Hey Rebels! Let's dive into this week's issue to help you change how you think about money, investing and business in less than 10 minutes a week.
Weekly Intel
Stay current with top news from the business, money, and investing world.
Top Stories
🎬 Netflix is down bad: The Fight over Warner Bros continues, and like your recently divorced high school sweetheart who you run into at your hometown bar, Netflix is looking a little desperate. (more)
👪 Another holiday love triangle: Hallmark couldn’t even make this up. Paramount is not standing down in the fight for Warner Bros., with tech billionaire Larry Ellison putting $40 billion of his own cash to back Paramount’s bid. (more)
🏴☠️ A Pirate Named Anna: the self-proclaimed “open source search engine for shadow libraries,” Anna’s Archive, announced that they have scraped (pirated) over 86 million of Spotify’s 100 million tracks. This publicly available music data will be a boon to AI models and music pirates alike. (more)
By the numbers
🔠 $75 billion: how much Google parent Alphabet paid for data center Intersect.
🍿 $88 million: a “weak” domestic opening box office weekend for the new Avatar movie.
📦 9 billion: how many packages USPS has delivered so far this year.
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The Financial Rebellion Way
Knowledge and action to help you achieve a life you desire.
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of financial security
The holidays hit different when you’re still paying for them in March. Time to rebel against the “buy now, panic later” tradition that makes January the most depressing month of the year.
Your holiday rebellion blueprint:
Experience over excess: Instead of stuff, give time. Cook dinner, plan a game night, make a playlist. Memories don’t charge interest.
Start a “January Fund”: Every dollar saved on holiday nonsense goes straight into a January survival account. Future You will thank Present You.
The group gift hack: Go in with siblings or friends on one nice gift instead of five mediocre ones. Better gift, less spending, everyone wins.
Big picture: The best gift you can give yourself is entering January without a credit card hangover. Break the cycle of holiday overspending and post-holiday regret. Your bank account and your stress levels will thank you.
Markets - stocks and crypto
In under 3 minutes, start investing spare change, saving for retirement, earning more, spending smarter, and more.
Click the image above or this link to earn a special $40 bonus.
Prices for the week ending December 19, 2025:
▲ S&P 500 | 6,878 | +1.08% |
▲ NASDAQ | 23,445 | +1.93% |
▲ GOLD | 4,472 | +2.60% |
▲ HERTZ (HTZ) | 5.72 | +13.63% |
▼ NETFLIX (NFLX) | 193.44 | -0.68% |
▲ BITCOIN (BTC) | 89,346 | +3.68% |
▲ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 3,033 | +7.20% |
Stock and Crypto Moves
It Hertz me to say this, but that rental car company that charged you for hitting that curb is having a great month. Hertz's stock price jumped more than 12% because a bunch of investors suddenly bought a way more than usual of high bullish call (aka "bet-on-the-price-going-up") options during the holidays. (more)
When “weed stock” has nothing to do with your parents’ garden: President Trump signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Though cannabis will still be illegal on a federal level, this rescheduling removes red tape for more institutional investors. (more)
It might be time to buy FIIIIIIVE GOLDEN RINGSSSS: Gold jumped over 2% to an all-time peak, with silver following with record gains. (more)
The near future of Bitcoin: Bitcoin is hovering around $88,000- $90,000, but weakening demand and thinning market support suggest crypto may be shifting from a bull to a bear market as we head into 2026. (more)
XRP spot ETFs, which directly hold the cryptocurrency XRP, have grown to over $1 billion in total assets since launching in late 2025. This shows strong investor interest in XRP, even as its price has dropped recently and Bitcoin funds face challenges. (more)
Real Money Moves
Jordan, 25 - Billings, Montana
Each week, we feature a reader’s smartest and dumbest money moves. We’re all in this together; let’s learn from each other.
Best Money Move - Getting my degree
“Everyone said college was a scam, but I picked nursing—a degree that actually pays.”
“Started at $65K right out of school while my friends who skipped college are still making $15/hour.”
“That piece of paper cost me $40K but tripled my income. Best ROI I’ll ever see, and nobody can take it away.”
Worst Money Move - Credit card free-for-all
“Got my first card freshman year and treated it like free money. Spring break, concerts, late-night pizza—all plastic.”
“Maxed out three cards by junior year. $8,000 in debt at 23% interest because I couldn’t wait to live my best life.”
“Took three years to pay off what I blew in one. Those Instagram moments cost me $3,000 in interest alone.”
The bottom line: Every money move teaches you something — whether it builds your net worth or humbles your ego.
Got a story? Send it in. You might help someone dodge a mistake or make a smarter call.
Side Hustle Differently
Each week, we focus on money-making opportunities for a side hustle that could potentially become a full-time venture. No MLM schemes, no “passive income” lies, just real strategies for stacking cash outside your 9-5
Snow Removal Specialist
Don’t mind the snow? Make a few bucks this winter while getting you’re fresh air, AND a work out.
Your snow shoveling blueprint:
The Early Bird Special: Hit driveways at 5 AM before work. Charge $40-60 for a pre-commute clear. Three driveways = $150 before breakfast.
The Subscription Model: Sell seasonal packages upfront. $300 for guaranteed clearing all winter. Get paid in October, work through March.
The Storm Chaser Strategy: Track weather apps religiously. Text your client list 24 hours before storms. “Reserve your spot now” = fully booked before the first flake falls.
Big picture: While everyone’s complaining about winter, you’re making bank every storm. Five regular clients and one good snowstorm can cover your rent. The best part? Your competition quits when it gets too cold, leaving more money for rebels who own good gloves.
Check out the Financial Rebellion podcast to learn about how to turn your passion into profit.
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Word of the Week - ROI
ROI: Return our igloos! (Just kidding. It’s Return On Investment)
Trusted Partners
Where you bank is a big deal. We are big fans of credit unions to help you become financially rebellious. Here are some of our current partners that we work with around the country, so you can get to know them and the value of becoming a member to help you achieve your financial goals and dreams.
Did you know the myths about credit unions versus banks? Debunked here.
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Interested in becoming a Financial Rebellion Partner? Reach out to [email protected].
We’ll catch you next week. Rebels OUT.
Todd Romer: Founder and Writer
Corinne Clarkson: Writer and Editor
Dallin Merrill: Chief Newsletter Overlord
Disclaimer: The advice provided in Financial Rebellion is not considered to be financial or legal advice of any kind. It is your responsibility to dig deeper on any opinions or recommendations given.