Markets end the week split as AI spending doubts return

Stocks were mixed week to date after Thursday’s sharp technology-led pullback. The S&P 500 was nearly flat for the week, while the Dow and smaller-company Russell 2000 remained higher. Friday’s economic releases and next week’s Federal Reserve meeting are still ahead.

1. The Market Rundown

Thursday’s …

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Technology Stocks Retreat as Inflation and AI Spending Concerns Reshape the Market

1. The Market Rundown

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Rate Hike on the Way?

With Wednesday’s interest-rate decision on the horizon, the Federal Reserve will be the focus for traders this week. Analysts are pricing in an 85%–90% chance of a 25-basis-point hike when the Fed announces its decision at 2 PM. Expectations for a hike have gained momentum since the summer, but all attention will turn to Kevin Warsh’s policy statement and what it signals moving forward.

August CPI data supports the case for a rate increase, as inflation has picked up alongside rising energy and travel costs. Consumer sectors could face additional pressure, while technology may remain more resilient. Small- and mid-cap companies could also feel the strain of higher borrowing costs due to greater debt exposure. Overall, I expect increased volatility and continued sideways market movement.

Adding to the pressure is the ongoing U.S.-Iran war and renewed tariff tensions. The market had largely pushed through the geopolitical uncertainty, but recent pullbacks suggest investors are no longer ignoring the economic impact—particularly on energy prices and inflation.

Crude oil has climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time since May 2026. The conflict has severely disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies. In 2025, approximately 21.6 million barrels of oil moved through the strait each day; that figure is now estimated at just 4.9 million barrels.

The ripple effect is showing up across the economy. Regular gasoline was above $4 per gallon around Labor Day, while the 10-year Treasury yield jumped 8 basis points to 4.92%. With investors anticipating potentially higher oil prices and additional inflation, the Fed is now facing an increasingly difficult balancing act: controlling inflation without putting further pressure on economic growth.

What’s wild is the stock market is not too far from its all-time highs but still struggling. Many stocks trading above their 200-day average has fallen sharply in the month of September. September is the weakest month of the year and it’s not disappointing. However, the resiliency of traders buying the dips has us 1.8% away from a new high.

Your Next Steps in this Market

Keep your gunpowder dry.

Higher interest rates aren’t bad news for everything. Cash can finally earn its keep. Money-market funds, Treasury bills, and high-yield savings accounts can provide attractive yields while keeping your capital within reach.

Personally, I’m not a fan of locking up cash for long periods, which is why I prefer liquidity over CDs. If you lock money into a CD today and rates move higher tomorrow, you may miss the opportunity to benefit from those higher yields.

More importantly, cash gives you optionality. If equities continue moving sideways or the market gives us a deeper sell-off, you want ammunition ready when opportunities appear. There’s nothing wrong with sitting on the sidelines collecting interest while waiting for your shot.

Keep your gunpowder dry. Earn while you wait and be ready when the market gives you a target.

Use a Weaker Market to Buy Quality

A rate hike could potentially pressure the entire market. Review high valuation growth stocks during this time because discounts don’t last long.

Take advantage of the hike because the recovery is never trails too far behind. Consider semiconductors/AI infrastructure, industrials, mining, and energy.

Ignore your emotions and strengthen your resolve, this would not be a time to sell.

Cut the Dead Weight Kill Debt

When rates rise, expensive debt gets even more expensive. It weighs you down, slows your progress, and makes you less agile. Credit cards, HELOCs, margin-borrowing, and other floating-rate debt are less attractive during a hike.

Higher-rate environments reward liquidity, optionality, boosting your balance sheet. Let’s stop paying people and corporations so you can position yourself to own your own cash-paying assets.

Are you a Millionaire Next Door?

If you haven’t read the book, I suggest you do, there are habits and behaviors that signal silent wealth. It’s not about the money you make, but the money you keep. We’ve heard this before. The book identifies each person as an under-accumulator of wealth (UAW), average accumulator of wealth (AAW), and a prodigious accumulator of wealth (PAW).

This measures your wealth accumulation relative to what you’ve had the opportunity to earn, rather than simply asking whether you’re a millionaire. Most people who are millionaires, know they are due to their habits and behaviors.

Here’s the benchmark: take your age, divide it by 10, and multiply that by your annual pre-tax income. The calculated number is your expected net worth.

How to Invest in AI

When ChatGPT arrived in late 2022, the AI boom was off to the races like Cannonball Run! There are thousands of companies with the AI label attached to invest in. What do you buy? Hyperscalers continue to invest in development of more sophisticated models and businesses are increasing their adoption of AI capabilities to remain relevant. Infrastructure hasn’t been able to keep up with demand, and we still have the picks and shovel enablers out there to acquire.

All this rapid movement has created supply bottlenecks which emerged across the technology supply chain. The companies positioned at those chokepoints often benefit from demand, pricing power, and profitability. Initially, investors focused on processing chips and networking equipment. Then came the semiconductor manufacturers or equipment, power, materials, and support of data centers. People are looking for the next shift.

My thought is everything may be flushed out, and investors should be looking at what the current demand is and what is still required. Forget about grasping at straws. What is the long-term immovable need?

The Obvious Top AI Holdings:

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In a championship chess match, the best players are not focused only on the pieces in front of them. They are also watching the clock. The board shows where they stand; the clock reminds them how much time remains.

Success requires understanding both position and timing. Even the strongest strategy can fail when time is ignored, and history has shown that timing often matters as much as talent.

The Global Economy’s Next Move

Today’s global economy increasingly resembles a complex chessboard. Nations are positioning themselves, corporations are making calculated moves, and both are responding to the same concern: the risk of being left behind.

The race to build AI infrastructure has unleashed an extraordinary wave of capital spending. That investment has become one of the forces helping sustain today’s economy, yet every player is racing against a clock that cannot be stopped.

From Global Efficiency to Strategic Control

For decades, globalization rewarded efficiency above all else. Corporations built supply chains across oceans, nations specialized in specific industries, and businesses focused on minimizing costs while maximizing production.

Major economic transitions have reshaped the world before: the cotton gin, steam engine, railroads, the Model T, electricity, and the internet each changed how economies grew and how power was distributed.

Now another transition is underway. Nations are reevaluating where critical minerals come from, governments are investing heavily in domestic manufacturing, energy security has become a strategic priority, and artificial intelligence has introduced a race unlike anything we have seen before.

The pieces are moving quickly. China is securing resources and accelerating innovation, including projects such as the Shanghai Lingang offshore data center, which uses seawater for cooling and heat exchange.

Resource control has long shaped economic influence. Britain’s coal helped fuel the Industrial Revolution, America’s oil abundance powered the twentieth century, and today rare earth minerals are becoming a new source of strategic leverage.

The United States is investing in advanced manufacturing and AI infrastructure.

Europe is attempting to reduce dependency on foreign supply chains.

Meanwhile, corporations are making billion-dollar deals and decisions about who to collaborate with, where to build factories and data centers, and next-generation technologies.

Every move has consequences and they all consume time.

Artificial intelligence is the most fascinating piece on today’s board. Most investors view AI through the lens of software and chatbots, but beneath the surface lies a much larger story.

AI requires semiconductors.

Semiconductors require precision manufacturing.

The precision manufacturing requires specialized equipment.

Every stage of manufacturing requires enormous amounts of electricity.

And water.

Electricity requires power generation, transmission lines, cooling systems and critical raw materials (infrastructure).

What appears to be a technology revolution is beginning to look like an infrastructure revolution.

New players often focus on capturing pieces. Masters know that controlling the center of the board creates opportunities that aren’t immediately visible. Markets work the same way. Owning the companies that build infrastructure often proves more rewarding than chasing the recent headlines.

In today’s economy, energy, computing power, and critical resources are becoming the center squares everyone is vying to control.

No need to panic or be Nostradamus.

One of the biggest mistakes investors make is attempting to play every piece on the board. They chase headlines and react to each market swing. They become consumed with forecasting next week’s move instead of understanding the long-term position.

Great chess players think several moves ahead.

Great investors often think several years ahead. They recognize long-term trends before they become obvious to everyone else.

The market rewards patience far more often than prediction.

Buffett famously said, “the stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”

That core philosophy highlights long-term value, compounding, and emotional control.

As we move through the remainder of 2026, I believe investors should pay close attention to three areas.

First, the continued buildout of AI infrastructure.

Second, the growing importance of energy generation and grid modernization.

Third, the geopolitical competition for critical minerals and manufacturing capacity.

These themes may not dominate the news cycles, but they are increasingly shaping the board beneath the surface.

Which brings us back to the clock.

The goal is not to move first.

The goal is to move thoughtfully while time remains on your side.

The greatest advantage most investors possess is not superior information, insider knowledge, or sophisticated algorithms.

It is time.

Time to compound.

Time to learn.

Time to recover from mistakes.

Time to allow disciplined decisions to work in their favor.

On the chess board of investing, the clock is the one opponent that never stops moving.

Because in investing, as in chess, tomorrow’s victory is often determined long before the final move is ever made.

The Phenix Vault: Curated Stocks and Insight

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The Speed of Light

As artificial intelligence expands from hundreds to tens of thousands of GPUs, traditional copper connections are reaching their physical limits. Electricity generates heat, introduces latency, and loses efficiency over longer distances. Heat creates a need for cooling, and copper, a thermal conductor, is currently facing a multi-layered bottleneck driven by surging AI demand and the long development timeline for new mines, which averages 18 years from discovery to production.

The fastest computer in the world is only as fast as its slowest connection.

Artificial intelligence has entered a new phase. Instead of relying on electricity, the industry is pivoting to the utilization of light. The technology is called silicon photonics.

Instead of transmitting information through electrical signals, silicon photonics sends data as pulses of laser light traveling through fiber-optic connections. The result is faster communication, lower power consumption, reduced heat, and greater `scalability for the massive data center networks that power AI.

One of the latest developments is electro-absorption modulated lasers (EMLs) – tiny laser devices that transmit enormous amounts of information between servers.

Can you guess which company has secured a significant portion of global EML production capacity through 2027? ……. NVDA.

Silicon photonics and related companies to be aware of:

COHR – laser producer

GLW – optical fiber dominance

LITE – EML shipper

MSTI – indium phosphide manufacturer

MRVL – leader in pulse amplitude modulation connections

The Artificial Intelligence Big 10 Expands

The “AI Big 10” accounts for 41% of the S&P 500, eerily close to tech and telecom’s weight during the dot-com bubble. This is not the same thing. Valuations may be a tad high, but these are real companies with real products and vast potential for future growth.

