A DULL and BORING start to the seek today. HERE is the markets so far: Stocks are little changed to start the week as traders await Powell speech, retail earnings https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/17/stock-market-today-live-updates.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Stocks were little changed Monday as markets cooled off following a winning week and traders awaited key retail earnings plus Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s annual speech at the central bank’s Jackson Hole summit. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added about 4 points, or less than 0.1%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite hovered near the flatline. Shares of Novo Nordisk added more than 4% after the company’s Wegovy obesity drug was granted accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a serious liver disease. Investors this week will parse through financial results from big-box retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart and Target, for clues about the health of the U.S. consumer. Concerns about elevated valuations, tariffs and moderating job growth remain top-of-mind for market participants heading into the back half of the year. “Retailer earnings reports this week are likely to reflect tariff concerns, inflation uptick and an anticipated economic slowdown,” Wells Fargo Investment Institute senior global market strategist Scott Wren said, adding that the equity rally seen in recent weeks is “likely to stall” as a result. The Fed will also continue to be in focus this week as central bank members travel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the annual economic policy symposium. Investors will be monitoring the event for clues about the future path of rates. Fed funds futures are pricing in a nearly 85% likelihood that the central bank cuts rates at its next policy meeting in September, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. The three major averages are coming off of their second straight positive week, which also marked the fourth week of gains out of the last five for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Small-cap stocks outperformed last week as investors bet on forthcoming rate cuts." MY COMMENT BORING.....boring...boring. And the markets reflect it.....with a little green bump happening right now. The DOW and SP500 are GREEN but UP by only about +0.06% and +0.01%...respectively. The NASDAQ is also GREEN and up by....+0.01%.
OK.....GREEN for me to start out the week. Not by much but still green. I had four stocks UP and five stocks DOWN. I did also beat the SP500 today by....0.16%. I will take it all day long.
NO CHANGES........AS USUAL: SO....here is my current portfolio of....NINE....stocks. The UPDATED Portfolio Model.......NOT as investment advice.....just as a disclosure of my personal BIAS and my thinking on how to structure a long term portfolio. "I am once again posting my PORTFOLIO MODEL. My initial criteria to start the process to consider a business are.......BIG CAP, AMERICAN, DIVIDEND PAYING, GREAT MANAGEMENT, ICONIC PRODUCT, WORLD WIDE LEADER IN THEIR FIELD, LONG TERM HORIZON, etc, etc, etc. PORTFOLIO MODEL "Here is my "PORTFOLIO MODEL" for all accounts managed which is the basis for MUCH of my discussion in this thread. I am re-posting this since I often talk in this thread about my portfolio model. My custom in the past on this sort of thread was to re-post my portfolio model every once in a while since I will tend to talk about it once in a while. I "manage" six portfolios for various family including a trust. ALL are set up in this fashion. If I was starting this portfolio today, lets say with $200,000. I would put half the money into the stock side of the portfolio, with an equal amount going into each stock. The other half of the money would go into the fund side of the portfolio, with an equal amount going into each fund. As is my long time custom, I would than let the portfolio run as it wished with NO re-balancing, in other words, I would let the winners run. Over the LONG TERM of investing in this style (at least in my actual portfolios), the stock side seems to reach and settle in at about 70% of the total portfolio and the fund side at about 30% of the total portfolio over time. That is a GOOD THING since it tells me that my stock picks are generally beating the funds over the longer term. AND....since the funds in the account generally meet or beat the SP500, that is a VERY good thing. As mentioned in a post in this thread, I include the funds in the portfolio as a counter-balance to my investing BIAS and stock picking BIAS and to add a top active management fund that often beats the SP500 (Fidelity Contra Fund) and a SP500 Index Fund to get broad exposure to the best 500 companies in AMERICAN business and economy. The funds also give me broad diversification as a counter-balance to my very concentrated 9 stock portfolio.At the same time the funds double and triple up on my individual stock holdings............that I consider the BEST individual businesses in the WORLD. STOCKS: Alphabet Inc Amazon Apple Costco Home Depot Microsoft Nvidia Palantir WMT (junior position) MUTUAL FUNDS: SP500 Index Fund Fidelity Contra Fund CAUTION: This is a moderate aggressive to aggressive portfolio on the stock side