Political commentator Bill O’Reilly argued that Americans struggling with high prices should spend less time complaining about inflation and more time investing in the stock market, using the closing segment of his No Spin News podcast Monday to encourage viewers to build wealth through long-term investing.
O’Reilly made the remarks despite citing ongoing concerns about the economy. A new Harris Poll reported by The Guardian found that 57% of those surveyed believe the economy is getting worse amid an affordability crisis.
During his podcast, O’Reilly pointed to recent economic indicators that he viewed positively, including record highs in the stock market and falling oil prices, which he said he expected to continue declining.
“OK, final thought,” O’Reilly began. “Record high in the stock market. You may know that. Oil prices coming down. That was easily predictable. And they’ll continue to drop. We hope they go below $70 a barrel.”
He acknowledged that consumers may not immediately see lower prices at the gas pump, arguing that oil companies would move slowly because they want to maximize profits.
“Now, the American oil companies will take their sweet time because they want to make as much money as possible, from us, dropping at the pump, but it’ll happen,” he said.
O’Reilly then shifted his focus to what he described as a major financial issue facing many Americans, pointing to the percentage of people who do not own stocks or retirement investments.
“But the most important thing is that, about 40% of Americans have no stocks, no mutual funds, no IRA, nothing,” he said.
Citing Gallup data, O’Reilly said that 58% of Americans own stocks and argued that investing remains one of the primary ways people can build wealth in what he called a capitalist society.
“This is how you grow your money in a capitalist society,” he said.
O’Reilly questioned what people without investments expect their financial future to look like in retirement.
“Now if you don’t have any stocks, what deduce do you think is going to happen to you when you get older?” he asked. “What do you think that the government is going to provide a comfortable living for you? Is that what you think?”
He noted that retirees receive Social Security but argued that those benefits alone are limited.
“You’ll get Social Security, but that eeks by. You want to live in a trailer?” O’Reilly said.
The commentator also discussed his own investment strategy, saying he is not an active trader and instead relies on professional financial advice while maintaining a long-term approach centered on the Standard & Poor’s index.
“Stock market is the way to amass capital,” O’Reilly said. “And I’m not a speculator. I just tell my guys, I have a financial advisor and you know, you have to have one, buy the S&P, the Standard & Poor’s. That means buy and just hold it.”
O’Reilly credited President Donald Trump’s policies for the performance of his own investment portfolio, saying they have benefited large companies.
“My portfolio is doing great because Trump, his policies, appeal to the big companies,” he said.
He concluded by arguing that many Americans who are not invested in the market are simultaneously expressing frustration over rising prices.
“But 40% of Americans don’t participate in capitalism and a lot of them are yowling about high prices?” O’Reilly said. “Come on. You get 4% inflation here. Live in the real world.”
Addressing younger Americans directly, O’Reilly encouraged them to begin investing while avoiding excessive risk.
“So you younger people, you got to get into the stock market,” he said. “Don’t take big risks. Go with the conservative stuff. Final thought.”
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