If you want to make money in the markets, you need a smooth ride upward...
That's what many folks think, anyway.
But as a Health & Wealth Bulletin reader, you know better. You don't need the market to go up to make money. You don't even have to try to guess where the market might move next.
Instead, you need to build a portfolio that can profit if markets are up, down, or stagnant.
One way to do that is by using other investors' fear. To track that, we use the CBOE Volatility Index (the "VIX").
Often referred to as the "fear index," the VIX measures how much investors are willing to pay for wealth protection.
It's a little like looking at how much people are paying for flood insurance in a city and using that to deduce how often floods hit the area.
A low VIX means people aren't expecting much action in the markets. They're not fearful.
A rising VIX signals that people are expecting more volatility in the market and that people could be getting fearful.
When there's less fear and people are putting their money into the market, you see the VIX fall and stocks rise.
You can see where the VIX has been over the past year.
Those huge spikes late last year were largely due to tariff fears. But this spring, we saw the VIX rise again after the U.S. and Israel began military strikes on Iran.
We're still well off from historically high periods of volatility. During the 2008 to 2009 financial crisis, the VIX spiked above 80.
Many investors see even these recent bumps in volatility as a time to hide their heads in the sand. But more knowledgeable investors know how to use these spikes to their advantage. Despite rising volatility, I'm still bullish overall on the market. So these times offer ways to boost your income.
With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Treasury yields hitting new highs, and inflation fears, we could continue to see higher than normal volatility.
And two Wall Street experts believe the market has entered a new phase where volatility is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Instead of relying on traditional long-term investing strategies, they argue that investors need a more flexible approach built for rapid market swings, economic uncertainty, and major global events.
And next week, they're unveiling their combined system that can help investors better spot momentum, follow institutional money flows, and uncover opportunities tied to some of the market's biggest emerging trends.
Although volatility is likely here to stay, with the right tools and strategy, investors may be able to use it to their advantage instead of simply reacting to it.
Click here to learn more about their approach.
Now, let's get to this week's Q&A... And as always, keep sending your comments, questions, and topic suggestions to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. My team and I read every e-mail.
The Best Health-Monitoring Devices for Seniors
Q: Is there a health monitoring wristwatch or device you would recommend for seniors? The choices seem innumerable and cover a broad spectrum of monitorable health conditions. At 76 there may be one more specific for my age group. – J.G.
A: Thanks for your question, J.G.
As a senior, there are other things you want from wearable tech than the standard fitness tracking that someone in their 40s wants. For example, falling is a major risk for seniors. Newer models of Apple, Samsung, and Google Pixel smartwatches have a feature that can detect a hard fall and alert an emergency contact or emergency services.
When it comes to health metrics, I recommend a device that tracks your heart rate, heart-rate variability, sleep quality, and blood-oxygen level. Some smartwatches also track blood pressure, but the accuracy isn't quite there yet. So if you're worried about blood pressure, get a dedicated monitor for that.
I've tried wrist devices like Whoop, Apple Watch, and the Oura smart ring. I'd have to say that the latter is my favorite. It's small and comfortable on my finger, and I can wear the ring for several days without having to charge the battery. I have to charge my Apple Watch each day, and it can't track my movement or sleep while it's charging.
Also, sometimes I get a little bit of light pollution from seeing the sensor lights on the underside of the Whoop or Apple Watch if I have my arm positioned at the wrong angle in the middle of the night.
Oura has sophisticated sensors for your body temperature, heart rate, respiration, and body movements. While the ring has light sensors, they aren't as bright as the smartwatches', so it won't wake you up. If you don't need the watch features of a smartwatch (like seeing the time and looking at messages on your wrist), the Oura ring is an incredible tracker. However, it doesn't have the fall-detection feature you'll find in a good smartwatch.
The Oura can pair with either an iPhone or an Android phone to share its findings. But if you buy a smartwatch, I recommend getting an Apple Watch if you have an iPhone... or a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy watch if you have an Android phone.
The Apple Watch tends to score the highest, especially for tracking your heart health. But the Google and Samsung watches also score highly, and you need an iPhone to use all the Apple Watch's functions.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? This market's rally isn't healthy.
- Something different: The future of podcasts... with AI hosts.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
May 22, 2026
P.S. Our offices are closed for Memorial Day next Monday, May 25. Expect your next Health & Wealth Bulletin issue on Tuesday, May 26.