How to Turn $10k Into $1 Million in 13 Years

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I hate buy-and-hold.

I always have.

Why?

Because buying-and-holding growth stocks is a finicky, nonsensical, and dangerous proposition.

Need proof?

Here are a few recent examples of growth gone very bad:

That's quite a list:

• KMX down 62%
• GME down 54%
• NIO down 86%
• PTON down 94%
• ZM down 82%

Many of these companies are still in our lives on a daily basis. Tons of people still use Zoom, have Pelotons, drive EVs, play video games, and buy used cars.

And all of those companies would have destroyed people's retirement.

All because they bought-and-held growth stocks.

Is there a solution?

Not really. We could use a trading system--but all that would do in these cases is keep us out of the market. We wouldn't be making any money going Long because they're constantly plummeting.

We could daytrade, but that's a lot of work and unprofitable for most.

No, buying-and-holding growth stocks is a perilous undertaking with extreme downside.

But indexes are a completely different story.

Indexes aren't going to zero like Zoom and Peloton and NIO might. Indexes aren't staying depressed forever like Zoom and Peloton and NIO might.

Furthermore, there's one terrible truth I've learned over two decades of trading:

You can't beat buy-and-hold...when it works.

No trading system can ever beat AAPL from 2003-2025:

That's a 119,000% return (and AAPL is nearing a new breakout level at $260.10, by the way).

Of course, you'd have to pick AAPL correctly, hold it forever, and Apple would have to be the opposite of PTON.

How do we know if AAPL is the next Apple or the next Zoom? We don't.

But we do have a weapon at our disposal.

Index ETFs.

Not just any index ETFs, though. We have leveraged ones.

Which brings us to the title of this Newsletter.

There is a documented, factual way to turn an initial stake of $10,000 into $1 million in just thirteen years.

It's not a trading system.

And it's not crypto (even though buying Bitcoin in 2013 would've done it).

It's TQQQ.

Now, many people still prefer trading over buying-and-holding. I felt that way for decades.

And if we like to trade and like having much lower drawdowns, we could put the Incredible System on TQQQ and do quite well. A video on The Incredible System is HERE.

In short, we use a monthly chart and get in when price closes above the 12-month SMA and get out when it closes below. If we do that, an initial account of $10k would turn into $220,000 if we compounded our gains:

But that's obviously not a million dollars.

And we know why: buy-and-hold always beats a trading system on indexes (when it comes to max dollar amount).

So, what if we bought $10k of TQQQ in March 2012 (the same time as the Incredible System took its first trade) and held through September 2025?

We're almost there. Just buying-and-holding TQQQ turned $10k into $970k. Pretty amazing and way more than a trading system.

Can we get to a million? Absolutely. All we have to do is add $100 a month to our account over that time period. If we do that...

That simple add-on got us from an initial stake of $10,000 to $1.3 million.

That kills a trading system and embarrasses SPY. And it's not that long of a time period.

Are there problems?

Sure.

For one, the drawdowns can be monstrous. If we sell during a drawdown--like anything else--it ruins everything.

For another, with growth we eventually do have to sell. That's tough. And then we have to do something with our profits.

Which, of course, means putting our wins into dividends. So we'd have to have a dividend income plan, too.

And another problem is that everyone tells us TQQQ is NOT a buy-and-hold instrument. If we buy-and-hold TQQQ over time, our accounts will spectacularly burst into flames.

Except I've held a small position in TQQQ since December 2023. Has it destroyed my life and everything around it?

Nope. I'm up 64%.

So, what's the takeaway?

If we want to turn a small account into a very big one, there is a way--and it's easily accessible to all of us.

Just buy-and-hold a leveraged ETF.

If we can stand the drawdowns, the data shows that big profits can be had.

Talk to you soon.

DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice.

It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these videos will be profitable or that they will not result in losses. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. Examples presented are for educational purposes only. These set-ups are not solicitations of any order to buy or sell. The authors, the publisher, and all affiliates assume no responsibility for your trading results. There is a high degree of risk in trading. HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN INHERENT LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT ACTUALLY BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER- OR OVER-COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.

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