Investopedia Editor-in-Chief Caleb Silver joins 'Power Lunch' to talk the most searched terms on the platform in 2025.

Investopedia has published its annual list of the most searched financial and economic terms for 2025, revealing that 'affordability' topped the list, followed by interest in tariffs, AI trade, and the rising prices of gold and silver. Celebrity net worth, especially that of singer Bad Bunny, also ranked highly due to his notable achievements and public fascination.

Other prominent search topics included private markets and stablecoins, reflecting increased investor interest in new asset classes and digital currencies. The introduction of the Stablecoin Act of 2025 and upcoming changes to retirement plans are expected to further integrate digital assets into the mainstream economy, with these trends anticipated to continue into 2026 and beyond.

Top searched market and economic terms of 2025

It's that time of year when we look back at what has been hot or not, and Investopedia knows all this because they've been making a list. They've even, I'm told, been checking it twice. And some key trends that hit their nice or naughty list this year, well, tariffs, of course, the A.I. trade. You might have heard about that and the rising price of things like gold and silver. Unsurprisingly, those are among the list of terms most searched on Investopedia. But others on the most searched list, I'm told, include affordability, private markets. And this is random but interesting, Bad Bunny's net worth. Bad Bunny is a singer. So what insights do these words and phrases offer about the state of the investor and what might we be watching next year? Let's bring in Caleb Silver. He is editor-in-chief at Investopedia and captain of the basketball team with which he won the New York Urban Professionals Championship 25 years ago. Yeah, you were Mitch Robinson before there was Mitch Robinson. I just ran up and down the court and didn't know what to do. But you were a bored machine. I could throw some elbows. Caleb, great to see you on back. What is this Bad Bunny's net worth? Why is it? What is that? Yeah, Bonito had a very good year and people were very fascinated. What is his net worth? His net worth is about $90 million and growing as of the last check. But he had such a big year. He had the number one album in the world, of course, top of the charts. Got the Super Bowl. Got the Super Bowl coming up. Was on SNL. He was in the Happy Gilmore, you know, redo. So he had a big year. People were fascinated with that. People are always fascinated with net worth of celebrities and celebrity influencers. And this was his year. You're in Investopedia, right? So your audience are people that are that probably crossing over with the CNBC audience a lot. They're invested in markets. They're interested in markets. AI trade, I thought, would have been number one. Yeah, well, it was in the top 10. But in terms of what popped the most, it was actually the word affordability, which has become a political football. But people were searching that word because things kept feeling less and less affordable. When you think about housing, when you think about the rise of health care and the way that people felt, especially consumers, felt about the economy this year. It's not as bad as they felt in years. Meanwhile, the economy is actually doing OK. We feel a lot worse than what's actually maybe happening, except for some people who are not having that great of a year. So we got your look at this beautiful graphic that our team made. They do beautiful work here. Affordability, number one. I get that. It's been a political football as well. Tariffs. I get that. What's interesting also, besides Bad Bunny, is parlay, which kind of, I think, goes to this idea that that sports betting or gaming gambling is merging with our worlds. Yeah, they are smashing together. And I think that's going to be a huge theme in twenty twenty six and beyond. Right. The convergence of poly markets or calci probability markets, along with day trading, along with crypto trading, along with options trading, along with what's coming, which is the tokenization of assets that are going to trade twenty four six on some exchanges. We are headed for a very interesting and wild time in the capital markets. Yeah. I think this set the stage. You've been doing this, obviously, a long time. And I'm sure that in your big brain, you look at these terms and you can get sort of come up with some kind of thesis about what it might symbolize, how people are thinking. Yeah. When I look at those top 10, there is a part of it that I look at and I'm thinking there's there's definitely some optimism here. Is the optimism becoming a little too optimistic? I don't know. Well, you see a balance here is what I see. And we are OK. Visitors are 18 to 80. They're individual, self-directed investors who like to be educated and make decisions. But you can see them kind of all over the place. They're worried about their personal finances. That's affordability and tariffs. Obviously, gold is that hedge feeling. A lot of older investors probably thinking about should I continue to buy? I've done very well in the last couple of years owning gold. But then you have things like private markets, which is not something we were thinking about really broadly as investors until the president and the executive order came down saying we're going to open up defined contribution plans to private markets and crypto in 401k plans coming up in 2026. That's going to be a big theme next year as well. So all of a sudden, investors wanted to know what are these private markets and how could they impact my retirement portfolio? Well, you mentioned crypto stable coin is the fifth most searched for term. And we just been saying it all year. And I'm assuming a lot of people like they don't want to admit it, but they're like, what the hell is a stable coin? Yeah. So they're going to investopedia to figure it out. Yeah. And we actually had some pretty big act, the stable coin act of twenty twenty five, which introduces this in to our banking system, into our treasury. That is going to be something that investors need to get used to. The fact that there are now digital assets, there are regular part of our economic mainstream through our U.S. Treasury system. And we know this is going to be an increasing trend going into twenty twenty six and beyond.

Russia accused Ukraine on Monday (December 29) of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia, although it provided no evidence to back up an assertion that Kyiv dismissed as baseless and designed to undermine peace negotiations.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Russia claims Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence

Two helicopters collided above Hammonton, New Jersey, and one person has died, officials say. CBS News' Elaine Quijano reports.

Hammonton

Helicopters collide in New Jersey

U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday (December 29) as questions linger about the future of the U.S.-backed ceasefire in Gaza.

Palm Beach

Middle East Conflict

Trump and Netanyahu meet in Florida to discuss Gaza ceasefire

British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a road accident on Monday in Makun, Ogun State, south-west Nigeria.

