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Weekly Intel
Stay current with top news from the business, money, and investing world.
Top Stories
Unlike the midterm exams you’re about to take: The inflation report was kinder than expected, lowering chances for another interest rate hike from the Fed. (more)
“Choosin’ Texas” isn’t just what Californians are doing when looking to move: Singer Ella Langley’s song recently hit its 24th week at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, unseating previous record holder (wait for it) Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” (more)
War is expensive: And so is gas. And groceries. And 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard #4 cards. Learn more about how inflation, midterms, and the war in Iran all work together to rock the stock market and impact your wallet (your real one, and the one for your Pokémon). (more)
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The War Tax
Same commute. $744 more a year in gas
This isn't political. Your car and your commute didn't change. The price of a gallon did. Here's a year of gas at 250 miles a week and 25 mpg.
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| That's the U.S. average. In Utah, where gas jumped the most, the same driver pays $1,139 more. Plug in your own state and miles. | |
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| AAA regular unleaded averages, Feb 26 vs Oct 1, 2026. 250 miles a week at 25 mpg. Your number will vary. |
By the numbers
Four: the number of country songs that hit #1 on the Hot 100 in 2023, back to back. It was country’s best run at the top since 1975. (more)
$45.1 billion: how much the Pentagon told Congress the war in Iran has cost so far, counting fuel. (more)
3.4%: the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, aka the inflation rate, in August. (more)
Weekly Poll
The Financial Rebellion Way
Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time to Invest
Life might seem a little uncertain right now. Global conflict seems endemic, everything feels expensive, housing is ridiculous and the job market?? Don’t get me started.
Even when things feel shaky, THIS is the time you need to be investing if you want a stable future. Stop waiting for the “perfect” time to invest. It doesn’t exist. Here’s an easy guide to starting today:
The 10-Minute Wealth Builder: Acorns. Download Acorns, link your debit card, and boom, you’re an investor. Every time you buy a $3.75 coffee, Acorns rounds up to $4 and invests that quarter. Spare change becomes retirement money while you live your life.
Your Other Quick-Start Options:
Stash: Pick stocks and ETFs based on your interests, start with $5
Betterment: Robo-advisor that builds your portfolio automatically
E*TRADE: More control, more options, still beginner-friendly
Robinhood: Commission-free trading with a slick interface
Check the fees first. On a small balance, a $3 monthly fee can eat more than the account earns.
The Reality Check: Every day you wait is money you’re leaving on the table. While you’re overthinking it, inflation keeps chipping away at cash that just sits there. The hardest part of investing isn’t picking stocks or timing the market. It’s downloading the app and starting. This is your sign! Do it now!
Markets: stocks and crypto
In under 3 minutes, start investing spare change, saving for retirement, earning more, spending smarter, and more.
Battleship Week 1: winner Alec’s five, Sep 29 to Oct 2, 2026:
▲ ON SEMICONDUCTOR (ON) | 84.89 | +11.77% |
▲ TESLA (TSLA) | 370.59 | +5.03% |
▲ MICROSOFT (MSFT) | 517.53 | +1.68% |
▲ NEXTERA ENERGY (NEE) | 76.83 | +1.24% |
▲ ROKU (ROKU) | 152.39 | +0.16% |
Alec’s five averaged +3.98% for the week. The index did +0.29%.
Stock and Crypto Moves
Bond sell-off: Global bond markets are facing a major sell-off, with government borrowing costs reaching their highest levels in decades as investors worry about inflation, rising oil prices, and growing government debt. (more)
Oura: Despite high interest in its IPO, Oura, maker of smart rings, delayed its plans to sell shares to the public due to stock market uncertainty. (more)
Carnival: People aren’t eating out, but they’re still going on vacation. Carnival just posted record Q3 earnings and overshot expectations, earning about $1.9 billion as more people booked cruises and paid higher prices. (more)
Crypto: As fears of an interest rate hike cooled down, crypto started warming up, with Bitcoin back above $86,000 by the weekend. Happy Uptober to those who celebrate! (more)
Gold: Weak employment numbers for September (just 29,000 jobs added) further lowered the chance of an interest rate hike. Gold still slipped about 3% for the week, its second weekly loss in a row, as high bond yields made it look less attractive. (more)
Real Money Moves
Each week, we feature a reader’s smartest and dumbest money moves. We’re all in this together; let’s learn from each other.
Fern, 26 - San Diego, California
Best Money Move: Using points for travel
“I heard about how you can use credit card points for plane tickets. I spent a weekend researching and applying for credit cards.”
“I’m far from an expert but I was able to fly to my best friend’s wedding in Fiji for almost nothing.”
“I have been super careful with the cards and debt, and I’ve been to Europe and the Caribbean for basically nothing.”
Worst Money Move: Vacation mode (aka no budget)
“Since I was flying almost free, I felt like I had a lot of money to spend on my trips.”
“A budget didn’t belong on vacation! Or so I thought.”
“I way overspent on dumb little things that added up, and it made my cheap flights almost pointless.”
Got a money win or financial faceplant? 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.
Matt Steiner turned Pokémon nostalgia into a business.
This week we’re throwing it back to an interview with entrepreneur Matt Steiner, who turned his childhood Pokémon nostalgia into a live-stream empire on TikTok, running QVC-style shows selling collectible cards to 165,000+ followers for 10-15 hours daily.
The part that blows my mind? I thought there’s no way this business model would last more than a year. And here we are, a year later, with streaming and Pokémon trading alive and stronger than ever.
Learning from Matt:
You just need your first live stream, the first sale: a complete stranger from New York dropped $800 on Pokémon cards. That’s when two door-to-door sales bros (who were actually bros) realized they could sell anything, including childhood memories wrapped in foil packs.
They started with 12-15 hour days in summer, and as of October 2025 were running two streams (10 hours and 5 hours daily) with hired streamers. Matt’s wisdom: “You can’t replace hours with anything else…the business will take all the time you give it and still want more.”
Even after going back to college, Matt still puts in 4-5 hours daily because “you got to treat your business like a one-year-old baby. You can’t leave it alone.”
Big picture: Matt and his brother built a thriving TikTok live stream business selling Pokémon cards because they combined childhood passion with serious work ethic. It might have seemed silly at the beginning, and impossible to explain to their grandma, but I bet they’re glad they started when they did.
Hear the whole conversation on the Financial Rebellion podcast.
Bank Like a Rebel with a Credit Union
You Own the Place: As a member you're an owner, not a transaction.
David vs. Goliath Energy: Big traditional banks primarily exist to serve shareholders while credit unions exist to serve their members.
Better Loan and Deposit Rates: Lower rates on auto loans and mortgages. Higher rates on checking and savings accounts.
Learn more reasons why Financial Rebellion champions credit unions over banks by clicking here.
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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.