US equities have shown strong gains and resilience in 2026 despite ongoing geopolitical conflicts and policy challenges. The market's strength is supported by a unique US 'equity culture' where many households own stocks, aiding persistent recoveries and growth. The author maintains a long position in US assets but has diversified into non-US stocks, municipal bonds, and cash as a cautious approach. This strategy balances confidence in US equities with risk management through diversification.
The S&P 500 showed remarkable earnings growth in Q2 2026, with earnings per share rising 50.8%, largely due to non-operating investment gains and AI-related capital expenditures. Despite a reasonable forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.7, the marke...
A $500 monthly investment split across three ETFs—Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD), and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM)—leverages diversification, dividend reinvestment, and growth to build wealth over decades. VOO off...
Bridgewater Associates, led by Ray Dalio, disclosed a $24.4 billion stock portfolio as of June 30, 2026, with a strong focus on ETFs like SPY and IVV, which make up over 25% of holdings. The hedge fund increased its ETF positions but reduced stakes i...
Instead of following the traditional 4% withdrawal rule for a $1 million retirement portfolio, four ETFs—JEPQ, QQQI, PFF, and VOO—provide a strategy to generate higher income without selling shares. JEPQ and QQQI use options strategies on Nasdaq-100 ...
Fidelity's FXAIX mutual fund, while boasting a very low expense ratio of 0.015%, incurs higher tax costs due to quarterly capital gains distributions, especially in taxable accounts. Over six years, FXAIX returned 149.67%, slightly less than Vanguard...