with the small concentration of stocks and the mix of stocks that I hold and with the concentration of big name tech stocks. Especially for my age group. (74). So for anyone considering this sort of portfolio, be careful and consider your risk tolerance and where you are in your life and financial needs. I am able to do this sort of portfolio since my stock market account is NOT needed for my retirement income AND I have a fairly HIGH RISK TOLERANCE. In addition I am a fully invested, all the time, LONG TERM investor. (LONG TERM meaning many years, 5, 10, 20, years or more)" MY COMMENT This portfolio is HIGHLY CONCENTRATED on the big cap side of things. OBVIOUSLY between the funds and my nine stock holdings there is MUCH doubling and tripling up on the stocks. THAT is INTENTIONAL. I strongly subscribe to the view of Buffett and some others that TOO MUCH diversification kills returns. I do NOT believe in the current diversification FAD that most people seem to now follow.......or think they are following. I DO NOT do bonds and think the current level of bonds held by younger investors.....those under age 50.....is extremely foolish.I DO NOT do market timing or Technical Analysis."
OK.....keep in mind......any of you lurkers or anyone else. Questions are a good thing. Feel free to direct any question you might have to any of the posters on here.
I have about 30 minutes till I have to take off to the photographer. HERE is my HD earnings. Home Depot stock rises 2% as retailer maintains full-year forecast https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/19/home-depot-hd-earnings-q2-2025.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Home Depot stuck by its full-year outlook, even as the company came in slightly shy of Wall Street’s expectations for quarterly earnings and revenue. The report is Home Depot’s first since May 2014 to fall short on both earnings and revenue expectations. In an interview with CNBC, Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said the company continues to see the effects of a “deferral mindset” from homeowners, which began in roughly mid-2023. Home Depot stuck by its full-year outlook on Tuesday, even as the company came in slightly shy of Wall Street’s expectations for quarterly earnings and revenue. The home improvement retailer reiterated that it expects full-year total sales to grow by 2.8% and comparable sales, which take out the impact of one-time factors like store openings and calendar differences, to rise about 1%. However, it missed Wall Street’s earnings expectations for the second straight quarter. Shares of Home Depot rose about 2% in premarket trading. Here’s what Home Depot reported for the fiscal second quarter compared with Wall Street’s estimates, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: $4.68 adjusted vs. $4.71 expected Revenue: $45.28 billion vs. $45.36 billion expected In the three-month period that ended Aug. 3, Home Depot’s net income was $4.55 billion, or $4.58 per share, down slightly from $4.56 billion, or $4.60 per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose almost 5% from $43.18 billion in the year-ago period. The report is Home Depot’s first since May 2014 to fall short on both earnings and revenue expectations. Home Depot’s results reflect that the company is still waiting for a greater pick-up in home improvement activity, whether spurred on by higher housing turnover, lower mortgage rates or consumers’ own shift in mentality. In an interview with CNBC, Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said the company continues to see the effects of a “deferral mindset” from homeowners, which began in roughly mid-2023. Still, McPhail said, there are encouraging signs in the retailer’s business: Big-ticket transactions, which the company defines as over $1,000, rose 2.6% compared to the year-ago quarter. Twelve of its 16 merchandising departments posted year-over-year sales gains. And year-over-year sales trends improved in each month of the quarter, with comparable sales up 0.3% in May, 0.5% in June and 3.3% in July, he said. “We absolutely saw momentum continue to build in our core categories throughout the quarter,” he said. McPhail said Home Depot’s fiscal 2025 outlook does not factor in potential rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, which could spur borrowing for homebuying and bigger projects. “We don’t embed any point of view on the rate environment changing, nor on the demand for large projects changing,” he said. Betting on the pros As the real estate market remains sluggish and borrowing costs remain high, Home Depot has looked beyond the homeowners who come to its stores to buy kitchen appliances, cans of paint or other supplies for do-it-yourself projects. Home Depot acquired SRS Distribution, a company that sells supplies to roofing, landscaping and pool professionals, for $18.25 billion last year. It announced in June that it was buying GMS, a specialty building products distributor, for about $4.3 billion. The GMS deal is expected to close by the end of Home Depot’s fiscal year in late January, according to Home Depot. McPhail said about 55% of Home Depot’s sales come from pros and about 45% comes from do-it-yourself customers, when including SRS. Comparable sales increased 1% across the business and 1.4% in the U.S. during the