The higher the dividend, the higher the risk. We covered all of this and more in our Bond and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Masterclass in mid-October. We also spend one full day on what’s safe at the Financial Freedom Retreat. Receive access to the Bond Masterclass recording when you register for the New Year New You Retreat. (Be sure to ask for your free gift.) Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. Click to learn the 15+ life math strategies that you will master and to read real world testimonials. Valuations and Volatility By many measures, equities are quite elevated. Warren Buffett has often warned investors that when stock prices are this high, they are playing with fire. Indeed, the only time stock prices were higher than they are today (based on the CAPE ratio) was in 2000, before the Dot Com Recession. The NASDAQ Composite Index lost -78% in that recession and took 15 years to recover.  The CAPE Ratio. Professor Robert Shiller. Yale.edu. High valuations increase volatility. In April of this year, when the S&P500 dropped -20%, you could have purchased Nvidia for $87/share. (Today, Nov. 7, 2025, Nvidia closed at $188.15/share.) The Magnificent 7 stocks were the ones that were leading the market down in April. Check out how far they fell in the seven-week period between February 19 and April 8, 2025. (Keeping an age-appropriate plan in place through regular rebalancing and capturing gains is our best protection against a downturn in stocks.)  Yes, the stocks have more than recovered since April, but that is not guaranteed to be the case going forward. Recessions are a normal part of a business cycle. Rebalancing to Capture Gains Rebalancing 1-3 times a year is one of the best ways to manage the volatility. If we’re capturing gains when stocks hit all-time highs, we are keeping that wealth and then have a treasure trove of income-producing capital to buy low, when the markets fall. Most people don’t buy low because they can’t buy low, or because they’re too afraid. At the same time, keeping a percentage equal to our age off the Wall Street rollercoaster, and overweighting more safe if we have good reason to, ensures that our wealth remains intact. This is always an important part of a well-designed plan, but even more so as we get closer to retirement. Having an age-appropriate, diversified plan that protects us from downturns provides us with the confidence and the capital to do what the pros do – to stay on the right side of the trade and keep our estate intact. Bottom Line We are exceedingly happy that so many of our strategies are performing at the top of Wall Street. This is not a happy accident, or luck. We remain vigilant about analyzing what is coming up on the horizon to make sure that we those people who are reading our blogs, listening to our videoconferences and attending our retreats, are informed with easy, actionable strategies that can outperform any market, whether stocks go up or down. Join us! Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price. Email [email protected] to learn more and register now. If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 12-19, 2027. (With just eight rooms available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list adventure sells out a year in advance!) Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. Receive the best price when you register with friends and family for the ONLINE Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 17-19 2026. Request testimonials at [email protected]. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. Learn how to: * Invest in hot industries, such as cryptocurrency, Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, * Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices * Hedge against a weaker dollar, * Invest and compound your gains, * Green your retirement plan, * Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies, * Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto), * Evaluate stocks, * Avoid capital gains and financial predators, * Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and, * Know what's safe in a Debt World. Yes, it's a complete money makeover. Email [email protected] or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. "Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email [email protected] for pricing and information.  Click through to the flyer to learn more. Call 310-430-2397 or email [email protected] for pricing, additional information and to register. Register by Nov. 30, 2025 to receive the best price.  Join us for our Restormel Royal Immersive Adventure Retreat. Spring Equinox 2027. Email [email protected] to learn more. Click for testimonials, pricing, hours & details. Register now to receive the best price, the best room and four private, prosperity coaching sessions. There are only 7 rooms available. This retreat includes an all-access pass to all of our online training for a full year for two. Considering the perks, you're receiving a 65% discount to learn the life math that we all should have received in high school, and the room is free! Email [email protected] to learn more. The best rooms at the 2025 retreat were sold out in 2024! Yes, it's a great idea to register and start transforming our lives now!  