The investment world is buzzing about VCX, an ETF that recently surged nearly 89% in just five days. For many investors, especially those nearing retirement, that kind of movement raises an important question:

“Am I missing out on the next big thing?”

On a recent episode of Leibel on Fire, financial planner Leibel Sternbach broke down what VCX actually is, why investors are so excited about it, and what retirees should really be paying attention to during the AI investment boom.

VCX is not a typical ETF. Unlike traditional funds that hold publicly traded stocks, VCX gives investors exposure to privately held companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. These are companies many people believe could dominate the future of artificial intelligence and technology.

Historically, access to these types of investments was reserved for venture capital firms, private equity groups, or ultra-high-net-worth investors. VCX changes that by creating a publicly traded vehicle that gives everyday investors indirect access to these private companies before they potentially go public.

But there’s a catch.

One of the biggest concerns surrounding VCX is that investors are paying significantly more for shares than the estimated value of the underlying assets inside the fund. In other words, excitement and speculation are driving prices far beyond what traditional valuation models would justify.

That naturally leads many investors to wonder whether this is starting to resemble the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s.

According to Sternbach, there are definitely similarities. In both periods, investors saw enormous potential in transformative technology. During the dot-com era, people believed the internet would reshape the world, but nobody really knew which companies would ultimately survive or how profits would be generated.

Today, AI is creating similar enthusiasm.

The difference, however, is that AI is already producing measurable economic impact. Businesses are using AI to improve efficiency, automate processes, and completely change the way they operate. The technology is no longer theoretical. It’s already influencing industries and labor markets in real time.

Still, that doesn’t eliminate risk.

One of the most important lessons Sternbach shares is that retirees and pre-retirees should avoid approaching speculative investments emotionally. Chasing massive returns without a plan can create serious financial damage, especially for people who are close to retirement and may not have decades to recover from major losses.

Instead, he emphasizes disciplined investing and risk management.

That means understanding how much risk you are taking, harvesting gains when investments rise significantly, and avoiding the temptation to “ride something to the moon.” Many investors become trapped by greed, holding speculative investments too long and watching profits disappear during inevitable downturns.

A disciplined investor focuses less on trying to turn $1 into $1 million and more on consistently capturing reasonable gains while protecting long-term financial security.

That philosophy becomes especially important during periods of market euphoria. Whether it’s AI, cryptocurrency, or another emerging trend, excitement alone should never replace a well-structured retirement strategy.

The reality is that nobody knows exactly which AI companies will dominate in the future. Some may become industry leaders. Others may disappear entirely. The key is building a retirement plan that allows you to participate in opportunities responsibly without putting your future lifestyle at risk.

If you’re wondering how speculative investments fit into your retirement strategy, now is a good time to get a second opinion.

Schedule a complimentary Retirement Tax SWOT Analysis with Leibel Sternbach at Yields4U and get clarity on how to balance growth opportunities with long-term retirement security.