QQQ's Bounce May Not Be the End of the Story $QQQ finished the week above its 20-week moving average, improving the short-term technical outlook and opening the door for a potential B-wave rebound. The next move could take two paths. A stronger rally may retest the previous all-time high, similar to January's recovery, while a more modest bounce could retrace only part of the decline from the June peak. If the current rebound follows a classic corrective structure, attention would then shift to a potential C-wave decline. From a technical perspective, the 637 area, corresponding to the Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 highs, becomes an important level to watch if downside pressure returns. The coming weeks may determine whether this is the start of a new trend or simply a pause within a broader correction.
Trump says he has CANCELLED the US attack on Iran and that the “perimeters of a deal” have been agreed to. includes the "complete" and "total opening" of the Strait of Hormuz. Filet Mignon for dinner.. or should I say tacos!? Weekend tech $QQQ nearly +1%
I launched a new series called PII Snapshot Studio. The goal is simple: explain, in about 30 seconds, the one or two things that actually matter before a company reports earnings. The first company is Palantir. Instead of reviewing every financial metric, I focused on what I believe is the single most important one heading into earnings: the Rule of 40. I'd appreciate your thoughts. https://youtube.com/shorts/j0dOnVkzD3o?feature=shareread more
Am I the only one that finds the "NAV erosion" discourse to be utterly stupid? CC fund investors talk about "oh this fund doesn't have any NAV erosion" and you look at the fund and it's some single stock CC ETF for a stock that's been performing well since the fund was launched. If you don't understand how these funds work, isn't it incredibly dumb to be invested in them? Before I invested into factor funds, I read books and academic articles about factor investing. Before I invested in a convertible arb fund, I read the textbook written by the fund manager on convertible arb. Why do "income investors" think it's okay to be so ignorant about the funds they invest in?
$MRVL is back on my radar after this major pullback. The AI infrastructure trade has been volatile, and MRVL has taken a hit of more than 35%, but the long-term story around custom silicon, data center networking, and AI demand is still worth watching. Comments around its future potential have definitely caught investor attention, but the market will ultimately care about execution, revenue growth, and margins. Big visions are exciting, but the chart still needs to prove itself. Watching how buyers respond from these lower levels. Nice to see you here. Still following AI stocks? Trade smart. read more
It took me 15 years to hit 100k. Subsequently, it took me 4 years to hit 500k. I’d love to know what first popped into your head when you read that. For me, I would automatically think that this person’s earnings power must have increased significantly. That would be the obvious answer. But it couldn’t be further from the truth for me. I actually didn’t even earn an income for 2 out of those 4 years. So, aside from compound interest (🙌🏼), what made the difference? Awareness. Comprehension. Determination. But mostly TIME. For those first 15 years I worked hard. I worked all the overtime. Sometimes working illegal amounts of hours. I made stupid amounts of money and when I finally got a day off (sometimes after 3 months straight), I spent it ALL. Something changed when I took my first maternity leave in 2019. It was the first time in my adult life, that I had an opportunity to slow down. To get away from the grind. To be able to think about something (anything) other than progressing my career. I used that opportunity to teach myself something new. Arguably the most important life skill I’d ever learn. Money management. I invested in myself. I learned how to budget. I learned about the stock market. I started making educated and conscious decisions about money. So, the biggest difference between those two periods of my life was, TIME. Not earnings power. But having the time to learn important life skills that I never previously had the time for when all I did was grind. I know a lot of people will say they don’t have time to learn about investing and honestly, I GET IT, because I was that person! But my advice to those people now would be this: Make time. Step away from the grind and take the time to understand your finances. It’s arguably the most important life skill you will ever learn. Step away from work now (even if it means using a week of vacation), so that you can step away from work later. It’s the best gift you will ever give yourself. Most people think they need to grind harder, but maybe what they really need is to press pause for a second. Other factors that contributed to my portfolio growth: - Bull market - High risk tolerance - Growth stocks - Market timing - Employer match program - Stock Based Compensation program - Increased savings rate - Reinvested dividends - Luck 🍀 read more
So what stocks did you guys buy this week ❓❓ What a week.. for buyers at least! But take a look at $MSFT and $AMZN, if their earnings weren’t as good I don’t think we’d have that sharp rally on Thursday. Personally picked up more $ASTS, $ONDS, $NBIS. Apple and Meta lock in..
