Blog•Feb 26, 2026
How Would Trump’s New Retirement Plan Fit with Existing Saver’s Credit and Coming Saver’s Match?
President Trump’s administration floated a new private‑sector retirement account that would mirror the federal employee plan and add a $1,000 annual government match. The proposal arrives as the existing Saver’s Credit still offers a tax credit of up to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for married couples, based on income thresholds for the 2025 tax year. That credit will be replaced by a Saver’s Match in 2027, which deposits federal funds directly into retirement accounts. The overlap raises questions about how the new plan will integrate with these evolving tax incentives.
By Don’t Mess With Taxes
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
Best 12-Month CD Rates for February 25, 2026: Up to 4.05%
The College Investor lists the top 12‑month certificates of deposit as of February 25, 2026, with yields topping 4.05% APY. Credit One Bank leads with a 4.05% jumbo CD requiring a $100,000 minimum, while Bank of Utah, Live Oak, Navy Federal and...
By The College Investor
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
Critique My Investment Strategy or Lack Thereof
An 82‑year‑old retiree with pension and Social Security holds a mixed portfolio of domestic equities, a single‑stock position, foreign stocks, municipal bonds, and cash, aiming to preserve wealth for heirs and provide survivor income. The current allocation is 55% domestic...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
Banker on Wheels Broker Fee Comparison Tool
A new broker fee comparison tool shows that over a ten‑year horizon SAXO Bank incurs the lowest total trading costs at €318, followed by Interactive Brokers at €407, while Swissquote tops out at €1,879. The fee differential of €1,561 translates...
By Banker on Wheels
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
Achieve Review for 2026: Terms, Access and Customer Feedback
Achieve’s 2026 review highlights its hybrid lending model that blends unsecured personal loans with secured home‑equity products such as HELOCs and fixed‑rate home‑equity loans. The platform targets borrowers with mid‑600s credit scores, offering flexible credit requirements and a digital‑first application...
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 25, 2026
529 Plan And College Savings Calculator
The College Investor offers a free 529 plan calculator that lets parents model college savings growth by adjusting a child’s age, current balance, monthly contributions, and expected rate of return. The tool uses a conservative 7% annual return, reflecting post‑fee...
By The College Investor
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
Viator Amex Offer: Spend $200 & Get $25 Back (Can Use Twice)
American Express has launched a targeted Offer for Viator that awards a $25 statement credit when cardholders spend $200 or more in a single transaction. The credit can be applied up to two times, delivering a maximum of $50 back...
By Frequent Miler
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
Aven Review for 2026: Terms, Access and Customer Feedback
Aven’s 2026 offering blends a home‑equity‑backed revolving line of credit with a credit‑card interface, letting homeowners draw only what they need and pay interest on the outstanding balance. The fintech’s digital‑first application speeds pre‑qualification and eliminates many in‑person appraisals, positioning...
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
Is the 4% Rule Too Frugal for Doctors?
A physician who began saving at 26 leveraged a Navy Reserve pension, Tri‑Care, and a debt‑free mortgage to retire comfortably at 70. By working minimal hours in his final years and taking required minimum distributions that exceeded his needs, he...
By Physician on FIRE
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
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...
By Frequent Miler
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
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...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
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...
By My Money Blog
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
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...
By Oblivious Investor
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
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...
By Financial Samurai
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
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...
By Safal Niveshak
Blog•Feb 23, 2026
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...
By Value Investing World
Blog•Feb 22, 2026
More Instacart Credits: $10 or $20/Monthly Credits with Mastercard
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+...
By 20 Something Finance
Blog•Feb 22, 2026
Budget Your Paycheck With Dave Ramsey Budgeting Percentages
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...
By Just Start Investing
Blog•Feb 21, 2026
How To Reset Your Budget In One Weekend
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...
By Just Start Investing
Blog•Feb 21, 2026
Endowment Lessons
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...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 21, 2026
How Far Back Would a 40% Drop Take Us?
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,...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
New Strategy for Wealthy Families
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,...
By Insurance Thought Leadership (ITL)
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Turo Amex Offer: Get 20% Back, up to $30 (Rental Car Alternative)
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...
By Frequent Miler
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
America’s Most Underwater Housing Markets Present a Golden Opportunity For Investors
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...
By BiggerPockets (Blog)
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Why Your Average Tax Rate Doesn’t Tell the Real Story in Retirement
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,...
By Retirement Researcher
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
You Didn’t Survive Residency to Overpay the IRS
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...
By Physician on FIRE
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Why Pershing Square Holdings Trades At A Deep Discount To NAV
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 %...
By Financial Samurai
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Should I Use My Home Equity to Buy My Next Rental Property? (Rookie Reply)
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,...
By BiggerPockets (Blog)
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
The Inner Life of a Long-Term Investor
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...
By Safal Niveshak
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
PSECU $300 New Checking Account Bonus (Updated 2026)
Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU) is running a 2026 promotion that awards a $300 bonus to new checking account holders who meet specific criteria. Applicants must join the credit union (or its affiliated PRPS group) with a $10 fee,...
By My Money Blog
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
Stop Me Before I Open Another Account!
The article urges consumers to trim the growing tangle of credit‑card, bank, brokerage and retirement accounts that most Americans juggle. It highlights how the average U.S. adult now holds four credit cards and multiple savings, investment and inherited accounts, creating...
By Squared Away (CRR)
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
Don’t Give up on Your Part D Costs
The author recounts a recent struggle with Medicare Part D after a prescription fell off the plan’s formulary, raising the out‑of‑pocket cost from the expected $500 to nearly $600. By appealing the denial, the drug was reinstated on the formulary, the...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
HEI Vs. HELOC Over 10 Years: Which Costs More?
