Today's Personal Finance Pulse
New student loan repayment options debut on July 1
Starting July 1, borrowers will be offered two new repayment plans and must choose the option that best fits their financial situation. The change aims to give borrowers more flexibility in managing loan payments.
Rakuten: Earn 10x on Various Travel Sites 2/24/26 only (IHG, Expedia, Sixt, Hertz, & More)
Rakuten is offering a one‑day promotion that grants up to 10× points—or a 10 % cash‑back—on bookings through major travel sites such as IHG, Expedia, Hotels.com, Sixt, and Hertz. The deal expires on February 24, 2026, and runs alongside TopCashback’s Travel Week Super Cash‑Back, which also boosts rates for many of the same brands. Points earned can be transferred to American Express Membership Rewards or Bilt, providing flexible value for frequent travelers. Users are urged to compare portal rates, as some categories earn lower multipliers than the headline 10×.
Honesty Required: Share Full Numbers for Real Help
Some calls are tough. You can’t help someone if they’re not willing to be open and honest about the numbers and their situation. If you want real answers and real help, you’ve got to bring the whole story to the...
Mortgage Rates Dip to Lowest Since August 2022
Actual LOCKED mortgage rates hit the lowest point since August 2022, per Optimal Blue real-time data. The 30-year fixed fell to 5.945% yesterday for a conforming loan backed by Fannie/Freddie. FHA was 5.859% and VA an even lower 5.608%. Decent.
Bain’s MacArthur: 401(k) Opportunity Is ‘Major Inflection Point’ for Alternatives
Chair of Bain’s global private equity practice, Hugh MacArthur, says the growing ability for 401(k) participants to invest in private equity marks a major inflection point for the alternatives industry. He argues that retail access will set a new performance...
James Choi of Yale Investment Formula Says You Need More Stocks
James Choi, a Yale finance professor, introduced a formula that tailors asset allocation to age, income, savings, and risk tolerance. The Wall Street Journal highlighted that the model often recommends a more aggressive, stock‑heavy mix than conventional rules such as...
Can't Spend Home Equity or Pre‑Tax Gains in Retirement
Two things you can’t buy things with in retirement…. A primary residence and pre-tax returns.
Retirees: How a Small Gold Allocation Can Soften Losses When the Stock Market Wobbles
Gold’s 2025 price surge—up about 60 %—re‑ignited interest in the metal as a portfolio stabilizer amid volatile equities, bonds, crypto and real‑estate markets. Research shows that a modest 5‑10 % gold allocation can lower drawdowns and improve risk‑adjusted returns, especially for retirees...
Transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to Wyndham Rewards With a 25% Transfer Bonus
Citi has introduced a 25% transfer bonus for moving ThankYou® points to Wyndham Rewards, running through March 21, 2026. The promotion applies to all Citi cards, but premium cards like Strata Elite, Strata Premier and Prestige achieve a 1.25 Wyndham‑point per...
Here's Why Mortgage Renewals May Be the Banks' Biggest Rip-Off
Big Canadian banks often send mortgage renewal forms just weeks before the due date, offering rates that can be two percentage points higher than competing offers. In a recent example, a borrower faced a 6.09% fixed rate versus a 4.04%...
Half Wins, Double Rewards: Simple Path to Trading Profit
A 50% win rate with a 1:2 risk-to-reward ratio and solid risk management is all you need to make money trading over time. 50 wins × $600 = +$30,000 50 losses × $300 = -$15,000 100 trades with a 50% win rate and...
Social Security Cuts: What Young Workers Face
The episode breaks down the looming Social Security shortfall highlighted in the 2025 trustees report, explaining that while the trust fund may be depleted by 2033‑34, benefits would simply be reduced to match payroll tax revenue rather than disappearing. It...
Is It Wise to Gift My Children Money While I'm Alive? Ep#294
In this episode Ryan Morrissey explores the pros and cons of gifting money or assets to adult children while the parents are still alive. He emphasizes assessing one’s own financial health, long‑term care needs, and the purpose of the gift—whether...
MOL Approves Automatic Refunds for Dormant PF Accounts
The Ministry of Labour and Employment approved a pilot to automatically refund small balances in dormant Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) accounts. About 7.11 lakh accounts with balances of Rs 1,000 or less, holding roughly Rs 30.52 crore, will be transferred to the subscriber’s...
Cautious Holiday Spending Softens Typical January Credit Card Delinquency Spike: Equifax Canada
Equifax Canada’s Q4 2025 credit report shows total consumer debt rose to $2.65 trillion, up 3.1% year‑over‑year, driven by higher mortgage balances and a 4.5% jump in non‑mortgage debt. Non‑mortgage delinquency peaked at 1.73%, with the 26‑35 age group posting the highest...
Taxes Are a Year‑Round Game, Not a One‑Time Event
Treating taxes as a one time event is a middle class move. It’s why you overpay in taxes every year. It’s a year round game for the wealthy.
