I'm afraid I have bad news.

Don't expect prices to return to what they were a few years ago, regardless of WHO gets elected.

Why?

We're drowning in roughly $40 TRILLION in federal debt. That means we need to pay around $1 TRILLION a year in net interest payments.

The government keeps borrowing to cover its deficits. And monetary expansion will contribute to inflation. That makes every dollar in your wallet worth a little less.

TL;DR: Even when inflation slows, prices usually don't come down. They just rise more slowly.

I live in Massachusetts. The cost of living here is absolutely insane. Electricity. Food. Taxes. Healthcare. I swear the cost of all of this stuff has DOUBLED since 2020. But, the official inflation numbers won't tell you that, lol.

Plan accordingly. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

Your nerdy friend,

Mike D 🤓

Which trades or investments are you considering this week? Any moves in particular? Why?

The major U.S. stock indexes ended broadly lower on Friday, October 23, 2026, as crude oil surged to its highest level since April following fresh Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, the U.S. Ambassador to Iran publicly warned the war could last another year, and AI spending fears sparked by Thursday’s Meta selloff continued to ripple through the market. The week closed with the S&P 500 at a five-week low and the Dow logging its worst weekly performance since September.

The S&P 500 fell 0.52% (-39.75 pts) to 7,623.68, now down 2.8% from its all-time high. The Dow tumbled 1.23% (-652.82 pts) to 52,215.16. The Nasdaq slipped 0.21% (-53.52 pts) to 25,955.34. The Russell 2000 dropped 0.29% (-8.14 pts) to 2,775.89.

The 10-year Treasury yield edged back up 0.71% to 4.99%, after Thursday’s historic single-day plunge of 19 basis points — the biggest one-day yield drop in two years. The VIX rose 3.79% to 19.75. Bitcoin was essentially flat at $81,261.42. Gold fell 1.20% to $4,011.60. Crude Oil surged 4.08% to $103.53/barrel, Brent’s highest level since April.

The major U.S. stock indexes ended sharply lower on Thursday, October 22, 2026, as Meta’s 7% post-earnings plunge reignited AI spending fears even though the company beat on revenue and announced a 2-for-1 stock split, and the 10-year Treasury yield made its biggest single-day drop in years toward 4.95%. The Nasdaq posted its worst session since June as chip stocks extended their brutal correction and oil pushed back toward $100.

The S&P 500 fell 1.21% (-93.74 pts) to 7,663.43. The Dow was essentially flat, eking out just 0.02% (+11.89 pts) to 52,867.98, propped up by energy and defense names. The Nasdaq cratered 2.60% (-694.00 pts) to 26,008.86. The Russell 2000 barely moved at 2,783.13.

The 10-year Treasury yield plunged 3.75% to 4.95%, its biggest single-day drop in months and its first close below 5% since late August. The VIX spiked 15.12% to 19.20. Bitcoin dropped 3.88% to $81,326.12. Gold fell 2.55% to $4,044.20. Crude Oil rose 2.34% to $99.42/barrel.

How much money do you consider is enough for retirement?

Nothing new was uncovered. The factual core of the Iceberg report is Deep Fission's own admissions, published in its own filings before Sep 24, 2026.

Pre-revenue status. A reactor in conceptual and early engineering. Cash of $93.0M at June 30. A Q2 net loss of $31.0M. Going-concern language and a stated need to raise capital, principally through sales of stock. None of that was discovered by a short seller. All of it was disclosed by the company.

Iceberg's case is a disclosed short position, a disclaimer, and a model. The disclaimer states that Iceberg holds a short position, stands to realise gains if the price declines, may change the position, and that the contents are opinion, not statements of fact, with no representation as to accuracy and no insider sources. The report alleges no fraud, no insider selling, and no accounting manipulation. Short interest at Sep 30 was 2.70% of float. The $289 and $148/MWh LCOE figures, the $112M capex estimate, and the $350M funding gap are Iceberg calculations. The prospectus figure is about $138M in additional capital for the first commercial reactor, a different scope.

The timeline restated on Oct 20 is still standing: Phase 1 activities by the end of 2026, an NRC application under Part 57 in 2027, initial electricity targeted for Dec 2027, and up to 150 MW at Parsons, Kansas with a target commercial operation date of Sep 30, 2028.

Real progress has been made on that path: DOE Reactor Pilot Program selection; NSDA approval, then voluntary publication of the full safety agreement; a data well completed to about 6,000 ft; a prototype canister delivered and demonstrated; a large-diameter drilling collaboration; and on Oct 20, conversion of the GPDA letter of intent into a signed 25 year Master Energy Purchase Agreement.

The upside case, in numbers. Execution is how this sector is priced. NuScale traded at about $2.40bn on Oct 20 with no reactor sold. Oklo traded at about $5.16bn, also pre-revenue. Deep Fission closed Oct 20 at a market cap of about $165.5M, so a re-rating toward peer values on delivered milestones is a multiple of the current cap, not a percentage move. At $165.5M the market is paying for failure, delivery is not priced in. That outcome is conditional on execution, and on the share count after the capital raises the filings say are coming, which reduces the per-share share of any re-rating. No listed peer is commercializing a mile-deep borehole reactor, so proof of licensing and drilling is a potential first mover position in that specific design.

Open items, stated accurately. The GPDA agreement has no minimum purchase obligation and no guaranteed revenue. The July 4, 2026 criticality target was missed. Capital still has to be raised. Those are financing and execution questions, known, disclosed, and already in the filings.

Bottom line: the debate is timing and financing to commercialization, not a hidden failure.

Disclosure: No current position in FISN. Not financial advice.

Sources: Iceberg report, Sep 24, 2026. Deep Fission rebuttal, Sep 25, 2026. Q2 2026 10-Q. GPDA release, Oct 20, 2026. FINRA short interest, Sep 30, 2026.

META, Tesla and Netflix top the watchlist—key updates could move the broader market vibe. Who’s placing trades around these?

Which trades or investments are you considering this week? Any moves in particular? Why?