Posted by Today marks 26 days since the start of the war with Iran. So far, my investments have lost around $30k in value. That is a big number. You could buy a new car with that or make a down payment on a house. It doesn’t sound as bad if I said my investments have lost 3% in value. But that is only because I have less than 50% of my money in the stock market. As of today, money market funds pay a 3.25% dividend and bonds funds pay 4.25% or more, depending on the type of fund it is. That helps, but later this year rates will probably be lower.
The markets have been optimistic that the war will end soon, but I am skeptical. Trump says he will hold off strikes against Iran for 5 days. But he’s probably just buying time as he waits for US ground forces to arrive. Meanwhile, Iran is still firing missiles at neighboring countries and taunting the US. The conflict could end through regime collapse, a negotiated ceasefire, or public demand to end the ordeal. With rising oil prices, public backlash grows louder each day. I doubt that a regime change will happen and a ceasefire will only give Iran the opportunity to rebuild their military and continue plotting against us.
At this point, I don’t believe anything Trump says. I remember when past presidents would address the nation on live TV. They would explain the situation and ask for support from the American people. Now, Trump just sends out a tweet. The message is often filled with false statements and self-promoting nonsense. I fear what he could do next. It doesn’t seem like there is a game plan. Only to try and stay in power as long as possible. Our only hope is the mid-term elections. The House of Representatives is currently narrowly divided, with Republicans holding a slim majority (217-214). The Senate consists of 100 members, with Republicans maintaining a majority (53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and 2 Independents). Of course, Trump and his minions are doing everything they can think of to disrupt the election process.