Natalie Wynne Pace is an Advocate for Sustainability Financial Literacy & Women's Empowerment. Natalie is the bestselling author of The ABCs of Money (6th edition) and The Power of 8 Billion: It's Up to Us, and is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project. She has been ranked as a No. 1 stock picker, above over 835 A-list pundits, by an independent tracking agency (TipsTraders). Her book The ABCs of Money remained at or near the #1 Investing Basics e-book on Amazon for over 3 years (in its vertical), with over 120,000 downloads and a mean 5-star ranking. The 6th edition of The ABCs of Money and the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is (2nd edition) are the most recent releases of these books. Follow her on Instagram. Natalie Pace's easy as a pie chart nest egg strategies earned gains in the last two recessions and have outperformed the bull markets in between. That is why her Investor Educational Retreats, books and private coaching are enthusiastically recommended by Nobel Prize winning economist Gary S. Becker, TD AMERITRADE chairman Joe Moglia, Kay Koplovitz and many Main Street investors who have transformed their lives using her Thrive Budget and investing strategies. Click to view a video testimonial from Nilo Bolden. Check out Natalie Pace's Substack podcast on Apple and Spotify. Watch videoconferences and webinars on Youtube. Other Blogs of Interest Bank Stress. Loan Fraud. Auto & Airline Bankruptcies. Augurs of a Recession? 2026 Bonds and Fixed Income Without Paper Losses Strategy Will There Be a Santa Rally in 2025? Magnificent 7 Update. On Fire. Expensive. Crypto. Copper. Silver. Gold. More Magnificent than the Magnificent 7. Stablecoins. Should You Invest? Clean Energy. Solar Generation is On Fire. Capture Gains at an All-Time High. Jerome Powell's Big Speech in Jackson Hole. HHS Cuts MRNA Research. Weight Loss Drugs Soar. Summer Sale & Sweepstakes. Will Tariffs Cause Stocks to Sink or Soar? Are You Paying Thousands to Lose Money? Coke & Pepsi Suffer From Poor Fiscal Health. Crypto, Gold, AI, Energy, Healthcare, Real Estate. Which Sector Performed Best in the First Half of 2025. Crypto Goes Mainstream. The Genius Act Becomes Law. Wealth Hacks: Are You Getting Killed in Capital Gains Taxes? Clean Energy Unplugged. Tesla Sales Slump in 2Q 2025. Our Super Performing Hots and Value Replacements. Is Your Income Strategy Losing Money? Gold and Silver Soar. Get Safe & Hot in 1 Easy Plan. Home Prices Soften. Is Your City Next? Tesla Vision vs. Waymo LiDAR and Air Taxis. Are Any of Them Safe? Archer Aviation is Chosen to be the Exclusive Air Taxi Service for the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Company of the Year? USA Downgraded. Is U.S. Reserve Currency Status Threatened? Utilities: In the Eye of the Natural Disaster Storms. Aging Mom Doesn't Want to Discuss Dilapidated House. Investors Ask Natalie. Tesla, Tariffs, Chinese Competition and Price Wars. 21st Century Recessions Look More Like Depressions. Will Oil Prices Sink or Soar? Executives are Uncertain. Health Savings Accounts. Save Thousands. Get a Tax Credit. Provide for Tomorrow's Healthcare Needs. Restormel Manor House 2025. A Truly Royal and Magical Adventure. 9 Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill in Half and Save Thousands Annually. Berkshire Hathaway. Should I Just Invest in Warren Buffett? Should I Have a Money Manager? Top Dividend/Income Strategies for 2025. 10 Rules of Successful Investing. Quantum Computing. Paper Losses. Another Warning About Long-Term Bonds! 2025 Investor IQ Test. 2025 Investor IQ Test Answers. Indonesia: Rich in Nickel with Ambitions of Becoming an EV Battery Hub. RoboTaxis. AI. The Magnificent 7. Why Are So Many Safe Investments Losing Money? Canadian, Australian and U.S. Banks. Are Any of Them Safe? Ireland. Rich in Technology, Biotechnology and Agribusiness. Robo Investing and AI. No, They are Not Foolproof. Copper. Peru ETF Outperforms the S&P500. 9 Money Secrets of the Ultra Wealthy. Housing & Budgeting Solutions. Arkansas Sues Temu for Data Theft. Fast Fashion. Fossil Fuels. Plastic Clothing. Atacama Desert Waste Dumps. Fintechs and Brokerages that Fail are Not FDIC-Insured. 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. Answers to the 2024 Rebalancing IQ Test. China & Russia Double Their Gold Holdings. Housing. Unaffordable. What Works? Case studies and creative solutions. The Underperforming DJIA, Full of Fossil Fuels and Forever Chemicals. 13 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Waste, Pollution & CO2 & Save a Boatload of Dough. 11-Point Green Checklist for Schools. 10 Wealth Secrets of Billionaires and Royals. Fiat. Crypto. Gold. BRICS. Real Estate. Alternative Investments. BRICS Currency. Will the Dollar Become Extinct? Is Your FDIC-Insured Cash Really Safe? Money Market Funds, FDIC, SIPC: Are Any of Them Safe? Important Disclaimers Please note: Natalie Pace does not act or operate like a broker. She reports on financial news, and is one of the most trusted sources of financial literacy, education and forensic analysis in the world. Natalie Pace educates and informs individual investors to give investors a competitive edge in their personal decision-making. Any publicly-traded companies, funds or projects mentioned by Natalie Pace are not intended to be buy or sell recommendations. ALWAYS do your research and consult an experienced, reputable financial professional before buying or selling any security, and consider your long-term goals and strategies. Investors should NOT be all in on any asset class or individual stocks. Your retirement plan should reflect an age-appropriate, diversified wealth plan, which has been designed strategically, with the assistance of financial professionals who are familiar with your goals, risk tolerance, tax needs and more. The "trading" portion of your portfolio should be a very small part of your investment strategy, and the amount of money you invest into individual companies should never be greater than your experience, wisdom, knowledge, patience and diversified strategy. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, NataliePace.com does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions constitute our judgment as of the date of this publication and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. |
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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