As we begin another week of stock market ups and downs, there are two points I want to make.
Point 1: Max out your company 401K match and then exceed it. Hopefully you work for a half decent company that at least matches from 3-5%…or some fraction in between. Also, when we all hopefully get the pittance of a raise/merit increase of 2-3% each year (which doesn’t even keep up with inflation), those changes usually fall into effect sometime by the March paycheck. So you get a few extra bucks each pay period. Would you really miss it if it wasn’t there? Some may say…Absolutely…I live pay check to pay check. If you don’t….then drop that extra 2-3% in your 401K or Roth IRA account. Those savings will build and there are obviously tax benefits as well.
Point 2: When I look at the ups and downs of the stock market since the beginning of the year, my portfolio looks like the roller coaster you would expect. Most of my stocks purchases are ETFs and though the fluctuate, they haven’t been crushed….and I still reap the dividends each month or quarter. Pretty much every stock I own has gone up and down several times since the start of 2025…except one.
I’m no expert…and all this “advice” is simply food for thought and to hopefully push you to educate yourself further regarding your finances. But let’s just say regardless of the fluctuations/tariffs/ etc….people have not backed off tobacco products. Altria group (MO) has risen almost 16% since the beginning of the year and pays an annual dividend of 6.73%. And at around $60 a share, it’s not like purchasing some of the huge stocks that hover at or well above $200 a share.
Educate yourself and invest! Happy Monday all!
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