fiscal second quarter. Home Depot said foreign exchange rates negatively impacted the company’s comparable sales by about 40 basis points. That comparable sales growth marks only the second quarter out of the last 11 that Home Depot has reported year-over-year improvement. For the fiscal second quarter, McPhail said year-over-year sales on both the pro side and DIY side of the business grew. He declined to share percentage increases, but said those increases were “relatively in line with one another.” Tariffs have added uncertainty to the outlook for retailers, though. McPhail told CNBC in May that Home Depot did not plan to hike prices across its store, even as other retailers, including Walmart, warned that tariff-related costs would be too much to absorb. Since May, however, U.S. tariff policies have changed. Higher tariffs began in early August on dozens of U.S. trading partners. Other major agreements remain in flux. President Donald Trump last week delayed higher U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days as negotiations continue. McPhail told CNBC Home Depot hasn’t changed its pricing approach. And, he said, most of its imported products sold in the quarter landed ahead of tariffs. Home Depot’s customer base tends to be on stronger financial footing than U.S. consumers overall, which could help the company weather sustained higher costs. About 90% of its do-it-yourself customers own their own homes and the home pros that shop with Home Depot tend to get hired by homeowners. Customer transactions across Home Depot’s website and stores fell in the quarter to 446.8 million compared to the 451 million in the year-ago period. Yet shoppers spent slightly more during those transactions, with the average ticket rising to $90.01 from an average ticket of $88.90 in the year-ago period. Those metrics exclude results from acquisitions SRS and HD Supply, the company said. Home Depot’s shares closed on Monday at $394.70. As of Monday’s close, the company’s shares are up roughly 1.5% so far this year. That trails the nearly 10% gain of the S&P 500 during the same period." MY COMMENT I am happy with these earnings. Especially the fact that the company is now doing more business with the...."pros".....than the retail consumers. Great management at work here....expanding their base in the professionals and growing the business. I have no doubt that they are gaining market share and setting the company up for very good growth going forward. This company is very SMART to be using company assets to BUY other comparable companies and expand their business. Something too few companies are currently doing. I am NOT concerned about the YTD return on the stock this year. This is a great and very DOMINANT well run company that I am very happy to own as an off-set to my big tech holdings. I LIKE their one month return of ....+8%. five year return at about +40% has been impacted hard by the pandemic, the current real property market, and other world events that are beyond company control.
HERE is the media take on the open today. Stock futures tick down as retail earnings roll in, traders await Powell speech https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/18/stock-market-today-live-updates.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Stock futures ticked lower Tuesday as new earnings from major retailers began to roll in, while traders looked ahead to a key speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later in the week. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 2 points, near the flatline. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.1% each. Home Depot shares edged lower after the home improvement giant reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings but maintained its full-year outlook. Lowe’s, Walmart and Target are on deck for later this week. Investors have awaited these reports as they search for clues on how the consumer is faring amid a mixed inflation outlook and evolving U.S. trade policy. Wall Street is also awaiting clues from Powell as to what will happen at the central bank’s remaining policy meetings this year. Central bank officials from around the globe will convene this week in Jackson Hole, Wyo. for the Fed’s annual economic symposium. “We expect the Federal Reserve to use Jackson Hole as an opportunity to prepare the markets and signal towards a 25 basis point cut in September and a potentially accommodating stance through year-end,” said Richard Saperstein, chief investment officer at Treasury Partners. “Since this will be Powell’s last Jackson Hole conference as Fed Chair, he’ll likely reinforce the need for Fed independence from the Executive Branch.” The fed funds futures market is indicating an 83% chance for a quarter-point rate cut at the Fed’s next policy meeting in September, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. Tuesday’s moves come after a mostly quiet session. The S&P 500 closed less than 1 point lower Monday, sitting inches below a record high reached last week." MY COMMENT Screw....Powell and the FED. A bunch of meaningless morons. Otherwise a very irrelevant day today. A day for traders and short term speculators. In fact I call any sort of short term investment focus....speculation.....since there is NO WAY anyone can have any clarity on the short term markets.