Home Loan Dealbreaker: Credit Score Red Flags Lenders Won’t Ignore
A strong credit score remains the linchpin for securing a home loan, especially as interest rates climb and property price growth slows. Lenders assess borrowers through the five C's—character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions—using the credit report as a proxy...
Vanguard's Clunky App Discourages Active Trading, Use Auto‑Buy
Vanguard literally has the worst Ul and app. Charts aren’t real time. Absolutely terrible. But that's by design. They want you to prevent you from trading too much, making FOMO decisions or even logging in. Set up automatic buys and just don't...
More Trades Don’t Equal Better Long‑term Returns
A client showed me her previous advisor's quarterly report. 47 trades in three months. She thought that meant he was working hard for her. When I looked at her actual returns over 5 years, something didn't add up.
What Elon Musk Gets Right About Risk — and the 4 Investing Moves People Over 50 Should Avoid
Elon Musk’s high‑profile ventures illustrate a disciplined risk framework that can be adapted for personal finance. While Musk can absorb multi‑year burn rates, most investors—especially those nearing retirement—must manage tighter time horizons and liquidity constraints. Translating his emphasis on scenario...
Bitcoin Near Buy Zone, Targeting $40K – Invest Slowly
Bitcoin bulls, take note: Bitcoin is back at the buy zone door and heading towards 40K. Consider nibbling in slowly, investing ~1% of your capital weekly. #Bitcoin #Crypto #IvanClips https://t.co/2d4D0WxcKa
Boomers Command 45% Spending, 74% Wealth—Shaping Markets
Americans 55 & older now control: 45% of consumer spending 74% of the wealth What does this mean for the next generation, the housing market or the stock market? Some thoughts: https://t.co/tnQSK0khDB https://t.co/7BBPkFGnml
The True Global Market-Cap Weighted Portfolio: Gold as 3rd Largest Asset Class?
A WisdomTree chart shows a truly global market‑cap weighted portfolio composed of roughly 50% equities, 30% fixed income, and a surprisingly high 12.7% gold, making gold the third‑largest asset class. The analysis estimates the total market value of gold at...
US Savings Rate Hits 4.5% — Lowest Since 1959
The personal savings rate in the US averaged 4.5% in 2025. History since 1959... https://t.co/umS9AR2N61
Crypto Expands Access to Inflation‑proof Assets for the Poor
Inflation is a regressive tax on the poorest people in society, since they only hold cash. Once people have wealth, they can afford and get access to inflation-resistant asset classes (stocks, bitcoin, real estate, etc). Expanding financial access and opportunities globally to...
Fake Skincare, Phony SSA Emails and Amazon Prime Cons on the Rise
Scammers are exploiting the popularity of Korean beauty brands, the credibility of the Social Security Administration, and Amazon Prime’s reach to launch counterfeit product, phishing, and shopping fraud schemes. Fake K‑beauty listings mimic Medicube, Anua and Beauty of Joseon, often...
Box Spreads: Low‑cost Synthetic Loans Explained
In recent years, a new form of 'synthetic' lending has emerged as a potential alternative to margin loans or SBLOCs for short- and medium-term borrowing: The "box spread". https://t.co/xmNXcFkoUQ Kitces Nerd Ben Henry-Moreland shares the mechanics of box spreads, why the...
Stop Paying to Escape Your Weekday Problems
Stop spending hundreds of dollars every weekend just to forget the problems you have M-F
As Tax Filing Opens, Awareness Gap Risks Millions of Canadians Missing Out on Work-From-Home Tax Claims
The 2025 Canadian tax filing season begins as new Employment Hero data reveals a sizable awareness gap around work‑from‑home (WFH) expense claims. While 26% of Canadians worked remotely at least half the time for four consecutive weeks—making them eligible for...
Invest in Real Assets, Not Crypto Hype
Warren Buffett teaches the ultimate investing lesson: Real investing is about assets that produce value—farms, apartment buildings, businesses—not hype or hot crypto. Focus on fundamentals, build long-term wealth, and avoid speculation. Most people invest backwards. 💸 Warren Buffett teaches a simple truth:...
Create Paper Losses with Direct Indexing While Portfolio Climbs
How I use direct indexing in my plan: 1.) Contribute $5K/week to an 80% S&P500, 20% small cap allocation 2.) Gets about $30K - $100K in losses on paper a year, depending on the year while the actual investment still goes up...
It Can Be Easier to Fall Victim to Fraud on Mobile than Desktop
Phishing emails that look authentic on a desktop become far harder to spot on mobile devices, increasing the chance of credential theft. The author received a Vanguard‑style phishing message where the sender’s email address was hidden and the link text...
