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Are you one of the extremely fortunate investors sitting on significant accrued gains generated during the market run-up over the last few years? Nvidia is a common name which has skyrocketed over 750% in the past 2 years alone. Are your gains from stocks such as Apple, that you have fortunately held for many years? Couple these returns with the currency gains, and you are even further ahead.

The markets were exceptionally kind to investors in 2024. Nvidia (154%), Palantir, (344%) MicroStrategy (500%+), and Bitcoin (all-time high of USD $73,000+) are just a few examples. Recency bias leads us to believe the good times will roll into 2025 and beyond. On the surface, things look rosy. The interest rate regime is dovish with regular quarter-to-half-point drops. A more business-friendly stance and a looser regulatory environment from the U.S. government are likely to give small-to-midsize companies the boost they’ve been waiting for, and possibly pull up the other 493 companies in the S&P 500 that missed the capital bonanza. What could go wrong in these halcyon days?

Last summer I interviewed more than 50 leaders (male and female) in the global finance industry across 31 cities and 25 countries in research commissioned by Kensington Capital Partners. The focus was on alternative investments as a class, and the alt subsectors that appealed the most to women investors.

It wasn’t a surprise to me that although women also prefer to invest in causes and concerns that matter to them, their main focus is to make money!

Let’s be real: money is one of the top reasons couples call it quits (second only to infidelity, yikes). But what makes financial disagreements hit so much harder than fights about chores or parenting? Money isn’t just numbers—income in, expenses out; it’s tied to some of our deepest values, security, freedom, and even control. This is why the weight loss industry, as of 2024, is worth over USD$160 billion, because we know weight loss is so much more than the basic equation of calories in, calories out, the deeper-seated emotions and societal norms make for a very complicated formula, and the same can be said about personal finances.

I’ve been dating a lovely man for the past couple of years, and I suspect he is planning to propose to me on Valentine’s Day. I’m a little nervous since this would be my second time at the altar, and there were money issues in my first marriage. We haven’t really talked about our attitudes towards money. What suggestions do you have?

In this article, I will explain the different types of risks, highlight common investment pitfalls, and discuss actionable ways to navigate market volatility. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting out, this guide should provide valuable lessons on managing risk and making informed financial decisions.

It has been many, many moons since I authored an article for Canadian MoneySaver. I was reminded of this when I was speaking at The Money Show in September 2024. There were many people that I knew, some from seemingly another lifetime. But now, we have grown older and greyer, and hopefully, wiser with the passage of time. At least some of us have. Just like many of this magazine’s readers.

Recent wildfires in Jasper, Alberta and a new movie, Twisters, about chasing tornadoes both inspired questions from young inquisitors: How much do forest firefighters make, and can you be a professional storm chaser? The queries recalled a column on unusual occupations I wrote about two years ago, which deserves a revisit.

Along with 8.5 million other Windows PC users, I got hit with the Blue Screen of Death after the botched CrowdStrike update on 19 July 2024. I read that the damage from the various outages is measured in the billions of dollars, and I see that CrowdStrike (CRWD) is trading at about US$264 these days, down about 33% from the start of July. It feels like there must be an easy investing angle— any ideas?