What I am seeing right now
Let me be honest with you — February 2026 has been quite a ride. The markets are not making it easy to stay calm, but that is exactly why we need to stick to our plan.
The big picture
S&P 500 has been bouncing around the 6,900 range. Bitcoin is consolidating somewhere between $65,000 and $70,000 — honestly, it feels like it is catching its breath after that run-up. And gold? Gold keeps hovering around $2,900, which is just insane when you think about it.
USD/JPY is hanging around 149-150. Not much movement there, but I am keeping an eye on it.
What worries me
There are few things that keep me up at night:
The US tariff policy is a mess. Every week it seems like there is a new headline about trade tensions. Nobody really knows what is coming next, and that uncertainty is expensive.
The Fed is still playing it safe with interest rates. I get it — they are data-dependent, but waiting and waiting and waiting has its own costs.
And of course, geopolitics is a mess everywhere. Europe, Middle East, Asia — it feels like something is always boiling over.
Oh, and tech valuations. Some of these AI stocks are priced for perfection. Just be careful out there.
What I am doing
Honestly? Nothing special. That is the point.
I am still putting in ¥154,391 every month like clockwork. Dollar-cost averaging is not exciting, but it works.
My 90/10 allocation feels right. The 90% in stocks gives me growth, and the 10% in gold is my insurance policy. Some people think 10% in gold is too much. I disagree. After everything I have learned, I sleep better with some real money under the mattress.
I am holding cash for opportunities. When everyone is panicking, you want to have dry powder.
My take
Volatility is not the enemy — it is the price you pay for long-term returns. If you cannot handle seeing your portfolio drop 20%, you should not be in the market in the first place.
My goal is still clear: financial independence by 2038. The market will do what it does. I will keep doing what I do.
See you next week.
