The Stacking Benjamins Show

Episode: Our Annual Magic 8 Ball Predictions for 2026 (SB1788)
Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Joe Saul-Sehy & OG
Panelists: Mindy Jensen (BiggerPockets Money), Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com)
Tone: Light, humorous, conversational

Episode Overview

In this annual tradition, Joe, OG, Mindy, and Len gather around the mythical “card table” in Joe's Mom’s half-finished basement to review last year’s (2025) Magic 8 Ball predictions and boldly forecast what’s in store for 2026 in the world of money, investing, and pop culture. The legendary Magic 8 Ball’s prowess, and the panel's own instincts, are put to the test as they revisit past predictions, laugh at the 8 Ball’s loveably shaky record, and toss out a new round of bold, silly, and serious forecasts for the year ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2025 Prediction Recap: Magic 8 Ball’s Report Card

[06:05 – 43:27]

Pop Culture Start: Kicked off by asking if "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" would finally be canceled. The show survived, but the Magic 8 Ball predicted wrongly that it wouldn’t.
Retail Reality: Panel queried whether Macy's would declare bankruptcy. Macy’s survived (thanks in part to the Thanksgiving Day parade, per Joe), and again the 8 Ball missed.
Market Moves:
- Mortgage rates: OG predicted a drop below 6.5%; actual rates hovered near 6.1%, so a correct prediction by human panel, but Magic 8 Ball again guessed wrong.
- Stock Market: Would the Dow close above 50,000? It got close (high of 48,254) but didn’t cross. 8 Ball missed again.
- Silver Surge: Len asked if silver would hit $40; it shot past to $56, finally giving the 8 Ball a correct answer.
- Bitcoin vs Gold: Gold outperformed Bitcoin in 2025.
- Berkshire Hathaway’s Run: Mindy asked if a share would hit $950,000; high was just over $812,000.
Insurance Woes: The panel discussed how extreme weather events and natural disasters significantly pushed up homeowners (and auto) insurance.
- Quote [14:45]: "Of all the things that they're worried about price increases, it's not food, groceries, fuel, it's insurance. That's people's most item that has impacted them the most in 2025" – Len Penzo
Wildcards:
- Will drones over U.S. cities be explained? (Yes, just tech companies testing.)
- Will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged? (Yes – August 26, 2025. 8 Ball guessed right.)
- Will the Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl? No, and much loving grief for Joe as a fan.

Memorable Running Gag: The Magic 8 Ball starts out “with the accuracy of the 2008 Detroit Lions” (i.e., abysmal), prompting much banter about lackluster prediction skills and repeated references to sports teams’ woes.

2. Economic Trends and Market Perspectives

[07:54, 09:34, 10:05, 10:53, 29:30, 30:11]

Stock Market All-Time Highs: Despite ongoing worries about tariffs and retail struggles, the market performed robustly.
- Quote [09:54]:
  “When your portfolio's up, maybe you, you know, you feel better about spending.” – Len Penzo
- Mindy points out the disconnect between sensational market news headlines and the reality of incremental gains.
Indexing Advocated: Len reaffirms index funds as a sanity-preserving investment strategy.
Precious Metals Insights:
- Silver and gold both had exceptional years, reportedly up over 100% and 70% respectively.
- Ongoing skepticism toward cryptocurrencies, particularly as “store of value,” with both Len and OG noting its volatility and lack of tangible utility.
- Quote [29:30]:
  “It's a highly speculative asset, that's what it is. And it's masquerading as a monetary system safe haven.” – Len Penzo
Inflation and Rate Cuts:
- Lookback and bold prediction forward about potential rate cuts and how they could cause another wave of inflation.
- OG skeptical; Mindy suspects political pressure could drive the Fed in 2026.

