Know What's Happening in Personal Finance
Know What's Happening in Personal Finance
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Low‑Risk 401(k) Options Offer Steady Growth for Retirees
Investopedia outlines bond funds, money‑market funds, index funds, stable‑value funds and target‑date funds as the safest 401(k) strategies. These vehicles provide liquidity, predictable modest returns and align with an investor’s risk tolerance and retirement timeline.
Instacart is rolling out a new promotion for Mastercard users that grants a $10 monthly credit for personal cards or $20 for small‑business cards, applied to the second order each month. The offer also includes three months of free Instacart+ membership and runs through January 31, 2027. Users must select the eligible Mastercard as the payment method and maintain an active Instacart+ subscription to receive the credit. The promotion can be combined with existing Chase Instacart credits, potentially delivering up to $30 in savings on a single order.
You don’t need a “perfect” emergency fund to start investing. But if one bad month (e.g. car, boiler breaks) forces you to sell your investments.. you’re investing too early. I’d build a breathing room first.
🏘️ Never Negotiate On Purchase Price 🤓 When you make an offer on a property, negotiating on the purchase price is not the best way to actually save money. Instead negotiate for seller concessions. You can use that to...
Dave Ramsey’s percentage‑based budgeting method assigns every paycheck dollar a specific role, using a zero‑based approach to ensure income minus expenses equals zero. The framework allocates 10% to giving, 25% to housing, 10‑15% each to savings, food, and transportation, and...
A dad has $1M in a brokerage account and wants to gift $19k to each of his 3 adult children. Instead of selling and giving cash, he should gift them stocks instead. Depending on their income, his children can sell the shares...
Benjamin Graham: “The market is a pendulum that forever swings between unsustainable optimism and unjustified pessimism.” Takeaway: Expect extremes and prepare to act rationally. Markets are wild—but that’s where opportunity lives. ⚡
In this 16‑minute episode, Robert Farrington explains how to manage student loans while unemployed, emphasizing that ignoring payments can lead to delinquency and default. He advises listeners to first apply for unemployment benefits, then prioritize income‑driven repayment plans—potentially resulting in...
"Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1." ~ Warren Buffett Stop losing money before you even think about making it.
These type of Google Searches should be countered by a clear decision to be investing more into #Bitcoin. Everytime the 'Bitcoin goes to zero' search is going up, buy more. https://t.co/VGN3VONtX1
The article outlines methods for acquiring cryptocurrency, especially Bitcoin, without identity verification. It highlights privacy‑focused wallets like Wasabi, peer‑to‑peer exchanges, Bitcoin ATMs, and prepaid crypto debit cards. It also discusses trade‑offs such as higher fees, limited liquidity, and regulatory risk....
Being strategic with pulling money out of your portfolio is key to paying $0 in tax. If you are married, you can pull: > $32,200 from your pre-tax 401k > $57,800 of long-term capital gains from brokerage account > $10,000 from your Roth IRA =...
Southwest’s Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card carries a $229 annual fee but offers a hefty welcome package that includes a Companion Pass through Feb 2027 and 40,000 bonus points after $5,000 spend. Cardholders earn 4X points on Southwest purchases, 2X at gas stations...
Bitcoin has settled into a $65,000‑$70,000 range that K33 Research says mirrors the late‑2022 bear‑market bottom. Spot trading volume fell 59% week‑over‑week and perpetual futures open interest hit a four‑month low, indicating a quiet consolidation phase. U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs have...
I'm an award-winning financial advisor. Here’s what you actually need to know here. 1) It is TRUE. Not everyone “needs” an advisor. There are some things most people can handle on their own if they have the time and will to...
If you held money market funds or Treasury ETFs in 2025, you may be paying state tax you don’t owe. And majority of people report this wrong. Here's how to save on taxes:
The iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF (RING) retains a buy rating thanks to its attractive valuation and strong technical momentum. Over the past year the fund posted a 157% total return, outpacing the S&P 500 by 145 percentage points, while...
People already spend HOURS every week on their finances. Worrying. Stressing. Fighting about money. Checking their bank balance anxiously. Moving money around manually. When 30 min/mo of focus would fix their finances forever.
For anyone curious about how local deposits multiple dollars into the local community, dig out your old Econ 101 textbook or search for “money multiplier”. When you keep your $ in a local bank it feeds the local economy. The...
Resetting a budget in a single weekend is presented as a focused, step‑by‑step process that transforms financial anxiety into clarity. The guide urges honest review of accounts, detailed expense tracking, and identification of hidden “leaks” such as unused subscriptions. It...
@CreditOneBank is building programs like Credit Wreckers to teach people what not to do with credit and help rebuild financial momentum. In this episode, we discuss how with Steve Min. Watch the full video: https://t.co/wUIHckaAy4 https://t.co/kXzIKFYg9G
The University of Chicago announced plans to sell its Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) for about $400 million, a modest price compared with its $11 billion endowment. The move reflects a broader financial strain: operating deficits have grown tenfold since...
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) reached an all‑time high of roughly $642 on February 20, 2026. A 20% decline would lower it to about $513, echoing September 2024; a 30% drop to $449, similar to January 2024; and a 40% slide to $385,...
Also doesn't matter: - Switching savings account to get an extra 0.05% interest - Agonizing over the cost of daily coffee - Tracking 50+ line items in a budget
The surge in AI workloads is creating a global DRAM shortage, dubbed "RAMageddon," which is pushing memory prices up more than 400% year‑over‑year. Smart televisions, which typically contain 1‑8 GB of RAM, are expected to see price increases as manufacturers pass...
