Callan Associates updates a “periodic table” annually with the relative performance of 9 major asset classes over the last 20 years. Above is the most recent snapshot of 2006-2025, which you can find on their website Callan.com. The best performing asset class is listed at the top, and it sorts downward until you have the worst performing asset. I find it easiest to focus on a specific Asset Class (Color) and then visually noting how […]

The stock market outlook shows an uptrend in place for the S&P500.

Investment process Superb businesses and Mr. Market Sometimes it’s useful to go back to basics. When I started investing just over 50 years ago, I read that over the long-haul stocks outperform bonds. Over the years, with all the ups and downs of the stock market, I’ve never had any reason to doubt that. My default asset allocation is 100% stocks. The last time I held bonds was from 1998 to 2002 when I went […]

Don’t miss an episode of our podcast, Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors. Tune in on: Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Now, here’s today’s article: I saw someone post this image on LinkedIn this week. Their commentary on the image is: You want to risk-manage your hard-earned assets.Here are some rough estimates on the return you would need (in right) to break even again (regain) after taking a loss (on left). Returning to break-even isn’t a 1-for-1 process.Risk management is key. You might have seen something similar before. I know I have. Lots of investment people out there talk about how small percentage declines require big percentage gains to get back to even. The arithmetic itself is 100% correct. But I ask, “So what? What’s the takeaway?” Their takeaway concerns volatility and risk management. They’re claiming that losses are “extra” harmful because they require larger subsequent gains to get back to even. As this particular investor wrote: “Returning to break-even isn’t a 1-for-1 process.” In other words, “Be extra fearful of losses, because they count ‘more’ than gains.” This is flawed logic. We need to stop this line of reasoning. It doesn’t make sense. Forgot My Keys… Imagine I’m walking to the office. It’s about a mile each way. I get within sight of my office building and reach for my keys…oh sh**, I left my keys at home. I call home, ask my wife to grab them for me, and she meets me part-way. But still…I need to walk 75% of the way back home to meet her. My progress dropped (-75%). I grab the keys from her (~~thank you!!~~) and turn around toward work. How do I get back to where I was before? I would now need more than +300% progress to get back to the office. WOW! 300%! That’s a lot! You might think that my walk back to the office would be ~4x harder than the walk home. After all, 300% is 4x as much as 75%. It might not appear to be a “1-for-1 process.” But we all know how to walk down a sidewalk. We can picture going back and forth three-quarters of a mile. It’s the same distance each way! It is a 1-for-1 process, no matter what the percentages say. When a stock (or the stock market as a whole) has to “go back home” down its own economic pathway, it can just as easily go back up. There is nothing “harder” or “easier” about one direction over the other. The Stocks Don’t Know Stocks don’t know their own price. Stocks don’t know who owns them. Stocks don’t know about percentages. Most of all, stocks have no idea “where on the sidewalk” they are right now. And investors shouldn’t care either. If a company’s new earnings report justifies that it’s now worth an additional $10 per share,

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ignited fresh debate over Social Security on Saturday after tweeting that Donald Trump is “taking a wrecking ball” to the program while promoting a plan to add $200 a month to beneficiaries’ checks. The post, which included a video but few specifics, appears to point to her recently introduced Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act (S.3078); a bill unveiled in the Senate last October aimed at cushioning retirees from rising costs, even […]

Last Updated on January 25, 2026 at 12:32 pm Many friends have shown interest in becoming SEBI-registered investment advisors (RIAs), offering unbiased advice to clients and earning a decent income from it. Several DIY investors are keen on helping others manage their finances. For them, it can be a second career. About the author: Melvin… The post RIA Aspirants Webinar: Feb 7 (Sat), 6 PM IST with Melvin Joseph appeared first on freefincal.

  Investing is one of the most powerful ways to grow your money over time. It’s not just for wealthy people or finance experts. When done consistently, investing allows your money to work for you rather than sit idle in a savings account, losing value to inflation. It doesn’t matter if your goal is extra…

Is Speculative Trading for You? With the popularity of bitcoin, cryptocurrency, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer lending, investing has gone from just stocks and bonds to vast investment choices. With the promise of massive returns, readers frequently ask, “I’ve been thinking about “What percent of my portfolio should be invested in speculative assets like crypto, crowdfunding, IPOs, private equity and more. What are Speculative Investments? Financial speculation promises higher returns in exchange for the promise of higher returns. When shooting for sky high investment returns, like more than 10% annually, be prepared for the possibility of losing all or a majority of your investment Contents Toggle Is Speculative Trading for You?What are Speculative Investments?8 Examples of Speculative InvestmentsHow Does Speculation Work?Speculation vs Investing – What’s the Difference?Before Investing in Speculative Assets – Understand Your Risk TolerancePros and Cons of Speculative InvestmentsThe Pros: Why Speculate?The Cons: The Hidden CostsWhat Percentage of Your Portfolio Should Be in Speculative Investments?Is Speculative Trading for You? – Wrap upFAQWhat are some examples of some speculative investments?Is speculative investing the same as gambling?Is Bitcoin considered a speculative investment?Related This article may contain affiliate links which means that – at zero cost to you – I might earn a commission if you sign up or buy through the affiliate link. 8 Examples of Speculative Investments Foreign Currencies Private Equity Precious Metals Cryptocurrencies Margin Trading Penny Stocks Options Trading Day Trading IPO’s Crowdfunding How Does Speculation Work? Speculative investing depends upon the asset that you’re investing in. With day trading, you’ll buy and sell securities quickly to capitalize on small price movements. With crowdfunding apps such as Groundfloor, you’ll set up a bank transfer into a debt fund, in exchange for cash flow. Margin trading requires borrowing money to invest in the financial markets with a risk of a “margin call” (to add more money) should the investment value decline. Private equity funds have application procedures on their websites and might be available only to accredited investors. Invest in crypto through a portal such as Coinbase, an app like Robinhood or an ETF. Speculation vs Investing – What’s the Difference? Investing vs speculating involves risk and probabilities. The stock market returned north of 10% annualized over the last hundred years or so. While bonds averaged approximately 5%. Investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds both individually and through mutual and exchange traded funds, for long term profits is considered investing. Long term investing typically yields positive investment returns, despite short-term price volatility. Some investments such as stocks and bonds offer dividends or cash flow, to cushion any declines in the investment’s value. Speculative investments promise higher returns than typical stocks and bonds and are riskier. The speculative investment