Why Citizens Still Sees Upside in Arbor Realty Trust Inc. (ABR)
Citizens Research & Management reiterated a Market Outperform rating on Arbor Realty Trust (ABR) on April 2, but trimmed its price target to $11 from $12. The firm projects a 2026 total dividend of $1.20 per share, translating to a required yield of 10.9% versus the current 16% yield. Citizens still expects a total return of 62%, driven by the high cash yield and an anticipated 46.5% price appreciation. The outlook rests on ABR’s multifamily origination, aggressive non‑performing loan resolution, and ongoing sales of real‑estate‑owned assets to free capital.
How Single Moms Are Using Their Biggest Asset to Fund a Better Future
Single‑mother homeowners—about 37% of that demographic—hold an average of $206,000 in home equity, according to 2024 estimates. By tapping this asset through home‑equity loans, HELOCs or cash‑out refinances, they finance education, launch small businesses, consolidate high‑interest debt, and upgrade their...
New Chase Offer for IHG Cards: Save Up to $50 at Home Improvement Stores
Chase has introduced a targeted Offer for IHG credit‑card holders that delivers up to 10% cash back, capped at $50, on purchases at home‑improvement retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. Cardmembers must activate the offer and complete a qualifying...
Can Professional Service Providers Help Encourage Small Businesses to Offer Retirement Plans?
A new study of 506 accountants, lawyers, and financial advisors reveals that many professional service providers still overestimate the cost and administrative burden of small‑business retirement plans. Those who actively guide clients and frame plans as recruitment and retention tools...
Selling
Dean Pettycash’s latest post in his "How I Run My Portfolio" series tackles the often‑overlooked art of selling. He argues that exits are not a single decision but a set of context‑driven choices, each requiring its own rationale. By categorizing...
5 Things The Working Class Can Buy To Build Wealth, According To Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey outlines five concrete purchases that working‑class families can make to build lasting wealth. He advises allocating 15% of gross income to growth‑stock mutual funds inside tax‑advantaged retirement accounts, buying a modest home with a 15‑year fixed mortgage, and...
How Not to Invest During Times of Uncertainty
Amid heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty, investors are tempted to time the market and concentrate their portfolios. The article argues that both strategies are rooted in overconfidence and loss aversion, leading to sub‑par outcomes. Empirical evidence shows market timing rarely...
Aisle – Grocery Rebate Platform ($5 Referral Bonus, 100% Back Offers & More)
Aisle is a grocery rebate platform that lets shoppers earn cash back by uploading receipts after buying qualifying items at partner merchants. Payments are issued through PayPal or Venmo, and the service caps redemption to one person per household. A...
Should Your Mom Have Private Equity in Her 401K?
A new Harvard working paper challenges the push to add private‑equity (PE) to retail retirement accounts such as 401(k)s. Using cash‑flow‑aligned benchmarks, the authors find that over the past 15 years PE generated near‑zero alpha versus the S&P 500, and...
App Helps Maximize Credit Card Rewards
Fintech startup CardPointers launched an app that helps users pinpoint the optimal credit card for any purchase, covering over 5,000 cards from more than 900 banks. The platform not only recommends the highest‑yielding card but also monitors merchant offers and...
The Tax Trap That's Costing Your Clients Millions — And the One Tool That Breaks It
The Lead‑Lag Report is hosting a free, one‑hour webinar on May 5, 2026 to teach CFP® professionals about the 351 Exchange—a tax‑deferred strategy that lets clients move concentrated, appreciated stock into a newly created ETF without triggering capital gains. The session, co‑presented...
Vanguard’s World Stock Market ETF: Is the Whole Better than the Sum of the Parts?
Vanguard’s Total World Stock ETF (VT) offers a single‑fund, cap‑weighted exposure to the global equity market, but it carries a higher expense ratio and no foreign tax credit. Splitting VT into Vanguard’s Total US Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Total...
