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With the wild ride that was 2021 now mostly in the books, it\u2019s clear looking back that the year\u2019s biggest headlines<\/a> dealt with money, finances and the economy. In fact, four of the five most-searched news stories of the year involved money in one way or another. Using data from Google\u2019s annual Year in Search report, GOBankingRates identified the financial buzzwords that defined the year. You don\u2019t have to look far to see that fears, hopes, worries and dreams about money weren\u2019t far from the minds of most people in 2021.<\/p>\n See: Stimulus Checks, Inflation and More of the Biggest Financial News Stories of the Year<\/a> For insight into America\u2019s financial state of mind in 2021, the No. 1 most-searched phrase across the entire news category for the whole year was \u201cMega Millions.\u201d For those not in the know, that\u2019s when you get instantly catapulted into the top 1% by guessing an impossible sequence of numbers correctly or asking a cash register to guess it for you \u2014 and 2021 sure was a good year to be in it to win it.<\/p>\n The year witnessed three of the 10 biggest lottery jackpots in history:<\/p>\n See:\u00a0$1M Is No Longer the Standard Nest Egg \u2013 Here\u2019s How Much Most Americans Think You Actually Need To Retire<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The most celebrated meme stock of 2021 \u2014 and in history so far \u2014 was GameStop. But it was \u201cAMC stock\u201d that turned out to be the year\u2019s No. 2 most-searched phrase in Google\u2019s entire news category. AMC made headlines when Reddit users launched a GameStop-inspired short squeeze to launch the stock to gains of 2,500% in the first half of the year.<\/p>\n The second half of the year, however, was not so kind. The honeymoon was over by the winter and by mid-December, AMC was down more than 60% from its springtime highs. Investors seem to be jettisoning risky meme stocks, in general, according to CNBC, as 2021 winds down \u2014 GameStop has had a brutal winter, as well.<\/p>\n Check Out: Crypto, Meme Stocks and Other Top Investing Trends in 2021<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Unlike Reddit-darling meme stocks and Mega Millions jackpots, the No. 3 most searched financial term of the year was about the one thing that made almost everyone a little richer in 2021 \u2014 \u201cstimulus check.\u201d<\/p>\n The centerpiece of the Biden administration\u2019s American Rescue Plan, the checks began arriving in March and gave $1,400 to most Americans \u2014 $2,800 for couples filing jointly \u2014 along with another $1,400 for each qualifying dependent. <\/p>\n Keep Reading: Stimulus Checks Totaled Over $850 Billion: See How That Money Was Spread Out<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The No. 5 most-searched news story of the year \u2014 \u201cGeorgia Senate election\u201d was No. 4 \u2014 adds yet another meme stock to the list. \u201cGME stock\u201d references the ticker symbol for GameStop, the video game retail chain that made headlines and history at the beginning of the year when amateur day traders on Reddit successfully squeezed a short play by some of Wall Street\u2019s most powerful tycoons.<\/p>\n The move revealed the power of democratized investing in a world where even the smallest investors could trade for free without paying fees or broker commissions. The moment captivated the attention of the public \u2014 which, of course, loves an underdog \u2014 rattled the confidence of the financial industry and made lots of GameStop investors rich.<\/p>\n The meme stock craze proved to be fickle, however, and the year closed with a painful selloff that sent both GameStock and AMC cratering by about 30% in December alone. <\/p>\n See:\u00a0<\/strong>The Biggest Problems Facing Social Security<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n A $1,000 investment in Dogecoin on Jan. 1 would have turned into more than $121,000 during its springtime peak, according to CNBC, thanks to a 12,000% gain between January and May. The world\u2019s first meme coin, Dogecoin roared to crypto-superstardom early in the year, largely on the back of big-time celebrity endorsements from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Gene Simmons, Mark Cuban and \u2014 most notably and most persistently \u2014 Elon Musk.<\/p>\n The name of the coin, which started as a joke in 2013, was the No. 6 most-searched keyword across the entire news category in 2021.<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Here\u2019s How Much You Need To Earn To Be \u2018Rich\u2019 in Every State<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nMega Millions<\/h2>\n
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AMC Stock<\/h2>\n
Stimulus Check<\/h2>\n
GME Stock<\/h2>\n
Dogecoin<\/h2>\n