“Never confuse brains with a bull market.”
This past year wasn’t a true bull market, merely another year in which asset prices rose again due to the Fed’s willingness to abet the bubbles with endless, nearly free money. It was another year in which even throwing darts made money, and making some shrewd guesses made a lot of it.
Many people report their year-end investment gains as percentages achieved. But percentages don’t spend well at the grocery store or gas pump. So I mark myself to market in terms of dollars gained after living expenses were withdrawn and estimated taxes were paid. If my ending year’s net is 2x to 4x what next year’s taxes and living expenses will be, then I did well enough for the girls I go dancing with. In 2024, my net-gain was 3x. This year, it’s 4x. So I’m content and have no coulda/shoulda/woulda’s.
I suspect 2026 won’t be an easy year, nor 2027, and 2028 will be sheer chaos. So I’m glad to have banked some profits this year.
