Charlie Kirk and the Battle We Face

Imprecatory Psalms were written, by the Spirit of God, for days like today.

As we observe the 24th anniversary of 9/11, we can recognize that yesterday’s tragedy came from the same source of evil, but with an important distinction. On September 11th, 2001, this evil attacked the American idea—an empire built under God—with the purpose of crushing the American will. It failed, but at the cost of thousands of American lives on our home soil. The world changed forever, and it will be a defining moment for the rest of the 21st Century.

Yesterday’s tragedy, while of the same source, was different though. Let me back up: When the Apostles, and our ancient brothers and sisters, were massacred for their unshakable faith in Christ, it happened because the Church was born in the middle of a grossly pagan Empire. To a degree, historically, we would expect what happened as they refused to worship the Emperor (or anyone/anything else, save Christ). As much as they were persecuted, however, the gates of Hades could not prevail against His Church, and so after germinating in the Roman Empire, the Gospel began to spread.

Fast forward, and that same Gospel hit the ancient British Isles. Through some of the great monarchs of England—not the least of which was King Alfred the Great—it began to expand further. The Lord blessed England because of this, and from it the hope of a Christian nation, in embryonic form, arrived at the shores of Plymouth, MA, aboard the humble Mayflower. That nation was born 156 years later, and established a safe-haven for worshippers of the Triune God of the Bible.

Why do I recall all this? Because while we can rationalize why our ancient brethren were massacred on the soil of pagan Rome, it’s difficult for us to fathom a brother being massacred for his faith on the soil of this nation. Some may say, “it was political, not about his faith.” But I beg to differ. Everything Charlie stood for flowed directly from his faith; and every believer of the Lord Jesus Christ is equally as hated as he was—just not as prominent, perhaps.

So that’s what’s different between 9/11 and Charlie’s assassination. 9/11 was an attack on the American Idea, the American Dream, the American will, and we will never forget it. Charlie’s assassination was an attack on the Word of God, and what it teaches, and we will never forget it. Am I saying Charlie was the Word of God? No, I’m saying that everything Charlie believed, taught, acted upon, and desired to send off into the next generation flowed directly from the Word of God—his worldview was a Christian one, and that’s why he was murdered. As it turns out, when you are the one using an objective standard of truth (i.e. the Bible) for your arguments, you tend to win debates—that’s what Charlie did. So, he was killed because he couldn’t be beat.

Within 48 hours, we experienced two great tragedies. First, the heinous murder of Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina. If you observe Charlie Kirk’s final hours of X (Twitter) posts, you’ll find his commentary on that act of evil. Little did he know that within 48 hours of it, he would be the victim of an even greater tragedy (considering the influence that he had, not to diminish the life of Iryna in any way). So how do we think of such things, first as Christians, but then as Americans? Is this how our country is supposed to be? Of course not. But there’s only one source of hope that we can cling to in these moments.

When news broke that Charlie Kirk was shot, my family and I had just settled into Ashton’s grandparent’s house in East Texas, to spend the day with her Grandpa, while her Grandmother underwent major surgery. When I first read the headline, I immediately assumed that it was a failed attempt, surely resulting in nothing more than a gunshot wound (much like what President Reagan endured) and a significant scare for him and his family. 

Within a few minutes, however, I learned that the bullet hit his neck. Within a few more minutes, video footage started circulating. A close-up video of the moment of impact put the Zapruder film of the JFK assassination to shame. It was gut wrenching, and truly what nightmares are made of. 

Let me begin by saying this: it is good and righteous to be angry at this; but let us remember the words of the Apostle: “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Eph 4:26)

It’s times like this that test the people of God, and their knowledge of the Scriptures. We can’t wait for times like this to start searching for answers, and wondering how the Sovereignty of God plays into it. The Lord expects us to already have a grasp of these deep doctrines ahead of time, so that when tragedy strikes we are well grounded.

Such is the case for the promises of God—we must know them by heart, lest we wander around, looking for the purpose in things. When terror strikes, and it leaves us wondering how on earth we are to grapple with it, we must consider it in light of eternity—after all, God put eternity on the hearts of His people for good reason (Eccl. 3:11).

In moments like this, we must realize that we are in the middle of a grand, sweeping narrative, unfolding to tell the greatest tale ever told—the story of Redemption. Yes, the crux of the story already took place, at the Cross of Calvary, of course. But the fullness of redemption still awaits us, and the creation still groans for the return of its Maker. Until then, the Devil and his demons wreak havoc as they await their consummate end. And they can really make a lot of noise, as they did yesterday. 

The same spirit that beheaded the Apostle Paul, stoned righteous Stephen, and caused our ancient brethren to be “sawn asunder” (Heb. 11:37) is the same spirit that infected the brain of the assassin of Charlie Kirk. But . . .

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

All of the terror, the imagery, the satanic nature of it all reminds us of a few things, as God’s story unfolds: it reminds of sin, and how much we should hate it; the sin of the world, the sin of those around us, and the sin within us. Mortify it, says the Apostle Paul—and when life gets going pretty good, and we begin to forget how evil that sin really is, we’re reminded of it in the most stark terms. We’re reminded that the world is full of sin and sinners, desperately in need of a Savior. We’re also reminded that death isn’t natural; it’s our greatest enemy, and the final enemy that will be destroyed under Christ’s feet (1 Cor. 15:25-26).

But until that day comes, we ache at the loss of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and cry out for the day that death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. 15:54).

Just think of it for a moment…from the time that the news first broke to the moment they confirmed his passing was ~an hour. That is enough time, in the 21st Century, for such news to spread globally, and be seen by billions of people. This means that, among the global body of Christ, hundreds of millions of believers were lifting up prayers to the Lord all at once—continuously, fervently, desperately. All while the life of His faithful servant was slipping away.

Think of the spiritual gravity of that hour—think of the things that were happening in that realm, and at the throne of Heaven. Hundreds of millions of Christians, crying out all at one time. For a man that they knew had a bright future, leading them into the next generation of fighting the good fight. And what was God’s answer? Well, it wasn’t the answer that we wanted, as our hearts burned for the miraculous saving of Charlie’s life, so that we (and his family) could have him with us just a little longer—we needed him, and still do. But, His answer was still as majestic as any other would have been.

