‘Jobs and 401(k)s are booming’: Trump applauds all-time high for US stock market as he posts snapshot of soaring Dow. Are you cashing in, too?

The post came as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both notched fresh record closes on May 6. Stocks climbed amid reports that the U.S. and Iran were moving closer to a potential deal to de-escalate conflict, alongside a wave of solid corporate earnings.

Trump then followed up by sharing a screenshot of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, framing it as further proof of the market's momentum (2). While the Dow did not itself reach a new record in this trading session, it still surged more than 600 points on Wednesday and remains just shy of its all-time high reached in February.

Trump's "jobs" claim got fresh support Friday morning, when the Labor Department reported that employers added 115,000 jobs in April, topping expectations of 55,000 (3). The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, giving the president another data point as he argues the economy remains on solid footing.

As for Trump's 401(k) boast, it fits a theme he's been emphasizing all year. In his 2026 State of the Union address, the president said "your 401(k)s are way up," adding that "Since I took office, the typical 401(k) balance is up by at least $30,000 (4)."

And the stock market's rally has indeed flowed through to retirement accounts.

According to Fidelity, the average 401(k) balance rose 11% from Q4 2024 to Q4 2025, reaching $146,400 (5). The average individual retirement account balance also gained ground, rising 7% year over year to $137,095 in 2025.

Vanguard reported a similar trend, stating that "strong market performance in 2025 led directly to substantial increases in retirement accounts (6)." Its average 401(k) balance rose 13% in 2025 to an all-time high of $167,970.

Ride America's market momentum

Long-term exposure to high-quality companies through the stock market has created enormous wealth over time — and not just when Trump is in the White House.

The S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has climbed 73% over the past five years, rewarding investors who patiently stayed in the market.

Trump believes things are only getting started. In a post on Truth Social earlier this year, he predicted "100,000 on the DOW by the end of my Term (7)."

With his term set to end in January 2029, that would imply a roughly 100% climb in the Dow in less than three years.

That bullish view has also been echoed by Kevin Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council. In a recent interview with Fox Business, Hassett said there's "a lot more room" for stocks to move higher (8).

"The bottom line is that there's an AI productivity boom which is feeding through to an earnings boom, and multiples aren't really that scary at all even though the market's skyrocketing," he said. "So I think there's a lot more room for everything to go up."

Still, investors shouldn't assume every stock will ride the wave equally. With markets soaring to new highs, some experts are warning about froth — and the risk of chasing momentum without doing the homework.

That's where research tools can come in handy. Platforms like Moby aim to simplify that homework. Its team of former hedge fund analysts does the heavy lifting — breaking down the market, flagging quality stocks, and making the research easy to digest.

In fact, across nearly 400 stock picks over the past four years, Moby's recommendations have beaten the S&P 500 by almost 12% on average. Their research keeps you up-to-the-minute on market shifts, and takes the guesswork out of choosing investments.

Plus, their reports are easy to understand for beginners, so you can become a smarter investor in just five minutes.

Build wealth through US real estate

Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.

In fact, legendary investor Warren Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him "1% of all the apartment houses in the country" for $25 billion, he would "write you a check (9)."

Why? Because regardless of what's happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.

Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.

Of course, you don't need Buffett's $25 billion — or even to buy a single property outright — to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.

Mogul is a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which 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.