The 10 companies making up the AI Big 10 are NVDA, MSFT, GOOG, AMZN, META, AAPL, TSLA, AVGO, MU, and AMD.

The concentration of 41% is reinforcing the “K-shaped economy.” The K-shaped economy describes an economic period where different segments of society experience starkly divergent paths.

The upward path represents the wealthy, white-collar workers, and asset owners. These individuals thrive as the stock market and housing markets grow. Net worth rises automatically without additional work or income. The top 10% of earners are driving approximately 50% of all consumer spending.

The downward path reflects low-wage workers, manual laborers, and small businesses facing financial stagnation, higher prices for goods, groceries, and fuel. Their wealth is primarily held in wages and cash, which have been outpaced by inflation.

If you want to be included in the upward path, you must obtain assets, not liabilities—things that pay you, not things you must pay for. The classic haves and have-nots.

Income is the input. What you do with your income determines your path.

The good news is that disciplined choices can move us onto the upward path.

This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Stock Market

Prior to 1982, the Securities and Exchange Commission had a rule. The rule stated that company stock buybacks were illegal. It was considered market manipulation. A stock buyback is when a company uses its own cash to purchase its own shares. This reduces the number of shares outstanding and essentially pushes the stock price up.

In 1982, this rule was changed, and stock buybacks became the corporate standard.

What was once considered market manipulation became one of corporate America’s favorite plays. In other words, buybacks went from “you can’t do that” to “why aren’t you doing that?” Once executives were heavily compensated in stock, the incentives became clear: fewer shares outstanding can help lift earnings per share, support the stock price, and increase the value of those stock-based pay packages.

I don’t know the exact reason this occurred, but I do know CEOs and other company executives are predominantly paid via stock options.

I also know that firms, which are also shareholders, influence votes on approval of these buybacks at shareholder meetings. Firms like BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity Investments. These firms charge fees as a percentage of assets under management.

Stock buybacks were sold as a tool for shareholder value, but in many cases, they became a Trojan horse for executive compensation.

So, when stock prices go up, their revenue rises automatically, therefore votes against buybacks rarely occur.

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6 Income Streams to Build Without Quitting Your Day Job

If you have only one stream of income, you’re exposed to a single point of failure. This could mean cutbacks and layoffs, wage and economic stagnation, poor managers, and the unorthodox political climate.

Most wealthy people don’t rely on a single paycheck. They construct multiple streams of income, not to pay bills, but to pay for freedom.

Freedom from the manager who needs to be managed or the politics which upends your financial outlook because of their own self-interest of enriching themselves.

Several streams of income you could deploy:

1. Digital knowledge – Your knowledge has value, and you could help someone behind you. Maybe you know Microsoft Office Suite, photography, meal planning, a language, finance, or fitness. You can create an eBook, design templates, or build spreadsheets. Create a digital product once and sell it forever.

2. Write – Create a blog, tell stories, write reviews, make the complicated simple, or simply write for others. You may attract readers who become subscribers and then customers.

3. Freelance your Skills – Design for small businesses or for individuals. Create websites, edit content, or do DIY work. Charge for your skills.

4. Investing – Wealthy people are not working for a bigger salary; they are working for more assets. Investing is not reserved for the wealthy; it is reserved for those who understand they cannot save their way to wealth. Do it consistently,and the assets will pay you.

5. Create Content – A YouTube channel, a newsletter like this, a podcast, a blog. Create what you want and share it with the world.

6. Solve a Problem and Monetize It – Maybe a local business needs help with social media, or you’re good at math, so you serve as a tutor. Some professionals are too busy to cook, so you create healthy meal plans, build resumes, or walk dogs. It doesn’t matter, but you solve a problem, and people may compensate you for it.

Oil Prices Fall

The drop in crude oil prices has been a surprise despite ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Iran. Oil production has recovered, and markets are anticipating improved supply. Oil surged early this year because the market feared a prolonged disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The market may be sensing that the worst part is behind us, with Brent crude around $72 per barrel on July 3 after falling 24% from the prior month.

The increase in diplomacy, recovering shipping lanes, weaker demand, and a gradual return of supply may be outweighing the immediate risk of escalation. One bad weekend in the Gulf could reverse all of it.

AAPL of My Eye

AAPL is back in focus after its story has shifted from another iPhone cycle to a potentially bigger hardware reset. AAPL is preparing at least five new iPhone models and may be increasing production of its first foldable phone to 10 million units.

A new tier above the Pro line—possibly called iPhone Ultra—may be coming soon at a cost of $2.5k, with higher storage models at a whopping $3k. The broader product cycle will include a redesigned MacBook Pro, refreshed iPad Pros, and a new iPhone Air.

Industrial Performers

Investors often see flashy technology companies and pile all their money there. While that may be profitable at times, they can forget the importance of diversification. Overlooked sectors can be just as profitable—if not more profitable—for your portfolio. Industrial innovation has always rewarded those who understood the machinery behind progress. African American leaders like Granville T. Woods, Elijah McCoy (the real McCoy), and Garrett Morgan proved this long before today’s market headlines: Woods improved electric railway communication and transit systems, McCoy’s automatic lubricator helped engines run longer without stopping, and Morgan’s safety hood and traffic signal made industry and transportation safer.

Industrials are the sector that provides the infrastructure to power this growth. These companies manufacture electrical equipment, automation systems, aerospace components, and other essential tools, yet they rarely make the headlines. They are essential to the AI revolution, factory modernization, and the expansion of data centers globally—and eventually in outer space. In many ways, today’s industrial story continues the same legacy: building the systems that move people, power machines, improve safety, and connect the future.

Companies like the following:

GEV – at the center of the AI power buildout

CAT – once known only as an infrastructure play, now power generation

ETN – leader in electrical equipment and power management

STRL – civil contractor for infrastructure, data centers, highways, and building solutions

POWL – electrical systems, utilities, and industrial facilities

MTZ – pipeline structure, communications, and power delivery

These companies are the backbone of our future advancement and, except for CAT, are not household names. Like Theodore Roosevelt, they “speak softly and carry a big stick.” They maintain strength and capability.

Phenix Reflection

As we move through the second half of 2026, we’ll undoubtedly encounter moments of excitement, uncertainty, and spirited debate. An election season has a way of dominating headlines and stirring emotions, yet history reminds us that markets have weathered every administration, every recession, every war, and every political transition. While volatility often accompanies election years, investors who remain disciplined and focused on the long term have historically been rewarded once uncertainty gives way to clarity.

This summer has also reminded us of the power of competition and perseverance. The world has gathered to celebrate international soccer through FIFA competitions, while track and field athletes continue to demonstrate that greatness is measured not only by speed, but by years of preparation for a race that may last only seconds.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have rekindled excitement in one of the world’s most passionate cities. Winning doesn’t occur overnight. It occurs through leadership, consistency, and a willingness to improve one step at a time—a quality that serves investors just as well as athletes.

July carries a special meaning for me as I celebrate another birthday, while America celebrates its 250^th birthday. Both remind us that time is our most valuable asset. We cannot control how quickly it passes, but we can choose how wisely we invest it—in ourselves (health), in our families, and in our future.

Perhaps the greatest investment we will ever make isn’t in a stock, ETF, or retirement account. It’s in the financial conversations we have with our children. Money is a tool and should never be treated as a family secret. It should be a subject of education, confidence, and empowerment. An inheritance is only valuable if they have the knowledge to allow it to serve them.

Ask the Vanderbilts.

Have a safe, enjoyable summer, cherish time with those you love, and never stop investing in the one asset that compounds faster than money: knowledge.

If you find value in these newsletters, please consider supporting this work with a $7 paid subscription.

Essential News, Trends & Insights for Informed Investors

May 2026 was one of the strongest performing months in the stock market that we’ve seen in years. There were 9 consecutive weeks of positive gains and multiple all-time highs across all indices. The Nasdaq was the clear, driven by market enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and data center spending, posting a 16.1% return.

A Money Tip

Remember money is quiet. It’s not loud and when you see loud money, most times it’s a façade. The millionaire walks past you and you never even notice. Ultimately, money is a tool that should be deployed to acquire more assets, not more attention.

Wealth is not created solely through investing. The reduction of high-interest debt immediately provides a guaranteed return that can outperform many returns on investment (ROI). The concept of paying down debt is the first step in transforming your financial future. Cash flow is liberated and may be redirected to toward investments, ownership, and other wealth-building opportunities.

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The Picks and Shovel Strategy and the Final Frontier

The stock market is a brutal terrain which crushes the greedy and rewards the visionary. Headlines focus on new products, flashy announcements and the latest market excitement, but the greatest fortunes are produced by companies that lay the foundation for the future and the logistical chain suppliers, who make it possible.

It’s the concept of selling the “picks and shovels” during the 1848 Gold Rush.

Most people lost money chasing gold in California during that time, but merchants who sold supplies, food, and equipment made fortunes. Sam Brannan made millions buying up all the picks and shovels before the gold rush began and reselling them at markup.

In San Francisco, Levi Strauss made his fortune in 1853, selling durable cotton work pants to miners. The Levi slogan “Quality never goes out of style,” can be applied to quality publicly traded companies. I say buy quality and you never have to sell.

Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, robotics, and energy modernization are reshaping the global economy. Consumer-facing products are solid opportunities, but let’s not ignore the picks and shovels.

The infrastructure that makes these innovations possible.

Data centers which at first seemed like a boon to rural America are now controversial because they require enormous amounts of power and water. Advanced semiconductors, networking equipment, cooling systems, and electrical infrastructure are mandatory fixtures for AI to transition from a crawl to a walk.

The next decade will be defined not by a single company like NVDA, but by the ecosystems that support the AI gold rush.

History often repeats itself and the gold rush is back. Star Trek called it “the final frontier,” and laymen call it outer space.

Norrin Radd was an astronomer from the planet Zenn-La. To save his world from Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, he cut a deal to serve as Galactus’ herald, searching the cosmos for worlds Galactus could consume. Radd was imbued with the “Power Cosmic,” granted extraordinary abilities, became the Silver Surfer. He transcended planetary boundaries. What once seemed immense, became small, and entirely new opportunities emerged.

Since the 1960s, people have been fascinated with space and conspiracy theorists still debate whether it is real. Investment in space was always reserved for governments and sci-fi productions.