He said: I hear your prayers. But this time, I say no. For I desire to have My servant with Me this day, beholding My face and partaking in My glory. He has earned his reward, and he will have it now.

And I imagine, if the Lord were here with us right now, He would’ve also said something along these lines:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Today, we mourn with our sister, Erika Kirk, and her two children who lost a father, but not in vain—they may not know that for quite some time, but they will. Because Charlie’s passion, and the movement that he represented, certainly did not die with him. Let’s pray that all the people who were blessed by his efforts to elect Republican politicians in the 2024 cycle—and including those very Republicans themselves—have the backbone that Charlie had to continue the fight for the sake of the next generation. 

May the Lord bless us all, and give us strength for this season. May His presence be felt by the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. And may the enemies of God receive their justice swiftly. “Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth.” (Psalm 58:6)

And if you needed any reminders, like I often do, of what some of those aforementioned promises of God are, meditate on these today:

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)

He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:6-8)

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

May Christ have mercy on us all, and give us the courage of Charlie Kirk.

These 3 Money Habits Keep You Stuck (And How to Break Free)

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Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you work, you’re just spinning your wheels financially? You’re not alone. Millions of people struggle with money, and it’s not because they don’t work hard enough—it’s because they’re caught in three common financial traps. These money habits keep people stuck, preventing them from building real wealth and achieving financial freedom.

But here’s the good news: you can break free. By shifting your mindset and applying a few key strategies, you can change your financial future forever.

Let’s dive into the three biggest money habits that keep people stuck—and what you should do instead

#1 Spending Money on Expenses Instead of Investments

Most people think of money in terms of spending. Bills, groceries, car payments—it all feels like an endless cycle of earning and paying. But wealthy people think differently. Instead of spending money on expenses alone, they prioritize investing—and that’s a game changer.

What’s the Difference Between an Expense and an Investment?

  • An expense is money spent on something that gets used up (utilities, food, subscriptions, rent, etc.). It doesn’t generate future income.
  • An investment is money put into something that has the potential to grow and create wealth over time.

Think about it: If you buy a new TV, that’s an expense. But if you take that same money and invest it in an asset that generates cash flow—such as the stock market—you’ve planted a seed that can grow into future wealth.

The Best Investment You Can Make? Yourself.

Most people stop learning once they finish school, but the most successful individuals never stop investing in their education. Learning high-income skills—like stock trading—can completely change your financial trajectory.

The fastest way to change your money situation is to learn how to make money work for you instead of constantly working for money. That’s exactly what we teach at TRADEway, giving you the tools to build generational wealth by investing in the stock market

#2 Paying Off Debt the Wrong Way

You’ve probably heard financial gurus say that you should pay off your debt as quickly as possible. It sounds responsible, right? But here’s the surprising truth: paying off your debt too fast can actually  keep you stuck.

The Bible even teaches that debt should be paid off last—not first.

Why? Because if you put all your money into paying off debt before you start investing, you wipe out your assets. Then, the next time an emergency comes up, you’re forced to go back into debt—and the cycle continues.

A Better Strategy for Paying Off Debt

Instead of putting every extra dollar into debt payments, take some of that money and invest it. Let your investments grow, and then use that new money to pay off your debt. That way, you’re building wealth while eliminating debt—rather than depleting all your resources.

For example, instead of working extra jobs and sacrificing time with your family just to pay off debt, what if you learned how to make your money multiply? At TRADEway, we teach everyday people how to use rolling stocks and options strategies to generate additional income—so you’re not stuck working harder for the same dollars.

#3 Thinking Your First Big Investment Should Be a House

For decades, people have been told that the smartest financial move is to buy a home as soon as possible. But here’s the truth: buying a house too soon can actually slow down your wealth-building process.

Why? Because a house is a liability, not an income-producing asset.

What to Do Instead

Instead of putting all your cash into a house upfront, consider investing in high-return opportunities first—like stock trading. With the right skills, you can multiply your money faster and then use that wealth to buy a home outright or make a smarter investment later on.

For example, using strategies like rolling stocks and options trading, you can generate returns significantly higher than what you’d get from real estate appreciation. Imagine being able to buy a house without a mortgage, just from the profits you make through smart investing.

The Power of Skill-Based Investing

Most people think the stock market is risky. With the right education, you can learn proven strategies that allow you to generate consistent income from the market.

Consider this:

  • Many people only know how to make money when the market goes up. But what if you could also profit when stocks go down?
  • Many traders don’t realize stocks move in three directions: up, down, and sideways. Learning how to profit in all market conditions can maximize your income opportunities.

At TRADEway, we break down investing into simple, step-by-step processes that can be followed—no Wall Street background required.


How to Start Making Your Money Work for You

f you’re ready to break free from these three money habits and start building real wealth, we have something special for you:

Join the Unlock the Stock Market Challenge

This is your opportunity to learn the exact strategies that can help you multiply your money, pay off debt smarter, and invest for the future—all without years of financial training.

🔹 Learn step-by-step trading strategies

🔹 Understand how to create cash flow from the stock market

🔹 Discover how to make your money work for you, not the other way around

🚀 Spots are limited! Click here to join the Unlock the Stock Market Challenge  today and take your first step toward financial freedom.

Final Thoughts

The reason most people stay stuck financially isn’t because they don’t work hard—it’s because they’ve been taught the wrong money habits. By shifting your mindset and learning high-income skill sets, you can take control of your financial future.

Don’t just work for money—learn how to make money work for you.

👉 Sign up for the Unlock the Stock Market Challenge now!

The Power of Precision Trading: PowerUp Courses

If you’re looking to start stock trading or refine your skills in the world of buying stocks, the PowerUP Bundle from TRADEway is an ideal solution. Developed by expert coach Jared Russell, this powerful bundle is designed for both beginners and experienced traders who want to master key trading strategies and build confidence in their decision-making. The PowerUP courses might be exactly what you need to enhance your trading strategy.

