The S&P 500 index has experienced a lackluster start to 2025, especially considering the big gains it recorded in 2023 and 2024. Year to date, the index is essentially flat.

Optimism among individual investors about the short-term outlook for stocks decreased. This week’s special question asked AAII members what their performance forecast for the S&P 500 index in 2025 is.

Step 1: Why Do I Need to Check the Credit Rating Before Buying a Bond? There is widespread misunderstanding about what credit ratings really mean, and how they affect the returns that you earn and the ...