There’s a fresh focus on space by the world’s billionaire class. They want to relocate data centers, technology, and people there. Thanks to SpaceX’s pioneering orbital-class rocket reusability, spaceflight has become commercially viable. Their Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets are the workhorses of the company’s fleet.

The latest gold rush is “space economy.”

Norrin Radd’s transformation to the Silver Surfer allowed him to see beyond the limits of his world. Investors may be witnessing a similar shift very soon. Humanity may be extending its economic reach beyond Earth.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS)

Rocket Lab (RKLB)

Intuitive Machines (LUNR)

Redwire Corp. (RDW)

Planet Labs (PL)

Procure Space ETF (UFO)

IonQ, Inc. (IONQ)

Infleqtion, Inc. (INFQ)

The elephant in the room of course is the pending SpaceX IPO expected this month. Early investors already have much of the company’s growth reflected in their valuations and may benefit further as retail investors pile in. When you chase, like the miners did in 1848, you often find yourself on the losing end. When you pace, you’ll be able to observe from a safe distance, and identify a better entry point for your investment. Mega-IPOs usually struggle after the excitement subsides. Take your time, there’s no rush, give yourself space.

In Marvel lore, the Silver Surfer traveled the cosmos long before others saw what was coming. Successful investors are not chasing yesterday’s headlines; they are paying attention to daily information and looking toward tomorrow’s possibilities. AI, quantum computing, advanced infrastructure, and the expanding space economy are not just trends; they are the next era of growth.

I expect markets to continue their run through June but anticipate a slowdown in July. The current variables are the pending end of the war with Iran and the Fed’s interest rate stance.

Essential News, Trends & Insights for Informed Investors

Inflation Kills the Complacent

As of April 2026, the national average savings account interest rate is 0.38%. If inflation were below that, maybe it wouldn’t matter, but inflation is currently 3.3% to 3.5%.

Inflation quietly erodes your purchasing power.

Basically, what your money buys today, it wouldn’t be able to buy tomorrow. We’re taught to believe our money in the bank is safe, but it’s not, it’s a guaranteed loss over time. The damage compounds and you lose more ground to rising costs of goods, housing, food, healthcare, and education.

So how do we beat it?

· Monitor your spending. You can’t fix what you don’t measure. The more targeted your fixes can be.

· Lock in costs. Rising expenses will suffocate your ability to invest. Renegotiate reoccurring bills like internet, cell phone service, and auto insurance (I personally saved $430 on auto doing this).

· Build up your emergency savings. 3 to 6 months of expenses. A high-yield account helps but know this is a defensive play.

· Create a stock portfolio built for growth. Stocks are not static. Companies raise prices, revenues grow, and over time so does value. It’s not only ownership, but also expansion to keep you above inflation.

The Narrow Gate: Strait of Hormuz

Named after the ancient Persian port and kingdom Hormuz, a historic trading power, which eventually became attached to the narrow waterway it controlled. Oil gets the headlines, but there are many other important trade goods which flow through this 2-mile-wide passage. Goods like helium, natural gas, petrochemical feedstocks, and fertilizers.

AI depends on this passage like a major artery. Energy to power data centers, semiconductors to run models, and helium and aluminum to manufacture chips. Helium is non-substitutable for semiconductor manufacturing, due to wafer etching and thermal control. Who knew?!

As the AI rally spiked in April, the looming question is how long will it last? Historically, stocks run from May through July. The ongoing war against Iran can easily change that dynamic.

In my Ivan Drago voice, “if it falls, its falls.” Keep Buying.

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The Quiet Giant – GOOG

May pick for 2026, GOOG, King of Search, generated of $400Bs in annual revenue for the first time in 2025. The giant keeps growing thanks to search, YouTube, Android, Cloud, and other investments like Waymo. Strong earnings on April 30, spiked GOOG’s stock $28, to close at $381 with a P/E ratio of 29!

GOOG remains a dominant cash-generating business and one of the world’s largest builders of AI infrastructure. Their market capitalization surpassed $4T, making it one of the most valuable companies globally. They’ve also incorporated and monetized AI through search and ad optimization.

The opportunity to add GOOG to your portfolio was at the $150 price in 2025, but there’s still room for growth. Pullbacks are your friend.

AI Isn’t a Bubble – It’s the Next Era

Whenever something moves fast in the market the word “bubble” raises its head like the Loch Ness, but AI is not a myth. I don’t see excess here; I see capital responding to demand and the demand is unavoidable. Data centers are being built at a historic scale and pace. Power consumption is increasing and AI is being integrated into core operations. This is not the dot-com era. This is a new world technology that could go down as the greatest breakthrough man has ever seen.

There will be surges, spikes, pullbacks, and overextensions, but that comes with the territory. That is what the stock market is, that’s what makes us money. And if you don’t remember anything else, realize AI is in its infancy, and has yet to begin to walk, let alone run.

The greatest wealth in history wasn’t created by chasing what was visible, but by understanding what was inevitable. Empires weren’t built by chasing gold but by controlling the routes, the resources, and the systems that made it all possible. That pattern never changes and stands the test of time.

The obvious thing would be to chase NVDA, but the new wealth is positioning yourself on what AI depends on. You can either be in position or what the position rise.

When you find that, you’ve found your pot of gold.

Trending Companies for May 2026

NVDA – heartbeat of AI

AMZN – cloud plus logistics scaled

GOOG – ecosystem integration at scale

FCX – copper demand

LRCX – critical chip manufacturing

WDC – storage demand

CLS – enabler of AI and cloud infrastructure

MU – memory is the fuel of AI

STRL – large scale data center infrastructure

FIX – builds the systems inside data centers

Essential News, Trends, and Insights for Informed Investors

April’s newsletter comes in the form of an untitled story.

There once was a land of radiant sun, overflowing with unimagined possibilities and realized dreams. A land of opportunity for those fortunate enough to tread upon its soil. However, reaching this land was the true conundrum. A treacherous deep canyon separated those seeking to enter this land and enjoy the bountiful opportunities it embodied.

Inside the canyon below were bears, wolves, and venomous snakes. The terrain itself was probably worse than the dangerous wildlife travelers hoped to avoid. No trails, no signage, no obvious paths providing direction to the land. Just mountain slopes of loose rock, deep crevasses, and other unknown hazards that made maneuvering difficult.

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This was the common route chosen by travelers attempting to reach the land. It was the way their father went. The way his father went and so on. It was what they knew. It was what had been passed down for generations like a hereditary ailment. This frequented route was long and arduous, and because that was so, most travelers never made it and perished in the canyon.

But there was another route.

A bridge.

Just as vast as the canyon itself but for some reason, less people gathered at this bridge. It was a straight path across from one side of the canyon to the next - point A to point B.

The breeze was calm, the air was warm, and it was as if the universe itself encouraged the travelers to proceed. The bridges’ ropes were tight, and the plank boards were sturdy. And the view, forget about it.

They entered the bridge with their minds full up optimism. As they trekked along the bridge, they reinforced their thoughts with excitement and a primed vigor.

You could hear laughter among the travelers and observe some of them even running across the bridge.

“This is easy,” they said.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

“I should have brought more with me!”

Confidence became comfort. Comfort turned into certainty.

But bridges are located outside; therefore, they are subjected to the elements.

Halfway across, the sky shifted.

The calm breeze, which helped ease their minds, now seemed to turn against them. Dark clouds clogged the sky like mediocre plumbers named Joe. The bridge itself began to sway – not violently, but just enough to unsettle the comfort the travelers once felt.

Their strides shortened, the laughter dissipated, and those who ran hesitated.

Even their voices changed.

“What happened?”

“Is this even safe to do?”

“Maybe we should’ve taken the canyon!”

Rain fell as the storm grew stronger. Visibility dropped, and the rope became smooth and slippery.

Now fear had a voice and that voice sounded rational.

“You’ve come far enough.”

“You don’t need to risk it.”

“You can always come back later.”

Some travelers froze and sat down on the bridge. Some travelers turned back.

But a few… kept walking.

Not because they weren’t afraid, but because they understood something the others didn’t:

The bridge was never the risk. Their reaction to it was.

Those who kept moving didn’t run. They adjusted.

They leaned into the wind. They grabbed the slippery ropes tighter. They focused on their next step, not the entire distance.

Step by step. Board by board. Forward.

And then – without announcement – the storm passed.

The wind purred, the sky opened, and the sun came back like Lazarus.

It was like nothing had ever happened. But things did change because the number of travelers was smaller.

Quieter.

Stronger.

Those who remained looked back, but the space behind them was empty. Devoid of presence.

Fear had convinced others to leave and abandon the bridge.

And ahead?

The land of promise was closer. Clearer. Real.

Those who weathered and pushed through not only reached the land, but they also were now seasoned and earned it.

When markets are rising, everyone looks and feels like a genius.

Confidence is loud. Risk is invisible.

But when the market turns and uncertainty sets in, your mettle gets tested.

The market, like the bridge, doesn’t measure intelligence.

It measures endurance.

Most travelers fail because they picked the wrong path, never attempted to traverse a new one, or turned around in the storm.

They sell when fear is loudest. They abandon positions right before clarity returns. They mistake volatility for danger, forgetting this too shall pass.

They simply need to keep walking.

You don’t build wealth in the sunshine.

You build it in the storm.

The same goes for character.

Luck doesn’t carry you forward.

The decision you made to NOT turn back did.

Trending Companies for April 2026

APA Corporation (APA) - Energy Sector

ConocoPhillips (COP) - Energy Sector

Eni S.p.A. (E) - Energy Sector

NextEra Energy, Inc (NEE) - Utility Sector

Siements Energy AG (SMEGF) Industrials Sector

Bloom Energy (BE) - Industrials Sector

Bunge Global SA (BG) - Consumer Defensive Sector

CF Industries Holdings, Inc (CF) - Basic Materials Sector

Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) - Technology Sector

Transocean Ltd. (RIG) - Energy Sector

There are moments in history when the world doesn’t announce change with a trumpet. It whispers. It flickers. It shifts beneath your feet like tectonic plates grinding miles below the surface. And if you’re not paying attention, you mistake the tremor for noise when in reality it’s the birth of a new era.

We are living in such a moment now.

The markets, like the Phenix itself, are not merely reacting. They are repositioning.

The Smoke Before the Flame: War, Power, and the Strait of Hormuz

War does not begin with explosions. It begins with silence.

Recent coordinated military actions by the United States and Israel against Iranian leadership did not merely remove a man. They removed a symbol—one tethered to decades of geopolitical leverage over one of the most important arteries in global commerce: the Strait of Hormuz.

