Together with Public

We hope you’re having a great week.

Make sure you’re following us on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever else you watch the show! We want you to get notified when each new episode is released.

Read on for this week’s breakdown of the markets!

A quick breakdown — in case you don’t have the time.

Bears sound smart, bulls make money.

The S&P 500 is on the verge of its fifth consecutive monthly gain. That kind of streak doesn’t happen often, and history shows it usually signals more upside ahead.

Looking back, a year after previous five-month winning streaks, the S&P 500 was higher 28 out of 30 times, with an average gain of +12.6%. In other words, when the market keeps proving the bears wrong month after month, it often keeps rewarding patient investors.

The takeaway is clear: momentum matters, but so does perspective. While short-term pullbacks can happen, history suggests these extended streaks are more likely a sign of sustained strength than a reason to panic.

Don’t get us wrong — we expect plenty of volatility over the coming months and in 2026. However, you need to understand that being a long-term investor is NOT supposed to be stressful. We constantly assess the market and bring our average costs down by buying dips.

As long as we avoid an economic recession, history is on our side.

Today’s Rich Habits Newsletter is brought to you by Public, the investing platform that combines a broad range of asset classes with the tools you need to build and manage your wealth. 

From stocks to bonds, options, crypto, and more—it’s all here. You can even generate fixed income with a suite of yield accounts. If you’re looking for more than just a place to trade, discover the investing platform that’s as serious about your money as you are. 

👉 Episode 136: The Easiest $678K You’ll Ever Make

In this week’s Monday-morning episode of the Rich Habits Podcast (linked here) — Austin and Robert tackled a sneaky wealth-killer hiding in plain sight: subscriptions.

The average American spends $273 per month on subscriptions but thinks they only spend $79. That $194 monthly gap, if invested instead, could grow into $678,000 over 30 years. This episode was all about spotting those leaks — and turning them into long-term wealth.

Here’s what they covered…

As always, the goal is simple: help you build wealth by stacking Rich Habits. And in this case, that habit could be worth six figures (and it’s easy)!

👉 Q&A: Donating $8M, Borrowing $36K For A “Career Start” Loan & $6M In Single Stocks

Here’s a link to the Q&A episode that was posted this morning.

You can submit questions for these episodes by asking them inside of the Rich Habits Network, replying to this email, or sending us a DM on Instagram.

The Rich Habits Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, YouTube, and wherever else you get your content!

Gold demand is surging, with global gold ETF holdings rising by +27 tonnes on Friday — the biggest daily increase since January 2022.

This is double the daily average seen so far this year. Gold-backed ETFs responded, climbing +0.9% in a single day — the largest percentage gain since 2022. Gold prices are now tracking their 6th consecutive weekly gain, the longest streak since February.

Breaking it down:

The trend highlights both opportunity and caution. On one hand, precious metals are making history and showing significant momentum. On the other, rapid inflows can create volatility, so timing and position sizing starts to matter a lot more.

Retail investors’ risk appetite is soaring.

The 5-day average of notional retail single-stock options volume has surpassed $250 billion for the first time since the 2021 meme-stock frenzy. Over the last six months, daily volumes have climbed by +$100 billion, according to Goldman Sachs.

At the same time, non-retail options volume has reached around $280 billion, the highest level since January 2022. For context, the 2021 peak hit roughly $300 billion for retail and $410 billion for non-retail.

Retail investors aren’t just trading options — they’re moving markets. Since January 2021, the retail basket of stocks has gained +85%, showing the outsized impact of individual investors taking aggressive positions.

This tells me a few things: First of all, I view it as a bit of a red flag. Retail investors seem to be acting with an outsized amount of confidence and willingness to take on risk. This type of behavior often precedes sizable pullbacks in the market. On the other hand, this data convinces me that we could very much see a melt-up sooner than later. Retail investors are willing to be aggressive and we haven’t quite reached euphoria in this market yet.

Share this newsletter with 1 person and you’ll be sent our Financial Planning Workbook. Share it with 2 people and you’ll also be sent our video module explaining how Austin and Robert Analyze New Stocks.

It just takes a few moments — enjoy the resources!

Below is a list of our featured partners that we’ve vetted — with whom we have a personal relationship. Browse these exclusive offers curated just for you:

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice or a recommendation for any investment. The content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Public Disclosures: All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.

As part of the IRA Match Program, Public Investing will fund a 1% match of: (a) all eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers made to a Public IRA; and (b) all eligible contributions made to a Public IRA up to the account’s annual contribution limit. The matched funds must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid an early removal fee. Match rate and other terms of the Match Program are subject to change at any time. See full terms here.