December 22, 2025

Dec 22, 2025

“Regret makes you a bad investor and prone to the worst mistake.” – Daniel Kahneman

Regret is what whispers “I should’ve bought more” at the top and “I should sell everything” at the bottom. Most portfolios aren’t wrecked by one bad pick; they’re worn down by jumping in and out because we can’t forgive ourselves for past decisions. A simple written plan — how much you’ll invest, how diversified you’ll be, and when you’ll rebalance — turns regret from a trigger into just another feeling you notice… and then ignore while you stick to the course.

1. 💊 Nine drugmakers cut prices in sweeping Trump deal

The White House and nine major pharmaceutical companies announced agreements to lower prices for some medicines for Medicaid patients and cash payers, with reported cuts up to 70% on select drugs. The plan includes a direct-to-consumer channel via TrumpRx.gov and ties future US launch prices to “most-favored-nation” style benchmarks. In exchange, companies get a three-year reprieve from new tariffs and pledged $150B+ in US R&D/manufacturing investment.

Why it matters: Drug pricing policy can reprice an entire sector, because it changes the long-term “rules of the road” for margins, not just one quarter’s earnings.

Assets in Focus: Equities

2. 😕 Consumer sentiment drops sharply from last year

The University of Michigan’s final December sentiment reading improved +1.9 points from November, but remains 28.5% lower YoY. The index is 52.9 versus 74 last December (a drop of -21.1 points, or -28.5%). The story: households still feel squeezed by higher prices and a job market that feels less forgiving than it did a year ago.

Why it matters: When confidence is this low, consumers often postpone big purchases — pressure that can show up in retail, travel, and “nice-to-have” spending.

Assets in Focus: Equities

3. 🪙 Gold breaks $4,400 as investors seek safety

Gold pushed through $4,400/oz for the first time; spot gold was around $4,397 after touching roughly $4,400 intraday. Gold is up about +67% YTD, heading for its strongest annual performance since 1979, helped by a weaker dollar, central-bank buying, and demand for “safe-haven” assets. Silver also hit a fresh record ($69.44/oz).

Why it matters: Big moves in gold usually signal markets are paying up for protection, often because they expect easier policy ahead and still see unresolved uncertainty.

Assets in Focus: Commodities, Fixed Income

4. 🏡 Home sales hit 9-month high as sellers finally start to bend

Existing home sales rose 0.5% in November to an annualized 4.13 million, the highest in 9 months, as some sellers finally accepted that 2021-style pricing power is gone. The median existing home price hit a record $409,200 for November, up 1.2% from a year ago, even as more listings saw markdowns. In many cities, roughly 1 in 5 listings had a price cut, and buyers with financing are seeing a bit more leverage as mortgage rates drift off their peaks.

Why it matters: Housing is where interest rates, wages, and sentiment collide — if sales and prices can stabilize here, it lowers the odds of a “second leg” down in the broader economy.

Assets in Focus: Real Estate

5. 📱 Oracle jumps on TikTok US venture announcement

Oracle shares rose +7.3% to $193.16 after news that TikTok’s US operations would move into a new joint venture with Oracle and other investors. The structure aims to satisfy US security and ownership rules, but the biggest open question is still the “crown jewel”: who truly controls the recommendation algorithm and how it’s governed. The deal reduces one kind of risk (a ban) while leaving another (control and oversight) under a spotlight.

Why it matters: This is a reminder that regulatory risk is a real asset-class risk — it can hit tech valuations quickly, especially when a business depends on policy permission to operate.

Assets in Focus: Equities

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🤯 Alternative Investment Highlight: 🪙 Farewell to the Last US Pennies

This month, the last US pennies ever minted were auctioned off for a combined $16.7 million. The sets each included two standard 2025 pennies (Philadelphia and Denver mints) plus a special 24-karat gold version, all marked with an omega symbol to signal the end of the coin’s 230-plus year history. Some sets went for over $100,000, and the very last one sold fetched $800,000 on its own. It’s a neat reminder that in the world of collectibles, value often comes less from future cash flows and more from story + scarcity — fun to talk about at a party; not a substitute for a balanced retirement portfolio.

🧠 From the Education Center: A Complete Guide to Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA

This guide explains how real estate investing works within an SDIRA, the custodian’s role, how income is taxed, and the compliance pitfalls to avoid.

🚨 Your $10,000 question, answered

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