For decades, Iran—under the influence of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—has wielded the Strait of Hormuz like a dagger at the throat of the global economy. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil flows through that narrow corridor, making it less a waterway and more a chokehold.

Iran understood a truth markets never forget: control energy, control fear; control fear, control price.

Now the question is no longer whether instability exists. The question is how markets will reprice risk in response-and who will the replacement be.

Defense contractors are not celebrating. They are preparing.

Because prolonged instability does not destroy capital—it redirects it.

The Arsenal of Opportunity: Defense and Aerospace Awakening

History teaches us a difficult lesson: when the drums of war grow louder, defense balance sheets grow stronger.

Companies positioned at the intersection of surveillance, missile defense, avionics, and battlefield infrastructure are no longer operating in theoretical markets. They are operating in inevitable ones.

Defense spending is not discretionary. It is not reflexive-it is perpetual.

And perpetual spending becomes predictable revenue.

The quiet beneficiaries are firms building:

• missile guidance systems

• drone infrastructure

• satellite intelligence networks

• battlefield electrification systems

• power distribution critical to military installations

War does not only consume ammunition. It consumes electricity, logistics, infrastructure, and industrial capacity.

And that brings us to a sector many investors ignored while chasing software dreams.

Industrials.

· iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)

· Global X Defense Tech ETF (SHLD)

· The Boeing Company (BA)

· General Dynamics (GD)

· RTX Corporation (RTX)

· Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS)

· GE Aerospace (GE)

· L3Harris Technologies (LHX)

· Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)

The Industrial Resurrection: The Sector That Never Needed Attention to Perform

While headlines were hypnotized by AI chatbots and software speculation, industrial companies were laying steel, stringing wire, coordinating water infrastructure, wiring grids, and preparing the backbone of physical reality. By now, you know I search for overlooked companies that fly beneath the radar.

Companies like:

• Powell Industries (POWL) – gatekeeper of electrical networks

• GE Vernova (GEV) – global electrical systems

• Stellar Group (STLR) – data center, highways, and construction infrastructure

• Ardmore Shipping Corp (ASC) – marine transportation

• Okeanis Eco Tankers Corp. (ECO) – marine shipping

• Primoris Services (PRIM) – engineering and infrastructure

• Bloom Energy Corp (BE) - energy infrastructure and fuel cells

• Watts Water Technologies (WTS) – water infrastructure systems

• Generac (GNRC) – power equipment and grid infrastructure

These companies do not sell promises. They sell necessity.

They build the infrastructure that powers data centers, defense installations, manufacturing plants, and energy grids.

They are not speculative. They are structural.

While software companies face compression from AI disruption, industrial firms are experiencing expansion from AI necessity.

Because AI does not live in the cloud.

It lives in warehouses.

It lives in power grids.

It lives in steel buildings drawing electricity at levels never before seen in human history.

AI does not eliminate industrial demand. It multiplies it.

And capital is beginning to flow accordingly.

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Nvidia’s Earnings: The King Still Wears the Crown, But the Kingdom is Expanding

Nvidia did not merely report earnings. It reported confirmation.

AI demand remains insatiable. Hyperscalers are still spending. Infrastructure buildout continues a at historic pace.

But here’s what many missed:

The first wave of AI wealth went to chipmakers.

The second wave goes to infrastructure.

The third wave goes to energy and industrial providers supporting AI expansion.

The fourth wave goes to cyclical sectors benefiting from reshoring, electrification, and geopolitical fragmentation.

The Phenix has already risen once. Now its shadow is spreading.

Precious Metals: The Ancient Currency Awakens Again

Gold, silver, and copper are not relics of the past.

They are early messengers of the future.

Gold responds to uncertainty.
Silver responds to industrial demand.
Copper responds to electrification.

All three are rising not randomly, but rhythmically.

Gold senses instability.

Silver senses expansion.

Copper senses construction.

These metals are not speculating.

They are signaling.

Sector Rotation: The Great Compression and Capital Migration

AI has introduced a paradox.

It creates opportunity while simultaneously compressing entire sectors. SaaS is one of the casualties.

Software companies that once commanded premium valuations now face existential questions:

Why pay humans when machines can produce code?

Why pay subscriptions when AI can replicate functionality?

· Salesforce (CRM)

· ServiceNow (NOW)

· Adobe (ADBE)

· Asana (ASAN)

· Intuit (INTU)

Capital is not sentimental.

It migrates.

And it is migrating toward sectors AI cannot replace:

Energy
Industrials
Construction
Materials
Defense
Infrastructure

These sectors do not compete with AI.

They enable it.

Options Contracts: Multiplying Exposure When Conviction Wins

Options, when used strategically, allow investors to control larger exposure with smaller capital commitments.

Multiple contracts provide flexibility, scaling, and precision.

They allow participation in movement without requiring full ownership.

They allow positioning without overextension.

But like fire, they reward discipline and punish recklessness.

We must remember: they are tools, not shortcuts.

Used wisely, they amplify conviction.

Used emotionally, they amplify regret.

I had a conversation with my friend Mario about increasing our number of contracts. When successful we usually hold just one contract.

Not multiple.

So when we win, we win small instead of winning big. One contract requires more movement, instead of less movement to achieve a larger gain.

From this conversation, he began implementing quantities of up to 10 contracts.

Small movements began granting him significant gains. I jokingly now call him “Multi-Before We Die,” a nod to Jay-Z’s verse in “Renegade.” A mindset inspired by defiance and focus. No hesitation at the fork in the road, he went straight.

In an ode to Black History Month, I also thought of the Harlem Hellfighters (369^th Infantry Regiment). Endurance and bravery for 191 days in front-line trenches, receiving the Croix de Guerre.

In life, we don’t become legends by showing up once. We become legends by staying in it, enduring it, and proving ourselves when everyone else doubted us.

Don’t perform for approval; perform until the results speak.

We didn’t come this far, just to arrive here. Size matters when you’re right.

Leverage. Scale. Conviction.

Consider increasing your contract size strategically. A single contract win feels good, but it rarely changes lives.

When we win, we shouldn’t just win small. We should win meaningfully.

The Calendar Effect: May Through July — The Season of Strength

History leaves clues.

From May through July, markets have often demonstrated resilience and upward momentum following periods of uncertainty and repositioning.

Policy shifts, fiscal recalibration, and Federal Reserve transitions introduce volatility—but volatility often precedes velocity.

The upcoming Federal Reserve transition in May introduces uncertainty.

But uncertainty is often the soil from which rallies grow.

Because markets do not wait for clarity.

They anticipate it.

The Silence of Leadership and the Noise of Capital

Perhaps the most unsettling development is not what has been said—but what has not.

Across government, across institutions, across agencies, silence persists.

But capital does not wait for permission.

It flows where it is treated best.

It flows where it is protected.

It flows where it can grow.

And increasingly, it is flowing into real assets, real infrastructure, and real companies producing real outputs.

First the U.S. citizenry. Then Venezuela. Now Iran.

Is Greenland next?

History reminds us that geography is not static. It is strategic.

Trade routes, mineral reserves, and Arctic access. These are not abstract concepts.

They are the pawns, rooks, and knights on the chessboard of future economic power.

We know what the Bishop did to Steel, Quincy, Raheem, and Radames for juice.

The question is no longer whether strategic expansion will occur.

The question is where.

Do Not Chase the Flame. Become the Fire.

Many investors make the same mistake.

They attempt to time the market instead of time in the market.

They chase what has already risen.

They abandon what has not yet been recognized.

But wealth is rarely built in reaction.

It is built in anticipation.

The Phenix does not rise because conditions are safe.

It rises because conditions demand transformation.

The investors who succeed in this era will not be those who panic.

They will be those who position.

They will be those who see rotation before recognition.

They will be those who understand that volatility is not the enemy.

It is the invitation.

This is not the end of a cycle.

It is the beginning of a new one.

And the Phenix is already in flight.

***Education Only. Not Financial Advice. Do Your Own Research***

Data Storage Update

The proliferation of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and data-driven applications is creating unprecedented movement and demand in the data storage industry. Data storage must be both reliable and scalable.

The market is expected to grow from $255 billion in 2025 to $985 billion by 2034. Data center expansion is estimated to require $3 trillion in new infrastructure. Companies that invest now (in capex) will be best positioned to capitalize on the data-driven economy into the future.

Fed Interest Rates Unchanged

The Fed kept rates steady as expected between 3.5%-3.7% with a muted reaction across sectors. Trump selected former Fed governor, Kevin Warsh as the next Chairman of the Fed. Warsh worked closely with former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke during the 2008 financial crisis. The market and dollar reacted immediately to the announcement, with the dollar pushing higher and precious metals sliding drastically (silver down 30%) from their explosive year-to-date rise.

Warsh’s historically hawkish stance on inflation paired with Trump’s expected dovish tilt will be an interesting dance to watch.

A graceful waltz or a tug of war.

Why a hawkish Fed chair selection after giving Chairman Powell so much grief? I suspect Warsh may have changed his tune and could be playing ball.

Stay tuned.

Precious Metals Explosion

Up until Friday, January 30, 2026, the Basic Materials (precious metals) sector has been on fire like a forest in California. Gold ($5,384), silver ($116), and copper ($6.28) continued to reach new all-time highs. Kevin Warsh’s selection on Friday strengthened the dollar and pummeled the precious metals industry. Retail traders got clobbered. The market was poised for any reason to pullback.

Gold fell to $4,900, silver $85, and copper down to $5.90 per pound. This is just a breather after an aggressive run.

Geopolitical tensions, industrial demand, and the requirement for AI and weapon infrastructure all play serious roles in the clear and present need for precious metals. Fear is also a triggering factor in the spike we’ve seen, but supply deficits are the woolly mammoths hiding in the room.

Silver has always played second fiddle in most people’s minds to gold. With gold being a placeholder for your dollars, think of silver as a true utility. The relationship is sort of like Bitcoin and Ethereum. We are in the fifth year of a silver shortage, with demand consistently outpacing supply. Silver is utilized in solar panels, electric vehicles, and data centers. Unbeknownst to me silver is produced as a byproduct of mining for other metals (copper, lead, zinc).

China is the world’s largest producer of silver and on January 1, 2026, implemented strict export controls on the metal. China relabeled silver as a strategic material – like rare earths. The U.S. relationship with China is like the movie “Step Brothers,” fighting constantly (not kinetically), competing like kids, sabotaging each other, and turning arguments into chaos.

