S&P 500 Up 6%: Lessons in Disciplined and Diversified Investing | AWM Insights #204

May delivered the S&P 500’s strongest month in three decades, catching most experts flat-footed. In this AWM Insights episode, the team unpacks why disciplined, integrated investing—not predictions or gut feelings—can set your investing apart across decades of market cycles. 

With stories from the trenches of financial turbulence and reminders of how emotional decisions sabotage legacies, this conversation stays grounded in the essentials: stick to the playbook, trust diversification, and let evidence—not headlines—call your shots. The episode wraps with a clear-eyed take on gold, crypto, and why “boring” often wins championships when everyone else is chasing hype.

Key highlights

• The S&P 500 surged 6% in May—an outlier month that shows even slow seasons can contain game-changing rallies most never see coming.
• Timing the market isn’t a strategy, it’s a gamble; discipline and long-term focus win out over predictions and headlines, as reinforced by every cycle.
• Emotional choices—like selling in panic or buying the rally—lead most investors to miss crucial recovery days and endure deep drawdowns; AWM’s playbook is built to prevent those mistakes.
• Gold’s rise is driven by speculation, not utility; AWM avoids direct gold allocations, preferring companies (like gold miners) that create measurable value.
• Crypto earns a spot in the conversation—not for speculative trading, but for its foundational technology and carefully selected private investment exposure.
• Diversification remains the “free lunch.” In practice, it is how seasoned teams weather volatility, capture rebounds, and keep families positioned for the enduring advantage that defines a 100-year legacy.

For more, head to www.athletefamilyoffice.com.