$SPCX reports earnings on Tuesday. Early in my investing journey, I missed out on $TSLA because I didn’t believe Elon could pull it off. Obviously, I was wrong. Fast-forward to today: I received 20 shares of $SPCX at the IPO, picked up another 100 at ~$150, and have been buying more with my Robinhood Gold Card rewards. All told, I’m up to around 150 shares. That said, this earnings report might be rough. But I didn’t buy this company to flip a quick profit; I bought it for its potential.
The last month has been one of the most volatile in a very long time. The Nasdaq had one of the worst losses since the Dotcom days. I’ve learned my lesson from the “lost decade” and 4 major stock market crashes and 2 real estate crashes, a global financial crisis and global pandemic and 3 American lead wars and can say without question we are living through a major secular bull market and this is going to be a rough ride. We hear that diversification is so important to wealth CREATION and PRESERVATION. Yes, concentration builds accelerated growth but you’re also competing with the smartest, richest and most equipped hedge funds that move the market at their discretion. But understanding what and how diversification works to grow and PROTECT your wealth is even more critical to STAYING IN THE GAME, and being able to jump at the next opportunity. I’ve been told by enough senior executives and CEO’s that I’m one of the most STRATEGIC people they have worked with. I always found their impression odd, given that strategy should be the basis of every intention. Strategy begins with answering all of the following questions: - What is your end game? - What is the playing field? - What are the obstacles? - What are your resources, tools, techniques, knowledge and information available? - What is the opportunity? - What are the risks? - What are all the options? - What are the factored % probabilities of success and failure? Now go figure out a comprehensive plan that incorporates all of the above that has the highest probability of achieving the end game. But have a complete PLAN. Move forward with your OFFENSIVE moves, but have a DEFENSIVE plan. What if your plan doesn’t work? And you might lose 10, 20, 30% or more of your entire portfolio? Don’t tell me, well I’m in it for the long term. It can literally take decades to make it back. It took 20 years for me to recover my losses on Celestica and Bombardier. Today, our plan includes for capturing (1) growth of the global, US and Canadian economies and therefore stocks. Our plan includes for (2) currency fluctuations especially USD and CAD and the swings between them and growing a USD cash pile. Most Canadian investors don’t realize how much of their recent wealth is actually a loss due to the erosion of the value of the Canadian dollar vs USD. Our plan includes for (3) yield, both directly through individually selected dividend stocks, and indirectly from broad market ETFs. Yield of course is income and cash flow and as much as possible sustainable, reliable, and GROWING income and cash flow regardless of market volatility. My annual yield is now 2.5x my core expenses (not including discretionary “lifestyle” expenses). Almost approaching my target of 3 times safety. (Tip: you can’t get there with covered call ETFs over the long term) Our plan has (4) a cash management strategy and four sources of income streams, diversifying and not be reliant on any single one to cover core living expenses, and continually build a cash pile of “dry powder” including trimming growth stocks on the way up to buy quality for growth, dividends and diversification on the way down. Currently we are at 20% cash and growing. A Plan, a Strategy, Diversified, and a Defensive one for the reversal of the market at any given time. Nothing wrong with being a “prepper” and being able to “play” both sides of the market swings (no I don’t mean shorting!). This “project” has been a work in progress since 1997 and “floated” since retiring in 2022, tested for success with financial planning and modeling software that suggests 100% success rate via Monte Carlo simulations and other tests to fund our life, but I don’t take that as something for granted. I stay vigilant to changes in the global economy, politics and how the market reacts. Interesting enough, in the last 6 months we have made virtually no trades. Just sitting tight and watching… read more