3. Panelist Banter and Memorable Quotes

Sports, Nostalgia, and Playful Jabs
[17:39, 18:44, 25:24, 42:33, 56:41, 61:47]

Nostalgic recollections about Dow milestones and economic history, including Dow “10,000” hats and wild ride of Bitcoin prices.
Frequent, comical asides on football (good-natured ribbing about Lions, Bears, Chiefs, Cowboys, Rams, and Hoosiers).
- Quote [12:34]:
  “Oh, and three. Just like the Chiefs started off this year.” – Mindy Jensen
- Quote [32:28]:
  “Will OG lose 37 pounds in three days?” – Mindy, riffing on ChatGPT’s optimism.
Drone delivery anecdotes, including OG’s local “ice cream drone drop” in suburban Texas.
- Quote [24:58]:
  “What utopia do you live in?” – Mindy Jensen

4. 2026 Magic 8 Ball Predictions: New Year, New Guesses

[44:54 – 73:45]

Each panelist submitted three finance-related and one fun prediction for the coming year, consulting the newly recalibrated Magic 8 Ball for each. The predictions and the 8 Ball’s answers included:

Interest Rates: Will there be three Fed rate cuts before June 2026? (8 Ball: "It has been determined. So.") Panel skeptical.
Chinese Tech IPO: Will Huawei announce an IPO in 2026? (8 Ball: “No, they will not.” Panel concurs, “80% likely.”)
S&P 500: Will the S&P be up 15%+ for another year? (8 Ball: “Yes, I am sure.”)
Electricity Prices: Will electricity rates increase by 50% (to at least 18.6 cents/kWh for OG) by year's end? (8 Ball: “You can rely on that.”)
Elon Musk: Will he become a trillionaire this year? (8 Ball: “Yes, without question.”)
Bitcoin: Will it see $50,000 before $200,000? (8 Ball: “It is a strong possibility.”)
NFL Prediction: Will the Bears face the Broncos in the Super Bowl (and lose)? (8 Ball: “It is a certainty.”)
Gold: Will it reach $6,000/oz by December 1? (8 Ball: “Yes, I am sure.”)
AI Robo-Taxis: Will Tesla deliver 10,000 driverless cars by year-end? (8 Ball: “Highly doubtful.”)
Big Mac Index: Will the average price be $6.50+? (8 Ball: “Definitely, yes.”)
Inflation: Will US core CPI be over 3% YoY in September? (8 Ball: “Definitely, yes.”)
College Football: Will Indiana win the College Football Playoff National Championship? (8 Ball: “I am confident it is no.”)

Thematic Wrap-Up: The 8 Ball’s answers inferred a story: rate cuts, surging market, inflation, ballooning Big Mac prices, and Musk’s net worth blasting off—tying the panel’s concerns about monetary policy, inequality, and the cost of living into a cohesive (if comedic) narrative.

Notable Quotes and Moments

[14:45] Len Penzo: “Of all the things that they're worried about price increases, it's not food, groceries, fuel, it's insurance. That's people's most item that has impacted them the most in 2025.”
[29:30] Len Penzo: “It's a highly speculative asset, that's what it is. And it's masquerading as a monetary system safe haven.”
[12:34] Mindy Jensen (on Chiefs’ season): “Oh, and three. Just like the Chiefs started off this year.”
[39:32] Len Penzo (on retirement): “If he lives to 120. I guess you could call it early retirement.”
[32:28] Mindy Jensen (on ChatGPT): “Will OG lose 37 pounds in three days? It is certain.”
[68:43-68:57] Len Penzo: “I don't know if a lot of you do because they're so expensive, but... average price of a Big Mac....I want to know on December 1st of next year...will it be $6.50 or higher?”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start | Highlights | |---|---|---| | Introductions & Annual Theme | 00:00 | The panel gathers, explains the Magic 8 Ball concept | | 2025 Prediction Recap | 06:05 | Reviewing previous year's predictions – hits and misses | | Macro/Microeconomic Trends | 09:34 | Stock market highs, consumer optimism, inflation | | Cryptocurrency Skepticism | 29:30 | Panel's take on Bitcoin/crypto’s viability | | Sports & Pop Culture | 42:26 | Lions, Bears, Taylor Swift NFL wedding watch | | New Predictions for 2026 | 44:54 | Each panelist launches their finance/fun predictions with Magic 8 Ball answers | | Electric/AI/Inflation themes | 52:00 | Discussion about impacts of AI, rising utility rates, and cost-of-living | | Final Wrap-Up | 73:31 | Thematic summary, thanks & panel’s weekend plans |

Conclusion & Takeaways

Despite the Magic 8 Ball’s “Jim Cramer of predictive balls” performance in 2025 (scoring maybe 3/12), the panel keeps the mood fun and emphasizes the folly of forecasting, especially with market, tech, and pop culture trends.

