1. The author reiterates a buy recommendation for US index-tracking assets, citing strong market performance and rising expectations for interest rate cuts; 2. US stocks have outperformed gold since 2008, supported by earnings growth, low sovereign risk, and falling oil prices; 3. Despite risks like election cycles and high valuations, the S&P 500 target of 7,095 points reflects confidence in the US market's resilience and growth potential.

1. The 4-Factor Dividend Growth Portfolio combines SCHD's methodology with a growth focus and annual rebalancing, targeting a 12%+ long-term CAGR; 2. Despite underperforming the S&P 500 recently, the portfolio has achieved a 14.66% CAGR since inception, significantly outperforming SCHD's 6.69%; 3. It demonstrates strong dividend growth, with a 27.68% increase in projected annual income and a 9.29% dividend CAGR, emphasizing long-term potential over 5-10 years.

1. The Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund outperformed its benchmark, the Russell 1000 Growth Index, with a 3.6% gain in Q3 2024. 2. Top contributors included Shopify, Meta, and MercadoLibre. 3. Top detractors were CrowdStrike, Mobileye, and ASML. 4. New holdings included Taiwan Semiconductor, KKR, and Samsara. 5. The fund focuses on high-quality businesses with durable competitive advantages and exceptional management teams.

1. VBR, a value small-cap ETF, has underperformed both the broad market and its counterparts. 2. The sophisticated methodology of the CRSP US Small Cap Value Index may be flawed, lacking a traditional value bias factor. 3. Despite being cost-effective, VBR's inability to outperform its peers raises concerns about its long-term viability.