Iran 🇮🇷 says it has NOT agreed to any deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian sources cited by Fars News. U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States will hold off on launching a new attack on Iran, hoping a quick diplomatic agreement can be reached instead. 🤝 🚢 Ships continue to queue north of the Strait as Iranian armed forces maintain restrictions on passage. 📍 Why it matters: ⚓ Around 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz 👀 Investors will be watching closely for any updates, as energy markets could remain volatile. 💬 Do you think diplomacy will succeed, or are further tensions inevitable? read more
🔥 On Saturday over 2,000 Blossomers came out from all across Canada for an incredible day of learning and connection! I was shocked to see close to 1/3 of folks travelled from outside of Toronto to join us, huge thanks to everyone who made the trip! ⚡️ The energy during the day was absolutely buzzing and it was so awesome to meet so many members of the Blossom community! Special shout out to Blossom's Creator of the Year @jacobb and Blossom's Rising Star @nettspend who won our community-nominated Blossom awards 👏 🌱 Blossom has grown from an idea, to an app, to a movement and BlossomCon is the biggest testament to that. To see 2,000 folks from all different walks of life take time out of their weekend to connect, learn, and build financial literacy together is exactly what Blossom is all about and I am so fired up to keep building for this amazing community 💕 😍 Can't wait for BlossomCon Vancouver and New York!!! (https://www.blossomsocial.com/blossomcon2026) 👏 Special shout out to the Harvest ETFs team for being our Headline sponsor for the 3rd year in a row and to all our amazing sponsors for making this event possible 🙏
I see many beginners posting that they’re new to investing and don’t know where to start. 🤔 As someone who was in a similar situation just a few months ago and learned, here are the 4 ETF types (& ETFs) that are popular among long term investors 😃 : 1) S&P 500: US: $VOO / $SPY / $SPLG Canadian: $VFV / $ZSP / $TPU 2) GROWTH / TECH: US: $QQQ / $VUG / $VGT / $SCHG Canadian: $QQC / $HXQ / $TEC / $ZUQ 3) DIVIDENDS: US: $SCHD / $VYM / $DGRO Canadian: $VDY / $XEI 4) ALL IN ONE / BASKET / Global Exposure: US: $VT / $AVGE Canadian: $ZEQT / $XEQT / $TGRO / $VEQT / $ZGQ I noticed many people following this type of a basic / uncomplicated portfolio and are doing really well for themselves 🔥 For % allocation, you can divide evenly among the ETF categories or allocate a higher % based on your preferences. Just DCA regularly and you should be good. 😎 Some people even just put it all into an all in one etf like $XEQT. This is also a good approach - it is much simpler and it works. Ultimately, it comes to whatever you prefer 🙂 Oh and yea, there are overlaps, but I don’t think there is anything wrong in that though - it would just count as doubling down on good things. 💯 I’m sharing with you all what helped me, but don’t forget to do your own research too! 🙏🏼 read more
This morning I realized that there are 7,000 of you following my financial journey. I’m so humbled, thank you. 🙏🏻 I remember what financially crippled felt like, stomach dropping before I even opened my banking app. Doing math at the grocery store, putting things back. That 3am anxiety where every “what if” feels like a countdown. Today looks different. Not checking my portfolio for days because I don’t need to. Booking a flight without the mental gymnastics. Standing in front of Trevi Fountain on a random Tuesday, mid-week, mid-year, simply because I can. I got here the boring way. No windfall, no hot picks, no timing the market. Just the same unglamorous decisions, repeated for years, until one day the weight was gone. I’m retired now, and my portfolio carries us further than my paycheque ever did. I don’t say that to impress anyone, I say it because I remember not having anyone show me this was possible. If this account helps even one of you get a little closer to your own “free,” I’ll consider it worth every post. Truly, thank you for being here. For reading, for asking questions, for trusting me with a small piece of your journey. This community means more to me than a follower count ever could. 🥂 Here’s to learning and growing together. read more
Hello investors, I just started investing in some ETFs. The goal is to live off ETF dividends while adding growth ETFs. Any beginner strategy to start with? This is my portfolio, and I am very excited to start my journey to retire early. Please give me advice and experiences; I am willing to absorb them.
