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The story of Nvidia (NVDA) founder and CEO Jensen Huang is a compelling testament to the American Dream.
His journey began humbly, working as a dishwasher at Denny’s, where he often had to clean toilets.
Today, his company boasts a market capitalization of $3.21 trillion, and Huang is ranked as the 10th richest person in the U.S.. He is also, according to the New York Times, set to pass on his $127 billion fortune to his heirs almost completely tax-free.
Portfolios fueled by market research
In 2024, Huang sold over $700 million of his NVIDIA (NVDA) stock but he still remains the majority stakeholder. Yahoo Finance reported that while this was a planned move on the CEO’s part, it has been happening at a faster rate than experts expected.
But buying and selling single stocks, as history has shown, is not for the faint of heart. Investing legend Warren Buffett once said, “I do not think the average person can pick stocks.”
If you’d like to follow the advice of the Oracle of Omaha or follow Huang’s example and bypass index trading, there are other trading platforms with low barriers to entry — and that offer the kind of in-depth market insights that will help you feel better about the names you put in your portfolio.
The team of former hedge fund analysts and experts at Moby spend hundreds of hours each week sifting through financial news and data to provide top-tier stock and crypto reports to keep you up-to-date on what’s moving the markets.
Moby’s superior research can help you reduce the guesswork when selecting stocks and ETFs. In four years, across almost 400 stock picks, Moby’s recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12%, on average.
With their easy-to-understand formats, you can become a wiser investor in just five minutes, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Once you’ve leveled up your stock expertise, it’s time to check out new investment platforms to ensure you’re getting great value and support when making trades.
With Public, you can easily buy and trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more.
Public not only offers commission-free trading but also provides a high-yield account where you can park your cash between investments. Public also has social features, enabling users to follow and learn from other investors, share ideas, and stay updated on market trends with real-time insights.
You can also open a high-yield cash account through Public and earn 4.1% APY on your idle funds — nearly 10x higher than the national average for checking accounts of 0.42%. This way, you can earn interest on your emergency funds while keeping it accessible at all times.
Fluctuating billions
Huang’s net worth is largely tied to his holdings in Nvidia shares and has thus dramatically fluctuated with the company’s stock price.
While it did surge from $13.8 billion at the end of 2022 to a peak of $119 billion in June 2024, it has since plummeted back down to $92.1 billion as of mid-August, as Nvidia shares fell, representing a $26.9 billion loss in just two months.
You may not be the founder and CEO of one of the world’s most influential companies, but for the average investor, diversifying a portfolio can help mitigate risks and protect assets from the wild market swings.
To that end, you have several options that will keep you from letting the fate of your nest egg hinge on the success of a single mega-cap stock.
Just ask Warren Buffett: the Oracle of Omaha himself has long advocated for low-cost index funds, particularly those tracking the benchmark S&P 500 Index.
By investing in an S&P 500 Index fund, an investor gains exposure to a broad range of large-cap U.S. companies, providing diversified holdings across various sectors of the economy. This means that if one stock tumbles, the impact on the overall portfolio will be limited.
There are quite a few options available, including exchange traded funds such as the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Investors can also consider sector-specific ETFs for targeted exposure to particular sectors.
If you’d like to automate your investing even further, you can set up a portfolio using your spare change.
Acorns is an easy-to-use-saving and investing app for those who want to grow their wealth without even thinking about it, allows you to invest automatically by just spending as you normally would.
When you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns automatically rounds up the price to the nearest dollar, putting the excess in a smart investment portfolio. This way, even the most essential spending translates to money saved for the future.
An Acorns smart portfolio is made up of ETFs and can include the Vanguard S&P 500, depending on your risk profile and investing preferences.
Plus, for those seeking a more customized experience, Acorns Gold allows you to create a mix of automated investments and individual stock selection, giving you the flexibility to tailor your strategy.
If you set up direct deposit, you can even auto-invest a portion of your paycheck for a truly hands-off saving and investing experience.
Sign up now and get a $20 bonus investment to kickstart your investing journey.
If you want expert advice on investing, consider consulting a financial advisor who can help assess how you’re doing so far and make sure you’ve got the right portfolio to meet your goals on time through Vanguard.
Vanguard’s hybrid advisory system combines advice from professional advisers and automated portfolio management to make sure your investments are working to achieve your financial goals.
All you have to do is fill out a brief questionnaire about your financial goals, and Vanguard’s advisers will help you set a tailored plan, and stick to it.
Once you’re set, you can sit back as Vanguard’s advisors manage your portfolio. Because they’re fiduciaries, they don’t earn commissions, so you can trust that the advice you’re getting is unbiased.
Real estate as an alternative to the stock market
According to a recent survey from Bank of America, individuals aged 21 to 43 with at least $3 million in assets only have 25% of their portfolio invested in stocks — compared to 55% for wealthy investors aged above 43.
Roughly 31% of younger people said real estate presents the greatest opportunities for growth.
Federal Reserve data also shows that the top 1% of Americans hold over $6 trillion in real estate assets.
But you don’t need to be Grant Cardone to invest in this asset.
With much lower upfront costs, new real estate crowdfunding platforms are helping eager investors gain access to real estate investments by removing the financial and administrative barriers that have kept them on the sidelines.
One of those platforms is Arrived — a crowdfunding platform that helps you passively invest in rental homes and vacation properties without breaking the bank. Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, you can own shares of prime real estate properties across the country without having to navigate the complexities of becoming a landlord.
The process is simple: Browse through a curated selection of homes, and once you find a property you like, you can begin investing with just $100.
if you’re an accredited investor, you can get started building your fortune with First National Realty Partners (FNRP) and invest in grocery-anchored commercial real estate properties and gain the potential for quarterly passive income.
FNRP has developed relationships with the nation’s largest essential-needs brands, including Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods, and provides insights into the best properties both on and off-market.
FNRP’s team offers white-glove service, managing every step of the investing process, so you can engage with experts, explore available deals and easily make an allocation, all in one personalized portal.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
