Hi There! There was a morning, early in my engineering career, when I opened my 401k statement at my desk and was so confused. Only the colours in end column made sense. Green meant I was making money, red meant I wasn’t.

Everything else was a blur of charts, percentages, contribution categories, and legal fine prints that I could not understand.

I remember listening to a few of the men in my department talk casually about “pushing most of their bonus into their 401k to defer taxes.” They said it with a confidence I didn’t have. Meanwhile, I needed every penny of my bonus (the little I got after taxes) just to keep my household afloat.

Retirement strategy wasn’t even in the same village as my reality.

I understood the match aka free money, so I wasn’t about to lose that. I knew I had been automatically placed in a target-date fund. But, contribution limits? Pre-tax advantages? Why increasing contributions before year-end mattered?

None of that lived in my vocabulary.

Sadly, there are many women that feel the same way.

So many open their 401k or 403b statements and instantly shut down, because the total appear too small, the charts look abstract, and the fear of being behind is loud.

Most were not taught that:

Retirement confidence starts the moment you understand how each contribution shapes your future.

Learning how contribution limits worked changed everything for me. It gave structure to something that once felt intimidating. It showed me exactly how much room I had to grow and it helped me stop treating retirement as a “later” responsibility.

Now we’re at the end of 2025, and this is your moment to take ownership of what you can still contribute this year and set the tone for 2026.

So instead of shame or panic, let’s focus on action.

Start Here: Three Steps for This Week

1. Know Your 2025 Limits

Most people have no idea what the IRS actually allows them to contribute per year.

Once you know your limits, you can make informed choices instead of guessing.

2025 Retirement Contribution Limits

2. Boost Your Final Paycheck Contribution (If You Can)

You don’t need to hit the max to make progress.

If there is room in your budget, even $50 or $100, increasing your final paycheck contribution helps your account grow faster. Even small boosts now can compound for decades.

Only prioritize higher contributions if:

• You’ve cleared high-interest debt

• You’re a higher earner looking for tax-efficient moves

• You’re behind on retirement and want to accelerate savings

3. Prepare for 2026 Today

A strong retirement plan helps you set a pace you can maintain without stress.

It may be better to contribute less than the max next year if:

• You need to build or refill your emergency fund

• You’re carrying high-interest debt

• You have short-term goals (home, a child’s needs, relocation)

• Your employer plan has high fees

• You want more flexibility in a taxable brokerage account

Planning ahead removes panic.

You don’t have to have millions in the bank in the beginning to feel confident about your retirement. It really just comes down to knowing your limits. It’s about making a choice you can actually keep up with, and just sticking to it.

You deserve a plan that feels doable. You deserve to look at your numbers and feel empowered.

December is the perfect time to shift from just guessing to start planning.

Your future self is going to thank you for this.

Alright, let’s dig in!

U.S. equities shook off the mid month slump and powered higher, posting gains of 3.2% to 4.9%. A major part of the shift came from improved participation across the market. Earlier in November, most stocks were slipping together, but by Thanksgiving the five day average of S&P advancers minus decliners went from negative 150 to positive 150. Such a move showed that buyers were returning to more than just the largest technology names.

Six of the Magnificent 7 stocks rallied to an average of 6.4%, while Nvidia bucked the trend with a 1.1% slide after reports that Google tensor processing units were gaining momentum and may see broader adoption by 2027. Those headlines raised questions about long term competition in AI hardware even though analysts still view Nvidia as the clear leader in performance.

The strength in U.S. equities set the tone globally. International markets gained 2.8%, Bitcoin reclaimed $90,000 with a 6.8% jump, and spot Bitcoin ETFs saw more than $300M of inflows after several weeks of outflows. Lower Treasury yields and rising odds of a December Fed cut, now priced at 86.4%, supported risk appetite across asset classes.

Holiday volume was light, so this week will reveal whether the renewed optimism can hold.

U.S. Markets Recap (November 23 - November 29, 2025)

Equities:

Stocks rebounded decisively, and more important than the headline gains was the shift in market behavior. A few weeks ago, declining stocks heavily outnumbered rising ones. Last week the opposite was true, suggesting that the rally was supported by a broad group of names rather than a narrow tech driven surge. That kind of improvement in breadth often gives traders firmer ground to stand on.