Chris Mayer and Ian Cassel on the Edge AI Can’t Replicate
In a recent episode of the Excess Returns podcast, Chris Mayer, author of "100‑Baggers," sat down with Ian Cassel to dissect the limits of AI in investing. The conversation covered long‑term stock picking, micro‑cap strategies, business quality, and the behavioral...
Talk Your Book: Animal Spirits Live with F/M Investments
F/m’s new Compounder ETF series targets after‑tax investors by deferring income, cutting dividend tax drag, and offering higher after‑tax yields. The firm highlights hidden costs in traditional dividend reinvestment programs, advocating market‑order purchases to preserve returns. It contrasts the liquidity...
Early Retirement Planning – Steps We’re Taking in 2026
The author outlines a 2026 early‑retirement roadmap focused on boosting a cash reserve to roughly $35,000 CAD (about $25,500 USD) to cover a full year of expenses. They plan to turn off dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) in taxable accounts and RRSPs by...
State Based Non-Profit Student Loan Lenders
State‑based nonprofit student loan lenders operate as quasi‑governmental entities that channel low‑cost, tax‑free municipal financing into private student loans. Because they prioritize education over profit, they can extend lower interest rates and reduced fees—often only to residents or students attending...
Monday’s Headlines Load Up the Kids
A new study shows replacing a second car with a cargo e‑bike can save families thousands of dollars annually, while cutting emissions and improving health. Meanwhile, several U.S. municipalities are grappling with transit decisions: Dallas suburbs voted on DART membership,...
27 Investing Rules From Warren Buffett's Most Famous Lecture
On July 18, 2001 Warren Buffett delivered a two‑hour lecture at the University of Georgia that distilled his investing philosophy into 27 actionable rules. The guidance spans temperament, valuation, position sizing, mistake avoidance, and business assessment, emphasizing independent thinking, treating...
Why I Told My Friend Not to Take $67 Million in Cash.
A founder selling his company faced a choice between a $67 million cash payout and stock in the acquiring public firm. Taking cash would trigger roughly 37% combined federal, NIIT and California taxes, erasing about $24.8 million on day one and creating...
4 Ways to Become Wealthy That No One Taught You In School, According to Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger outlines four wealth‑building principles that run counter to textbook finance. He urges investors to concentrate capital on a few high‑conviction ideas rather than diversifying indiscriminately. He stresses buying businesses with durable, high return on invested capital (ROIC) and...
Saving for Grandchildren
The article outlines four tax‑advantaged ways to save for a grandchild—529 plans, UGMA custodial accounts, Coverdell ESAs, and the newly introduced Trump accounts. It details each option’s contribution limits, tax benefits, and withdrawal rules, highlighting the Trump account’s $1,000 government...
Wall Street Trap
May 1, 1975 marked the SEC’s deregulation of brokerage commissions, sparking the rise of discount brokers and lower trading costs for investors. Decades of research, from Alfred Cowles to Barber and Odean, show that individual stock‑picking and active fund management consistently underperform...
![T-Mobile Money Review – Earn 4% APY On Balances Up To $3,000 [New Negative Changes From June 1]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/t-mobile-money.png)
T-Mobile Money Review – Earn 4% APY On Balances Up To $3,000 [New Negative Changes From June 1]
T‑Mobile Money, the telecom‑backed digital checking account, will slash its Annual Percentage Yield on most balances to 1% starting June 1, 2026. The 4% APY on the first $3,000 of a checking balance remains only for customers who deposit at least $200...
Why Tax-Efficient Retirement Income Is About Structure
The article argues that tax‑efficient retirement income hinges on the overall structure—risk allocation, account placement, and withdrawal sequencing—rather than isolated tax tricks. It stresses that a proper asset‑allocation mix is the foundation, then recommends holding growth‑oriented funds in taxable accounts...
