Benzinga·2025-11-19 20:31Core Points - President Trump has proposed potential stimulus checks of $2,000 or more, referred to as "tariff dividend" checks, aimed at providing relief amid rising prices and economic uncertainty [1][2] - The checks are expected to be funded by tariff revenues, but there are concerns regarding the financial implications, with estimates suggesting a cost of around $600 billion, which exceeds projected tariff income [4] - Congressional approval is required for these payments, similar to previous stimulus checks issued during the COVID-19 pandemic [5] Summary by Category Proposed Stimulus Checks - Trump indicated that the checks could be distributed by mid-2026, targeting "moderate income, middle income" Americans [2][3] - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned that eligibility will be income-based, potentially including tax relief instead of direct payments [3] Economic Context - The proposed checks are seen as a response to macroeconomic challenges, including inflation and uncertainty in the market [1] - Previous stimulus payments during the pandemic were utilized by consumers for various purposes, including investing in stocks and cryptocurrencies [6] Historical Investment Performance - The article reviews the performance of investments made with previous stimulus checks: - Investing $3,200 in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust would have grown to approximately $6,292.57 [10] - An investment in Apple stock would have increased to about $9,151.66 [11] - Nvidia stock would have yielded a value of around $62,880.50 [12] - Tesla stock would have reached approximately $15,761.04 [13] Detailed Investment Returns - Specific returns from previous stimulus checks are highlighted: - SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust: - $1,200 check: worth $2,865.07 (+138.8%) - $600 check: worth $1,058.69 (+76.4%) - $1,400 check: worth $2,368.81 (+69.2%) [14] - Apple: - $1,200 check: worth $4,849.62 (+304.1%) - $600 check: worth $1,171.07 (+95.2%) - $1,400 check: worth $3,130.97 (+123.6%) [15] - Nvidia: - $1,200 check: worth $34,206.12 (+2,750.5%) - $600 check: worth $8,519.52 (+1,319.9%) - $1,400 check: worth $20,154.76 (+1,339.6%) [16] - Tesla: - $1,200 check: worth $12,253.68 (+921.1%) - $600 check: worth $1,080.73 (+80.1%) - $1,400 check: worth $2,426.63 (+73.3%) [17]