Large cap tech remained a focal point. Six of the Magnificent 7 advanced strongly, averaging 6.4% for the week. Nvidia was the lone laggard after reports that Google’s in house chips may gain share in future AI infrastructure. The move highlighted how sensitive the stock has become to any suggestion of competition, even though the company remains a generation ahead on performance and flexibility.

The combination of recovering breadth, firmer sentiment, and rotation inside the leadership group created a healthier environment for swing traders.

Fixed Income:

Bond markets leaned further into the idea that the Fed may begin easing sooner rather than later. The probability of a December rate cut rose to 86.4% from 71% in the prior week. Expectations for 2025 increased slightly, with the market pricing 13 bps of easing, while 2026 estimates were trimmed to 66 bps. Traders essentially pulled some easing forward and lowered expectations for later in the cycle.

Yields drifted lower across maturities. The 1-year moved to 3.59%, the 10-year settled near 4.01%, and the 30-year ended around 4.66%. The decline in yields helped lift equities, metals, and other interest rate sensitive assets.

The fixed income narrative remained the same. The market is leaning toward cuts, but the Fed has not confirmed that path yet.

Commodities:

Commodities had a strong week, led by precious metals.

• Copper gained 4.00%

• Gold climbed 3.74%

• Silver surged 13.62%

WTI and Brent crude closed higher despite the CME outage last Friday. With OPEC+ meetings underway and geopolitical tensions still elevated, traders positioned cautiously ahead of supply signals. Gold continued to benefit from falling yields and rising expectations of easier monetary policy.

Currencies:

The dollar lost ground, with the USD index down 0.7%.

Last week movers:

• EUR/USD: +0.72%

• GBP/USD: +1.07%

• USD/JPY: -0.13%

U.S. Economic Recap (November 23 - November 29, 2025)

Market expectations for a near term cut continued to rise. The odds of a December reduction stood at 86.4%, and 2026 remains priced for three separate cuts.

Consumer data painted a less upbeat picture. Confidence declined sharply to 88.7, dropping to its weakest level since early 2024. Respondents pointed to high prices, political concerns, and lingering effects from the government shutdown. Views of the labour market softened and intentions to purchase big ticket items fell.

The Beige Book reinforced the divide in spending patterns. Higher income households kept spending at a steady pace, while low and middle income households pulled back. Businesses reported rising input costs related to tariffs and mixed demand conditions.

On the fiscal side, the government began the new year with a $284B deficit in October, which still marked a sizable improvement from last year after adjusting for timing. Revenues jumped 22%, helped by $31B in customs duties. Updated projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showed tariffs will reduce debt by an estimated $3.0T through 2035, although that is much lower than prior estimates. Depending on legal outcomes around tariff authority, the debt ratio could reach anywhere from 122% to 143% of GDP.

Global Markets Recap (November 23 - November 29, 2025)

Europe:

Inflation data offered a mixed but manageable picture. Germany’s rate rose to 2.6%, while France held at 0.8%, Italy slowed to 1.1%, and Spain eased to 3.1%. Economists still expect more sustained disinflation into December.

The ECB Consumer Expectations Survey showed households still feeling inflation at 3.1% over the past year, with near term expectations holding above the 2% target.

In the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented a £26B tax package that expanded the fiscal buffer but drew criticism from voters. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimated the policies could shave up to 0.5 percentage points off CPI next year. Markets now fully price a BoE cut on December 18.

Asia:

Japan rolled out a ¥21.3T stimulus plan including ¥18.3T in supplementary spending, with funds directed toward subsidies, tax cuts, and strategic industries. Tokyo core CPI stayed at 2.8% y/y, industrial production rose 1.4% m/m, and unemployment held at 2.6%. These readings fueled expectations of a potential BoJ hike soon.

China saw a setback, with industrial profits down 5.5% y/y after strong prior months. Still, year to date profits are up 1.9%. Policymakers appear committed to current support measures rather than new stimulus.

India delivered the strongest performance in the region with 8.2% GDP growth, well above projections. Full year growth is now expected at 7% or higher, though exports contracted 12% amid tariff headwinds. The government plans reforms in insurance, insolvency, nuclear energy, and capital markets starting December 1.