Treasury Hikes I Bond Rate to 4.26%, Fixed Portion Stays Same. What It Means for Savers
The U.S. Treasury lifted the Series I savings‑bond composite rate to 4.26%, up from 4.03%. The fixed‑rate component, however, remains unchanged at 0.9% for bonds issued through October 2026. I Bonds continue to offer inflation‑linked returns, tax‑free state and local treatment,...
The Crash Cart that Taught Me Physician-Led Investing
Physician‑led investor Harsha Moole describes how a network of 200+ doctors identified a startup that automates hospital crash‑cart inventory, raising compliance from the national 70‑75% average to near‑100%. The team validated the product with 17 frontline clinicians before investing, then...
We Can Return to 20-Year Mortgages
John Wake argues that the U.S. housing market could revive 20‑year mortgages, a shift that would cut total interest without raising monthly payments. Between 2018 and 2021, falling rates made a 20‑year loan financially equivalent to a 30‑year loan. By...
Why Saving The First $10,000 Is Critical
Saving the first $10,000 is presented as the cornerstone of financial security, especially for high‑income professionals who often overlook basic cash reserves. The article highlights that an emergency fund covering three to six months of expenses protects against income volatility...
Baby Steps
A Canadian parent wants to help her 16‑year‑old daughter start investing before she can open a TFSA. The article explains that minors can contribute to a RRSP if they have earned income and file a tax return, and that parents...
Old-Fashioned Frugal Living Tips
The piece revisits classic frugal‑living habits—using items fully, cooking at home, repairing instead of replacing, reusing, careful spending, home gardening, buying only necessities, DIY creation, regular small savings, avoiding debt, choosing durable goods, and sharing. Each tip is framed as...
Bitcoin for Everyday Investors: How to Think About Risk, Timing, and Size
The article frames Bitcoin as a high‑risk, high‑volatility satellite asset rather than a core holding. It advises investors to assess personal risk tolerance, use structured entry such as dollar‑cost averaging, and size the position so a steep drawdown won’t jeopardize...
Position Sizing
Dean outlines a judgment‑driven approach to position sizing, emphasizing that it’s the single biggest driver of portfolio outcomes. He recommends starting with 5‑10% of capital for an initial idea, using 2‑3% “half‑positions” for basket components, and scaling up or down...
How a Free Checking Account Supports Financial Confidence Over Time
A free checking account does more than dodge fees; it serves as a foundational tool for building lasting financial confidence. By removing monthly maintenance charges and minimum‑balance hurdles, it creates frictionless cash flow that encourages consistent money management. Integrated digital...
5 Things Warren Buffett Says To Never Invest In or Buy (Avoid at All Costs)
Warren Buffett’s investment doctrine is defined by five categories he refuses to touch: businesses outside his circle of competence, cheap mediocre firms, non‑productive assets such as gold, cryptocurrencies, and hype‑driven IPOs. He argues that capital preservation comes first, and only...
7 Things You Must Sacrifice If You Want to Be Rich One Day, According to Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger argues that real wealth comes from disciplined sacrifices rather than luck or raw intelligence. He lists seven habits to abandon—envy, herd mentality, constant action, ego, self‑pity, convenience, and comfort—each of which silently erodes capital and focus. By eliminating...
Working-Class People Who Build Real Wealth Don’t Waste Time on These 5 Activities
The article outlines five habits that working‑class earners should eliminate to accelerate wealth creation. It stresses keeping lifestyle costs flat after raises, swapping idle screen time for skill development, avoiding high‑risk speculative bets, converting complaints into concrete career pivots, and...
White House Officially Launches Trump IRA for Workers without Workplace Retirement Plans
The White House signed an executive order establishing the Trump IRA, a low‑cost individual retirement account for workers without employer‑sponsored plans. A dedicated website, TrumpIRA.gov, will go live by Jan. 1, 2027, offering high‑quality private‑sector IRAs and a federal match of up...