YES.....something that I constantly do......calibrate and absorb where we are in the economy and my particular investments. FUNDAMENTALS are key although over the short to medium term it is the constant blather of the media and news items that have an impact. I try to stay supremely informed of what is going on around me.....and at the same time.....DO NOTHING. The key to being confident in an uncertain market, according to a CFP: ‘Always be calibrating’ https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/19/diversified-portfolio-investor-confidence.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points This year’s wild market fluctuations haven’t done much to dim investor confidence, a new report by Fidelity found. However, it’s a great time to reassess risk, according to certified financial planner Tim Maurer. Exchange-traded funds, in particular, are a great tool for diversification with lower fees relative to mutual funds, Maurer said. Recent bouts of market volatility haven’t done much to dim investor confidence, according to a new report. After a year of wild market swings followed by the S&P 500 hitting fresh highs last week, nearly two-thirds of investors expect their portfolios to perform the same or better in the coming months, according to Fidelity Investments’ “State of the American Investor” study. However, while newer investors are increasingly bullish, seasoned investors have a more pessimistic outlook and lower risk tolerance, likely from experiencing other periods of extreme market fluctuations, the report found. Fidelity analyzed sentiment and behaviors of more than 2,000 adult “DIY investors,” or those who manage their own portfolios. The investors had at least $25,000 in investable assets outside of retirement and real estate. New and more experienced investors should be asking themselves, “How much risk do I need to take? Your willingness to take risks is always going to be changing,” said Tim Maurer, a certified financial planner and the chief advisory officer at SignatureFD, based in Atlanta. “We should always be calibrating,” he said. “Navigating shifting market conditions can be daunting,” said Josh Krugman, a senior vice president, brokerage at Fidelity Investments. Although newer investors felt better about investing in non-traditional assets, such as crypto, investors with over a decade of experience are adopting a more cautious approach for the year ahead while seeking out more stable investments to accomplish their more conservative goals, Fidelity’s report also found. Focusing on the long term and adhering to a consistent investment strategy, along with a mix of investments, can help investors achieve better results over time, Krugman said. “That tends to help them get through the ups and downs of the market.” Maintaining a well-diversified portfolio — including a mix of stocks and high-quality bonds, which have historically performed well during downturns — is key, other experts also say. Exchange-traded funds or mutual funds, which are baskets of securities like stocks and bonds, “are easy vehicles to get a broad diversity of exposure to various asset classes,” Krugman said. Exchange-traded funds, in particular, have gained popularity among investors, with ETF assets crossing the $10 trillion mark last year — a trend experts say is largely due to advantages like lower tax bills and fees relative to mutual funds. “ETFs are one of the best ways for investors to get exposure to various swaths of the market at the lowest cost possible,” said Maurer, who is also a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council. Exchange-traded funds are generally known for passive strategies, but there has also been a surge in actively managed ETFs, with the goal of beating the performance of broader markets. “Active and indexed ETFs are particularly popular because they price intraday,” Krugman said. Unlike mutual funds, which can only be traded once a day after the market closes, ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the day and during extended hours. “ETFs are a fantastic innovation,” Maurer said. “My caution is that just because something is an ETF, doesn’t mean it’s a great investment,” he added. “It’s the wrapper around the investment, rather than an investment itself — you still need to look under the cover.” With potential economic headwinds in the back half of the year, there could be more volatility in store for markets, many experts say. That makes this “a great time for investors to be reassessing risk,” Maurer said, depending on their individual goals, life changes and time horizon, including keeping a certain amount of cash “especially if that market volatility is causing you to lose sleep.” So-called buffer exchange-traded funds could also provide some downside protection. Buffer ETFs, also known as defined-outcome ETFs, use options contracts to offer investors a predefined range of outcomes over a set period. The funds are tied to an underlying index, such as the S&P 500. But these ETFs also come with higher fees than traditional ETFs and typically need to be held for a year to get the full benefit. “It can be a helpful tool for those who would like extra layers of protection. But there’s always going to be a cost that comes with whatever protections you are going to get, and that’s often going to be limited upside,” Maurer said. Despite the trade-off, buffer ETFs could be a good option as you reassess your risk tolerance, he said." MY COMMENT The SIMPLE rules to investing success never change.....long term quality investing.....staying in the markets and NOT trading.....being true to yourself.....keeping things SIMPLE and RATIONAL. Of course ALL the above is extremely difficult for us Humans.
