The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 16% year to date and has gained roughly 84% over the past five years.The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. Trump has pointed to that strength, recently saying, “the only thing that’s really going up big? It’s the stock market and your 401(k)s.” (2)For many households, that raises an immediate question: What’s the smartest way to use a sudden cash infusion? Whether you’re thinking about shoring up your finances, preparing for uncertainty, or pu ...