One Hour Weekly Grew Net Worth $150K
This is Taylor. In 6 months, she: -> Found $35k of "free money" -> Grew her net worth by $150k -> Fired her financial advisor for good Here's how she did it in 1 hour per week:
Young Investors Should Embrace Market Crashes for Long-Term Gains
If you are in your 20s or 30s, you want the stock market to crash. You should be looking forward to 20-30% drops. This is because you have 20+ years until retirement. You have time. Just buy good funds and you’ll win in...
The FIRE Movement Is So Back Thanks To AI Disruption
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, born from the 2008‑2009 crisis, surged during COVID‑19 and then waned as remote work became mainstream. In 2024‑2025 large firms began re‑imposing in‑office mandates while pouring billions into AI, prompting massive productivity gains...
Temperament Trumps IQ in Investing Success
Warren Buffett: “Success in investing doesn’t correlate with IQ once you’re above a certain level.” Takeaway: Temperament outweighs raw intelligence. Most investors don’t fail from low IQ — they fail from low discipline. 📉
Today Only: Up To 4x Bonus Airline Miles On Apple Purchases
Apple shoppers can earn a limited‑time boost of 3.5‑ to 4‑times airline miles per dollar through four major airline shopping portals. The promotion runs on February 23 2026 and applies to most Apple products except flagship iPhones, Vision Pro, and several accessories. Alaska...
The Investor’s Second Self
Vishal’s new book *The Long Game* is now available for pre‑order, featuring reflections from thirty investors who have survived multiple market cycles. It introduces the concept of the “second self,” the emotional persona that emerges during market downturns and can...
Past Returns Don't Guarantee Future Success
Early in my career, I recommended a hedge fund to five clients. Impressive track record. Global brand everyone would recognise. 28% annual returns for three years. I felt like I'd found something special. I was wrong.
Links - 02/22/2026
Joe Koster’s Feb 22 2026 "Links" newsletter delivers a concise reminder that successful investing requires disciplined policies rather than gut instinct. The post features a quote emphasizing the need for pre‑established rules and procedures before any decision. It also serves as a...
Retail Investors Miss Institutional Asset-Liability Matching Due to Fee Incentives
As Adam notes, it's interesting that big pensions, banks and insurance companies meticulously manage their portfolios using asset-liability matching process. Meanwhile, retail investors get style and factor investing shoved down their throat in exchange for high fees. Why aren't asset-liability...
Invest $5 Daily, Turn $5k Into $100k
Over the last 784 days, l've invested $5/day in $VGT to show that you don't need a lot of money to start investing. These purchases made me over $800 so far. Balance is at $4.8k. It will grow to $100k in...
Flat Crypto Activity Signals Bottom, Solana $30 Bet
Crypto engagement is flat, but that's often a sign of a market bottom. Based on probabilities, a rebound is likely within the year. Buying Solana at $30 could be more monumental than buying ETH at $1K. #Crypto #Market #IvanClips https://t.co/VTwlNEu0cb
Stablecoin Rewards Undermine Community Bank Growth
Our savings yield for @bankonroger is 3.61 APY. I’m not worried about competition with stablecoin yields, I’m concerned how it robs community growth. Stablecoin funds gov’t debt while community banks fund community growth.
Plan Your 2025 Deductions with This Guide
There’s still time to review key deductions and strategies for 2025. This guide can help you get started. https://t.co/iFENgYm9YE
Falling Gas Prices Save Combustion Drivers $700, EV Costs $290
Lower gasoline costs will save money for those who drive cars w/ outdated combustion-powered drivetrains (more than $700/household according to this post). As a separate data point I will spend ~$290 this year to charge my electric vehicle (8000 miles, 0.3...
Leverage Others' Retirement Accounts
I built most of my early portfolio using other people’s retirement accounts. Educating others about self-directed accounts can help you raise your own bank.
Prioritize Peace‑of‑mind ROI over Pure Financial Returns
I'm going to keep banging the drum for decisions that deliver "peace of mind" ROI rather than a financial return, especially for people whose plans are in good shape. My new one. https://t.co/9wYrEdGWx4
Most People Can't Link Actions to Financial Outcomes
Understanding cause & effect is a highly advanced skill for even concepts like personal finances. The majority of people I talk to cannot connect their individual behavior with their financial financial status Government-level c&e is so abstract, it’s virtually impossible...
Investors Chase Trends, Repeat Home‑bias Cycle
Over the past decade, most U.S. investors quietly abandoned international investing. Why? Because the U.S. was outperforming. Now that international is starting to lead, give it a few years and watch the same crowd pile back in. It’s the same cycle, over and...
T‑Bills Yield Over 3%—Skip Low‑Rate Savings
The national average savings account interest is 0.39%. Yet T-bills are paying ~3.6% and no state/local taxes. Can buy them from TreasuryDirect or your broker. Or Treasury ETF (e.g $VBIL) or Treasury MMF (e.g $VUSXX) pay ~3.64%. Don't let your savings earn pennies.