The article compares home equity investments (HEIs) with traditional home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) over a ten‑year horizon, showing how each product’s cost structure reacts to home‑price appreciation. While a HELOC accrues interest on the borrowed balance, an HEI...
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
Budgeting For A Car Saving Money
Budgeting for a car requires a structured plan that goes beyond the purchase price. The guide emphasizes setting a clear, realistic savings goal, accounting for the full cost of ownership, and choosing between new and used vehicles. It recommends automating...
By Just Start Investing
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
IRA Flat Tax Proposal
A proposal to replace the graduated tax on IRA withdrawals with a flat 6% rate has sparked a lively debate among retirees and advisors. Commentators argue the low flat rate could trigger a wave of large Roth conversions as individuals...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
Bank of America Rewards: Higher Balance Requirements for Credit Card Boosts + New Monthly Credits (Effective May 2026)
Bank of America is rebranding its Preferred Rewards program as BofA Rewards on May 27, 2026, introducing new tier names and higher balance thresholds. The Premier tier now requires a $1 million combined balance to earn the top 75% credit‑card rewards...
By My Money Blog
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
IRS Says Average Tax Refunds Rise to $2,290; Higher than Last Year Due to Trump’s Tax Law
Early IRS data shows the average 2026 tax refund has risen to $2,290, an 11 % increase over the previous year. The surge is linked to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which introduced retroactive tax cuts and seven new deductions while withholding tables...
By Financial Freedom Countdown
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
A Very Sensible Conclusion
The author admits that holding two individual stocks consumes disproportionate mental energy despite representing less than 0.1% of total wealth. He notes strong recent returns—55% and 35% over the past year—but recognizes that fear of missing out and loss aversion...
By Humbledollar
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
New York City Mayor Mamdani Eyes 9.5% Property Tax Hike that Could Affect Middle-Class Residents
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $127 billion preliminary budget that includes a 9.5% property‑tax increase to address a projected $5.4 billion shortfall. The hike would affect over 3 million residential units and more than 100 000 commercial buildings and can be...
By Financial Freedom Countdown
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
Single-Family Vs. Multifamily Rentals: Which Is the Best First Rental?
The BiggerPockets podcast dissected entry‑level rental strategies, recommending small multifamily (2‑4 units) for stronger cash flow but noting price constraints may make a quality single‑family more realistic. It outlined a transparent, data‑driven approach to raising an inherited tenant’s rent, emphasizing...
By BiggerPockets (Blog)
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
How To Teach Kids About Budgeting Money
JustStartInvesting’s guide breaks down twelve practical steps for teaching kids budgeting, beginning with simple money basics and the needs‑versus‑wants concept. It recommends using a regular allowance as a hands‑on budgeting tool, encouraging early saving, and creating clear spending categories. The...
By Just Start Investing
Blog•Feb 18, 2026
The Really Long Game
Vishal Niveshak announces his new book *The Long Game*, now available for pre‑order with shipping slated for the end of February 2026. The work distills lessons from 30 seasoned investors on cultivating patience, resisting short‑term market noise, and building a...
By Safal Niveshak
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
More Mortgage Competition Could Mean Better Rates for Buyers
Federal regulators are considering easing mortgage‑related capital rules, which could entice large banks to re‑enter the mortgage market in force. After the 2008 crisis, banks’ share of origination fell from about 60% to 35% while non‑bank lenders filled the gap....
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
HSBC Premier Elite Card Review: 60,000 Points Signup Bonus and $495 Annual Fee
HSBC’s Premier Elite card carries a $495 annual fee and offers a 60,000‑point sign‑up bonus after $4,000 of spending in the first three months. Cardholders earn 5× points on all travel, 2× on dining and 1× on other purchases, plus...
By Doctor of Credit
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
How to Buy Five Short-Term Rentals in Five Years
The article outlines a five‑year roadmap to acquire five short‑term rentals without burning out or over‑leveraging. It frames the first Airbnb as tuition, emphasizing system building over profit maximization. In year two it recommends co‑hosting to generate cash flow without...
By BiggerPockets (Blog)
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
Why Thousands Are Flocking to North Carolina’s Explosive Real Estate and Job Market
North Carolina attracted 84,000 new residents from July 2024 to July 2025, making it the third‑fastest‑growing state and a magnet for millennials seeking tech and finance jobs. Lower housing costs—median $328,611 versus the national $355,328—combined with a diversified employment base are driving...
By BiggerPockets (Blog)
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
HEI for Condos and Multi-Family: Eligibility and Options
Home‑equity investment (HEI) products are now available to condo owners and 2‑4‑unit multi‑family homeowners, though eligibility varies by provider. Companies such as Point, Hometap, Unison, Unlock and Splitero accept these property types, typically requiring 25‑30% equity, owner‑occupancy and a stable...
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
HEI Impact on Home Lien: What Every Homeowner Must Know
Home‑equity investors (HEIs) place a junior lien on a homeowner’s title without becoming a co‑owner, leaving the primary mortgage as the senior claim. The lien is repaid when the property is sold, refinanced, or at the agreement’s maturity, rather than...
By The Mortgage Reports
Blog•Feb 17, 2026
Games To Teach Budgeting Or Money Management For Adults
A growing number of board games and digital apps are being used to teach adults budgeting and money‑management skills. Titles like Monopoly, Cashflow, Payday and the Budget Challenge app let players experiment with cash flow, debt, savings and passive‑income concepts...
By Just Start Investing
Blog•Feb 16, 2026
How a Low Cost of Living Provides Me with More Freedom
After divorcing, the author relocated from Pennsylvania to a medium‑sized Idaho town to benefit from a lower cost of living. The move cut commuting times, allowed her to work fewer hours, and gave her more time to support her son’s...
By MoneyNing