What Is the PowerUP Bundle?

The PowerUP Bundle offers two highly effective stock trading courses: Power Trend and Bottoms Up. These courses are designed to help traders identify high-probability trade setups using simple, repeatable patterns. By mastering these proven setups, traders can gain the confidence to execute trades with precision.

Power Trend Course

The Power Trend course teaches traders how to ride momentum and trade strong trends with confidence. In this course, you’ll learn how to identify key support and resistance levels, recognize when a trend is strong, and follow a clear, repeatable process for entering and exiting trades. You’ll also explore both bullish and bearish setups and receive a brand-new trading indicator to simplify your decision-making process.

Bottoms Up Course

The Bottoms Up course focuses on identifying trend reversals with precision. In this course, traders learn six key criteria to confirm when a bottom has formed and how to spot trend shifts in real time. Whether the market is in a bull or bear phase, you’ll develop a clear trading plan, including entry points, exits, and stop-loss strategies

PowerUp Trainings

One of the most exciting features of the PowerUP course Bundle is the opportunity to learn directly from Coach Jared Russell as he navigates and identifies the patterns with real stock market examples.

Meet Coach Jared Russell

Coach Jared Russell is a seasoned stock trader and investment advisor who has created several successful stock trading strategies. As the mind behind the PowerUP Bundle, Jared brings his deep understanding of the stock market to help traders of all levels master both simple and advanced trading strategies.

Jared’s approach to teaching stock trading is grounded in making complex concepts easy to understand. He combines his passion for finance with a desire to help others succeed in the stock market. His extensive experience and ability to explain advanced concepts in simple terms make him an excellent guide for anyone looking to start stock trading or improve their current skills.

Why Choose the PowerUP Bundle?

The PowerUP Bundle is specifically designed to help you trade with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re new to stock trading or have been trying to figure out how to refine your trading approach, this course bundle provides practical, actionable knowledge that can be applied immediately. Here are a few reasons why you should consider the PowerUP Bundle:

  • Simple Setups: Both the Power Trend and Bottoms Up strategies are easy to follow and based on data-driven patterns.
  • Training with Jared Russell: This is a unique opportunity to learn directly from a professional trader and get real examples of the strategies in action.
  • Confidence in Trading: With clear, repeatable systems in place, you’ll feel empowered to make confident decisions when it’s time to buy stocks or trade options.
  • Lifetime Access: Once you’ve purchased the bundle, you’ll have lifetime access to the training materials, so you can revisit the courses whenever you need a refresher.

Who Can Benefit from the PowerUP Bundle?

The PowerUP Bundle is suitable for any trader who wants to simplify their stock trading strategy and trade with confidence. Whether you’re just starting or have some experience, these strategies work for traders of all levels.

No prior experience is required to get started with the PowerUP Bundle, making it an excellent choice for beginners who want to start trading stocks the right way.

Limited-Time Offer

If you’re ready to take your trading to the next level, the PowerUP Bundle is available for a limited-time discount. The retail price for this bundle is $1,394, but you can get it for only $940.95.

Alternatively, you can opt for the convenient payment plan, which divides the cost into three manageable installments of $348.50 each.

Start Stock Trading with Confidence

If you’re looking to start stock trading or gain a deeper understanding of how to buy stocks effectively, the PowerUP Bundle offers everything you need to build a solid foundation and boost your trading success. By enrolling in these courses, you’ll not only learn how to identify strong trends and spot trend reversals but also gain the confidence to execute high-probability trades with ease.

Whether you’re just getting started in the stock market or you’ve been trading for a while, the PowerUP Bundle is an excellent resource that offers clear, actionable strategies to help you make confident trades. With guidance from Coach Jared Russell, live training sessions, and lifetime access to the course materials, the PowerUP Bundle is a must-have for anyone serious about improving their stock trading skills.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a licensed TRADEway coach and start trading smarter today!

Charts by TRADEway is Now Compatible with tastytrade!

For the past couple of years, our Charts by TRADEway team has been working behind the scenes to bring you a seamless trading experience with one of the most innovative brokerage platforms out there—tastytrade. And now, we’re excited to share that Charts by TRADEway is officially compatible with tastytrade’s brokerage services!

Get the Full Details in Our Exclusive Webinar

To help you make the most of this exciting integration, we’ve put together a special webinar featuring Coach David Verbruggen from TRADEway and Quentin Dooley from tastytrade.

In this webinar, you’ll discover:

  • How to link your Charts by TRADEway account to tastytrade
  • The benefits of using tastytrade as your broker
  • Exclusive incentives for new and existing tastytrade users (Hint: There are some great perks for making the switch or opening a second account!)

Access the webinar now!

Why We’re Excited About tastytrade

At TRADEway, we carefully choose brokerage partners that offer top-tier customer support, intuitive platforms, and valuable benefits for our students. While Charts by TRADEway remains compatible with multiple brokers, we believe tastytrade brings a unique value proposition through:

✔️ Innovative trading tools
✔️ Low fees & cost-efficient trading
✔️ A strong commitment to trader education

This integration isn’t just about compatibility—it’s a reunion with tastytrade, a company that shares our passion for simplifying and empowering traders like you.

Sign Up Today!

tastytrade, Inc. (“tastytrade”) has entered into a Marketing Agreement with TRADEway (“Marketing Agent”) whereby tastytrade pays compensation to Marketing Agent to recommend tastytrade’s brokerage services. The existence of this Marketing Agreement should not be deemed as an endorsement or recommendation of Marketing Agent by tastytrade and/or any of its affiliated companies. Neither tastytrade nor any of its affiliated companies is responsible for the privacy practices of Marketing Agent or this website. tastytrade does not warrant the accuracy or content of the products or services offered by Marketing Agent or this website. Marketing Agent is independent and is not an affiliate of tastytrade.