Rakuten Shopping Portal: New Bonus for Bank of America Credit Cards
Rakuten’s shopping portal is now offering extra cash‑back bonuses for two Bank of America credit cards: $250 for the Travel Rewards card and $150 for the Customized Card Rewards card. These bonuses are added on top of each card’s existing...
Your Claude Bill Just Hit $874. Here's How I Cut Mine to $40 — And the Output Got Better
The author discovered that most of his $874 monthly AI bill came from Claude Opus agents and replaced those workloads with open‑source models—GLM‑5.1, Kimi K2.6, and DeepSeek V4—routed through the free OpenCode orchestrator. By allocating 80% of tasks to these cheaper models...
Treasury Holds I Bond Fixed Rate at 0.90%; Composite Rate Rises to 4.26%
The U.S. Treasury announced that the fixed rate for new Series I Savings Bonds remains at 0.90%, while the composite rate—combining the fixed portion with the inflation‑adjusted component—rose to 4.26% for the current six‑month period. The increase reflects a higher...
How Does a Bond Ladder Work?
iShares, a BlackRock brand, now offers an interactive tool that lets investors assemble a bond ladder using target‑maturity ETFs from providers such as Invesco, Vanguard and State Street. By allocating capital across funds that mature in successive years, investors can...
Shopping Around – You versus the Grocery Store
Modern grocery shopping has become a high‑tech, high‑confusion experience. Shoppers juggle regular, sale, member, and digital‑coupon prices while navigating mismatched aisle signage and fine‑print restrictions. Digital coupons often fail without store Wi‑Fi, and self‑checkout systems still require manual audits. The...
Use Your Excess Stock Market Gains to Actually Change Your Life
The S&P 500 has surged roughly 100% over the past 3½ years, far outpacing the historical 10% annual return. While stock ownership sits at a two‑decade high, the gains are heavily skewed toward the wealthiest— the top 1% hold about 50%...
How to Slash Your Electricity Bill
The article outlines twelve practical ways homeowners can lower electricity bills, from simple habits like turning off lights to strategic actions such as using off‑peak hours for heavy appliances. It emphasizes that modest behavioral tweaks and energy‑efficient upgrades can produce...
7 Assets Wealthy People Own That Working-Class People Don’t Understand
Wealthy households build portfolios of income‑producing assets—commercial real estate, intellectual property, digital platforms, private equity, venture capital, income‑producing land, and private credit—rather than relying solely on wages. These assets generate cash flow, appreciate over time, and enjoy tax advantages such...
At The Money: How to Max Out Your Small Business Retirement Plan
In a Bloomberg "At the Money" episode, Dan LaRosa explained how small‑business owners and solo practitioners can maximize tax‑deferred retirement savings using SEP IRAs, solo 401(k)s and the Mega Backdoor Roth feature. He detailed contribution limits—up to $72,000 per plan—and showed...
Personal Finance Links: The Full Cost of College
The article aggregates a curated set of recent podcasts and articles that tackle personal‑finance challenges, from the soaring cost of college to retirement timing, family planning, and tax strategies. It highlights expert voices such as Morgan Housel, Bill Perkins, CNBC...
14 Mini Savings Challenges to Boost Your Savings
The article presents 14 practical mini‑savings challenges designed to help beginners, students, and anyone intimidated by large financial goals. It emphasizes starting with tiny daily or weekly amounts, using methods like loose‑change jars, no‑spend days, and the envelope system. Each...
5 Money Rules Warren Buffett Follows That Broke People Can’t Understand
Warren Buffett’s five money rules emphasize capital preservation, frugal living, contrarian buying, disciplined competence, and using volatility as an advantage. He avoids any investment that could erode principal, lives modestly to funnel cash into income‑producing assets, and purchases quality businesses...
The Marshmallow Test Revisited: Turn Patience Into Profit
The blog revisits the classic Marshmallow Test to argue that wealth creation hinges on engineered systems rather than raw willpower. It highlights research showing environment and smart strategies trump discipline, and proposes high‑yield savings accounts (HYSAs) as a behavioral tool...