China is prioritizing its own national security while we are beholden to whether they want to sell us silver. Hence, Trump seeking sovereignty or “control” of Greenland due to their precious metal deposits.

Think of copper as the red thread that ties together the modern power grid. Essential but with limited availability. Several of the world’s largest copper mines have seen disruptions from natural disasters and legal problems, resulting in 1.1 million tons of copper being wiped out and delayed (5% of global output). Demand for the red metal is surging due to electrification demands (power grids, renewable energy, defense, and data centers).

JP Morgan estimates a refined copper deficit at 330K tons in 2026, expanding to 1.1 million tons by 2029, and 10 million tons by 2040, if supply does not change. Criminals and the homeless won’t be the only ones targeting copper for a quick buck. Think corporations and governments.

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SOFI Beats

With a surge of 7.6% on Friday from robust loan growth and new members joining this former penny stock, SOFI had positive guidance for 2026. SOFI is scaling to profitability in 2026 like a phenix that already survived the fire and now it’s flying with purpose. However, the broader sell-off from the Fed announcement slowed their advancement during the trading day. SOFI is aiming to become a one-stop shop, offering savings, investments, borrowing, spending, and money movement for their clients.

Natural Gas Spike

U.S. natural gas surged to its highest levels in three years, almost 140% higher since mid-January. The demand for heat during the latest winter storm and dense cold across most of the country is the culprit.

Exxon (XOM) a fully integrated natural gas machine, will continue to capitalize and dominate its market. They control upstream which is production, midstream which is transportation and processing, and downstream which is exportation. They have massive amounts of natural gas exposure in the Permian Basin, Haynesville shale, and global gas fields.

XOM has no middleman and no dependency on third parties. XOM does it all (produce, transport, refine, export, and chemical maker).

Selling Pepper

The number one seller of pepper spray to ICE and CBP is Safariland, owned by billionaire Warren Kanders. Pepper spray is a non-lethal substance used to incapacitate people, causing burning and difficulty breathing.

Although Safariland is not a public company it is owned under Cadre Holdings, Inc (CDRE). Quantico Tactical is another weapons distributor which has sold $4.7 million up from $1.7 million the previous year.

The Market can run in 2026

There is no shortage of headlines. We have geopolitical tensions, trade disputes, armed struggle, and a Top Gun Maverick pace AI infrastructure build-out. Much of last year’s market talk focused on bubble concerns, particularly tied to AI. Rich valuations alone don’t create a bubble, especially when tied to something as new and disruptive as AI.

I believe pessimism is already priced in the market. I believe so much is already baked in, we’re at an inflection point, allowing those brave enough to keep reaping the reward. As scared money leaves the market, the focused money is left to take advantage.

The S&P 493 (excluding the Magnificent 7) is expected to see growth. Overall earnings growth has been strong like Beowulf, defeating market monsters “fear” and “pessimism.” I see continued growth headed our way with the understanding that AI will enhance company margins. The benefit of AI is spreading from hyperscalers to the broader U.S. economy. Over the past several years small caps had been bringing up the rear in this race. They were overlooked, underpriced, and under-owned, but their position has changed since the end of 2025 into 2026. The Russell 2000 index outperformed the S&P 500 index for 14 straight trading sessions, the longest streak since May 1996. All more reason why you should not place all your investment eggs in one basket.

Let’s not ignore that this is a midterm election year. Market timers get humbled while patient investors are rewarded. Historically, uncertainty peaks months leading up to the vote with volatility, headlines, and shaky sentiment. Ignore the noise, keep your head down, and press on.

Expect the turbulence before the ballot and steadier skies after the speculation is over.

Once the political dust settles, capital will return to the market.

Discipline outperforms drama.

Long-term money remains focused, eying fundamentals, earnings, and peeking over the horizon for what’s coming next. Companies like Micron (MU) and Celestica (CLS) stand out. Memory and storage are no longer on the sidelines but at the forefront. MU is a core AI infrastructure play with plenty of runway for the digital future.

I came across CLS at $82 in December 2024. Today, with AI hardware, data center buildouts, and networking equipment CLS has catapulted to $282, with a 52-week high of $363. The structural demand of AI will demand more performance, and I believe CLS will continue to deliver.

The Investor’s Bookshelf:

Financial Literacy for All (J.H. Bryant) – practical money mastery and financial empowerment

Banking on Our Future (J.H. Bryant) – money education for youth and families

I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Ramit Sethi) – practical, behavioral personal finance and investing plan

Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun? (Reginald F. Lewis) – mindset of breaking barriers in business and investment

Listen Like an Investor:

The Secret to Success – mindset, money, leadership, health, faith, and execution

You Owe You Podcast – personal responsibility and owning growth

Motley Fool Money – daily coverage and investing themes

Planet Money – economics made digestible

Data storage, memory, and precious metal stock picks for 2026.

SanDisk (SNDK) – standout surging 559% in 2025, after spin-off from WDC

Western Digital (WDC) – 282% growth in 2025, robust demand and strong revenue

Seagate Technology (STX) – HAMR technology, price target of $505

Micron Technology (MU) – major supplier of DRAM and NAND memory critical for AI and cloud infrastructure, explosive growth due to demand

Celestica (CLS) - electronics manufacturer, designer of racks, boards, and wiring for data centers

Precious Metals Stocks for 2026:

Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM) – buys silver from producers

Newmont Corporation (NEM) – strong performer in gold/mining space, strong cash flow

First Majestic Silver (AG) – pure silver investment, with 57% of revenue from the ore

Pan American Silver (PAAS) – largest pure silver producer (miner)

Hecla Mining (HL) – largest U.S. silver producer (miner)

iShares Silver Trust (SLV) – ETF tracking silver prices

FNLPF (FNLPF) – largest global silver producer (miner)

***Education Only. Not Financial Advice. Do Your Own Research***

Markets will be closed on 1/19 in observance of the MLK holiday.

Jerome Powell’s time is coming to an end. He never fully acquiesced the way the Supreme Court, politicians, and most institutions did. In that sense, Powell resembled a Jedi more than a Sith. Powell was measured, restrained, and resistant to the dark side of political urgency. That restraint is about to disappear.

It’s going to get spooky when Kevin Hassett replaces him. Expect the floodgates to open on quantitative easing. Rates will fall, borrowing will increase, and liquidity will surge. It’s the Death Star firing the “super-laser.” Overwhelming force but the act of using the weapon exposed the weakness. Power and overreach.

The drawback is familiar.

Over time, this will likely inflate bubbles in equities and real estate, fuel inflation, and widen the wealth gap. We’ve seen this movie before, short-term rebuilding followed by long-term imbalance, not unlike the Reconstruction era’s ambitious intent, uneven in outcome. By the end of 2025, the Fed had already injected $120B into the banking system. Liquidity is like gravity once released; everything floats… until it doesn’t. Have you seen the movie “Cannonball Run?”

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The End of an Era

Another chapter closes with Warren Buffett stepping down. I read that $100 invested in Berkshire Hathaway in the 1960s would be worth roughly $5.5 million today. The ultimate stewardship, he will go down as the greatest investor of all-time. The Oracle.

Greg Abel (25 years) will take the reins, and the announcement brought the expected pullback. Todd Combs (23 years), the other top lieutenant and stock picker at BRK, left for JPM. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall once the top spot was spoken for. In Black Panther terms, this wasn’t Killmonger storming the throne, it was succession by lineage, not conquest.

What remains undeniable is Berkshire’s war chest: $358B in cash. In a world addicted to leverage, that kind of dry powder is its own superpower.

Speculation Goes Mainstream

Prediction markets may continue expanding in 2026 after pulling in $40B in 2025. This is real-world betting on politics, economics, and outcomes. Think Polymarket and Kalshi, with HOOD potentially positioning itself to claim the lion’s share. Add in sports betting, and speculation is no longer niche, it’s normalizing speculation as entertainment. No longer are we only pricing assets, were pricing narratives. America loves a gamble.

AI and the Compression of Time

AI is compressing timelines. New technology doesn’t always shrink markets. There is good historical evidence it expands them. The internet wiped out print advertising (a $65B industry) but gave rise to digital advertising ($700B+). That wasn’t contraction, it was transformation.

We’re so early that it’s hard to conceptualize what comes next. The challenge for 2026 isn’t foresight, it’s focus.

So, the real question becomes: how do we position to make money now?

With AI scaling rapidly, data storage stands out as a frontier with room to run. Last year’s top S&P 500 performers included SNDK (my sleeper), STX, and WDC. All three are data storage plays that most of us ignored. Like Wakanda’s vibranium, the value was always there. We just weren’t looking in that direction which sums a bit of what picking winners demands. Avoid the noise and most times the crowd and search in the calm quiet places. Data storage been there all along and I just seen it myself.

Hard Assets and Volatility

Gold and silver just had their best year since 1979, with silver leading the charge with a 140% gain. Don’t sleep on copper either (SCCO, LUNMF). When currency narratives wobble, tangible assets tend to speak louder.

Tariffs on kitchen cabinets and furniture were reportedly paused for one year. This is the new normal. Policy whiplash and headline-driven volatility. Think less chessboard, more battlefield fog. The advantage goes to those already in position, not those standing flat-footed waiting for clarity.

Policy Whiplash at Home

ACA credits expired on December 31, and millions are about to feel the pain through higher healthcare premiums. Add that to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history already behind us, with another looming at the end of January. The proverbial can keeps getting kicked down the road. Roughly 24 million Americans may see premium spikes approaching 26%.

Stability right now is at a premium.

American troops were also pulled from cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland after courts ruled the deployments unconstitutional. Our institutional boundaries continue to be tested across the board.

The Red Semiconductor Warning

If you think China isn’t pouring everything it has into building a domestic semiconductor industry for 21st-century dominance, you’re mistaken. ASML believes it’s leagues ahead, which may be a horrible oversight based in arrogance or even worse…. certainty. ASML sits atop the EUV lithography world much like Troy did behind those impenetrable walls. They’ve earned their position, but nothing goes unmatched or unchallenged forever. Do not mistake distance for safety.

Laocoön warned Troy not because the Greeks were stronger, but because they were hungry. That same hunger exists today. China isn’t trying to beat ASML tomorrow; it’s trying to make ASML irrelevant over time. China will not sit idly by, subject to the whims of U.S. export controls.

Companies like Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), and SiCarrier are building vertically integrated supply chains with two clear objectives: mass-producing advanced AI chips and developing their own EUV lithography machines.

EUV technology utilizes extreme ultraviolet light to etch infinitesimal circuits onto silicon wafers. The significance remains one of the last choke points controlled by the West.