This is Your Year: Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2025

There is no magic to January 1st, but the cultural rally around crossing that marker with a fresh clarity and appreciation is still valuable (even if it’s something we should do at least once per month or more).

I always say at this time of year: For starters, END the year well.

What do you need to leave behind in 2024? 

Some things are meant to stay in the past. You can’t take it with you and be successful. Examples: Unaddressed pain, unforgiveness, faulty mindsets, disobedience, envy/jealousy, low self-esteem, disconnection from God, draining relationships, and old commitments that need rearranging.

What are you grateful for?

Many things happened and much grace was given. It is empowering and God honoring to recognize this EVEN if the year was exceedingly difficult. Especially if it was. If you’d like to increase the gratitude even more, check out my free guide 15 Daily Affirmations to Encourage and Inspire You in Your Trading Journey.

How far did you come in 2024? 

If you are like me, you are hyper focused on where you want to go next and what has NOT been accomplished yet. Take this too far and it can be incredibly discouraging and disempowering. You must recognize what has worked and ALL the improvements you have made, the things you have learned, and the ground you have covered. No one is starting 2025 in the same spot as 2024

Before you rush to make a list of what you would like to do and have in 2025, consider starting here:

Lord, what are you saying is something (or some things) that are most important for me in the coming year?

Ask God to highlight and reveal these to you. What are your priorities?

I suggest not filling in the blanks out of past duty, legalistic guilt, or busyness. Let the Lord speak to you freshly.

Consider not simply what to do this coming year…but what to BELIEVE.

Who we think we are and what we are capable of does not necessarily tell us what is true. But what we believe to be true WILL change, unlock, or greatly limit what we are able to see and do in the coming year.

Beliefs have consequences.

Your beliefs (about yourself, God, circumstances, and others) in 2024 had SIGNIFICANTLY more to do with how the year went than likely any other single factor.

(If learning how to trade in the stock market is on your list of goals for 2025, be sure to check out our upcoming Unlock the Stock Market Challenge.)

So once again, ask the Lord: What are the biggest beliefs that you are highlighting for me in 2025?

I am transformed by mind renewal. I understand that these key beliefs will NOT feel true but that doesn’t matter!

In fact, that very element is part of what tells me that I must lean into that new belief because clearly, I am not connected to it.

I heard a pastor say recently that new beliefs (new to us but not to Him) from God first feel ridiculous, then possible, then probable until finally, we are fully convinced.

What are the priorities for you? What do you want to see happen and what do you long to do?
It’s here that I encourage you not to simply write down these things alone but to attach TWO things to them in each case.

With every desired outcome, achievement, goal etc. record ONE massive action step that you will take along with a chosen date towards that single goal. 

Never set only a goal, one time, on a piece of paper in January.

The chances of this being buried by life are very high in most cases.

Then our January goals become graves once again and what’s the point of doing it each year?

You need one, courageous and (even irreversible action step) that takes you into the waters of the Jordan!

Consider that the eco-system on your insides (thoughts, beliefs, self-talk, emotions, physical energy, and spiritual health) as well as the eco-system, of your outsides (living and work environment, relationships, Church, routines and habits, personal organization, boundaries and more) are extremely important in whether you will be successful in whatever new goal you choose

Goals are points on a map, but these elements are the condition of the road that will take you there.

Remember that the ecosystem of your life SUPPORTS and RESISTS certain outcomes. This can be good and bad.

So, does YOUR ecosystem support or resist the person you would like to become?

Does it support the direction you would like to go and the things you would like to do?

Some parts of it do. Keep those.

Some likely do not.

It’s here we do not want to passively let things remain.

This reminds me of the people of Israel allowing other nations to remain in the promised land with them. Sure, they made them into slaves (they managed them), but they did not completely drive them out as directed by God and this disobedience only caused problems and ultimately limited them later.

 

In other words, you can set a goal, take a big step, but you still must accent and augment that which is helping you and MINIMIZE (as much as you can) that which is distracting, draining and opposing the things you are trying to do and more importantly the person you are meant to BECOME

For example: This past year I wanted to regain a much deeper intimacy with the Lord. I have allowed extreme busyness to become far too influential in my day-to-day life and I have struggled to root that out.

So, the goal may be…I want to have more time with God. This is too general/passive.

“I will make 30 minutes per day”. This is more specific but still highly unlikely to happen.

My current ecosystem says this will likely be drowned because that’s what’s been happening. I can’t ignore that and pretend it’ll be different just because it’s January 1st…

I will sign up for an impact class at my church for all 4 quarters of the year TODAY. I will commit to the attendance and surround myself with others who are intentionally seeking God in an environment of hunger.

This is simply an example of progression. It also leverages commitment to a community that reinforces our goals and that is exactly what we aim to do right here at TRADEway.

It commits a micro action (very doable) and leverages it into a macro action. Get new energy for new actions!

You do it how you feel fits you best but don’t shortchange yourself. You will need to confront the bigger picture.

Choices change

Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that a new list will mean a new life…We must make new choices (in some cases they may need to be radical) but as we do make these choices, we can have 52 weeks of radical intentionality and call this year the year of bursting forth!

Redeem the times, the days are evil, seek to live a life that is worthy of the calling we will receive in 2025!

Retirement 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Financial Future

Planning for retirement is one of the most crucial steps you can take towards securing your financial future. Whether you’re just starting your career or nearing the end of your working years, understanding the nuances of retirement planning can make a significant difference in your quality of life post-retirement.

In this post, we examine Retirement 101 and the various types of retirement accounts and how TRADEway can assist you in planning for your retirement. By empowering yourself with knowledge and strategies, you can navigate the complexities of retirement planning with confidence and pave the way for a potentially secure and fulfilling retirement.

Why Are There So Many Types of Retirement Accounts?

Employer-Sponsored Accounts

  • 401(k): A common employer-sponsored retirement plan
  • 403(b): Designed for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations
  • Thrift Savings Plans (TSPs): Available to federal employees and members of the uniformed services
  • Pensions: Traditional retirement plans offering fixed monthly payments

If you work for a company that offers a retirement package, there’s not much choice you have in what kind of option you can choose and select. It’s going to be what your employer is offering and you have the choice whether you want to participate in it or not.