Makun

British boxer Anthony Joshua survives car crash that killed two others

In a new show of force, China has mobilized its navy, air force, and ground troops to simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island's key ports. The military drill comes on the heels of an $11bn US arms sale to Taipei.

Taipei City

China stages new military exercises around Taiwan

U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace as he and Zelenskyy met in Florida. Some experts say Trump is 'delusional' if he truly thinks Putin wants peace.

Washington

Trump-Zelenskyy meeting ends with optimism but no deal

Although the U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine have been "100% agreed," they have a short expiration date, the Ukrainian president explained after revealing more details following his meeting with Trump on Sunday.

Florida

U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine set for 15 years, Zelenskyy says

China's military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on December 29 for its "Justice Mission 2025" drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilized troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack.

China launches 'Justice Mission 2025' war games around Taiwan

President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida on Sunday. Trump said he thinks both men are ready for peace.

Trump meets with Zelenskyy, insists Putin is ready for peace

Far-right politics have pushed further into the mainstream across much of Europe. Populist parties, even in opposition, are shaping national debates on migration and the economy. The trend reflects growing voter frustration over living costs, borders and political trust.

Berlin

Far-right politics gaining influence across Europe

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is set to discuss a new peace plan draft with U.S. President Trump in Florida on Sunday (December 28). However, fresh Russian attacks on Kyiv have left a third of the city without power, undermining local confidence.

Kyiv

Kyiv residents fear escalation amid Zelenskyy-Trump peace talks

A report has sought to catalogue some of the most significant extreme weather events of the year. UK charity Christian Aid found that heatwaves are pushing the limits of human adaptation, hurricanes and typhoons are breaking records, and droughts are devastating lives across the globe. It's all coming at a heavy financial cost.

Top 10 natural disasters cost over $120 billion in 2025, report says

Russia attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said would be a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to work out a plan to end nearly four years of war.

Russian drones, missiles pound Kyiv ahead of Zelenskiy-Trump meeting

French actor Brigitte Bardot has died aged 91, her foundation said on Sunday (December 28). She shot to international fame dancing the mambo barefoot in "And God Created Woman," her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism rarely before seen in mainstream cinema.

Saint-Tropez

Brigitte Bardot, France's 'legend of the century', has died

A ceasefire is now in place between Cambodia and Thailand after weeks of cross-border fighting. But with nearly a million civilians displaced and trust in short supply, the focus now is on whether the guns will stay silent.

Bangkok

Thailand and Cambodia agree on ceasefire to end weeks of deadly fighting

The storm that hit the Northeast this weekend dropped up to a foot of snow in some areas. New York City saw its highest level of snowfall in nearly four years, and the region's three major airports experienced significant delays and disruptions.

New York

Powerful winter storm brings heavy snow to Northeast

For approximately 10 hours Saturday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv with about 500 drones and 40 missiles. The attack comes one day before before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Trump in Mar-a-Lago. Elizabeth Palmer has the latest.

Russia launches massive attack on Ukraine ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met today in Halifax to discuss economic aid amid the Russia-Ukraine war. This comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a peace deal.

Halifax Regional Municipality

Canada announces $2.5B in aid for Ukraine

President Trump said Thursday's strikes on Nigeria targeting ISIS were set for Wednesday but were delayed to Christmas Day for symbolic reasons. Mr. Trump claimed the Nigerian government is failing to protect Christians.

Washington D.C.

Trump says timing of Christmas Day strikes in Nigeria was intentional

The latest attack comes as presidents Zelenskyy and Trump prepare to meet in Florida on Sunday amid ongoing efforts to end the war.

One dead many injured after Russia launches massive attack on Kyiv

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organisations from accessing them.

Beijing

China sanctions 20 American companies over arms sales to Taiwan

Somalia reacted angrily Friday (December 26) after Israel formally recognised the northern region of Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" -- the first country to do so. U.S. President Donald Trump said he opposed U.S. recognition of Somaliland in an interview with the New York Post.

Somaliland

Somalia denounces Israeli recognition of Somaliland

Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an "immediate" ceasefire on Saturday (December 26), the two countries said in a joint statement, pledging to end border clashes that killed dozens of people.

Buri Ram

Thailand and Cambodia agree to ceasefire

Somaliland, a territory of more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, seceded from Somalia more than three decades ago, but it hadn't internationally been recognized as an independent state by any country.

Israel becomes first country to recognize Somaliland

Some of the stabbed victims remain in serious condition. A 38-year-old man was arrested for alleged attempted murder at the factory, authorities said.

Mishima

At least 15 injured in chemical attack, stabbing at Japan factory

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "horrific killing spree" and pledged Israel would reinforce its security.

Jerusalem

Palestinian man kills two in car, knife attack in northern Israel

Munitions factories are expected to expand capacity and build new plants as the regime in Pyongyang intensifies weapons development and furthers its ties with Russia.

Pyongyang

Kim Jong-un orders North Korea to boost missile production in 2026

The United States launched airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria's Sokoto State on Thursday. Nigerian authorities denied Trump's claim of mass killings of Christians amid mixed reactions to the U.S. intervention.

Abuja

Nigeria confirms cooperation with U.S. strikes on IS targets

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday (December 26) he planned to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump soon and that a lot could be decided before the New Year as Washington pushes diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia.

Zelenskiy: 'A lot' can be decided before New Year ahead of Trump talk

The United States carried out airstrikes against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said on Thursday, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region.

Breakdown