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.
Weekly Intel
Stay current with top news from the business, money, and investing world.
Top Stories
✂️Buzzcut Season: Last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate by 25 points - the first rate cut since last December, with potentially more cuts later this year. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Read this article to find out (and come back and explain it to me, please).
🍟All chips but no dip: Chip-making powerhouse Tostitos Nvidia announced plans to invest $5 billion in the struggling Intel, a month after the Trump administration took a 10% stake in the company.
🤰🏼Will Momtok survive this?: The White House announced a deal bringing TikTok control to the US - though China has yet to confirm the agreement.
By the numbers
🎟️Seven: The number of states that, along with the Federal Trade Commission, are suing Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, for its weak enforcement of scalping to profit from ticket reselling.
💰49.2%: The share of total consumer spending that came from America’s top 10% earners during Q2, meaning the wealthiest tenth of Americans drove nearly half of all consumer purchases
🧑🏾💻$100 billion: The amount YouTube has paid its creators over the last four years.
The Financial Rebellion Way
Knowledge and action to help you achieve a life you desire.
“Take care of your finances, and your finances will take care of you.”
Spend Rebelliously - Give Every Dollar a Job
Thinking about making a budget? Boooooring. Ditch the B-Word. Call it a “Spending Plan” - because you’re the boss, not your money.
Your Monthly Money Map:
Grab a Google Sheet, Excel, or old-school paper
Write your income at the top (the truth, not the fantasy)
Tell every single dollar where to go BEFORE the month starts
The Non-Negotiables First: Rent/mortgage, car payment, phone bill (the boring stuff that keeps you functioning)
Then the Real Life Stuff: Groceries, gas, bonuses for your newsletter writer, fun money (yes, include it or you’ll blow the whole thing)
The Power Move: Include your savings accounts as expenses, and pay yourself first—it’s not what’s left over, it’s what you decide.
Month 1 will be messy. Month 2 will be better. By Month 3, you’ll know exactly how your money moves. Zero left over doesn’t mean you’re broke - it means that you’ve won.
You are the boss of your money. You make it work for you. Learn more with Financial Rebellion.
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 September 19, 2025:
▲ S&P 500 | 6,664 | +0.86% |
▲ NASDAQ | 22,631 | +1.66% |
▼ GOLD | 3,706 | - 0.34% |
▲ OKTA (OKTA) | 292 | +57.23% |
▲ INTEL (INTC) | 30 | +21.55% |
▼ BITCOIN (BTC) | 115,479 | - 1.27% |
▼ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 4,464 | - 1.03% |
Stock Moves
Return of the Magnificent Seven (1966) - U.S. stocks reached fresh highs on Friday amid a record-setting rally, as the "Magnificent Seven" tech stocks continued to climb.
Speaking of Hollywood: Paramount Skydance is reportedly preparing a bid of $22–$24 per share to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, mainly in cash and backed in part by Larry Ellison.
Atomic gains for this hot stock: Nuclear energy startup Oklo has seen its stock surge over 320% year-to-date, despite being relatively unknown to most investors.
Crypto Moves
Investors believe in Solmates: Brera Holdings rebranded as Solmate, raised $300M to to invest in and support Solana’s crypto network, and its stock jumped after major investors backed the plan.
Crypto crash: Dogecoin, Solana, and Ethereum led a sharp decline in the crypto market, with nearly $1.7 billion in liquidations over 24 hours, as experts described it as a problem that should gradually resolve as more people start buying and selling again.
Unstable stablecoin: JPMorgan warns that the intensifying U.S. stablecoin competition could turn into a zero-sum game, merely redistributing the $270 billion market's share without net growth unless the broader crypto ecosystem expands significantly.
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
Bry, 30 - Los Angelos, California
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 - An unintentionally brilliant idea
“I started with a $400 investment in materials for a single hockey jersey - no business plan, no market research, just making something I loved in my basement.”
“I accidentally discovered a $30 million market gap when friends couldn’t stop asking where to buy a jersey like mine.”
“Refusing to compromise on quality, we scaled the business to 170,000 sold, turning festival fans into collectors who’d pay $150-210 for something worth displaying.”
Worst Money Move - Being Afraid of Investing
“I wanted a Range Rover. I ignored every friend who warned me about the car’s notorious maintenance costs.”
“After spending more on repairs within 12 months than the entire purchase price of the car, I realized my friends were right, and I had made a mistake.”
“I learned I’d rather have the money in my account than a car that drains it every time I turn the key.”
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 may become a full-time hustle.
From swimming with sharks to making millions in jerseys, Bry Stevens proves that your side hustle doesn’t have to fit in anyone else’s box.
His path wasn’t traditional. After seeing a fan lose their mind at his first DJ set, Bry made the call that would horrify most parents—he dropped out of college on the spot. “There’s no way I’m ever going to school again,” he told himself. “I’m going to figure this out.”
The Three Businesses That Broke the Mold:
Elev808 Designs began with that single $400 jersey made in his basement. Friends kept asking where he got it. Four years later, they’ve sold 170,000 units at $150-210 each to collectors who frame them like art.
Offbeat started as free rooftop parties in Denver. Their secret? “Putting way too much production in a tiny space.”
Proppaganda takes content creation to places no one’s gone before—literally. Underwater DJ sets with sharks. Hot air balloon performances. As Bry puts it: “If someone’s already done it, go back to the drawing board.”
Bry’s Blueprint for Breaking Through:
Stop thinking about outcomes. “Just go try things and figure out what works best for you.”
Prepare like a fighter. Study your space like a UFC fighter studies their opponent.
Competition is fuel. “We’re all fighting for something. Use that as motivation.”
His parting wisdom: “The only people who have all this success are the ones dumb enough to try it. Small wins add up to big wins.”
Check out the Financial Rebellion podcast to learn about how to turn your passion into profit.
Word of the Week - Stablecoin
🪙 A cryptocurrency designed to maintain a steady value by being pegged to a traditional currency like the US dollar.
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.