Their motivation is national security. A technological arms race for AI dominance is already underway.

Happy New Year!

The new year opens with more questions than answers. Policy is shifting, liquidity is expanding, technology is accelerating, and geopolitical fault lines are widening. This is not the Bob Ross envisioned landscaped painting of stability. Markets are not meant to perpetually function this way and everlasting stability is not how money is made. Markets reward preparation. The investors who endure aren’t those who guess the future correctly, but those who stay positioned while others freeze. Instability isn’t a signal to retreat. It’s the environment where capital, discipline, and patience quietly compound.

Keep rising.

With December well underway, we now enter Fed Week. Fed Chairman Powell is expected to announce a highly anticipated 0.25% rate cut on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors are banking on a cut with high certainty, which would bring the target range to 3.5%–3.75%. Rate cuts historically boost markets, but if no cut materializes, expect a downturn.

Markets are also leaning toward a Santa Claus rally before year-end. For those unaware, the Santa Claus rally usually occurs during the last week of December and into the first week of January. The 2025 market climate has been unpredictable, so it may behoove us not to rely too heavily on historical patterns.

AAPL News

My top holding, AAPL, is undergoing a leadership shakeup. Several senior executives have announced departures, including heads of artificial intelligence, human interface design, general counsel, and environmental policy.

AAPL CEO Tim Cook is 65 and could retire as soon as next year. Cook has done a masterful job scaling AAPL’s ecosystem and navigating political currents since 2011. Share prices have increased twentyfold during his tenure, while the S&P 500 increased sixfold. AAPL’s market capitalization grew from under $400 billion to over $4 trillion.

NVDA News

On Monday, December 8, 2025, Trump announced the U.S. will allow NVDA to sell their H200 AI chips to “approved customers” in China in exchange for a 25% cut of sales. We’ve never seen anything like this—a U.S. president dictating global private business deals.

This news pushed NVDA nearly $4 higher after-hours ($189.58). The ripple effects boosted AMD, INTC, and TSM. NVDA CEO Jensen Huang has been lobbying for access to China’s massive market, though NVDA is still barred from selling its cutting-edge Blackwell chips and the upcoming Rubin GPUs.

Retiree Trouble

More than half of retired Social Security recipients are slashing discretionary spending. A third are cutting spending on essential items such as medical costs and skyrocketing groceries. Retirees will receive a 2.7% COLA increase in 2026, but it may not be enough. From 2010 to 2024, inflation increased seniors’ expenses by 73%, while Social Security COLAs lagged at 58%.

OpenAI Spending Spree

OpenAI remains private—for now. The company has signed more than $1 trillion in infrastructure deals, securing the massive computing power required to support its AI ecosystem.

Major Commitments:

• NVDA: $500B in cutting-edge chips

• ORCL: $300B to utilize their data centers

• AMD: $270B for AI compute capacity

• AMZN: $38B partnership to expand AI infrastructure

• CRWV: $22B for access to their data centers

OpenAI is not coming to play.

Stock to Watch – NBIS

NBIS has seen extreme growth for a lesser-known AI cloud leader, exploding nearly 300% in a year. They are positioned to continue rising on major contracts with UBER ($375M), MSFT, and META ($3B). They missed revenue in Q3, but management noted capacity was sold out—highlighting strong demand for AI infrastructure.

NBIS appears undervalued at its current price of $100, with a one-year target of $163. The global AI data center market was valued at $17.7B in 2025 and is projected to quadruple by 2032, nearing $93B.

Aid for Farmers

Social media is filled with U.S. farmers’ complaints about tariffs. These tariffs are crushing the farming industry and, in turn, spiking prices nationwide. Economists warned this would effectively be a tax on the American people, and we are watching that prediction unfold.

Many claimed ignorance despite being warned—and voted for it anyway for reasons they won’t admit. In response, Trump announced a $12B farm aid package for a key Republican voter base.

Final Thought

The stock market is poised for further volatility. Sentiment is cautious, but investors should prepare for unexpected movements heading into 2026. I do not believe in the “AI bubble” fearmongering. Fear is what makes savvy investors wealthy.

Stay diversified and stay focused on long-term growth. Keep funding. Keep buying. No fear selling.

Dollar-cost averaging will be your ally.

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Jay-Z said, “It was all good just a week ago,” and somehow it feels like he wrote it for this exact era. While writing this article, B.I.G.’s line “I’m sitting in the crib dreaming about Lear jets and coupes” popped in my head.

We start so late after the starter gun fires that we skip all the important things to maintain and build upon in this journey. We want to go from last to first with no fathom on the in-between and what’s required.

Against all odds our checking accounts feel smaller—and they are—because our wages couldn’t keep up with the wealthy’s wind sprints and goal post adjustments. Our pockets look like rabbit ears. And the savings account? It’s all over now, but we should take it like a man or woman. We’re looking like Larry Holmes, irked by the lackluster digits on our paystubs.

Every pay period, we watch our dollars drift away like ships caught in currents we don’t control—taxes, Social Security, retirement (hopefully), life insurance, benefits. The gross pay is the ocean; the net pay is the puddle left behind.

My extended family has always been down bad. You don’t understand much as a young kid, but I saw the despair. I couldn’t process it; I just knew I wasn’t going to live my life that way. Poor decisions decapitated progression across both sides of my family. I watched them don disheveled garments that quietly screamed “no hope.” Most of my extended family, as children, didn’t have a chance due to the circumstances they were born into. I felt powerless and didn’t know how to save them. It subconsciously contributed to why I am the way I am.

Some of us were told to save money but never taught how to save money. And here’s the real game:

It’s not about how much you make—it’s about how much you keep.

The wealthy don’t work harder; they shelter smarter. They build walls around their dollars while the rest of us fight winds that were never in our favor.

But even in storms we didn’t create, we still have choices. We can secure our households by clearing debris (paying debt), stocking emergency supplies (emergency funds), and establishing a space to keep our gunpowder dry (funding investment accounts). We don’t quit, and we don’t keep repeating the things that never worked. We must be okay with discarding the bad habits, lies, and omissions inherited from our upbringing.

The following three things will paint a social realism type picture a la Jacob Lawrence to help you migrate from poor money management to a supreme master of your financial narrative.

Avoid Alternative Financial Services (AFS)

Check-cashing spots target the unbanked and underbanked, siphoning our hard-earned dollars. They offer quick turnarounds of your paychecks, turning them into cash for exorbitant fees, and they seem to thrive only in less affluent neighborhoods. They are vultures perched on street corners, waiting for fatigue, ignorance, or desperation to circle low and feed on us.

Social media teaches us everything must be quick. The check-cashing game bleeds your future. Their cousins are payday lenders and pawnshops. I fed them two or three paychecks after graduation—pure laziness. That lesson was expensive. Steer clear.

Select a Reputable Banking Institution

Choose a solid bank and immediately set up direct deposit. When cash hits your hand too quickly, it becomes a hot potato that burns through your pocket before purpose can touch it.

I prefer a brick-and-mortar bank connected to an online bank with multiple online savings accounts. I automate and send the bulk of my savings and investments from the direct-deposit bank. Online banks usually offer better interest—free money for being disciplined—and they serve as a deterrent because it takes two or three days to transfer the money back to your primary account.

Shop around. Choose wisely.

Automate

Within your banking system, create at least two accounts:

• Checking: where bills and everyday spending live

• Savings/Money Market: where your discipline grows

As you expand, add separate accounts for Christmas gifts, vacations, discretionary spending—whatever fits your life.

Direct deposit + automation is a cheat code.
Automation removes willpower from the equation.
Your future self depends on systems, not moods.

Schedule an automatic transfer from checking to savings the day of (or the day after) payday. Let the money move before temptation wakes up.

Establish autopay for your debts above the minimum payment. No more late fees or bad credit.

Then… automate your savings and your investment accounts to stack the odds in your favor.

The Example

If you’re paid bi-weekly, you have 26 paychecks a year—plus two magical months with three checks.

Pick an amount that won’t break you but will build you.

• Year 1: Save $175 each pay period → $4,550 saved

• Year 2: Increase to $225 per pay period → $5,850 saved

In just two years, that’s $10,400, plus bank interest. Raises, bonuses, promotions, tax refunds, windfalls—those are accelerators.

If you save less, the journey is longer.
If you save more, the path shortens.
Either way, you’re moving and controlling your future.

Small victories build the muscle to conquer bigger storms. Stay the course. Protect your progress. And resist the urge to raid your savings every time life rattles the windows.

Sometimes the storm is systemic, requiring us to be prepared in the quiet season.

Control what you can. Prepare for what you can’t.

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Market Overview

As November unfolds, investors are navigating shifting market winds shaped by geopolitics, trade changes, and innovation in energy and technology.

The markets remain resilient. Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones have posted moderate gains through the fourth quarter, driven by strength in the tech and energy sectors. Meanwhile, investors are leaning toward defensive plays like healthcare and consumer staples for balance and stability. I anticipate we’re in the midst of a rally, but that is yet to be seen.

Diplomatic progress among major economies has cooled some global tensions, though elections and localized conflicts continue to stir uncertainty. During former President Trump’s visit to South Korea, he claimed a new deal with China — one that could influence the ongoing rally in rare earth minerals.

AI & Technology Spotlight

NVIDIA Surpasses $5 Trillion Market Cap

NVIDIA (NVDA) made history this month, crossing a $5 trillion valuation and cementing its role as the cornerstone of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Demand for advanced AI chips keeps accelerating as industries race to integrate automation and generative models.

Phenix Insight: Continue building exposure in AI-related companies — particularly those in basic materials, utilities, and nuclear energy that support the foundation of this tech revolution.

NVIDIA x Palantir Partnership

NVIDIA and Palantir Technologies (PLTR) recently announced a strategic partnership combining AI hardware with data analytics.
The collaboration is expected to expand enterprise adoption across healthcare, defense, and government sectors — with both stocks seeing strong momentum following the announcement.

OpenAI IPO Watch

Speculation continues to swirl around a potential OpenAI IPO. If realized, it could become one of the most anticipated market events of the decade, driving fresh investor enthusiasm across the AI landscape.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has inked several multi-year, multi-billion-dollar partnerships with major cloud and consumer tech firms — signaling accelerating integration of generative AI across finance, healthcare, and education.

Quantum Computing on the Rise

Quantum computing is emerging as the next frontier of innovation. Companies like IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and QuantumScape have reported strong quarters with promising partnerships.
IonQ’s stock climbed on new technological breakthroughs, while QuantumScape continues leading in quantum battery research for EVs — making this a sector to watch for forward-thinking investors.

