Investing in real estate is a proven wealth-creation strategy. Real estate investments can also help you diversify your portfolio and protect it from stock market volatility. Let’s look at the most popular options for investing in real estate, the pros and cons, and how you can get started. This post originally appeared at The Motley Fool.
After nearly two years of interest rate hikes aimed at cooling inflation, the Federal Reserve has officially changed course. In September, the Fed cut its benchmark rate by a quarter point to a range of 4.00%–4.25%, citing softening labor markets and growing risks to the broader economy. Core inflation is now running near 3%—well below its 2022 peak—and markets are…
About a week ago, to little fanfare, the U.S. national debt crossed $38 trillion. Now, perhaps you’re scratching your head…“Wait, weren’t we just talking about hitting $37 trillion?” Yep – but that was in August. We then added another $1 trillion at the fastest pace in history outside of the Covid pandemic spendapalooza. But the speed of our mounting debt…
Nuclear energy is back. After decades of stagnation, nuclear power has emerged as a viable clean energy source. It was the world’s second-largest low carbon source of electricity in 2024, and its generation capacity is expected to quadruple in the U.S. by 2050. Given the immense potential for nuclear energy, several companies have been making moves lately to build out their…
Investments that focus on planet-friendly solutions could be long-term opportunities for patient bargain hunters. Stock market investing has traditionally been about one kind of green, money, but it’s increasingly about another kind: the environment. Green stocks and funds offer the opportunity for people concerned about climate change and pollution to align their investment and environmental priorities. With that backdrop in mind,…
The stock market’s recent strength has been attributed to many things. First among them is the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as an economic force. I would argue that there is another economic force that has been unleashed on the world that may turn out to have even more economic value than AI. It goes by the name glucagon-like peptide-1,…
Despite experiencing some turbulence earlier this year, the stock market has been on fire throughout 2025. The S&P 500 is up by close to 15% year to date as of this writing on Oct. 20, and it’s surged by more than 35% since its low point in April this year. While it’s hard to see a downside in stock market gains, what…
Although you may be used to cryptocurrency headlines being dominated by the likes of Bitcoin (BTC) and other speculative assets, stablecoins play an essential role in keeping the ecosystem afloat. They also carry plenty of benefits for investors. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether (ETH), stablecoins have their values pegged to external assets that exist outside of crypto. These pegs can…
Rare earth metals are the unsung heroes of the modern economy. They’re essential for semiconductors, EVs, clean energy, defense systems… and most of all, for artificial intelligence. No rare earths, no AI hardware. No AI hardware, no AI Boom. And right now, China controls nearly the entire global rare earth supply chain — from mining to refining to processing. That’s a strategic chokehold,…
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) programs have quickly gone from fintech novelty to mainstream payment method, reshaping how consumers shop and borrow. What began as an alternative to credit cards is now embedded across nearly every major retail platform—from Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) and Walmart (NYSE: WMT) to countless online boutiques—promising flexibility, simplicity, and instant gratification. But as the sector grows, so does the debate:…