MW Why it may be better if your children don't have to wait to inherit your money
By Philip van Doorn
Also, the case for another banner year for emerging-market stocks and how six young traders each made a killing
Parents who are making estate plans might want to give some of the money to their adult children sooner to help cover expenses for housing and education for their grandchildren.
Parents with adult children might be planning to leave behind significant sums as part of their estates. But maybe they should consider giving money to the next generation earlier. The money could be far more helpful when the adult children are buying homes or facing other major expenses than it would be when the children themselves are nearing retirement age.
Charles Passy explained how to take a balanced approach when considering giving money to your adult children.
Related: Gen Z would rather cut Social Security benefits for current retirees than pay higher taxes to save the program
Why emerging-market stocks might have an excellent 2026
The MSCI Emerging Markets Index in U.S. dollars has returned 29.8% so far in 2025, while the S&P 500 has returned 16.6%, both with dividends reinvested.
This has been another good year for U.S. stocks, as represented by the S&P 500 SPX, but the MSCI Emerging Markets Index XX:891800 in U.S. dollars has almost doubled the S&P 500's 2025 performance.
In the Market Extra column, Christine Idzelis explained this year's outperformance for emerging-markets stocks and why it might continue in 2026.
How six young investors made a lot of money and shared their strategies
Joseph Adinolfi and Gordon Gottsegen interviewed six investors who are students or at early stages of their careers and have made tremendous profits by taking risky positions in the stock market. They credited social media for some of their decisions while sharing their strategies.
Tech stocks
There was more volatility for the generative-artificial-intelligence trade this week. Shares of Broadcom $(AVGO)$ closed at $329.88 on Thursday, down 8.3% from the close on Friday, Dec. 12. Meanwhile, Oracle's stock $(ORCL)$ declined another 5.2% to close at $180.04 on Thursday. Here are total returns with dividends reinvested for the largest 15 stocks in the S&P 500 by market capitalization since Sept. 30, along with year-to-date returns through Thursday:
Company Total return from Sept. 30 through Dec. 18 YTD total return Market Cap ($bil) Nvidia Corp. -6.7% 29.7% $4,232 Apple Inc. 7.0% 9.2% $4,022 Alphabet Inc. 24.5% 60.4% $3,657 Microsoft Corp. -6.4% 15.7% $3,597 Amazon.com Inc. 3.3% 3.4% $2,424 Meta Platforms Inc. -9.4% 13.8% $1,675 Tesla Inc. 8.7% 19.7% $1,608 Broadcom Inc. 0.0% 43.3% $1,558 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. 0.1% 11.1% $1,086 Eli Lilly and Co. 38.7% 37.9% $999 Walmart Inc. -0.2% -0.2% $915 JPMorgan Chase & Co. -0.3% 33.4% $861 Visa Inc. 1.6% 10.3% $662 Oracle Corp. -35.9% 9.1% $517 Mastercard Inc. -0.3% 8.1% $508 Source: LSEG
Oracle has been the worst performer since Sept. 30, down 35.9% as the S&P 500 has returned 1.6%.
Christine Ji reported on how the rumor mill was pushing Oracle's share price lower.
Oracle's stock turned higher in after-hours trading on Thursday, after Bloomberg reported that TikTok had signed on as a customer for Oracle's cloud services.
More coverage of technology stocks:
-- Micron just had its Nvidia moment. What comes next for the stock?
-- CoreWeave and Nebius shares rebound. Were debt fears too extreme?
-- Meta's stock could soar in the next six months, along with these under-the-radar picks
-- Nvidia and other chip stocks rise - but that doesn't mean the AI trade is back for good
Digging deep into Social Security timing
Social Security timing decisions can be complicated, and it can only help if partners work together through all the scenarios.
This week in the Help Me Retire column, Alessandra Malito answered questions from a man in his 60s who plans to continue working until the age of 70 but needs help understanding how his wife can maximize her spousal benefits or her survivor benefits if he dies first. Maximizing both of their Social Security benefits can involve a complex set of decisions.
More: 'I expected to die': I claimed Social Security early, but I'm still alive
Better times ahead for people who use weight-loss medications
Jaime Lee explained how the next generation of GLP-1 medications from Elli Lilly and Novo Nordisk could make life a lot easier for people who need to lose weight.
More healthcare coverage:
-- The deadline to enroll in Obamacare is at hand if you want coverage to start Jan. 1
-- Medline's IPO underscores broad investor appetite for a sleepy corner of the healthcare business
-- Senate votes on ACA fail, threatening a rise in healthcare costs for everyone
How to work around the stigma against FHA mortgage loans
An FHA loan with a low down payment might be the only way some people can afford to purchase their first home.
Aarthi Swaminathan looked into FHA loans, which are meant to help first-time buyers or veterans afford homes with low down payments, with government guarantees for the lenders. Here's why some home sellers shy away from FHA buyers and how to work around that problem.
More from Aarthi Swaminathan:
-- 'Stunning and blunt' Trump proposal could make it easier for lenders to deny women and minorities credit, loans and mortgages
-- I'm 60 and plan to buy my mother's home in Georgia. Should I get a mortgage or family loan?
Trump gives his blessing to medical marijuana
After being down for most of 2025, the AdvisorShares Pure U.S. Cannabis ETF soared in anticipation of President Trump announcement on Thursday of an executive order on medical marijuana.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Thursday meant to push the reclassification of marijuana and hemp-derived CBD to Schedule III from Schedule I. You can see on the chart above how anticipation of the order was reflected in price movement for the volatile AdvisorShares Pure U.S. Cannabis ETF MSOS.
Bill Peters and Victor Reklaitis looked into what the anticipated reclassifications might mean for users and suppliers of medical marijuana.
Should you consider doing this with your 401(k)?
If you have a tax-deferred retirement plan at work, you might have already received information on how you can convert some or all of your account to an annuity to receive guaranteed income. Beth Pinsker looked into how these new offers work and how you can consider whether or not converting to an annuity might be right for you.
The Moneyist doesn't mince words
Quentin Fottrell is the Moneyist.
Quentin Fottrell - the Moneyist - answered questions from a man whose girlfriend thinks he has provided too much financial assistance to his son. Fottrell's discussion about relationship boundaries includes some tough medicine.
More from the Moneyist:
-- 'It's heartbreaking': My cousin died and her estranged husband has taken possession of her home. Can we evict him?
-- 'We all have economic jitters': After the Fed cut rates, should my son buy a $600K house?
-- My mother ghosted me after my father died. Is she stealing his money?
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-Philip van Doorn
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December 19, 2025 11:46 ET (16:46 GMT)
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