Ok.....make me some money. I will be back from the photographer in about 3-4 hours.....and will see where we are at that point in the day.
I see Andrew Left of Citron is trying to short the stock and force the hand of small retail investors. I'm a strong hold. 45% increase YOY increase, 0 debt and a product with 20 years in the making. Not to mention sticky goverment/military contracts. No other company can do what PLTR can, yet.
Just wasting time at the photographer. Hopefully I will be out of here in about an hour. A worthless market today. A good day to be out and ignoring it all. I have a couple of items coming up in an auction this week. That might be the highlight of the week for me if the markets go negative.
A BIG LOSS for me today with PLTR and NVDA both tanking. PLTR is under a big time short attack. I also lost out to the SP500 today by a largge amount.......1.88%.
Speaking of PLTR. Palantir stock slumps 9%, falling for a fifth straight day from record https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/19/palantir-stock-down.html (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Key Points Palantir’s stock fell for a fifth straight day after touching new highs earlier this month. The artificial intelligence software provider had a stellar earnings report earlier this month, reporting its first-ever $1 billion revenue quarter. Palantir is the most significant gainer to date in the S&P 500 this year, with shares more than doubling. Palantir’s stock slumped more than 9% on Tuesday, falling for a fifth straight day to continue its pullback from all-time highs. The artificial intelligence software provider’s stock has slid more than 15% over the last five trading sessions, after a stellar earnings report earlier this month propelled shares to all-time highs. The report was Palantir’s first-ever $1 billion revenue quarter. Tuesday’s dip coincided with a broader market pullback. Palantir is the most significant gainer to date in the S&P 500 in 2025, up more than 100%. Shares have more than doubled as the company benefits from ongoing AI enthusiasm, scooping up government contracts with President Donald Trump pushing to overhaul agencies. Palantir’s ascent has pushed the company into a list of top 10 U.S. tech firms and 20 most valuable U.S. companies, while also making shares incredibly expensive to own. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio, which tracks future earnings relative to share price, has soared past 245 times. By comparison, technology giants such as Microsoft and Apple carry a P/E of nearly 30 times and rake in significantly greater quarterly revenues. Meta’s and Alphabet’s P/E ratios hover in the 20s." MY COMMENT Well into correction over only five days. The life of a wild and crazy stock. We will now see if the little retail investors are going to step in and buy the dip. OR......is this the one time that freaks them out and they start to take some profits. I dont see anything new on the stock over the past five days....other than the MEDIA hyping the short attack that is going on over that time. I assume the SHORTS are being helped by their media stooges......or friends.....to pump up their current attack on the stock.
Palantir, 120-130$ area, if we are lucky enoughf to get there, pretty good one to add a few more. I confess...my position here is still far from what I wanted. I need to at least double it.
LOL.....it amazes me the power of the FED.....and the SHORTS....to push the short term markets around. At the open ALL the big cap tech was in the RED.....as was PLTR. The FED stuff is just typical fear-mongering. The SHORT ATTACK on PLTR and somewhat NVDA.....is just a huge PR move by the primary short seller......and shows their ability to manipulate or get their media friends.....to support and push their market bet for them. The report that I saw from the primary SHORT ATTACKER.....CITRON RESEARCH.....simply contains the same old stuff about PLTR that has been talked about and known for at least 1-2 years now....nothing new. BUT.....the number of stories yesterday commenting on the report was through the roof. I am NOT recommending PLTR....but if you have been waiting to buy some the current little....+20%....discount is a pretty good entry point. AND....you might even get a lower entry point later this week.