In this episode Farnoosh answers listener questions about navigating tax season, deciding how much to keep in an emergency fund, and choosing between a Traditional and Roth IRA. She breaks down the timing of tax‑saving moves, explains how to calculate...
The U.S. Treasury announced that a publicity blitz, highlighted by a Super Bowl ad, has generated roughly 2 million IRS Form 4547 filings, translating to about 3 million children enrolled in the new Trump accounts. Eligible children born between 2025 and 2028 will...
High‑net‑worth families are shifting from premium‑driven insurance to predictability as capacity tightens. A HUB 2026 Outlook survey shows willingness to assume risk fell from 39% to 25% since 2024. Advisors must expand beyond placement, defining risk appetite and managing cyber,...
American Express is offering a one‑time 20% statement credit, up to $30, for U.S. cardmembers who book a single rental on Turo’s platform before May 31 2026. The credit applies to reservations made on the U.S. or Canadian Turo website or app...
"I got $500k from the sale of my home. What to do with the cash if I need to buy another home within a year?” Money Market Fund (like $VUSXX) paying 3.64%. State tax free, so it’s a great choice, or HYSA. Unless...
The $100,000 portfolio is the mark when a lot of stuff changed for us. It wasn’t the actual amount, but the fact we were able to build a system that generated a substantial enough amount to show us that the...
A fourth‑quarter 2025 ATTOM study shows underwater mortgages rising to 3 % of all loans, with deep negative equity concentrated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa and Arkansas (5‑11 % of mortgages). Foreclosure activity in those states jumped 32 % year‑over‑year, creating a pipeline...
Transferring property into a trust reshapes ownership and triggers distinct tax consequences that hinge on whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable. Revocable trusts keep the asset in the grantor’s taxable estate, so income and estate taxes remain personal, while...
A $400,000 annuity can turn a lump‑sum investment into a predictable monthly paycheck that lasts for life. For a healthy 65‑year‑old, a fixed immediate annuity typically pays between $2,521 and $2,615 per month, with higher payouts for older entrants or...
Amazon has refreshed its Luna cloud‑gaming service by offering a free Luna Standard subscription to all Prime members. The bundle now includes high‑profile titles such as Hogwarts Legacy, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the February additions of Alan...
Retirees often rely on their average tax rate, but it only reflects past taxes and can mislead future planning. The critical metric is the effective marginal tax rate, which captures the cost of the next dollar of income from withdrawals,...
The article outlines four practical steps for investors to curb market‑driven anxiety: establishing a cash buffer, automating diversified investments, regularly rebalancing the portfolio, and stepping back from headline‑filled news cycles. It emphasizes that a solid emergency fund reduces the need...
The Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s IEEPA‑based tariffs in a 6‑3 decision, opening the possibility of refunds on more than $175 billion of duties collected since early 2025. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted the Treasury holds roughly $774 billion to...
SmartAsset’s 2026 study ranks 43 U.S. states by median household net worth, revealing a ten‑fold gap between the richest and poorest states. Hawaii tops the list with a median net worth of $692,700, while Arkansas sits at the bottom with...
The IRS released the 2025 federal income‑tax brackets and announced inflation‑adjusted thresholds for 2026. For 2025, the lowest rate of 10% applies to the first $11,925 of taxable income for single filers, while the 37% top rate kicks in above...
Physicians are overpaying the IRS by $15,000 to $50,000 each year, largely because of missed deductions and inadequate tax planning. A recent Doc Wealth webinar highlighted how tailored strategies—such as S‑Corp elections, Solo 401(k) and cash balance plans, and cost‑segregation—can...
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6‑3 that most Trump‑era tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unlawful, effectively eliminating the 25 % flat tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico while leaving steel and aluminum duties intact....
*🚨🤑PAYDAY = Made Whole Money Move madewholeworkbook It’s CRICKETS every single time 😂 . . My money workbook (companion to my NYT-Bestseller Get Good With Money) teaches you all about budgeting saving, debt and learning to earn (more)... and has tons of free...
I don't share enough proof. Distrust, especially in the AI/social media world, is at an all-time high. And rightfully so. Plus it gets tricky with client confidentiality. If you've ever thought about reaching out I hope to make it the...
Pershing Square Holdings (PSH) trades about a 25 % discount to NAV, reflecting its closed‑end, London‑listed structure and a portfolio of public equities that investors can replicate. The lack of daily redemption limits arbitrage, while a 1.5 % management fee and 16 %...
Just fyi: Even if you reinvest dividends, you still have to pay taxes on them. If dividends are qualified, you'll pay 0-23.8% in tax. If non qualified, you'll pay 0-40.8% tax, and state/local taxes. High earners shouldn’t chase high dividend funds. Focus on...
Being a smart investor who understands how to defer or avoid taxes builds more wealth long term.
The episode advises investors to tap home equity through commercial lines of credit or second‑position loans rather than standard HELOCs, emphasizing rate differentials and ADS‑CR loan structures. It outlines the Burr strategy—buy, rehab, rent, repeat—as a way to recycle equity,...
A bachelor’s degree remains a baseline requirement for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) credential and other designations such as the CFA, while many alternative certifications accept work experience in lieu of formal education. Advisors can start a registered investment advisor...
Tax season launches Monday as the CRA opens online filing for 2025 returns, having processed over 33 million returns last year with 93 % filed electronically. Key dates include the RRSP contribution deadline on March 2, the general filing and payment deadline on...
Vishal announces his new book, *The Long Game*, now available for pre‑order, featuring reflections from 30 seasoned long‑term investors. The book explores how self‑awareness, patience, and philosophical inquiry can help investors navigate market cycles and avoid emotional pitfalls. Pre‑orders start...