In this example, we’re going to be talking about a 401k, which would be considered a defined contribution plan versus what would be a defined benefit plan.

A defined benefit plan would be like a pension plan that pays out a certain amount each month. You can receive a percentage of your highest grossing salary upon your retirement.

A 401k plan is defined by how much has been contributed into it. You would personally make pre-tax or post-tax contributions to your retirement account from your paycheck. Additionally, many employers will also match your contribution up to three to five percent.

Now if you’re putting in post-tax contributions to your 401K, meaning you’ve paid the taxes up before depositing to your account, your employer may contribute pre-tax, meaning you’re going to have to pay taxes on the earnings from that when you take the distribution.


Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

  • Traditional IRA: Contributions may be tax-deductible, with taxes paid upon withdrawal
  • Roth IRA: Contributions are made with after-tax dollars, allowing for tax-free withdrawals in retirement

So what if your employer doesn’t offer retirement benefits or maybe you’re self employed?

There are a few options.

A traditional IRA allows you to contribute the pre-tax money, so that could potentially reduce the tax liability for you that year, by reducing your earnings for that year. There’s a max contribution of $7,000 ($8,000 if you’re 50 or older). Taxes are paid when you take distributions out.

These limits get adjusted every year. The information in this post contains the current 2024 information.

The next one is the Roth IRA. The interesting thing about your Roth IRA is that you’re contributing the post-tax money, meaning you’ve already earned the income, you’ve paid taxes on it, you can contribute the $7,000 ($8,000 if you’re older than 50),  but everything that would grow in that account is actually going to be tax free.

So it’s tax free upon distribution and there are no required minimum distributions. Now there are eligibility restrictions when it comes to income. With higher earners it phases down or you may not be able to contribute to this at all, which is different than the Roth 401k, which you can continue to contribute to.

Note: If you are in a higher tax bracket right now, the more you can save, and invest it tax deferred into your retirement accounts, that amount is deductible from your gross annual income. Consult with your CPA or tax professional for more information.

How Can Tradeway Help You Prepare For Retirement?

At TRADEway, we care about you, we care about your family, and we’re trying to provide you with support for some of the existing retirement alternatives. You don’t have to go through a financial crisis with a buy and hold mentality. 

Maybe you would like some different options that are not available in your traditional 401k programs because of the limitations that exist in those programs.

If we go into a recession, on average, the bear markets are at least 34 percent down and you don’t want to see a 34% decline in your portfolio.

Can TRADEway help manage your portfolio for you in such a way that it helps protect your funds during those significant downturns?


Imagine this: there is a hurricane coming. What do you do?  You get prepared for the hurricane before the hurricane hits.  We know these economic hurricanes come. So, if you were prepared for the economic hurricane, you boarded up your portfolio’s windows, and you will survive through that economic hurricane with minimal scratches. You know, you had a little bit of damage in the yard, but your house was fine and everything came through with just very nominal damage.


That’s what we do at Assisted Managed Portfolios by TRADEway – AMPT.


As licensed traders – Investment Advisory Representative (IAR), the AMPT team can  get in and out of positions as the market changes. And it’s known as discretionary trade authority. 

This is a big advantage of working with AMPT, because traditional financial advisors don’t have or don’t want discretionary trade authority. They’re going to meet with you once every six months or a year, or in the case of your 401k, probably never.


That’s not the way the AMPT program works. You give AMPT the discretion to change your allocations at any moment. 

AMPT Portfolio Management Options

Assisted Managed Portfolios by TRADEway – Advanced Investment Management (AIM )

TRADEway created a program that mirrors that philosophy and it’s called AIM, Advanced Investment Management, and it leverages the biblical concepts from Ecclesiastes and from the book of Ezekiel to create a diversified portfolio That’s designed for more of a long-term approach with more diversification and more safety, and our team does that for you.

We are in and out of ETFs that mimic the sectors of the economy. We’ll change the allocations when we’re not confident of what the market’s doing, we’ll pull back on allocations. We’ll be more in cash getting that current 4.287 percent. When we’re confident in a specific sector, we’ll put more money into that sector as opposed to other sectors.

And it takes just a few clicks of the button for our team to invest those for you. And it’s a pretty powerful way for us to do things that your 401k is not going to do. Most of the time, they’re going to leverage mutual funds, while you don’t even know what those funds are or how they’re invested. With us, we’re going to be in and out of those positions based on what we see happening inside the economy.

Assisted Managed Portfolios by TRADEway – Ultra Portfolio (UP)

The Ultra Portfolio program is active trading with a small portion of your money.

The Ultra Portfolio is more focused on short term trades. We get in and get out of trades and try to make a little higher returns on a smaller portion of your money by taking more risk.

In this portfolio, we utilize index-based financial instruments, ETFs, stocks and stock options, and trade based upon market cycles and short-term time frames. Let TRADEway help you with managing a portion of your funds (more aggressively) with a trader’s mindset!

At TRADEway, our AMPT team is dedicated to helping you navigate the intricacies of retirement planning and portfolio management. With our team, you can explore a range of options tailored to your specific financial goals and risk tolerance. Whether you’re looking to diversify your investments, maximize your savings, or simply gain a deeper understanding of your retirement strategy, our team is here to provide you with personalized insights and guidance.

Don’t leave your financial future to chance—contact the TRADEway AMPT team today to learn how we can assist you in preparing your portfolio for retirement. Get started on your journey to financial peace of mind by reaching out to us now.

 

Silver vs. Gold

If you’re ready to invest in precious metals, should you be buying silver, not gold? Today, we’re going to be addressing the question, and how to know if that’s best for you and your family.


It is important to understand the difference between these two precious metals–silver and gold–and why you might favor one over the other. Number one, the total supply of new silver each year is close to 1 billion ounces while gold’s annual supply is around 83 million ounces. 


