💸 Follow the money

The 30% rule is dead, but your homeowner dreams don’t need to be. Though the idea that your housing shouldn’t exceed 30% of your income isn’t feasible in most states, fear not! Use this calculator to figure out how much you can actually afford (and learn from Financial Rebellion to actually get there).

Speaking of housing: While hopes are still high for an interest rate cut this September, don’t expect anything crazy for the 30-year fixed mortgages. A cut in the federal rate doesn’t necessarily mean a cut in mortgage rates, and sometimes, like last year, mortgage rates even move higher. 

Winter is coming (and so are tariffs): Though major retailers have kept prices stable despite increased tariffs, it may be time for the consumer to pick up the slack.

$3 million: The price of Cristiano Ronaldo’s engagement ring (cough, cough, ice rink) to his long-time girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez. Though the massive rock shook the internet, it cost Ronaldo only around 1% of his net worth.

$100 million: the amount of money Cracker Barrel shed in market value last Thursday after the reveal of their new sterilized logo. But whatever, if you want to strip your brand of all personality, who are we to judge (we’re judging).   

$4,600/month: The average cost of a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco right now. But I hear squatting on Alcatraz Island is free, if you hide well enough.

Weekly or monthly automated investing into high-growth stock ETFs or indexes like the S&P 500 is the foundational step to creating significant long-term wealth. 

Apps like ACORNS are a perfect way to dip your toes in investing and reap significant rewards.

Start with as little as $5 a week or month, and invest more as your income grows.

Stocks soared like an eagle last Friday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's remarks implied in his speech at Jackson Hole that there may be an interest rate cut in September. The S&P 500 now trades at a near record high of 6,466.

Former dominant (not potato) chip maker Intel (INTC) says the U.S. government will take a 10% ownership stake in the microchip company ASAP. This gives the U.S. some competitive muscle to keep up with worldwide growth in AI chip-making. INTC stock trades for about $24.80.

Alphabet (GOOG), formerly known as Google (so confusing, right?), stock climbs as Apple indicates it may start using Alphabet’s Gemini AI to power Siri.   

Learning about the most popular crypto projects helps you get smarter faster. Dive deeper with a click - Solana. This digital asset has a $110 billion market cap, which means that's how valuable it is on the crypto market as of today. 

The lure of easy money has been around since the beginning of time. A $50 million crypto-to-gold scam uncovered by police will make this 33-year-old man wish he had stuck to playing video games in his parents’ basement. 

Wyoming, where you can find real cowboys, wants to be known as a crypto and financial services pioneer state by issuing the Frontier token in hopes of accelerating public good for its state and residents.  

“I would keep the excess money that I had in my checking and regular savings accounts, earning hardly any interest income.” 

“I just banked at my bank and did not do any research on how my money could earn more money for me. 

“I wish I had known or taken the time to research other higher-interest savings accounts that were available to me at other banks or credit unions.”

“After years of saving, I was able to put a down payment on a small condo a couple of years out of college.”

“I got a roommate, and she paid half of my monthly mortgage payment as her rent. I was the "landlord" of the property, and she paid me to live in my place while I continued to build up equity in my condo.”

“And now I am married, and my husband is now "renting" from me!”

Broad Appeal: Everyone from busy professionals to stay-at-home parents is looking for tailored fitness advice and guidance.

Flexibility: Offering classes online broadens your reach beyond local neighborhoods, while in-person sessions can solidify community ties.

Health Benefits: While you earn and gain experience, you’re also promoting and living a healthy lifestyle, which is a great perk of the job.

It's as easy as when you set up your Venmo, Paypal or Cash account.

Acorns automatically invests your money into one of five investment portfolios based on your age so you don't have to choose the stocks -phew!

The Acorns Round Ups feature also enables you to invest spare change from normal daily purchases.

Click the image above or this link to get started on your investment journey and earn a special $40 bonus when you set up at least a $5 or more weekly or monthly recurring investment.

Profit Sharing: They win, you win. If you own shares in a company like Apple, for example, and they make a huge profit, they might share some of that profit with you as a dividend.

For example: If you own shares of Microsoft, you might receive a cash payment, typically every quarter, based on the number of shares you own. As of 2021, Microsoft declared a quarterly dividend of about $0.56 per share.

Reinvestment Option: Instead of taking your dividend payout in cash, you can often choose to reinvest it to buy more shares of the company, growing your wealth exponentially.