Trump says 401(k)s are up ‘double and triple’ as America enters golden age

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President Donald Trump says Americans’ retirement accounts are enjoying a historic run — and he believes the best may still be ahead.

During a recent interview with Fox News, Trump pointed to record stock prices, rising employment and a wave of new factory investment as evidence that the U.S. economy is firing on all cylinders.

“We hit an all-time stock market high,” Trump said (1).

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Then he turned to Americans’ retirement savings.

“401(k)s are the highest they’ve ever been by double and triple,” he said.

Trump did not explain precisely what he meant by “double and triple,” and individual 401(k) returns vary widely depending on what workers own, when they began investing and how much they contribute.

But his broader point was unmistakable: with stocks soaring to record highs, Americans who have stayed invested have had plenty to celebrate.

The benchmark S&P 500 has gained about 29% since the beginning of Trump’s second term, lifting retirement accounts along the way.

According to Fidelity (2), the average 401(k) balance rose 11% from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026, reaching $141,000. Although a good boost, this doesn’t qualify as double or triple.

Vanguard (3) reported a similar trend, stating that “strong market performance in 2025 led directly to substantial increases in retirement accounts.” Its average 401(k) balance rose 13% in 2025 to an all-time high of $167,970.

And Trump believes the country is only beginning to feel the benefits of his economic agenda.

“This is the GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA, and we’re just getting started,” he wrote in a Truth Social post (4).

‘America is WINNING!’

Trump has been particularly bullish on one corner of the economy: manufacturing.

“Manufacturing is BOOMING!” he wrote in the same post, pointing to U.S. factory activity reaching its fastest pace in more than four years.

Exports are another area he has highlighted.

“American Exports are on FIRE. U.S. Goods Exports have now topped 200 BILLION DOLLARS for the fifth consecutive month,” he added. “We are on pace for nearly 2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS in Goods Exports this year — Numbers nobody thought possible just two years ago.”

And once again, he pointed to Wall Street as evidence that investors are buying into the story.

“The Stock Market is at an ALL TIME HIGH, and setting Record after Record because Investors know America is WINNING!” he wrote.

For retirement savers, that raises a simple question: are you participating?

Put America’s growth to work — start with free money

For many Americans, building long-term wealth does not begin with identifying the next Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) or guessing which industry will benefit most from Trump’s policies.

It starts with taking full advantage of the benefits already available through the workplace.

If your employer offers a 401(k) match, contributing enough to receive the full match is often one of the most attractive first steps.

For example, an employer that matches contributions dollar for dollar up to a certain percentage of salary is effectively adding money to your retirement account whenever you contribute.

That is why an employer match is often described as “free money” — and why many investors prioritize capturing it before moving on to other accounts.

From there, investors may consider contributing to an IRA, increasing their 401(k) contributions further and eventually investing additional money through a taxable brokerage account.

The exact order will depend on factors such as taxes, income, debt, liquidity needs and whether someone has access to an employer retirement plan.

But one principle remains consistent: the earlier money gets invested, the longer it has to compound.

And you do not need to be an expert stock picker to participate in that growth.

Investing legend Warren Buffett has repeatedly argued (5) that for most people, “the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund.” By tracking the index, investors gain exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio. That coffee for $3.25? It’s now a 75-cent investment in your retirement.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

If you prefer a hands-off, tech-forward approach to building wealth, another option is Vanguard’s Digital Advisor, which puts the investing expertise of one of the world’s largest asset managers right at your fingertips.

It takes the guesswork out of investing by building a personalized portfolio for you using Vanguard’s well-known low-cost ETFs and mutual funds — then keeps things running smoothly with automatic rebalancing.

The platform also offers guidance on saving for retirement and lets you set additional goals as your life evolves.

It can even help you think through debt repayment strategies, potentially freeing up more cash to invest toward your long-term plans.

With a minimum investment of just $100, it’s an easy way to get started with professionally guided investing.

For every $10,000 in an all-index portfolio, you’ll pay approximately $15 to $16 per year.*

You can even test-drive the Vanguard experience with no advisory fees for the first 90 days.

*All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

Build retirement income beyond stocks

A growing 401(k) can build substantial wealth over time, but retirement eventually creates another challenge: turning those accumulated assets into income.

That is where real estate can play a different role.

Rental properties can potentially generate recurring cash flow while also offering long-term appreciation.

And unlike a stock that may need to be sold to fund living expenses, income-producing real estate can generate rent month after month.

Real estate has historically also provided protection against inflation. When the cost of labor, materials and land rises, property values and rents can rise as well.

Owning rental property directly, however, can require substantial capital — not to mention finding tenants, handling repairs and dealing with the tedious responsibilities of being a landlord.

The good news? You don’t need to buy a property outright — or deal with leaky faucets — to invest in real estate today. Crowdfunding platforms like mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

As a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, mogul gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which gives accredited investors access to single-asset multifamily and industrial deals.

Lightstone DIRECT’s direct-to-investor model ensures a high degree of alignment between individual investors and a vertically-integrated, institutional owner-operator — a sophisticated and streamlined option for individual investors looking to diversify into private-market real estate.

With Lightstone DIRECT, accredited individuals can access the same multifamily and industrial assets Lightstone pursues with its own capital, with minimum investments starting at $100,000.

Give your IRA a golden hedge

Trump also says prices are headed lower.

“The food, the groceries — it’s all coming down,” he told Fox News.

He predicted gasoline could fall into the $3 range and possibly even toward $2.50 per gallon if geopolitical tensions ease and oil markets normalize.

But inflation is notoriously difficult to predict.

Tariffs — one of Trump’s signature policies — can raise the cost of imported goods, while wars, energy disruptions, supply-chain problems and government spending can all put renewed pressure on prices.

That is one reason some investors look beyond stocks and bonds when building a retirement nest egg.

Gold has been used as a store of value for thousands of years and is often viewed as a hedge against inflation, currency weakness and financial uncertainty.

Unlike dollars, its supply cannot simply be increased by a central bank. And unlike a stock or bond, physical gold does not depend on a company generating profits or a borrower making payments.

For investors looking to hold precious metals inside a tax-advantaged retirement account, one option is to open a gold IRA with the help of Goldco.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it a compelling potential option for those wanting to ensure their retirement funds are diversified during rough economic times.

Goldco offers free shipping and access to a library of retirement resources. Plus, the company will match up to 10% of qualified purchases in free silver.

If you’re curious whether this is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, you can download your free gold and silver information guide today. Just keep in mind that gold is usually used as one part of a diversified portfolio, not a wholesale replacement.

Trump says 401(k)s are up ‘double and triple’ as America enters golden age — are you all set to get rich?

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