This makes it seem like the silver market is a lot bigger than gold’s, but it’s just the opposite because of the huge difference in their price! Silver’s lower price makes the value of the annual supply much smaller than gold’s, and this also explains why silver is so much more volatile than gold.

So, let’s examine silver vs. gold, so that you can determine what’s best for your precious metals investing.

Silver is Better for Trade Than Gold, But Gold is Easier to Transport

Silver is better for physical trade as silver is easier to acquire than gold. You can get more metal for your dollar with silver.


Gold, however, is generally more conservative; it’s a solid hedge used for protecting your purchasing power and investments. Gold is better for saving than for trade, but gold is also easier to store and to transport, because of how much less of it you need due to its value.


Additionally, most silver is a lot less dense than gold. In other words, pure silver is 84 percent larger in volume than pure gold. This means that silver takes up as much as 128 times more space than gold for the same dollar amount. 

Keep this in mind as well: silver coins and bars must be stored in a dry place with no exposure to the elements, since silver will also eventually tarnish. Pure gold does not do that!

It takes a lot more strategizing and physical storage space to store silver over gold.

Silver Prices are Volatile While Gold is More Steady

It takes only a relatively small amount of money to have a greater impact on silver’s price. As a result, silver will rise and fall more than gold, which can make the silver spot price chart look pretty scary sometimes–that’s the volatility I mentioned above!

Another interesting factor is that Governments are increasing their gold reserves but they are simultaneously decreasing their silver reserves (or at least not doing anything with them). This difference may not seem like something to be worried about right now, but it’s a very significant kind of “behind the scenes” development that could drastically alter the prices of metals in the future.

For example, Governments and other institutions used to hold a whole lot of silver inventories. Today, however, most of them no longer have any stockpiles of the metal because real silver is no longer used to mint circulating coins like it used to be. Only a few countries still warehouse silver, but the amount is in stark contrast with the large increases in gold that central banks have accumulated in official reserves over the last few decades.

But while this source of demand for gold isn’t present for silver, it does put the silver market in an interesting situation because if the need for physical silver were to suddenly appear–maybe because of a particular type of financial crisis, or spike in silver demand–governments won’t be able to meet those needs with their current stockpiles.

This has the potential to lead to higher silver prices in the future, and one more possible contributor to silver’s “upside potential” that analysts have been talking about for decades.

Silver Has More Industrial Demand Than Gold

Because silver is a considerably more useful metal than gold, there are some implications here that could play a big part in your decision to accumulate silver over gold. Even though gold is an undeniably excellent store of value, gold is used in relatively few industries outside of jewelry and investing.

According to statistics released by the World Gold Council, on average, less than 8 percent of gold production around the world is actually used in technological industries. Silver, on the other hand, is used in a huge variety of different industries and technologies, which all play a very important role in our everyday lives.

Around half of all silver produced in the world is sourced for the purpose of production in technology and appliances that cover a wide range of needs.

Some examples of where silver is used in production:

  • Radiology
  • Photography
  • Chips and circuit boards
  • Explosives
  • Water purification systems
  • Medical field and medical field technology
  • Solar energy

Given the fact that it’s almost certain that the renewable energy sector will continue to grow and increase in demand itself, silver would therefore play a bigger and bigger role in that industry, and its price could increase potentially as a result of it.Deciding which metal is best for you and your family is totally up to you and the personal concerns that you have for the future!However, knowing a few of these details can help you factor in more variables to your risk management and could potentially save you money, time, and will prepare you for the logistical side of planning as well.

Now, my hope is that this information will help you and help you better understand the differences between silver and gold precious metals and how one may be better for your family over the other.

If this topic interests you and you want to learn more about the history of money and how society has evolved from using precious metals to using digital fiat currency, I would love to invite you to check out my online course, “Barter to Currency.”

Understanding the history of money can be the key to having financial confidence as money evolves over time and is available through TRADEway’s Barter to Currency course.

Watch this video for more information:

Buy and Hold May No Longer Be What Works Best for Investing

Buy and hold investing is a deeply entrenched mindset that most of today’s investors and investment managers have by default. It’s so widespread as a concept, that not many people are looking at it critically or asking if it still is working in today’s markets–or if another strategy would work better.

But this almost universally believed mantra of “you can’t time the market” doesn’t make a lot of sense anymore because of how investing tools have shifted.


The thing is, you can take your long-term investments to cash during most volatile times in the market to avoid losing money unnecessarily. And to do this you need to be able to identify market multi-year cycles (or work with someone who can do this for you). We offer such a service with our program AMPT – Assisted Managed Portfolios by TRADEway.

Where the Buy and Hold Strategy Originated

Buying and holding through the market’s worst days can be devastating for your portfolio. So why does almost everyone do this?


The “buy and hold” recommendation was made famous by John Bogle in his book The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, which was published in 2007. In it, Bogle argued that the fees that mutual fund managers charge rule out the extra returns they get from actively buying and selling in the market.

He showed you would profit more, and avoid lots of drama, by simply buying and holding index funds like the S&P and others.

But does this argument still hold up?

Where Bogle Got Buy and Hold Wrong

Bogle made the assumption that most people aren’t going to bother to learn the skills required to get in and out of the market effectively. And he’s right, most people won’t want to bother learning how to do that.

It takes a solid stock market education to time getting in and out of the market consistently. And making a mistake with regards to timing the stock market can really cost you.

But with the right training, tools, and expertise, timing larger market cycles is actually very doable.


In our program AMPT, our Investment Advisor Representatives carefully monitor the market for breaks in market trends. And with our expertise (and the nimbleness that comes with not being in a mutual fund) we can get you out of the market more quickly, saving you from losing money unnecessarily.


We also have an option within AMPT where you can request to have our investment advisory representatives do shorter-term trades using a portion of your money (we recommend no more than 20%). This can lead to a boost in your account that you can then turn around and re-invest.

Maybe the idea of trusting someone else to get your money out of the market and knowing when to put it back in makes you nervous. That’s understandable, given how much buying and holding is preached in our society.