Choosing your first ETF is like asking the internet what is the best pizza. Thirty seconds later you're in a battle in the comments... someone is yelling 'JUST BUY $VFV!!!!!' and another swears by an all in one like $XEQT, someone else says bonds are for dinosaurs grandpa... and somehow you're even more confused than when you started. (We all know the best pizza is a white pizza with mortadella and pistachio 😂) In my latest video, look at $VFV, $XEQT, and $XBAL, explain who each ETF is actually built for, and reveal the beginner mistake that causes investors to switch ETFs at the absolute worst time. And here's the TLDR or spoiler .... The "best" ETF isn't necessarily the one with the highest expected returns... it's the one you won't dump after your portfolio takes a 50% punch to the face 🙃😆 So, what do you think is the best investment for beginners? https://youtu.be/RDHggrJKbssread more
$WYFI is a name I’m staying patient with. I liked the entry around $24 and I’m not rushing the next move. After a strong run, I’d rather let the chart come to me than force a position. The levels I’m watching are simple: either a pullback into the 0.786 Fibonacci support near $18, or a clean reclaim of the 50-day moving average with buyers showing up. The long-term setup remains interesting, but price still needs to prove it. Watching structure, not hype. Appreciate the support. Scalping or swinging today? Hope you catch a great move. read more
I have been watching a few videos about the paycheque-to-portfolio model. Instead of getting paid, covering expenses, and investing whatever is left over, the strategy attempts to front-load the investing. The entire paycheque is deposited into investment assets, and margin is then used to cover the bills. I wanted to take a closer look at one of these accounts from October 2025 through the end of July 2026. One of the best parts about many of these creators is the level of transparency they provide. They are sharing deposits, withdrawals, margin balances, income, and account values in a way that is rarely seen in traditional finance. That gives us the opportunity to evaluate the strategy as it unfolds in real time. The gross portfolio value increased from $107,483.53 to $267,674.35, an increase of $160,190.82, or approximately 149%. Growing an account from roughly $107,000 to almost $268,000 in less than a year looks tremendous. However, the margin balance also increased from $5,188.85 to $125,351.66. That is an increase of more than $120,000, or approximately 2,315%. This means roughly 75% of the increase in the gross portfolio value came from additional margin debt. The investor currently owns approximately $267,674 of investments, but only $142,323 represents their own equity. The remaining $125,352 is borrowed money. Another way to look at it is that for every $1 of personal equity, there is now approximately $0.88 of margin debt invested alongside it. Between the end of October and the end of July, the person deposited approximately $154,557 into the account and withdrew approximately $114,697 to cover living expenses. That leaves net external contributions of approximately: $154,557 − $114,697 = $39,860 During the same period, the net account value increased from $102,294.68 to $142,322.69, an increase of approximately $40,028. That means the growth above the person’s net contributions was only around: $40,028 − $39,860 = $168. Based on the spreadsheet, the investor’s equity has essentially grown by the amount of money they contributed. The investments themselves appear to have produced almost no net total return over this period after accounting for margin interest and changes in the value of the holdings. From November through July, the account generated approximately: $4,976 in option income $18,561 in dividends $23,537 in total portfolio income $2,759 in margin interest $20,777 in net income after interest That sounds like strong income generation. However, the account only grew by approximately $168 beyond the person’s net contributions. This suggests that roughly $20,600 of capital depreciation or other investment losses offset the dividends and option income being generated. The cash flow is real, but it does not necessarily represent new wealth. In this case, the portfolio paid out more than $20,000 after interest, while declining investment values appear to have absorbed almost all of that income. The strategy has successfully created a much larger portfolio, but the increase in account size can be misleading. Most of the growth came from additional deposits and rising margin debt rather than investment returns. The portfolio is getting bigger, but based on these numbers, the investor’s actual wealth is not growing at nearly the same rate. I am not sure how successful a strategy like this would be over a much longer period, especially through a prolonged bear market or a stretch of rising borrowing costs. But it does provide an interesting glimpse into a fully functioning paycheque-to-portfolio strategy and gives us the opportunity to watch the benefits, risks, and trade-offs play out in real time. read more
Congratulations to Jared on achieving the rising star award. We finally met in person today and he definitely made my experience super enjoyable! Thanks Jared you deserve it!!