Final Wisdom (from Doug) [77:55]:
"Don’t try and predict the future. If our Magic 8 Ball can't do it, your luck might not be so great... What are you doing trying to predict the future instead of making stuff happen?"

For Listeners:
Enjoy the ride, invest wisely (index funds recommended!), and don’t rely on Magic 8 Balls for your 2026 financial planning.

Show Links:

End of Summary

The Stacking Benjamins Show

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2025 Prediction Recap: Magic 8 Ball’s Report Card

[06:05 – 43:27]

Pop Culture Start: Kicked off by asking if "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" would finally be canceled. The show survived, but the Magic 8 Ball predicted wrongly that it wouldn’t.
Retail Reality: Panel queried whether Macy's would declare bankruptcy. Macy’s survived (thanks in part to the Thanksgiving Day parade, per Joe), and again the 8 Ball missed.
Market Moves:
- Mortgage rates: OG predicted a drop below 6.5%; actual rates hovered near 6.1%, so a correct prediction by human panel, but Magic 8 Ball again guessed wrong.
- Stock Market: Would the Dow close above 50,000? It got close (high of 48,254) but didn’t cross. 8 Ball missed again.
- Silver Surge: Len asked if silver would hit $40; it shot past to $56, finally giving the 8 Ball a correct answer.
- Bitcoin vs Gold: Gold outperformed Bitcoin in 2025.
- Berkshire Hathaway’s Run: Mindy asked if a share would hit $950,000; high was just over $812,000.
Insurance Woes: The panel discussed how extreme weather events and natural disasters significantly pushed up homeowners (and auto) insurance.
- Quote [14:45]: "Of all the things that they're worried about price increases, it's not food, groceries, fuel, it's insurance. That's people's most item that has impacted them the most in 2025" – Len Penzo
Wildcards:
- Will drones over U.S. cities be explained? (Yes, just tech companies testing.)
- Will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged? (Yes – August 26, 2025. 8 Ball guessed right.)
- Will the Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl? No, and much loving grief for Joe as a fan.

2. Economic Trends and Market Perspectives

[07:54, 09:34, 10:05, 10:53, 29:30, 30:11]

Stock Market All-Time Highs: Despite ongoing worries about tariffs and retail struggles, the market performed robustly.
- Quote [09:54]:
  “When your portfolio's up, maybe you, you know, you feel better about spending.” – Len Penzo
- Mindy points out the disconnect between sensational market news headlines and the reality of incremental gains.
Indexing Advocated: Len reaffirms index funds as a sanity-preserving investment strategy.
Precious Metals Insights:
- Silver and gold both had exceptional years, reportedly up over 100% and 70% respectively.
- Ongoing skepticism toward cryptocurrencies, particularly as “store of value,” with both Len and OG noting its volatility and lack of tangible utility.
- Quote [29:30]:
  “It's a highly speculative asset, that's what it is. And it's masquerading as a monetary system safe haven.” – Len Penzo
Inflation and Rate Cuts:
- Lookback and bold prediction forward about potential rate cuts and how they could cause another wave of inflation.
- OG skeptical; Mindy suspects political pressure could drive the Fed in 2026.

