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The United States has been living with a huge trade deficit for decades. But with drastic tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, that gap is suddenly narrowing — and much faster than expected.
This became clear on CNBC when anchor Rick Santelli reacted in real time to the latest numbers.
“As for the trade balance, which we know will be in deficit, we expect a figure of around $58 billion,” Santelli said Thursday morning (1). Reading the Commerce Department’s update, his tone changed. “Fasten your seat belt, it’s unreal! The evolution of this number: -$29.4 billion — we cut it in half! We cut it in half!”
October’s trade deficit of $29.4 billion is not only well below economists’ forecasts: it represents a 39% decline from September’s $48.1 billion (2).
Santelli also highlighted how dramatic the change was from earlier this year, before Trump’s tariffs took effect.
“Consider this: In March, it was $136 billion. Right now, it’s just under $30 billion. We haven’t been this small in a long time – I don’t have enough records here to go back that far!” he said.
This turns out to be the lowest trade deficit since June 2009.
Tariffs are designed to discourage imports and reshape trade flows, so this trend is not entirely unexpected. As Santelli noted, “Here are the reasons the rate went down: imports went down and exports went up. »
To be sure, Trump’s massive tariffs have drawn criticism, including fears of retaliation from major trading partners. But with the latest figures, some economists seem more optimistic.
“The United States appears to be winning the trade war with tariffs limiting imports of foreign goods, but America’s trading partners bear no ill will as they continue to buy more American goods and services,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds (3).
“So far, predictions of a U.S. recession are proving nil as productivity continues to support growth.”
Recent data confirms this assessment. U.S. GDP grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025 – the strongest pace since late 2023 and well above economists’ expectations of a 3.2% increase (4).
Some analysts predict more tailwinds ahead. Michael Pearce, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, highlighted reduced uncertainty, fiscal support and more accommodative monetary policy (5).
“We expect the reduction in political uncertainty, the boost from tax cuts and the recent easing of monetary policy to result in a strengthening economy in 2026,” Pearce said.
If you share this optimism, here are some simple ways to position yourself for U.S. growth in 2026 – and beyond.
The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. Trump has highlighted this strength, recently saying, “The only thing that’s really going up? It’s the stock market and your 401(k)s.”
The benchmark S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has gained about 82% over the past five years.
Read more: Are you approaching retirement without savings? Don’t panic, you are not alone. Here are 6 easy ways to catch up (and quickly)
Of course, it’s not easy to systematically pick winning stocks. That’s why legendary investor Warren Buffett says most people don’t need to pick individual companies at all to benefit from long-term growth in the stock market.
“In my opinion, for most people, the best thing you can do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett said (7). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of the largest U.S. companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.
The beauty of this approach lies in its accessibility: anyone, regardless of wealth, can benefit from it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.
Signing up for Acorns takes just a few minutes: link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference – your spare change – in a diversified portfolio.
With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 – and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you start your investing journey.
Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth creation in America.
In fact, Buffett often references real estate to explain what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett said that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment buildings in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check (8).”
For what? Because regardless of what’s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently bring in money on rent.
Real estate also provides a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values also rise, reflecting rising costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to increase, providing landlords with an income stream that adjusts for inflation.
Of course, you don’t need $25 billion – or even buy a single property – to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived offer an easier way to gain exposure to this income-generating asset class.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived lets you invest in rental home stocks for as little as $100, all without having to mow the lawn, fix leaky faucets, or deal with difficult tenants.
The process is simple: browse a selection of homes that have been reviewed for appreciation and income potential. Once you have found a property you like, select the number of shares you wish to purchase, then sit back as you begin receiving positive rental income distributions from your investment.
Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through commercial properties anchored by grocery stores without taking on the responsibilities of a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. With triple net leases, qualified investors can invest in these properties without worrying about rental costs reducing their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions, including how much you want to invest, to start browsing the full list of available properties.
The trade report also drew attention to a notable commodity: gold.
In October, exports of non-monetary gold jumped by $6.8 billion, while imports of the precious metal fell by $1.4 billion.
Gold is on a strong rise, climbing about 70% over the past 12 months as of early January. Investors have long looked to the yellow metal as a safe haven – a hedge against uncertainty, inflation and geopolitical tensions.
Unlike fiat currencies, gold is not tied to any government and cannot be printed out of thin air by central banks. When markets become turbulent, money tends to move toward assets perceived as stable – and gold often tops the list.
Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has repeatedly highlighted the role of gold in a resilient portfolio.
“People generally don’t have a sufficient amount of gold in their portfolio,” Dalio told CNBC earlier last year. “When tough times come, gold is a very effective diversification tool.”
He’s not the only one who seems optimistic. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said that in this environment, gold can “easily” reach $10,000 an ounce.
One way to invest in gold that also offers significant tax benefits is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets in a retirement account, combining the tax benefits of an IRA with the protection benefits of investing in gold, making them an option for those looking to protect their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.
When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.
Public procurement shows only one aspect of how wealth is created. Many of the largest and most successful technology companies stay private for years, growing behind the scenes and creating incredible value long before the IPO bell rings.
It is in venture capital that the first bets on future giants are placed. But for decades, venture capital has been one of the few tables in the financial industry where retail investors can’t get a seat.
Fundrise finally disrupted this dynamic a few years ago by launching a venture capital product with two goals. One: Building a portfolio of the world’s most valuable private technology companies. Second: make it accessible to as many people as possible, with investments starting at just $10.
Today, Fundrise manages billions of dollars of assets in the private market and its venture capital product is designed specifically for investors like you who want to quickly get started with transformative technologies like AI.
Check out their venture capital portfolio today and start investing in minutes.
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