Five and a half for first half of year

This has in many ways been a very confusing, disorienting year for all involved. Things are changing rapidly in America for better or worse as the Trumpster gets his second presidency underway. The markets have spun wildly in both directions, and nobody seems to know where the economy is going with a madman in charge, whether he’s doing a good job or if its just the momentum of the economy that his flailing around has failed to slow.

The S&P 500 as it closed out the second quarter is up 5 1/2 percent on the year, though broader indexes have shown less gain, as much of it is the Magnificent Seven that is continuing to power the economy. While 5 1/2 percent sounds great even on annualized basis, it’s not earth shattering though nobody knows how long it will be sustained. Tariffs are disaster in the making, as is the Trump tax plan with it’s decline in federal revenue, the rise of buy now – pay later, the declining profitability of private equity, and a general malaise seems to put so much of the economy at risk.

While I don’t get upset about the markets up and downs – I rarely check my portfolio but a few times of year – like the end of year to take stock of where things are, years like 2022 when the market ended down were kind of depressing way to close out the year. I don’t play or move money around in the market, but I do see that number as both a reflection of self-worth and the distance between now and the future, owning my own land, having that off-grid homestead. Really, I just stay the course, investing more every two weeks, but it can be hard to watch as the economy crashes down all around you.