Energy & Trade Developments

Energy markets remain volatile as oil prices react to trade and supply shifts. Renewables are gaining renewed investment, with utilities expanding projects in wind, solar, and battery storage.

Natural gas futures have climbed higher amid ongoing supply concerns in Europe and Asia — reinforcing why diversified energy exposure remains essential.

In trade developments, the Trump administration announced new tariffs on Canadian imports while reducing tariffs on select Chinese goods to ease supply chain strain.
October also brought a rollback of tariffs on Asian tech components, a boost for U.S. manufacturing, though new duties on European agricultural exports keep negotiations fluid.

Economic Outlook

On October 29, 2025, the Federal Reserve issued another quarter-point rate cut, offering some relief for borrowers with variable-rate loans, credit cards, and HELOCs.

The Social Security Administration’s 2.8% COLA increase will help offset rising costs but still lags behind inflation, which remains near 3%.

Phenix Perspective: Inflation continues to erode idle cash. Investing strategically — in growth sectors and dividend-generating assets — remains the best way to stay ahead.

Analysts forecast steady, moderate growth through year’s end.
Stable inflation and careful central bank policy support a cautiously optimistic outlook for diversified portfolios. Volatility may persist, but long-term focus remains your best advantage.

Final Thought

November presents both opportunity and noise. Technology is rewriting the playbook. Trade policy is redrawing the map. Energy innovation is redefining the future.

Stay informed. Stay invested.
And remember — within every shift lies the spark of a Phenix rising.

I wanted to challenge the poverty mindset described in Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and teach others about the corrosive power of inflation on their savings, the opportunities of investing, and the mindset shift from merely surviving to thriving. My goal was empowerment, both financial and personal.

Our youth should learn financial literacy sooner rather than later, so they can avoid or escape the hamster wheel/rat race. They should not cower with hat in hand, hoping a lender might bless them with a decent rate. I believe in self-discipline, continuous improvement, and breaking cycles of ignorance surrounding money.

While many things in life are beyond our control, understanding and managing money is not one of them. These conversations should be as common as debates about sports (Brown, Payton or Sanders) or music (Biggie, Jay-Z, or Nas). We can argue about who the better running back or lyricist is, but only one kind of conversation will help us build wealth. Books like “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel remind us that the way we think about money is just as important as how we earn or invest it. Shifting your mindset is the first step toward transforming your financial reality.

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The Moment of Doubt

But even with that conviction, I contemplated quitting.

Frustration crept in when I saw how quiet the group had become. Despite more than 600 members, most of whom I had never met, my posts often felt invisible. The silence echoed louder than any feedback could. For a moment, I wondered if my efforts were in vain.

I thought of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree just to see what others saw or ignored. Like him, I had to rise above the noise, to gain perspective instead of pity. My climb wasn’t about attention, it was about vision.

Thankfully, my inner circle refused to let me fold. They reminded me that I was filling a void, planting seeds that might take time to grow. Their encouragement rekindled the fire. I’m not seasoned in social media, but I pressed forward. Slowly, engagement grew. More people reached out. Subscriptions climbed.

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The Myth and the Message

In Greek mythology, the Phoenix dies in flames only to rise from its own ashes, renewed and stronger than before. That symbol has always resonated with me. But in this journey, I saw another layer, the rebirth isn’t instant. The ashes still burn before the wings return.

In African mythology, Anansi the Spider teaches wisdom through struggle. He reminds us that every story has a web, and every connection has purpose. Even when the strands seem fragile, they hold. My efforts with Phenix Financial Group felt the same, delicate at times, but interwoven with meaning.

When I thought about resilience, I saw the spirit of Haiti, the only nation born from a successful slave revolution, standing defiant against the French empire. That victory wasn’t just physical, it was psychological, a declaration that no chain can contain the human will to rise.

Each of these stories, sacred and mythic alike, carries the same truth: renewal demands resistance.

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The Lesson in Persistence

That experience taught me the quiet strength of persistence and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who uplift rather than drain.

Growth is rarely loud. Progress often hides in silence.

Quitting never leads to victory; it only guarantees regret.

The rewards, the lessons, the breakthroughs, the lives changed, are reserved for those who endure the lonely climb and resist the comfort of surrender.

Phenix Financial Group wasn’t just reborn. It was refined. Like the mythic Phoenix, it rose from frustration and self-doubt into purpose and flame. Like Haiti, it stood as proof that even when the world underestimates your reach, your will can rewrite destiny.

Resilience isn’t built in moments of applause but in the silence between doubt and decision. The climb may be steep, but every ascent forges a stronger spirit.

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The Legacy of the Phenix

In every story, from scripture to myth, from the mountains of Greece to the shores of Haiti, one lesson remains the same: we rise when we refuse to surrender. The names change, the challenges differ, but the rhythm of resilience never fades. That rhythm is the heartbeat of every Phenix.

What connects Zacchaeus, the Phoenix, Anansi, and the people of Haiti is not faith or culture but fire. It is the flame that refuses to die even when the world grows cold. And when we choose to climb, teach, or rise again, we carry that same eternal spark. That is the legacy of the Phenix.

Within us all lives a Phenix waiting to ascend. The ashes are only proof that we once had the courage to burn.

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We are the alpinists, climbing this finite obstacle with one goal—to reach the top and achieve success. Yet with success comes failure, and how we respond to both determines how close we come to our goal. We think we know who we are, but do we really? Adversity reveals the truth. Mountain climbing is risky, and some quit before they even start. Like Sisyphus, we push our boulders upward daily—not for punishment, but for purpose.

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Base Camp and Beginnings

Our base camp is ground zero, the place that tests our strength, stamina, flexibility, and mental fortitude. We all come from distinct and diverse base camps, by no fault of our own, and some are better than others. There are countless paths to success, and each base camp holds potential to propel us upward, though probabilities will always play a role.

Consider the starting line. Some begin near the top, some on elevated slopes, others at the mountain’s base where the soil is dense and unyielding. From the base, the view is daunting. Yet many who have reached the summit began there, climbing all 29,029 feet of Mount Everest. They become the crème de la crème—proof that the climb is possible, though never easy.

Most believe they’re ready for the journey, but as the climb progresses, we see who’s prepared and who’s not. Failure is baked into this adventure like a Marcus Samuelsson recipe. But a fall or a sprain doesn’t have to end the journey; you can heal and continue upward.

Some start at base camp with a Sherpa’s coat on their back, warm and ready for the cold. Others begin in thin fabric, stitched with ambition but not yet built for the storm. Still, both can make the climb if their will is stronger than their weather.

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The Dilemma

Here lies the question: Do we stop and go back for those who aren’t ready? Do we attempt to carry them?

Carrying others can feel noble—until you realize that sometimes their weight is disguised as love.

Is your back broad and strong enough, like Samson’s, to bear that weight up Everest? Can you still reach the top while carrying it? Or do you sacrifice your own goal and success to remain at their level?

This is the true dilemma, where emotion and pragmatism collide at the crossroads. Some lose themselves here, selling their souls not for talent as Robert Johnson did, but just to climb a bit higher—even if it means stepping on those from their own base camp. It’s foul but true, though it doesn’t have to be this way.

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The Climb

To scale this mountain, we must keep moving upward no matter the obstacle. The mountain sheds no tears. It remains—beautiful and brutal, timeless and unmoved.

Sometimes you must leave people where they are, whether standing or fallen. Saying “no” is not cruelty but survival. Whether it’s leaving home for school, pursuing a new job, or choosing growth, remember there’s only so much sand in the hourglass.

We must better ourselves first before we can truly help anyone else. Even flight attendants tell us to put on our own oxygen mask before assisting others. It makes sense, though sense isn’t always popular.

Once you’ve reached the summit, your breath becomes the blueprint for others. The oxygen you fought for can fillanother’s lungs. That’s legacy—not saving everyone, but showing them how to climb.

And yes, guilt will whisper when you leave others behind. But understand this truth: not everyone wants to be saved. Some would rather fail, no matter how foolish that sounds. They would rather finger point, slander, and obfuscate your hard work and effort. We help who we may help, and we keep climbing. We push further up the mountain, but we always leave a trail behind—to guide the willing toward their own success.

Joshua faced the same truth when leading his people to the Promised Land. Not everyone had the faith or fortitude to make the journey. In the same way, we cannot carry everyone to the summit. Salvation—spiritual or personal—requires willingness. Sometimes, the kindest thing we can do is keep climbing, showing through action what belief can build.

The summit was never about conquering the mountain; it was about conquering yourself. Every stone, every scar, every lesson was a step toward that truth. Once you realize that, you understand—the climb never ends, it only changes elevation.

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The following year, while working at the White House as a United States Secret Service Officer, I opened my first brokerage account with Scottrade. During breaks, I studied my portfolio, reviewing numbers and exploring opportunities. My co-workers laughed at me for spending time on “stocks,” but I stayed focused on my goal. Their laughter was background noise, like static on a radio—distracting but powerless to change the signal of my conviction. While they joked, I was on the verge of planting seeds in soil neither of us could see yet.

To organize my research, I built a watchlist. Funding that first account with the required $500 was nerve-racking, but I knew I had to overcome this fear. One company immediately stood out—Apple (AAPL).

When the market crashed in 2008, I watched Apple’s share price drop to $73. I followed its news closely, studied its target price, and waited. The fear of investing and losing my money kept me in a freeze pattern. I watched Apple’s stock fall like fruit from a tree—ripe with promise, yet I stood beneath it, afraid to reach for it. Each time the stock hit its target, I hesitated, paralyzed like Lot’s wife looking back. I watched its price climb from $73 to $169 within months and realized how fear had robbed me of opportunity. The ripe fruit on the ground was decaying before my eyes.

At that time, Apple’s innovations—the iPod, MacBook, and iPhone—were reshaping the world. Steve Jobs was redefining entire industries. Eventually, the fear of missing out outweighed the fear of trying. I vividly remember standing on the north grounds of the White House and calling my girlfriend—now my wife. I told her, “I’m about to invest in Apple!” I explained my reasoning and waited for a hint of doubt, but instead, she encouraged me to move forward.

