Hey Rebels! Let's dive into this week's issue to help you become smarter 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
👩🏽⚖️ Big news in Tariff Land: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose as the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, meaning the government can’t move forward with those import taxes, calming investors who were worried about higher costs and a bigger trade fight, though the refund situation is going to be complicated. (more)
🌎 In response…: President Trump said he was imposing a 10% global tariff effective immediately, which could remain in place for 150 days, after which congressional approval would be required. (more)
💾 In other news, bad memory isn’t just for your grandparents anymore: The Big Three memory-chip producers (Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron) can’t meet demand for both AI data centers and consumer electronics, which will only increase as time goes on. But for $9.99 a month, they can upgrade their Apple Storage to 235 Terabytes or whatever enormous storage they need. (more)
By the numbers
🏒 46 years: how long it has been since the US men’s hockey team won an Olympic gold, since the 1980 miracle on ice. The US beat Canada this weekend at the Milano games. What the h-e-double hockey sticks, eh. (more)
👗 $1.2 million: In classic new-age second-hand shopping, this is how much Etsy is selling Depop, only $425 million less than what it paid for five years ago. (more)
🥜 4%: how many Americans carry peanut butter around with them at all times. Do you prefer your emotional support PB creamy or crunchy?
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The Financial Rebellion Way
“Budget” = Restriction. “Monthly Spending Plan” = Permission.
The word “budget” makes me sad. It makes me think of diets, deprivation, and everything you can’t have.
A Monthly Spending Plan? That’s intriguing. Tell me more.
Here’s how it works:
Before the month starts, assign every dollar a role. Rent, food, savings, milkshakes, whatever. No unemployed cash.
Plan to spend, not to restrict: Include fun money. Include treats. Plan for the concert tickets. When it’s planned, it’s guilt-free.
Weekly check-ins, not daily obsession: Five minutes every Sunday. Are you on track? Cool. Move on with your life.
Big picture: Budgets fail because they’re about what you can’t do. Monthly Spending Plans succeed because they’re about what you choose to do. You’re not restricting—you’re directing. You can thank me later.
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 February 20, 2026:
▲ S&P 500 | 6,837 | +0.05% |
▲ NASDAQ | 22,547 | +0.53% |
▲ GOLD | 5,250 | +5.99% |
▼ GRAIL (GRAL) | 43.03 | -57.15% |
▲ OPENDOOR (OPEN) | 4.87 | +9.26% |
▼ BITCOIN (BTC) | 64,722 | -2.59% |
▼ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 1,865 | -4.49% |
Stock and Crypto Moves
Stock fallout: U.S. stocks plunged, with the Dow Jones dropping about 800 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also sliding, as investors reacted to renewed fears over President Trump’s tariff policies and growing concern about how artificial intelligence could disrupt key tech sectors (more)
Crypto fallout: Bitcoin fell to $66,000, putting it on pace for its fifth month of losses. (more)
Love is an Opendoor: After reporting stronger-than-expected Q4 results with improved sales and adjusted EBITDA, Opendoor Technologies saw its stock rise as JPMorgan raised its earnings estimates, showing growing confidence in the company’s turnaround under new leadership. (more)
New faces in the gaming world: Microsoft announced a major leadership overhaul in its gaming division, with longtime gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox President Sarah Bond departing, and Asha Sharma taking over to reinvigorate Xbox’s strategy amid competitive challenges and a push for new growth. (more)
Poor prognosis: Diagnostic company Grail was down more than 50% on Monday after its cancer-reduction test, Galleri, failed to show a statistically significant result. (more)
Lucid Dreams into Lucid Nightmares: EV maker Lucid announced on Friday that it is laying off 12% of its US workforce as part of its efforts to improve profitability. (more)
Real Money Moves
Tyrone, 24 - San Diego, CA
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 - Going to college
I had a lot of people” telling me to skip college and focus on a trade school, but I thought getting a degree would be most beneficial in the long run.”
“It wasn’t easy, and being a first-gen student definitely came with its challenges, but I found that I actually really liked school.”
“I got an internship and later a job from a professor’s recommendation, and I’ve been able to feel secure with my career because of my degree.”
Worst Money Move - Getting caught up in sports betting
“I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it, but what started as a friendly game within my friend group turned into a massive headache and almost an addiction.”
“I lost sleep over my bets, and couldn’t even enjoy the games because of how much money I had riding on them.”
“I ended up quitting cold turkey and using my money towards safer investments that wouldn’t be affected by my favorite player getting injured.”
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.
Micro Bakery
Transform your love of baking into some extra dough.
Your recipe for sweet success:
Start with your signature: Whether it’s your grandma’s banana bread or those cookies everyone begs for, lead with what makes you happiest to bake.
Build your baking rhythm: Take orders early in the week, bake midweek, share the love by Thursday. A predictable schedule means happy customers and a happy baker.
Create connection points: front-porch pickups, farmers-market meetups, or local coffee-shop partnerships. Each handoff is a chance to share your story along with your treats.
Big picture: Your home kitchen is already the heart of something special. While others stress about overhead and investors, you’re building community one fresh-baked moment at a time.
Check out the Financial Rebellion podcast to learn about how to turn your passion into profit.
Bank Like A Rebel
While big banks profit from your mistakes, credit unions invest in your financial education. Weird how doing the right thing is considered rebellious.
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.