YES.....it really is this simple. How Much Do I Need to Contribute to My Retirement Accounts Per Month to Become a Millionaire? Building a million-dollar retirement account requires strategic saving, consistent contributions and a mindset focused on long-term progress. https://money.usnews.com/money/reti...nt-accounts-per-month-to-become-a-millionaire (BOLD is my opinion OR what I consider important content) "Many workers dream of becoming millionaires, but is it possible to grow a 401(k) or individual retirement account to the million-dollar mark? The prospect of growing your retirement accounts to a seven-figure value largely depends on how early you start investing. While experts recommend starting to invest in your 20s, many Americans begin much later. For example, assuming an annualized return of 6%, a 35-year-old hoping to retire at 67 would have to invest $863 each month to grow an account to $1 million. How Much Is Enough? Workers need to save a substantial amount of money to sustain a retirement that lasts three decades. But how can savers know they’re on track for a retirement that works for them? For example, a person who envisions frequent travel adventures will need more money than someone who plans to stay closer to home and enjoy time with family and friends. "Enough is not just a dollar amount. It is knowing what is enough for you and whether you have had enough of what you are doing now to move toward what is next," said Preston D. Cherry, founder and president of Concurrent Wealth Management in Houston, and author of "Wealth in the Key of Life: Finding Your Financial Harmony," in an email. "Becoming a millionaire is part math, part mindset, and both matter equally," he added. "First, know you are not starting from zero. You are building from where you are, then letting the numbers work for you." How Much to Save in an IRA Investors contributing to a traditional IRA should take full advantage of the annual limits, according to Daniel Milan, founder and managing partner of Cornerstone Financial Services in Southfield, Michigan. "If your household will receive a pretax deduction for an IRA contribution, then I advise contributing the maximum allowable into the IRA, as long as you have first maxed out your annual allowable contribution into your 401(k)," he said in an email. In 2025, contribution limits for both Roth and traditional IRAs are $7,000 per year, or $8,000 for those age 50 and older. "Even if your contribution isn’t tax-deductible or you don’t qualify for a Roth IRA, your investments will grow tax-deferred," said Phillip Battin, president and CEO at Ambassador Wealth Management in Warrenville, Illinois, in an email. "Unfortunately, many people skip IRA contributions when they don’t get a tax break, but they ultimately miss out on years of potential growth," Battin added. "A tax advisor can help you understand what you qualify for and how to make the most of your options." How Much to Save in a 401(k) Investing limits are higher in an employer-sponsored 401(k) than in an IRA. "In 2025, those under 50 can contribute up to $23,500 in a 401(k), and those from 60 to 63 can contribute up to $34,750," said Trevor Houston, CEO at ClearPath Wealth Strategies in Frisco, Texas, in an email. "I’ve seen clients in their 50s who stick to those 401(k) limits rebuild big financial gaps in under 10 years," he added. The extra contribution for those between 60 and 63 is a special provision of the SECURE 2.0 Act. Does that mean you'll reach $1 million? Not necessarily, depending on when you begin saving. For example, a 50-year-old with no or little savings would have to save about $2,500 a month to amass $1 million by age 73, when required minimum distributions kick in. That's a tall order. But what about saving $1,000 a month, downsizing retirement expectations and making other changes? That would yield about $397,000, assuming the same 6% annualized return, which is a somewhat conservative number. That's far from millionaire territory, and it might mean taking on some extra work to earn more money and waiting until age 70 to take Social Security. But having that knowledge is at least the basis for making a plan. Take Advantage of Catch-up Contributions In 2025, savers 50 and older can contribute an additional $7,500 to a 401(k) for a total possible contribution of $31,000. For an IRA, the catch-up limit is $1,000 for a total of $8,500. "Additionally, a great way to catch up if you are maxing out your qualified retirement plans is to begin contributing and investing in a taxable brokerage account, which can allow you to quickly make up for lost time as there is no contribution limit in those types of accounts," Milan said. How Much to Save if You’re