Crypto Recap (November 16 - November 22, 2025)

Total crypto market cap rose to $3.05T, while the Fear and Greed Index sat at 28.

Bitcoin:

Bitcoin climbed 7.6% and moved back above $90,000. BTC dominance stood at 59.22%. Spot Bitcoin ETFs brought in more than $300M after weeks of outflows. Futures activity showed a shift toward long positioning, and options traders rotated to upside calls with the largest concentration at the $100,000 strike.

Ethereum:

Ethereum gained 9.50% and stabilized above $3,000. U S spot ETH ETFs brought in $312.62M. ETH traded between $2,720 and $3,094, holding the $2,800 to $2,900 zone multiple times, signaling accumulation rather than stress. Late in the week ETH paused near $3,100 even as equities continued rising, hinting that traders are waiting for the Fusaka upgrade on December 3. A break above $3,100 to $3,150 could support a move toward $3,300 to $3,500. Failure would put high $2,800 back into play.

Last Week’s Top Gainers: RAIN, KAS, SPX, QNT, MKR.

Here are other key highlights from last week:

• US Bancorp launched stablecoin pilot on Stellar network.

• Solana ETFs pulled over $369M in Nov as investors look to productive yield assets.

• Immutable X Kadath Studio to launch free-to-play trading card game Call of Myth.

• Meebits announced physical toy drop for AI NFT Holders.

• Mastercard selected Polygon to power verified username transfers.

This is the first full trading week in December!!!

So far:

ISM Manufacturing PMI came in at 48.2, below the 49.0 estimate.

Upcoming U.S. Economic News:

• ADP Payrolls

• ISM Services PMI

• Jobless Claims

• Core PCE

• Consumer Sentiment

Fed Speakers:

• Powell Monday 8 PM

• Bowman Tuesday 10 AM

• Bowman Thursday 12 PM

Earnings: 

Notable Earnings Releases are shown in the chart below.

Medium-to-High Impact Global Economic Events This Week:

• OPEC plus signaled no Q1 output increases.

• Japan 2-year yields touched 1% for the first time since 2008.

• The Nikkei 225 fell 1.9% on expectations of BoJ tightening.

Week 11/23/25 - 11/29/25 Recap

Special Tools & Strategies - Macrotrends

There was a point early in my investing journey when I realized I needed fewer opinions and more verified data. I wanted a place where I could see the long term picture without sorting through clutter.

I started using Macrotrends, a simple platform that organizes historical financial data in a way beginners can understand.

What the Macrotrends Platform Is

Macrotrends is a free online portal that focuses on long run economic and market data. It is not designed for day trading or rapid technical analysis. Instead, it serves investors who want to study trends across decades to support retirement planning, long-term portfolios, and buy and hold strategies.

Unique Features That Make Macrotrends Useful

Macrotrends covers a wide range of financial and macroeconomic categories, including:

• Stock prices, dividends, and full financial statements

• Commodity and index performance

• Currency and crypto history

• Inflation, GDP, unemployment, interest rates, and consumer sentiment

• Government debt levels and global economic indicators

Many datasets extend 50 to 100 years, and most charts include a simple CSV download link for users who prefer reviewing numbers in spreadsheets.

Company pages include daily price charts, annual and quarterly statements, and dividend records, with fundamentals sourced from Zacks. Macro indicator pages reference primary sources such as the BEA or the University of Michigan, so the underlying data is credible.

Example: US Inflation Over 100 Years

If you search for “US inflation,” for example, Macrotrends displays the chart below that goes back more than a century. You see the steep rise during the 1970s, the slowdown in the 1980s, the stable periods in the 1990s, and the spikes linked to major economic events. This view helps you understand how inflation behaves over time rather than reacting to a single data release.

Why It Matters for Traders and Investors

Macrotrends supports better decision making by giving you access to long-term, verified datasets. When you can see how markets behaved across different economic cycles, you make stronger choices about asset allocation, risk, and retirement planning.

If you want to learn how to use this type of information to strengthen your own portfolio or trading plan, a 1 on 1 walkthrough with me can help you apply it with confidence.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.