Cars are for transportation, not status. A paid off car should be the new status symbol... We need to normalize keeping a paid-off vehicle until the wheels fall off. That Honda or Toyota doesn’t become a bad car just because your neighbour bought something newer. Driving a car for 10–15+ years can quietly build more wealth than most people realize. My wife and have 2 vehicles. 1) 2016 Ram 1500 (paid off) 2) 2005 Ford Taurs (I bought for $2250 10yrs ago...and still drive to this day) We dont have the fanciest cars...but we are Millionares. I'd stick with the latter for now...maybe a really nice sports car when we hit 5 million invested in our 50s (projected) What are your thoughts on vehicles?read more
I think a lot of people misunderstand why investors own and love $SCHD It isn’t just about chasing the highest yield or the most price appreciation. For most investors, it’s one piece of a diversified portfolio, not the entire portfolio. Its value tilt is meaningfully different from broad market ETFs like $VOO and growth-heavy ETFs like $QQQ , making it a natural counterbalance to growth-dominated portfolios. You get a combination of current income, dividend growth, and capital appreciation potential from a portfolio of profitable, established businesses. One thing I find fascinating is that $SCHD doesn’t have to make the highest highs to produce excellent long-term returns. Lower highs paired with higher lows can compound into returns similar to the broader market over time, often with a smoother ride. When fear returns to the market, investors often gravitate toward profitable, cash-generating businesses. That has historically helped $SCHD hold up better during many market downturns and is likely one reason it’s outperforming the broader market by such a wide margin this year. For me, it’s never been: ❌ Growth or $SCHD ❌ High yield or $SCHD It’s: ✅ Growth and $SCHD ✅ High yield and $SCHD You don’t have to choose just one. Build a portfolio where each holding plays a different role.read more
The market is closed today yet I still can’t get it off of my mind! After seeing what Trump said last night about reopening the Straig of Hormuz, I’m expecting tmrw to be very bullish. This also makes me have a bit of FOMO for selling my $MU shares. Not because I don’t have conviction in the stocks I replaced it with, but because I’m a very anxious investor. “What gains will I be missing out on? Did I just pass up a generational opportunity?” All those kind of things run through my mind, and I have no idea how to stop it. Anyways, I look forward to market open tmrw and to see where the cash is being thrown at!
I stumbled across a theory in a facebook post and ran it through grok. Pasted below is the answer. I did not fact check it. But interesting results nonetheless. Simple text version of the 1064/364-day Bitcoin cycle Starting from the major low in January 2015: • From the January 14, 2015 low to the December 17, 2017 high: 1,068 days (theory target: 1,064 days) • From the December 17, 2017 high to the December 15, 2018 low: 363 days (theory target: 364 days) • From the December 15, 2018 low to the November 10, 2021 high: 1,061 days (theory target: 1,064 days) • From the November 10, 2021 high to the November 21, 2022 low: 376 days (theory target: 364 days) • From the November 21, 2022 low to the October 6, 2025 high: 1,050 days (theory target: 1,064 days) Accuracy so far The bull phases (low to high) have been extremely close: 1,068 → 1,061 → 1,050 days. The bear phases (high to low) have also stayed tight: 363 and 376 days. Overall, the rhythm has held within roughly two weeks of the 1,064 / 364 targets across the mature cycles. Current projection October 6, 2025 high + 364 days points to around October 5, 2026 as the central estimate for the next major low. As of early August 2026 we are about 300 days into that expected bear phase. $MSTE$IBIT$BTC read more
Since so many people ask how to invest in this sector, or this country, or this asset, I’ve decided to make a comprehensive guide on how you can invest in specific areas. This is NOT portfolio advice, simply information about tickers that you can research yourself. Save this for later so you have a list of ETFs to come back to! Canada: $XIU$XIC$ZCN All expose you to the TSX in Canada. These ETFs consist of all top Canadian companies and access to our national stock exchange. $VCB$VGV$VLB$VAB$VSB$VSC$XBB$XCB Expose you to Canadian bonds; whether it be long-term, short-term, corporate, government, etc. $VDY$XEI$CDZ Expose you to Canadian dividend companies $XRE$ZRE$VRE Give access to Canadian REITs $ZEB$XFN$RBNK Lets you buy the Canadian banks USA: $VFV$ZSP$XSP$XUS$HXS Lets you buy the S&P 500 (learn about hedged vs. unhedged in my other post) $XQQ$HXQ$ZQQ All give you access to the NASDAQ 100 $IWR$VO$VOE$VOT$IJH$SCHM Lets you buy US Midcaps $IJR$IWM$VB$VBR$VBK$SCHA Lets you buy US Smallcaps $DIV$SPYD$RDIV$DHS$VIG$SCHD$VYM$DGRO$SDY Give access from small to high dividend US companies $VTI$ITOT Lets you buy the whole US market $TLT$IEF$VGIT$GOVT$SHY$VGLT Give access to US bonds $XLC$XLY$XLP$XLE$XLF$XLV$XLI$XLB$XLRE$XLK$XLU All give you access to each sector in the S&P such as financials, energy, healthcare, etc. International: $XEQT$FEQT$VEQT$ZEQT Give you an all-in-one exposure to Canada, US, emerging