3. Panelist Banter and Memorable Quotes

Sports, Nostalgia, and Playful Jabs
[17:39, 18:44, 25:24, 42:33, 56:41, 61:47]

Nostalgic recollections about Dow milestones and economic history, including Dow “10,000” hats and wild ride of Bitcoin prices.
Frequent, comical asides on football (good-natured ribbing about Lions, Bears, Chiefs, Cowboys, Rams, and Hoosiers).
- Quote [12:34]:
  “Oh, and three. Just like the Chiefs started off this year.” – Mindy Jensen
- Quote [32:28]:
  “Will OG lose 37 pounds in three days?” – Mindy, riffing on ChatGPT’s optimism.
Drone delivery anecdotes, including OG’s local “ice cream drone drop” in suburban Texas.
- Quote [24:58]:
  “What utopia do you live in?” – Mindy Jensen

4. 2026 Magic 8 Ball Predictions: New Year, New Guesses

[44:54 – 73:45]

Each panelist submitted three finance-related and one fun prediction for the coming year, consulting the newly recalibrated Magic 8 Ball for each. The predictions and the 8 Ball’s answers included:

Interest Rates: Will there be three Fed rate cuts before June 2026? (8 Ball: "It has been determined. So.") Panel skeptical.
Chinese Tech IPO: Will Huawei announce an IPO in 2026? (8 Ball: “No, they will not.” Panel concurs, “80% likely.”)
S&P 500: Will the S&P be up 15%+ for another year? (8 Ball: “Yes, I am sure.”)
Electricity Prices: Will electricity rates increase by 50% (to at least 18.6 cents/kWh for OG) by year's end? (8 Ball: “You can rely on that.”)
Elon Musk: Will he become a trillionaire this year? (8 Ball: “Yes, without question.”)
Bitcoin: Will it see $50,000 before $200,000? (8 Ball: “It is a strong possibility.”)
NFL Prediction: Will the Bears face the Broncos in the Super Bowl (and lose)? (8 Ball: “It is a certainty.”)
Gold: Will it reach $6,000/oz by December 1? (8 Ball: “Yes, I am sure.”)
AI Robo-Taxis: Will Tesla deliver 10,000 driverless cars by year-end? (8 Ball: “Highly doubtful.”)
Big Mac Index: Will the average price be $6.50+? (8 Ball: “Definitely, yes.”)
Inflation: Will US core CPI be over 3% YoY in September? (8 Ball: “Definitely, yes.”)
College Football: Will Indiana win the College Football Playoff National Championship? (8 Ball: “I am confident it is no.”)

Notable Quotes and Moments

[14:45] Len Penzo: “Of all the things that they're worried about price increases, it's not food, groceries, fuel, it's insurance. That's people's most item that has impacted them the most in 2025.”
[29:30] Len Penzo: “It's a highly speculative asset, that's what it is. And it's masquerading as a monetary system safe haven.”
[12:34] Mindy Jensen (on Chiefs’ season): “Oh, and three. Just like the Chiefs started off this year.”
[39:32] Len Penzo (on retirement): “If he lives to 120. I guess you could call it early retirement.”
[32:28] Mindy Jensen (on ChatGPT): “Will OG lose 37 pounds in three days? It is certain.”
[68:43-68:57] Len Penzo: “I don't know if a lot of you do because they're so expensive, but... average price of a Big Mac....I want to know on December 1st of next year...will it be $6.50 or higher?”

Timestamps for Important Segments

Conclusion & Takeaways

For Listeners:
Enjoy the ride, invest wisely (index funds recommended!), and don’t rely on Magic 8 Balls for your 2026 financial planning.

Show Links:

End of Summary

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Our Annual Magic 8 Ball Predictions for 2026 (SB1788)

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Summary

The Stacking Benjamins Show

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2025 Prediction Recap: Magic 8 Ball’s Report Card

2. Economic Trends and Market Perspectives

3. Panelist Banter and Memorable Quotes

4. 2026 Magic 8 Ball Predictions: New Year, New Guesses

Notable Quotes and Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Conclusion & Takeaways

Summary

The Stacking Benjamins Show

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2025 Prediction Recap: Magic 8 Ball’s Report Card

2. Economic Trends and Market Perspectives

3. Panelist Banter and Memorable Quotes

4. 2026 Magic 8 Ball Predictions: New Year, New Guesses

Notable Quotes and Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Conclusion & Takeaways