Starting before his first term, Donald Trump has issued a litany of threats against Washington’s arch-enemy Iran, while also urging it to talks. He warned in late January that “time is running out”, urging Tehran to “make a deal”. After indirect talks resumed between the two nations, he threatened Iran on February 12 with “very traumatic” consequences, giving them “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum...
Starting before his first term, Donald Trump has issued a litany of threats against Washington’s arch-enemy Iran, while also urging it to talks. He warned in late January that “time is running out”, urging Tehran to “make a deal”. After indirect talks resumed between the two nations, he threatened Iran on February 12 with “very traumatic” consequences, giving them “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement. Israel’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu has for decades cast Iran’s nuclear...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images During the past few weeks, I have written several articles reaffirming why I remain very bullish on REITs ( VNQ ) and invest a large portion of my portfolio in them. Contrary to many, I think that the AI revolution still remains underhyped and will cause severe disruption and value destruction across a wide range of businesses over the coming years as it destr...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images During the past few weeks, I have written several articles reaffirming why I remain very bullish on REITs ( VNQ ) and invest a large portion of my portfolio in them. Contrary to many, I think that the AI revolution still remains underhyped and will cause severe disruption and value destruction across a wide range of businesses over the coming years as it destroys barriers to entry, invites new competition, and ultimately hurts profitability. The market has just begun to realize this, and it has caused the shares of some companies to sell off. This includes SaaS, professional services, trucking, white-collar infrastructure, and lots of cyclical consumer-facing businesses. But guess what sector is resilient to the ravages caused by AI: Real estate investment trusts, or REITs ( VNQ ) in short. YCHARTS Real asset-based businesses are the exception. They are the ultimate anti-AI asset class because most of them cannot be disrupted. You simply cannot replicate more land, building permits, financing, or construction materials with an AI model. You also cannot replace having a roof over your head. Moreover, I expect AI to be highly deflationary and eventually bring much lower interest rates, potentially even a return to near-0% rates, which would be very bullish for REITs, given that they're today trading at historically low valuations due to the surge in interest rates of 2022/2023. Principal So overall, I'm very bullish on REITs. However, this does not mean that I like every single one of them. REITs, like other asset classes, include some good, some bad, and some truly ugly companies. Being selective is key if you want to maximize your risk-adjusted returns, and that starts by avoiding REITs that are likely to cut their dividend. In what follows, I'm going to highlight three popular high-yielding REITs that I would avoid because they're at high risk of cutting their dividend in the near term: Chiron Real Estate: Heavy Leverage and Sh...
When it comes to Social Security benefits, many people are afraid that benefits won't be available to them by the time they get to retirement age, due to the fact that the Social Security trust fund is in trouble and slated to run dry in the coming years. This may actually not be the biggest threat to your Social Security, though -- especially given that lawmakers are unlikely to allow huge cuts t...
When it comes to Social Security benefits, many people are afraid that benefits won't be available to them by the time they get to retirement age, due to the fact that the Social Security trust fund is in trouble and slated to run dry in the coming years. This may actually not be the biggest threat to your Social Security, though -- especially given that lawmakers are unlikely to allow huge cuts to happen. And even if they do, there will be money coming in to pay most of the promised benefits from revenue collected from current workers. So, what should retirees be concerned about when it comes to their Social Security benefits? HealthView Services' 2026 Retirement Healthcare Costs Data Report reveals the real threat to Social Security -- and it's a threat that could mean this important benefits program actually does very little to help retirees cover most of their costs. Continue reading
Trump Announces "Major Combat Operations" In Iran The U.S. and Israel have conducted coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, which President Trump described in an eight-minute video on Truth Social as the start of " major combat operations " aimed at defending the U.S. by " eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime ." "The hour for your freedom is at hand," President Trump told the Iran...
Trump Announces "Major Combat Operations" In Iran The U.S. and Israel have conducted coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, which President Trump described in an eight-minute video on Truth Social as the start of " major combat operations " aimed at defending the U.S. by " eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime ." "The hour for your freedom is at hand," President Trump told the Iranian people in the video. " When we're finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations ." President Donald J. Trump on the United States military combat operations in Iran: pic.twitter.com/LimJmpLkgZ — The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026 President Trump is expected to address the American people on Saturday morning following the second U.S. strike on Iranian soil in less than a year. The first strike took place in June 2025, when U.S. stealth bombers dropped bombs on three nuclear sites inside Iran. The focus on the Saturday morning strikes (Brent crude futures are closed), the president said, was to ensure Americans " will never be threatened by a nuclear-armed Iran ." In markets, with Brent crude futures closed, Bitcoin was hammered from the $65k level, down to the $63k level. US and Israeli strikes on Iran come one day after the latest round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US, about which the president said he was "not happy with the progress," adding: " They don't want to say the key words: 'We're not going to have a nuclear weapon .'" A US official told CNN that the US strikes were focused on Iranian military targets but did not comment on the ongoing operation. Another official told the outlet that the objective of the strikes was to address the Iranian military threat. The first official said the US military had put countermeasures in place to protect its personnel in the region. AP News reports: The first strikes of the attack appeared to target the compound home to Iran'...