Our long-term investing team are all registered investment advisors representatives. Our current roster manning the AMPT division include beloved stock trading Coaches Geoffrey Nance, Jenny Taylor, Jared Russell, and Ben Russell, and they are all well-versed in the market’s multi-year cycles.

Market Multi-Year Cycles

If you’re on board with the notion of someone getting in and out of the market with your long-term money, then the next thing to figure out would be when to get in and out.

How do we do that?


It turns out, markets have multi-year cycles. These cycles are one of the most important concepts to how we approach investing in our program AMPT.


In short, you would look at longer term trends in the market. A key tenet of our AMPT investing program is that longer term trends do not easily break.  So when they do, that is a sign for us that we want to get defensive in our allocations. 

We choose to not be in the market all the time, and sometimes that means we sit in cash while the technical charts settle into a new trend

The above chart of the SP-500 shows the normal bullish action in a trend we can easily identify, and then a break of trend.  These breaks of trend are where TRADEway believes it makes sense to get defensive and get out of the market. Both watching multi-year cycles and looking for longer term breaks in a trend are two of our main tenets in our program AMPT.

Bear Markets, Bull Markets, and Squirrel Markets

Put simply, during a Bull Market, it’s generally a good time to be in the market; during a Bear Market, it’s not. And during a little something we here at TRADEway called a Squirrel Market (when the S&P is bouncing all around), it is definitely not a good time to be in.


Our AMPT team keeps an eye on all of these kinds of long-term trends and communicates with our AMPT clients often to keep them abreast of our current recommendations for your portfolio (we believe in open and transparent conversations with our clients which is rare in this industry).

We also offer a range of risk profiles for long-term investing portfolios, from conservative to high-risk. High risk can yield higher returns. Our most conservative portfolio allocations are designed for those most concerned with keeping their hard-earned money intact.  Our team can help you determine the best fit for your individual needs.

The times of greatest market volatility are when the market is “squirrely” and is breaking out of a trend. During these times, we watch the technical price action of the S&P closely to guide our decisions.

Aiming to Be in the Market on the Best Days and Out on the Worst Days

Our goal with AMPT is to minimize the risk to your long-term retirement funds. In the graph below, we see what would happen to a portfolio if you could magically miss the worst days in the market. While this kind of precision is not possible, more broad strokes of getting out of the market during a downturn are. Still, this graph can give you a sense of this principle in action:

It’s impossible to do this perfectly–to only miss the worst days, and only be in on the best days. But we can get in and out of the market following broader, more general market trends, which is what we do in AMPT.

The Main Problem With Buy and Hold

It’s true that over decades and decades, traditional “buy and holders” will see a positive return. But by staying in the market through each and every downturn, they’re leaving money on the table unnecessarily–and lots of it.  And a concern we hear with many new clients coming our way is that they do not have the TIME required to make it back if they happened to lose big on the down-side.

With a more agile long-term portfolio, you can avoid losing double-digit percentages during a downturn. And each time you successfully do this, your future returns are exponentially impacted by that extra money in the account. Wouldn’t you rather preserve your portfolio during a downturn and potentially have more in your portfolio to better take advantage of the next bull market? That is the goal.


If you’re ready to leave the “buy and hold” mentality in the past (where, let’s be honest, it should be), and if you’re wondering how much joining a program like AMPT could impact the financial well-being of your family, book a call to learn more about our long-term investing portfolios.

Should Christians Invest in the Stock Market

Is Trading or Investing in the Stock Market Sinful?

Christians interested in investing and stock trading often wonder if the stock market itself is sinful. And while lots of gambling has certainly taken place in the stock market, that’s absolutely not what the stock market is for.


Let’s break this down. Is the stock market itself sinful? Looking at its origins will give us some important clues. On May 17th 1792, a group of stock brokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement plan outside of 68 wall street under a Buttonwood tree in New York

The New York Stock Exchange Building Exterior. Photo credit: Arpan Parikh.

The Buttonwood Agreement was an attempt to put an end to shady and chaotic practices in stock trading by providing a basic structure and general framework for future trading. It created a centralized exchange that we now know as the New York Stock Exchange. The agreement helped to create a free market system where anyone can have access to the buying and selling of publicly traded securities.

And it also provided transparency to keep average traders, like you and me, safe from the malpractices of dishonest people. So the stock market is actually a place designed to lower risk, which means it’s quite opposite to the idea of gambling. Since its inception, it was intended for legitimate business purposes, and it’s still used for that to this day. The stock market is meant to bolster and improve our economy, and it does just that.

Could it still be used for gambling? Of course. Just like you can gamble in anything in life.


To keep it from being gambling, we just need to get educated about it. Our entire stock trading education is based around teaching Christians to trade in the stock market biblically. TRADEway was founded by David Mitchell, a Christian stock trader. TRADEway began with David teaching stock trading to his fellow church members, and it’s only grown from there. So from its inception, our stock trading education has been rooted in what it means to be a Christian stock trader, and the extra responsibilities that come with that.


We take our economic principles that we teach our students to become better stock traders straight from the Bible. As David says in his podcast The Word on Investing, “The Bible is a practical book.” 

Using Ecclesiastes to Understand Investing and Trading

If you go to Ecclesiastes chapter 11, you’ll see a lot of biblical business principles, and believe it or not, many of these same principles are found in the stock market. Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, “Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days.”

This may seem like a weird verse at first because it doesn’t seem like it’s talking about money, but that’s because it’s an analogy. The idea of casting bread upon the water carries with it an element of risk. If you throw bread on the water, you’re giving up your food, but it also carries with it the idea of getting a return. When you throw your food into the water, you attract fish. If there are no fish in the area, it may sit at the bottom of the water for a few days, but eventually fish might be drawn to it and you would have the potential for more food.

Similarly, if you buy stocks, you are risking your money but it’s not a get rich quick scheme. You might see some immediate results, but often it’s a process that takes many days or even months before you’ll see a return.