and global markets. $VEA$IEFA$SCHF$SPDW$EFV$EFA Give access to general international exposure $EWJ$EWU$EWC Gives direct access to developed international countries $INDA$MCHI$EWT$EWY$EWZ$EWW$EIDO$EWM Gives direct access to emerging international countries Assets: $KILO$PHYS$CGL Let’s you buy gold directly through ETFs $SVR$HUZ Let you buy silver through ETFs Savings/Interest: $CASH$HISA$PSA$HSAV Access to Canadian savings and interest payments $HSUV-U $PSU-U $HISU-U Access to US savings and interest payments There’s so many ETFs I didn’t go into with dozens of categories, but this should give you some basic starting point to look into your ETF investments. This is simply the starting point, when choosing your investments always research the ETFs, what they provide to you, their fees, your goals, your risk, and what you’re looking to get out of investing. As always do your research and happy investing! Subscribe to the newsletter: relatablefinance.substack.com read more
One theme keeps showing up across earnings calls: Memory demand is still far ahead of supply. From $TSLA to $AAPL , more companies are highlighting the same issue: AI infrastructure requires massive amounts of memory, and supply constraints could continue for years. This is exactly why the memory cycle is getting so much attention. The bull case: • AI demand remains strong • HBM and DRAM demand keeps expanding • Supply additions take years to come online If this cycle becomes structurally different from previous memory cycles, companies like $MU and $SNDK could see significant earnings growth and valuation expansion. Some investors believe this could eventually support much higher long-term price targets. But the key variables remain: Execution, pricing power, margins, and how long the supply shortage lasts. The AI memory story is one of the biggest themes to watch through 2028.read more
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$GOOGL has been one of the cleaner AI setups on my watchlist. The $316 area on 7/26 looked like a true capitulation move rather than heavy distribution. Volume showed panic selling, but buyers quickly stepped in and defended the zone. Since then, the stock has bounced roughly 16%, confirming that demand was waiting below. From a technical perspective, the wave structure is improving, with the next areas I’m watching around $408 and potentially $450 if momentum continues. Short interest could remain a catalyst, but price still needs to prove itself. Market is moving. Still waiting for confirmation? Let's see how it closes. read more
Google Just Posted a Historic Quarter. The Market May Be Missing the Bigger Story $GOOGL delivered the most profitable quarter in corporate history, reporting net income above 100B for the first time, supported by gains from its $SPCX and Anthropic investments. Beneath the headline numbers, another figure stood out. Google's backlog has expanded to 514B, nearly five times larger than before, highlighting demand that continues to outpace available infrastructure. The market focused on negative free cash flow, largely driven by aggressive spending on data centers and AI infrastructure. But those investments are tied to expanding compute capacity and addressing chip constraints that currently limit how much of the backlog can be converted into revenue. The key question is no longer whether demand exists. It is how quickly Google can build enough infrastructure to unlock it.
BIGY, BIGY, BIGY can you retire me ? Those big distributions hypnotize me... I used to watch a YouTube channel where the creator would take an income fund and ask a simple question: Could this investment have supported someone through retirement? The experiment usually followed a hypothetical investor who bought the fund at launch and handled the distributions in one of three ways: Scenario 1: Spend everything. Scenario 2: Spend half and reinvest half. Scenario 3: Reinvest everything. It is not necessarily useful for predicting the future because we already know how the historical period ended. Real investors never have that luxury. Still, it shows how three people can buy the exact same investment on the exact same day and end up with very different results based entirely on what they do with the income. And really it was just for entertainment and makes for an interesting thought experiment. So, why not try it with Evolve US Equity UltraYield ETF ticker BIGY BIGY was designed to generate a very large amount of income, with distributions paid twice per month. The headline yield immediately catches an income investor’s attention, but a large distribution does not automatically mean the investor is getting richer. Sometimes income represents real growth. Other times, it is simply money moving from one pocket to another and with that said lets look at BIGY. Imagine an investor bought 8,000 shares of BIGY at launch for approximately $25 per share, requiring an initial investment of roughly $200,000. With a distribution of $0.3125 per share twice monthly, the position would generate approximately $5,000 per month. Between September 29, 2025, and July 31, 2026, BIGY made 21 distributions. Scenario One: Spend Everything The investor spent every distribution like a paycheque. They would have collected: $52,500 in cash They would still own the