Starting in Your 40s For a 45-year-old aiming for $1 million, the monthly savings target jumps to about $1,600 to $1,700 per month at a 6% annualized return, Cherry said. "This is where catch-up contributions in your 401(k), strategic use of a taxable brokerage account, and maximizing your employer match can help close the gap," he said. "Automating contributions, increasing them when your income rises or bonuses come, and starting with what is doable today all build powerful momentum over time," Cherry added. "Just know that you are not starting behind. You are building better," he said. Don’t Forget the Employer Match Taking advantage of employer matching contributions to a 401(k) is one of the easiest ways to boost your retirement savings, Battin said. "Make sure you understand your employer’s guidelines for matching and be sure to contribute enough to get the full benefit," he said. "Your 401(k) should be a key part of your retirement plan, and contributing enough to get the full employer match should be a top priority." Do You Need $1 Million? With careful planning, many Americans can enjoy a comfortable retirement without their accounts reaching the $1 million mark. For those who are worried about having enough, there are some strategies, both mathematical and mental, to keep in mind. "It is often remarked that ‘victory loves preparation,’" Battin said. "If you're getting a late start on retirement savings, it's important to start now and stay committed to taking control of your finances and growing your wealth." It may be necessary to adjust your lifestyle to free up money for the future, he added. "You might also consider selling unused assets or cutting expenses, like downsizing or refinancing debt, to boost your savings," Battin said. "Even with a late start, discipline, strategy and a willingness to stay focused on the goal can make a meaningful impact on retirement readiness."" MY COMMENT Start young......save as much as you can per month......and.....do it for life. It is simply a function of will-power and having a long term plan.
We are in the middle of a big cap tech DIP right now. It came on quickly and is hitting just about all the big names in the tech world....including PLTR and NVDA. The short sellers are doing a job on PLTR right now with their attack. NO PROBLEM......those of us in any of these stocks are sitting on some good YTD gains. I trust the long term over the short term speculators. It will pass....probably quickly.....and we will move on. Now that most of the earnings are past it is time for the short attackers to ramp up their market manipulation trades. We will see if the NVDA earnings next week can stem some of the short term blood in the water.
For those with focus that goes longer than a few weeks. Microsoft Further Exceeds a Higher Bar https://www.carsongroup.com/insights/blog/microsoft-further-exceeds-a-higher-bar/ "Microsoft’s latest earnings illustrate how central AI has become to its growth trajectory. Azure’s accelerating revenue, consistently strong beats against guidance, and rising market share underscore the company’s unique position in the cloud market. The surge in demand, particularly from AI-native companies like OpenAI, has pushed Microsoft’s infrastructure to its limits—a clear sign of both strength and opportunity. With guidance pointing to further growth and AI adoption still in its early stages, Microsoft appears well positioned to remain a leader in cloud computing."
I cant read this content because I dont pay....BUT.....this is typical of what I am suddenly seeing over the past few days. A coordinated attack....using media allies.....by the short sellers. It is all legal.....and these guys know how to create a negative story line and use the media to push their trades. US tech stocks hit by concerns over future of AI boom https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-tech-stocks-hit-concerns-013856176.html
Looks like TARGET is going to get a new CEO. it will ONLY matter and have a chance to turn the company around.....IF......the new CEO is an independent thinker and pulls away from all the policies and thinking that has infected the company lately. Target names insider Michael Fiddelke new CEO, succeeding Brian Cornell, who led retailer since 2014 https://finance.yahoo.com/news/targ...ll-who-led-retailer-since-2014-103001266.html
If.....the new boss....is the same as the old boss......I see NOTHING good for Target in the future. This company has totally lost contact with its customers and is off in LA-LA-LAND. The fact that this change does not even happen till FEBRUARY of 2026...tells me that the company is still totally out of touch with what is happening to it......and why it is happening.
