Hey Rebels!
It was a big week for Swifties and Wall Street alike. One group celebrated record-breaking album sales while the other watched portfolios plunge faster than you can say “tariff war.” But while everyone else is asking “why is this happening?” we’re over here asking the only question that matters: “Why not start building wealth anyway?”
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Weekly Intel
Stay current with top news from the business, money, and investing world.
Top Stories
💎Trade war, tariff threats, market plunge: The China-U.S. trade war escalates as Trump announced an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods in response to China's announced export controls on rare earth minerals. The stock market loved the news! Kidding (more).
⚽Billion Dollar Baller: Cristiano Ronaldo is officially the first billionaire soccer/futbol/football player, courtesy of his Saudi Arabian contract (more).
🏠Weirdly, now might be the time: Wanting to buy a house by the end of the year? Here is what you need to know.
By the numbers
✈️90%: the percentage of air traffic controllers who are still showing up for unpaid work during the government shutdown, and airports are still severely understaffed.
💃🏼3.5 million: The number of albums Taylor Swift sold in the first five days of the release of The Life of a Showgirl. Knock on Wood, but it’s Actually Romantic how Swift has dodged being CANCELLED!, avoided the Fate of Ophelia, and become sort of a Father Figure to so many of us.
🍼40%: The number of kids under two that interact with smartphones daily (*slowly looks over at my 18-month-old watching Ms. Rachel while I write this).
The Financial Rebellion Way
Knowledge and action to help you achieve a life you desire.
“The big money is not in the buying and selling, but in the waiting.”
“Why?” is the question of people waiting for permission.
“Why not?” is the question of people who understand the biggest risk is playing it safe while inflation eats your savings and wages stay flat.
While everyone else makes lists of reasons to stay scared, make lists of reasons to stop waiting. The system wants to paralyze you with analysis. We want you to start achieving your dreams now:
They say wait until you have $1,000. But $20 in an index fund today beats $0 forever. Your learning curve needs reps, not a trust fund. Start small, get better, build wealth.
Why not bet on yourself? That side project you’ve been sketching on napkins? Launch it this weekend. Worst-case scenario: you fail and stay exactly where you are.
Why not apply for the “reach” job? They want 10 years of experience, you have 3. So what? The job posting is a wish list, not a blood oath. Let them tell you no instead of rejecting yourself first.
Big picture: Traditional advice says build the perfect plan. The perfect plan is the one you actually start. Every billionaire has a story about the “stupid” risk that changed everything. Your bank account doesn’t care about your comfort zone—and neither should 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 October 3, 2025:
▼ S&P 500 | 6,553 | -2.71% |
▼ NASDAQ | 22,204 | -2.95% |
▲ GOLD | 3,992 | +0.76% |
▲ PEPSI CO (PEP) | 150 | +6.93% |
▼MOSAIC (MOS) | 30.35 | -12.56% |
▼ BITCOIN (BTC) | 113,626 | -7.2% |
▼ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 3,934 | -13.2% |
Stock Moves
Wall Street's cold plunge: In the worst day for the S&P 500 since April, U.S. stocks plunged after President Trump announced Chinese import tariffs (more).
A crappy day for chips, crypto and…fertilizer companies?: The trade war hit the stock market hard, especially chipmaking companies that rely on rare earth minerals to operate. The worst-performing stock this weekend? The fertilizer maker Mosaic (for entirely unrelated reasons) (more).
On the caffeinated note: PepsiCo is side-eyeing the stock market fall while calmly sipping on a Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero Sugar. The company is sitting pretty after announcing a new chief financial officer on Thursday, along with higher-than-estimated quarterly earnings (more).
Crypto Moves
Crypto crash: Days after Bitcoin’s all-time high, the crypto market experienced the largest liquidation event in history, with over $6 billion in liquidations (more).
No ETFs left behind: After eight straight days of positive inflows totaling nearly $2 billion, U.S.-traded spot Ethereum ETFs ended their streak on Thursday, recording $8.5 million in outflows (more).
Shutdown slowdowns: Solana ETF’s rollout has been delayed due to the government shutdown, although JPMorgan analysts anticipate $1.5 billion in inflows in their first year (more).
Coming Soon: The Financial Rebellion investment portfolio. You will see where we invest our money via stocks, bonds, crypto and other opportunities.
Real Money Moves
Harry, 26 - Spokane, Washington
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 - Buying a car with cash
“I bought a 10-year-old Honda for cash instead of financing a newer car.
“No monthly payments meant I could actually start saving for the first time in my life.”
“I drove a beater for two years while my friends had car payments. Now I have $15,000 saved, and they’re still paying off depreciated metal.”
Worst Money Move - Not having an emergency fund
“I lived without a budget for years, wondering why I was always broke. Turns out I was spending $600/month on random Amazon purchases. Who knew? Not me.”
“I ignored everyone about emergency funds until my car died. Ended up putting the repair on a credit card at a 24% interest rate, and that $800 fix cost me $1,200.”
“I thought budgets were for poor people until I realized I was poor because I didn’t budget.”
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.
Musician for Hire
Turn years of being an orchestra dork into $300/hour playing Pachelbel’s Canon for people who can’t tell a cello from a violin anyway.
Your classical cash strategy:
The “Cocktail Hour Kingpin” Move: Show up, play background music while people get drunk, leave before the chicken dance starts.
The Package Price Hack: Never quote hourly. Offer the “Wedding music package.” Team up with friends and offer the quartet package. They get quality live music, and you get a paycheck for working one evening.
The “Electric Option” Upsell: Rent an electric cello for $50, charge $200 extra for “amplified ambiance.” Same songs, same skill, but now you’re “modern” and can compete with the DJ during dinner.
Big picture: While your conservatory classmates are auditioning for orchestras that pay in “exposure,” you’re clearing $1,000+ per weekend playing music you learned in middle school. Wedding planners book you because they don’t know any other cellists, and you’re the only one answering emails within 24 hours.
Check out the Financial Rebellion podcast to learn about how to turn your passion into profit.
Word of the Week - Spot ETF
🟢A type of ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) that directly holds a physical asset, such as gold, bitcoin, or another commodity, rather than futures contracts or derivatives tied to it.
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: Editor
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.