Let’s look at the next verse. Ecclesiastes 11:2 says, “Give a portion to seven and also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

This shows the idea of diversification. Take your money and invest it in several opportunities. Why? Because you don’t know what bad things are going to happen. And if you have all your eggs in one basket, you might lose them all. So for this reason, Solomon, in all his wisdom, says that you should diversify. In the stock market, we see the use of diversification all the time.

You Won’t Have Control Over the Stock Market–And the Bible Can Help You With That

Traders can find it difficult psychologically to engage with the stock market because it’s always changing. Until you learn patterns to look for, it can be hard to feel like there’s any solid ground. This lack of control can be stressful. And the Bible can help you navigate that.

Ecclesiastes 11:3 says, “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: And if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” This verse is here to remind us that we are not in control. It’s God who’s in control.

One of the things people hate most about the stock market is that they can’t control it. But we never really have control in life. God does. Once you can understand that and let go of trying to control the market, you can start to see what it’s doing more clearly, making you a better trader.

The next verse says, “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” The Holy Spirit in His infinite wisdom is speaking through the pen of the wisest king to ever live, King Solomon. And in this verse, He knows that He has just told us we don’t have control, and so now he needs to help us deal with our emotions. The two emotions he chooses to address happen to be the two driving forces of the stock market: Fear and greed.

The Bible on Overcoming Fear & Greed So You Can Place Better Trades

The farmer that observes the wind will be too fearful to sow his seed. He’ll worry that he might have his seed blown away and lost to the wind. So he’ll never have a harvest. People often sell stocks too early or never buy stocks at all for fear of loss. They’re like the ones who observe the wind.

Then you have the one that regardeth the clouds. He’s the farmer who did sow his seed and he’s about to harvest his crops. When he sees rain clouds, he says to himself, “Hmm, maybe I should wait and let the clouds water these crops so they’ll get bigger before I harvest.” He’s the one that gets greedy in the stock market.

This looks like the guy who buys the stock and never sells it because he thinks, oh, it’ll keep going up. Sometimes he finds that he’ll get washed out while hoping for more. When approaching the stock market, we should neither be fearful nor greedy. Why? Because God is our provider and it’s His money to begin with.

The Bible on Getting to Work, Investing in Multiple Things & Taking Advantage of Opportunities

We cannot earn one penny more than we’re supposed to. So don’t worry about it. Just do the best you can and watch what God does with it. Ecclesiastes 11:5 says, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”

I love that this chapter starts off talking about money, and quickly turns to a discussion about trusting God. This verse shows us it’s God who’s in control. So what do we do with that? We do what the next verse says. Verse 6 says, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.”

In other words, get to work. Invest in multiple things. Take advantage of opportunities. You’re really not in control of your future anyway. So just do the best you can with what God gave you and wait and see what God prospers.

But wait, there’s more…

The Book of Matthew Encourages Us to Invest

In Matthew 25, we have the Parable of the Talents. Remember the third servant who buried his talent? What did the master say to him? He said, “Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.”


The master (who represents God) is saying, If you’re not going to invest on your own, at least give it to someone who will.

For some, this is the only excuse they need to not learn to trade themselves. But letting someone else trade for you can have its own set of risks. And it sounds to me like God is making that out to be the least you should do.

So Should You as a Christian Trade in the Stock Market?

Maybe you’ve considered learning to trade yourself. This brings us to the question at hand. Should you as a Christians trade in the stock market? That depends. If you’re looking for a get rich quick scheme, then the stock market is probably not for you.

But if you can follow a very particular set of rules, put your trust in God rather than in money, lay aside fear and greed and make educated decisions with your money, then stock trading could give you the potential to change your life.

If you want to learn more about our Biblically based stock trading education, click the button below to schedule a call with Team TRADEway to learn more about how you can get started.

Meet the new CEO of TRADEway, Katie Huber!

About Katie Huber:

Katie helped her father, David Mitchell (Founder of TRADEway), build and expand their family business from a “garage based business” back in 2006, to now reaching 100,000+ students across the country, and growing/leading a team of 40+ amazing teammates spread the mission of equipping Christians to build their own lasting legacies.

 

When you joined the TRADEway team:

2006

 

Area of expertise at TRADEway:

CEO–leading TRADEway’s team to serve our clients at the highest level and continue the expansion of our Founder’s mission to educate and support Christian families and help them reach their biggest goals.

What is your “why” for being on the TRADEway team?

I feel this is a calling…I only want to be and do what the Lord opens the door for.  Getting to work and serve alongside my own family (parents/siblings/spouse, etc), plus 40+ “extended” friends/family is one of the greatest honors of my life.  My WHY (the thing that keeps me going every day) is to bring God glory, to make my own family proud, to get to work with brilliant teammates daily, and to help thousands of Christian families reach their biggest goals through our collective gifts/talents/abilities.  It is a JOY to walk in my calling!

What do you love most about the TRADEway clients?

Hearing/reading/seeing (sometimes through tears) what TRADEway has meant to countless Christian families across the country brings my heart more joy than I can express!  When THEY are able to reach their goals our entire team rejoices!  That is the most fun part of our work.

What do you love most about your job as CEO of TRADEway?

My favorite part about leading our stellar team is getting to see them SHINE in their God-given strengths and feel totally fulfilled in what God has called them to do.

Fun fact or hidden talent:

I absolutely love photography! (Claim to fame: I helped photograph Chip and Joanna Gaines’ wedding!)

Personal life:

My hubby, Dave Huber, is my college-sweetheart and by far my favorite human on the planet!  He and I share a rare kind of love that I wish everyone had in their lives–I am truly blessed because of God’s goodness in our marriage, and I attribute that mostly to Dave’s steadfast, Godly leadership and love.  Raising our three kids–Mady, Sam, and Abby–is what brings us the most joy!  We love seeing them grow in the Lord and shine in their own unique ways.

Best Trading Memory

My favorite trading memory is when my husband and I were on a little get-away and he stayed in the car to complete a trade while I ran in a store to “grab a few things”…when I came back he said “Well babe, I made more in those 30 mins than you were able to spend!”  We laughed pretty hard, it’s a great memory.

Favorite Bible Verse:

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”