2024 was a great year for the stock market. This graph doesn’t even take dividends into consideration. If you include those, the S&P 500 was up 26% this year!

Does the market go up every year? No. But in EXCHANGE for accepting the volatility and unknown of the future, you’re likely to get the much higher returns. High yield savings accounts historically pay about 3% per year. The stock market historically goes up about 10% per year.

Sometimes I hear “Where do you get a 10% return?!” Well, you’re looking at it. It’s not ALWAYS 10%. In fact, it’s rarely right around 10%. Instead you get some BIG years like the last two years (25% and 26%) and some BAD years like 2022 (-18%). But those who sign up for the wild ride and have the stomach to stay the course through the good years and the bad are rewarded handsomely with huge compound growth resulting from the 10% average over a long period of time.

If you’re wondering if NOW is a good time to get started, the answer is yes. It would have been better to start 40 years ago, but guess what: You weren’t in a position to start investing 40 years ago. But for the NEXT 40 years you will be VERY glad if you got started as soon as possible. And ASAP is now. So go get it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As always, reminding you to build wealth by following the two PFC rules: 1.) Live below your means and 2.) Invest early and often.‎

‎-Jeremy