That was the moment I took the plunge. I invested $9,600 in Apple. It felt like standing on a diving board with my eyes closed—then, I jumped. Like Peter stepping out of the boat, I realized faith and fear can’t share the same footing. I didn’t just invest in Apple; I invested in belief—the currency that buys every breakthrough. The feeling of relief and satisfaction was immense. I had done something no one else around me had done. I felt confident, victorious, and free

.I continued to study the market and sharpen my understanding. My faith in that decision paid off. Apple’s stock nearly reached $700 in just four years before its reverse split. I quadrupled my initial investment and used the profits as a down payment on my second home in 2008. The tables turned—those same co-workers who had laughed at me began opening their own brokerage accounts and asking for advice. Stock investing became a regular topic of conversation.

For those who know me, investing is something I often talk about. Where I come from—and perhaps where many of you come from—stock investing, financial literacy, and wealth building aren’t everyday discussions. But they should be. Investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it is a mandatory endeavor to pull yourself from the rat race and from living check to check. It requires time, discipline, and patience, but the rewards can change lives.

I don’t claim to know everything, but experience has taught me valuable lessons. For years, I’ve been a subscriber to Medium, reading motivational stories from everyday people. Eventually, I felt compelled to share my own. That’s why I created Phenix Financial Group, a public Facebook community dedicated to teaching and guiding those who once viewed the stock market as foreign territory. It would be selfish not to share what I’ve learned.

Every seed planted deserves sunlight—Phenix Financial Group became that light.

We all must start with a soul-search before confronting our fears. The truth is, many of us fear success as much as failure. When we’re not where we want to be, it’s rarely anyone else’s fault—it’s usually ignorance or hesitation holding us back.

Blame is a poor investment. Growth begins when we stop pointing fingers and take responsibility for our own progress.

And in that progress, we discover our power: you either build your own table or ask permission to sit at someone else’s.

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The Big Picture

For the first time in seven years, the U.S. government has shut down. More than 800,000 jobs and billions of dollars are caught in limbo. While Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid payments will continue, programs like SNAP and WIC may face disruption if the shutdown drags on.

Meanwhile, despite fears of a major September market pullback, we only saw a small dip in the third week. Overall, the third quarter was the strongest since 2020. At the same time, the administration announced 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals and 25% on the trucking industry—impacts we’re still waiting to fully understand.

Inflation is holding near 3%, which means any money sitting in the bank earning less than that is quietly losing value.

Think of it this way:
Every dollar you keep in a low-interest account is shrinking by about 3% a year.

A Moment of Reflection

With all the political drama and economic uncertainty, it’s natural to ask: How does this affect my household?

Maybe you have a steady job, a solid salary, savings, and bills paid on time. Still, I came across a proverb recently that stopped me in my tracks:

“The one who feeds you is the one who starves you.”

When someone else controls your income—an employer, a business, even the government—you give them power over your well-being. What happens if you’re passed over for a promotion? Or laid off? Think of government workers caught in the shutdown—once seen as the ultimate secure job, now facing missed paychecks.

The truth is, outside forces often control our livelihood. That’s why the Serenity Prayer rings so true: accept what we cannot change, and summon the courage to change what we can.

So how do we take back control? How do we provide for ourselves without being fully dependent on someone else’s timeline?

Promoting Yourself

The solution is to promote yourself. You do that by creating income streams outside of your job. There are only three paths:

1. Start a business
2. Invest in real estate
3. Invest in the stock market (my personal favorite)

Think of every dollar after taxes as an employee. Put that employee to work for you. One dollar invested wisely can grow into three. Three can grow into eight. That’s the power of compounding—the 8th Wonder of the World.

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Why Investing Wins

Historically, the stock market has returned 9.8%–11.6% annually over 40 years. No savings account comes close. That return is average and nothing we do should be average.

Here’s the best part: once you’ve made the investment, your money works for you every single trading day from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM—without you lifting a finger. You didn’t trade your time, sweat, or labor for it. You tapped a button and set your money in motion.

The reality is simple: we cannot save our way to wealth—but we can invest our way there.

Like it or not, you’re already playing the game. Every time you buy goods or services, someone else gets richer.

So the question is—Why not you?

Phenix Financial Group – Building Wealth, Building Legacy

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During your working years (16-67), you will see money, but if you don’t invest in assets along the way, you won’t see much money when it’s time to retire. Peekaboo…now you see it, now you don’t.

Unfortunately, that means working in your golden years, turning them into coal years. Many factors outside of your control can lead to working beyond when you’d like to. However, you CAN control whether you invest your money along the way. Let’s be honest, many of you don’t take the time.

You can spend, you can save, and you can invest.

Who told you that you could not do all three?!

And since I’m asking questions, who benefits from you not creating wealth?

Unfortunately, some one does.

Sometimes you have to be your own catalyst

Many of you find yourselves spending and hardly saving. You cannot save yourself to wealth and this is a truth you already know. I think we just don’t give it any thought. Allow the excuses to evaporate and let action to take over. There’s no better time than now. You deserve it all.

You got one shot to make things count because things can get crazy, scary, spooky, but nothing is hilarious. Being broke at retirement age is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Stocks rise amid upheaval, uncertainty, and conflict. Past performance does not guarantee future returns, but historically, the stock market perseveres. Regardless of war or recession the market is resilient and can help you reach your goals or destination, but nothing is promised. Without it…we just make the difficult more difficult.

Goals aren’t delayed because they’re hard. They’re delayed because you’ve allowed yourself the luxury to delay.

In 2024, the stock market has returned 28%. The average 401K returns 8%, well above 4% inflation. So, what we doing?

Below are challenging black swan events that the market bounced back on with a vengeance to provide returns.

Black Monday

U.S. Savings & Loan Crisis

Gulf War

Dot-Com Bubble Burst

Iraq War

Global Financial Crisis

Brexit

Greek Debt Default

Covid-19

Invasion of Ukraine

Stocks have the potential and proven historical evidence to continue moving upward, especially over long periods of time. Not even politics matters. You must work smarter, not harder.

Cash is king and cash is cool, but cash is still only just a tool.

Tools alleviate burdens.

JacMitten’s Foundational Portfolio Stocks

AAPL – Up 28% in 2024, their innovation in integrating AI into their products is a positive. They command robust financials with $95B in buybacks in the past year. Regardless of negative forecasts from bystanders, AAPL keeps delivering for their shareholders.

XOM – Up 10.8% in 2024, they have strong profitability, but slow growth expected for 2025. Their balance sheet is strong, and they’ve paid a solid dividend for 42 years.

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JacMitten’s Growth Portfolio Stocks

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Many of us grew up unaware and ignorant to the power of credit or the impact credit may have on our lives. Some of us had our credit damaged by our parents/guardians who put credit in our name at an early age. Some of us damaged our credit in college by signing up for the credit cards at the table in exchange for the mini basketball giveaways. Some of us just didn’t pay our bills on time or at all. Regardless of how your credit may have been damaged, there’s no one coming to save us but ourselves. We must be a credit to ourselves. Poor decisions seem to require and demand more effort to fix and in 2024, ignorance is never a valid excuse.

Credit is our reputation. Credit can be a double-edged sword; one of opportunity, and one of disaster, because credit requires discipline. Our credit tells financial institutions and potential employers who we are before they even know who we are. Because of that, our credit (score) may open doors or slam them shut. It may not seem fair, but this is the system we must navigate. Whether it’s getting approved for rentals, interest rates, lower insurance rates, a cell phone plan, or purchasing a car or your first home, we must be a credit to ourselves.

Play the Game to Win

We weren’t created to be mediocre; we were created to be abundant. But before abundance comes intention. There’s a certain maturity and purpose that comes along with intention. I remember in 2002, Jets Head Coach Herm Edwards was speaking during a press conference, and he was talking about the greatest thing about sports. Herm said:

“you play to win the game…hello! You play to win the game; you don’t play to just play it! When you start telling me it doesn’t matter then retire…get out!”

The same goes for life. Who would raise their hand and say we play this game of life to lose? Not many. The beautiful thing about what Herm said and what he didn’t say was there was no set time period or expiration of time to begin playing to win. We can start tomorrow; we can start right now! The important thing is we must start. I would add sooner than later. Time and tide tarrieth no man. Time is a perishable and irreplaceable resource that must be harnessed effectively.

Become a Credit to Yourself

To build our credit from scratch or repair it can seem daunting, but it’s an incredibly worthwhile investment in our future. A by-product is self-confidence, and we could all use ample boosts of that throughout life.

We should be aware of your current FICO score. This is the credit score calculated by the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) which is used by lenders to evaluate our creditworthiness. Here are some key details:

·      Range is between 300 – 850 (the higher the better)

·      Data is pulled from the 3 major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion)

·      Scores of 670+ indicate a lower credit risk (best credit is above 740+)

·      5 things make up our FICO Score

o   Payment history (35%)

o   Amount owed (30% or less credit utilization)

o   Length of credit history (15%)

o   New credit requests (10%)

o   Credit mix (10%)

·      How to improve our FICO Score

o   Pay bills on-time (set automatic payment to avoid a non-payment)

o   Low credit utilization (keep credit use under 25% for better score)

o   Limit applying for too much credit at once (we look desperate)

o   Build a good mixture of credit over time

o   Review our score for errors (one free report per credit bureau each year)

Think of a poor credit score as an out of shape boxer. As our discipline (diet) improves, our energy and stamina increase. Our financial endeavors become less burdensome, and our punches (decisions) have greater impact. We begin to win financial bouts, ascending the financial ladder of achievement, sharpening our skills, exposing ourselves to unseen future opportunities. Being intentional about our actions will prove our ability to use credit responsibly. We should monitor our credit to ensure we remain on the right path.

A tip to increase our creditworthiness faster would be to ask a family member to add us as an authorized user on their own credit card. The person we ask should have good credit because their late payment or poor spending habits could affect us negatively and vice versa. This may work better for someone looking to build their teenage child’s credit.

Another would be properly managing large balance liabilities such as a student or car loan. Timely monthly payments on these balances will always look positive to creditors. And a simple but overlooked option would be to contact creditors directly about our financial situation. It never hurts to ask, and they may work with us on creating a plan or we could potentially negotiate our balance or interest rate.

So how do we win this game? How do we overcome this obstacle? We know no one is coming to save us. No wealthy relative’s inheritance, government assistance, and no get-rich-quick schemes will sou-sou us out of the bind we’re in. We win with a mindset change. We become the credit to ourselves.

I’m reminded of Booker T. Washington’s opinion on self-reliance. Through hard work, determination, and self-discipline we can overcome adversity and achieve success. Through sheer grit and perseverance, we can take control of our destiny and change our circumstance and rewrite our story. The only one who must believe it is us.