INVEST · EVERY · WEEK
Subscriber Edition — Week of August 24, 2026
"I'm not a financial advisor and I don't intend to be one. I'm an investor, just like you." This is the same research I use for my own money, not just what I hand you.— R.L. Carey, Founder, Invest Every Week
Our mission is simple: help everyday investors build real wealth.
We have decided to postpone the implementation of the Tracking Fund until October 1. This will allow additional time to clarify the many decisions necessary to ensure that the process remains honest, transparent, and open. It also provides the benefit of having the initial tracking period correspond with the fourth quarter, running from October 1 through December 31.
Tracking Our 24 Stocks With Real Money — No Hypotheticals. Just Results.
Starting October 1, 2026, we're opening a control account to track the actual, real-world returns of $100 invested in each of our 24 recommended stocks. We're using $100 per stock — $2,400 total — because it makes the math easy for you. If a stock is up 35%, that $100 becomes $135. If it's down 25%, it becomes $75. Whatever amount you actually invest, you can apply the same percentage and know exactly where you stand.
All dividends will be reinvested in the same stock that paid them. If a dividend happens to arrive late — after a stock has already been replaced on our list — it will simply be held as cash until it can be put to use.
Here's how we'll handle it when a stock is replaced on our list: whatever that position is worth at the time — gains, losses, and all — gets sold and the full proceeds go into the new stock. If a position had dropped to $75, we invest $75 in the replacement. If it had grown to $150, we invest $150. Nothing added, nothing held back.
This account will be a Roth IRA, held in my name, with no fees on the trades and no tax consequences on the gains — I'm past 59½. That means the numbers you see will be the real, unadjusted returns, nothing more and nothing less.
This isn't about proving anything. It's simply a way for you to see, in plain dollars, how the research behind this newsletter actually performs over time — numbers you can check for yourself.
These are simply the stocks I invest in myself. You're welcome to follow along, or use this list as a starting point for your own research and your own choices.
You don't have to invest in all 24 to get started, either. Whether you're a young investor making your first move or someone who never quite got around to it, you can start small. Pick four or five stocks, or spread $100 across ten stocks at $10 each. The point is to begin, follow the results, and build from there.
We made a few changes to the lineup this week, but we're holding the roster at 24 stocks for the time being. During September we'll be deciding how many stocks we want to follow on a routine, ongoing basis — more on that as the decision gets made.
Of our 24 selected stocks, even the 10 lowest performing are up 50.3% over the past year.
See what a real $100 invested in each of our 24 stocks 3 and 6 months ago would be worth today — below. Further down, every stock, every number — tap any ticker to expand the full data card.
These are hypothetical figures based on this week's 24 stocks, not actual results from a past edition or portfolio.
Before we look forward, let's look back. If you had invested $100 in each of the 24 stocks currently on our list exactly one year ago, here's where you'd stand today:
Your $2,400 would be worth
$6,852.98
A gain of $4,452.98 — a return of +185.5%
The strongest performer was Micron (MU). Results varied widely across the list, and not every stock outperformed the market — which is exactly why we recommend a diversified approach rather than picking just one.
This is a hypothetical, backward-looking illustration based on actual 1-year total returns for informational purposes only. It is not a guarantee of future performance, and past performance does not indicate future results.
A Federal Head Start for New Parents: The Trump Account. Families with a child born January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028 are eligible for a one-time $1,000 federal deposit into a "Trump Account" — a tax-deferred custodial investment account created under the 2025 tax law. To qualify, the child must be a U.S. citizen with a valid Social Security number, and a parent or guardian must file the election (IRS Form 4547, or through TrumpAccounts.gov).
A few points worth knowing: this is a one-time $1,000 deposit, not an annual contribution. Funds are invested in low-cost index funds and are restricted from withdrawal until the year the child turns 18. Parents, relatives, or employers may add up to $5,000/year combined until the child turns 18. If left untouched and invested at a historical stock market average return (roughly 8%), that $1,000 could grow to somewhere in the six figures by retirement age — the math is sensitive to the assumed return rate, so treat any specific dollar projection as illustrative, not a promise.
Children born outside the 2025–2028 window can still open a Trump Account — up until age 18 — they simply don't receive the $1,000 federal deposit. Parents, grandparents, and others can still fund the account for them, up to the same $5,000/year combined contribution limit, so the growth potential is available even without the government seed money.
For readers with an eligible child, there's little downside to claiming it — it costs nothing and the deposit is real. As with any projection, actual results depend on market performance over the child's lifetime.
Jackson Hole: worth a listen, not a reaction. The Fed's Jackson Hole conference isn't literally meaningless — a Fed chairman's remarks can shift expectations. But the better instinct is Buffett's: stay calm, pay attention to the businesses you own, and don't let a three-minute speech become a reason to change a long-term investment decision. Beyond that, it's just noise.
Prices and figures reflect the most recent market close and may be rounded.
Rankings reflect our research model's evaluation of performance and fundamentals — not a guarantee of future results.
Tap any stock to see the performance breakdown and company details.
This week's tip: Open a free brokerage account or Roth IRA with a reputable firm like Fidelity, Vanguard, or Schwab — you don't need thousands of dollars to start, and most have no minimum.
Robert Lee Carey, Founder, Invest Every Week
rlcarey@investeveryweek.net
Robert Lee Carey is not a licensed financial advisor. Invest Every Week is a research and education newsletter, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. The publisher may personally own securities discussed here and may buy or sell them at any time.