original 8,000 shares, worth approximately $123,520 at BIGY’s July 31 price of $15.44. Their monthly income would remain approximately $5,000 because their share count never changed and the fund has not made any changes to the distributions paid out. The share value fell from roughly $200,000 to $123,520, a decline of about $76,480, or 38%. After including the distributions, the investor’s total return would be approximately: $176,020. That leaves them down around $23,980, or roughly 12%. There is an important distinction here. If the distributions were spent, the investor would not currently have $176,020 sitting in an account. They would have a portfolio worth $123,520 and would have already consumed $52,500 of income. Scenario Two: Reinvest Half The second investor spent half of each distribution and reinvested the other half. By July 31, they would have: Received approximately $28,176 in cash Increased their position to approximately 9,395 shares Built a portfolio worth approximately $145,061 Increased monthly income to approximately $5,872 Including the cash they received, their total return value would be approximately: $173,237 That leaves them down about $26,763, or roughly 13%. This investor ended with more shares and more monthly income than the investor who spent everything, but their total return was slightly worse. Why? Because the reinvested distributions purchased additional shares while BIGY continued falling in share price. They owned more shares, but those new shares were worth less. Scenario Three: Reinvest Everything The final investor spent nothing and reinvested every distribution. Their original 8,000 shares would have grown to approximately: 11,020 shares Those shares would be worth approximately: $170,147 That leaves the portfolio down about $29,853, or roughly 15%. However, this investor built the strongest income stream. Their monthly distributions would have increased from approximately $5,000 to $6,887. That is almost $1,900 more income per month in less than one year. At first glance, you might expect the investor who reinvested everything to have the highest total value. That is normally the promise of compounding. More shares produce more income. More income buys more shares. Those shares produce even more income. But compounding does not automatically create wealth. It simply multiplies whatever is happening underneath it. When an investment rises, reinvestment can accelerate the gains. When it falls, reinvestment can mean repeatedly buying more of something that continues to lose value. The Final Results Spend everything: $176,020 total return value Down approximately $23,980 Reinvest half: $173,237 total return value Down approximately $26,763 Reinvest everything: $170,147 portfolio value Down approximately $29,853 For this period, the investor who spent every distribution finished with the best total return because they removed cash before the share price declined further. The investor who reinvested everything finished with the lowest total value, but they now own approximately 3,020 more shares and generate the largest monthly distribution. That could matter if BIGY eventually recovers. The investor who reinvested everything would benefit the most from rising prices because they own the most shares. The investor who spent everything protected themselves better during the decline, but would participate less in a future recovery. That is the strange trade-off with reinvestment. During a falling market, spending the income can look like the smartest decision. During a rising market, reinvesting can look brilliant. So, could BIGY retire you? After nearly one year, BIGY has not cut its distribution. The original 8,000 shares continue to generate approximately $5,000 per month. But the original investment has also fallen by more than $76,000 in market value while paying approximately $52,500 in distributions. The income softened the loss, but it did not eliminate it. So could BIGY ALONE safely retire someone on $5,000 per month with no reinvestment? I would say no. I think you would need some level of reinvestment or it could be a part of a larger strategy. The first year suggests the distribution is currently too high relative to the fund’s total return to be considered a durable, capital-preserving retirement income stream. The fund may maintain the nominal payment for another year or longer, but maintaining a distribution and sustaining a retirement are not the same thing. At the July 31 price of $15.44, the annualized distribution is:$0.31250 × 24 payments = $7.50 per share annually. That is an indicated distribution rate of:$7.50 ÷ $15.44 = 48.6% A portfolio of large U.S. stocks, covered calls and moderate leverage cannot reliably generate a 49% economic return every year through a full market cycle. read more
Here’s where ETF investors moved their money this past week: 📈 Biggest Inflows • $SPY: +$7.72B • $SOXX: +$3.27B • $SMH: +$2.57B • $VOO: +$2.40B • $SDY: +$1.72B 📉 Biggest Outflows • $IVV: -$7.14B • $LQD: -$1.52B • $FTXL: -$839M • $1QMM: -$726M • $XLV: -$661M One trend stands out: investors continued adding money to broad market and semiconductor ETFs, while capital flowed out of investment-grade bonds and some sector-specific funds. Which ETF are you adding to your watchlist right now?read more
