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.
|
What's new!
The Dead Investor Test
The best investor in the room is dead.
$10,000 in when COVID hit. Today:
| |
 | |
| Same deposits. One scared month cost $10,691. | |
|
Weekly Intel
Stay current with top news from the business, money, and investing world.
Top Stories
Horrifyingly profitable movies: As the film genre most likely to return a profit, horror might be entering its golden era, with recent hits like Smile, Barbarian, and Obsession showing you don’t need expensive effects or large budgets to create absolutely terrifying, bloody, money-making films. ‘Tis the season! I’m skipping with Scooby-Doo. (more)
Baby, it’s cold inside: Home heating oil prices are expected to rise 34% from a year ago according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But good news! Houses that use propane or natural gas for heat are expected to spend less this year, and those using electricity to heat their homes can expect a slight increase from last year. Houses that are heated by my father can expect an energy bill of exactly $0, same as past years. (more)
NBA experimenting with chips: And no, not the kind that cost $15 to eat at a game. NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league is experimenting with “smart balls,” embedded with itsy bitsy sensors that can sense movement and changes in trajectory, helping refs have some legit, scientific evidence against angry fans. (more)
By the numbers
62%: how much U.S. households are paying more for drinking water than they did a decade ago. A great time to have a Diet Coke addiction, I guess. (more)
372: the number of complex, “unsolvable” math problems that OpenAI published solutions or progress for last week. (more)
$15,000: the budget for Paranormal Activity (2007), which went on to earn $193 million, kickstart an entire franchise, and inspire a Broadway play. (more)
Weekly Reader Poll
The Financial Rebellion Way
Here's a myth: Want to be financially successful? Go to college. Get grades. Get a good job. Just save more. Cut expenses. You’ll be fine.
The truth? That advice was built for a different generation. You can feel it. We are facing a different economy. We are facing different odds. And it’s time to do money differently.
Here's lesson 1 in under a minute. Click here to watch the short clip.
Want more? Click here for the full module in the Do Money Differently course. It’s free.
Markets: Stocks and Crypto
Last week’s Battleship, the market, and crypto in one minute.
The stock-picking game | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Crypto check | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bitcoin −3.5% · Solana −9.6% All four big coins are down for 2026. Bitcoin has held up best, XRP worst. More → | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Game: Tuesday close to Friday close, Oct 6 to Oct 9. Free to play, bragging rights only. None of it is advice to buy, sell, or hold any stock. Acorns is an affiliate link. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Chris, 20 - Dayton, Ohio
Worst Money Move: Not using a Roth IRA, and selling at the wrong time
“I think I had investments that were for the long term in just a regular brokerage investment account for probably a year or two, and I honestly just came down to not being educated.”
“Another one was selling my investments at the wrong time. around COVID, the market dipped and I got pretty scared and sold off some of my investments.
“Luckily at the time I only had a couple hundred dollars invested, so that only cost me maybe a few hundred dollars.”
Best Money Move: Getting that Roth, and investing in himself
“First was moving my investments over to a Roth IRA…by far the smartest move I've done so far.
“And then most recently in the last few weeks, I invested in a real estate mentor. It's someone that I know from back home, a friend.”
“I just feel like the return on the investment that that's gonna have for me is going to be exponential.”
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.
Making Money Make Sense
Chris Lewis, a University of Dayton student and entrepreneur, saw a gap in financial education among his peers and decided to do something about it. His solution? ClearWealth, a personal finance education platform designed to help young adults take control of their money.
Originally a marketing major, Lewis discovered his passion for finance while studying for his first finance exam. He began posting personal finance videos for fellow students, which quickly gained traction—reaching nearly a million views across platforms since June.
Lewis co-founded Dayton’s Finance Club to make financial education accessible to students beyond competitive investing programs. Through ClearWealth, he hopes to help young adults learn the fundamentals of budgeting, saving, and investing. As he puts it, “I don’t need a lot of money to start investing” is a misconception he wants to change.
Lewis’s story shows the value of recognizing a need and taking action. His advice for managing money is equally practical: build an emergency fund, take advantage of an employer’s retirement match, and avoid “lifestyle creep”—the temptation to spend more as your income grows.
The big picture: You don’t need to have it all figured out to get started. Find a problem worth solving, share what you know, and build something that helps others—your first step could make a much bigger impact than you expect.
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.
Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Interested in becoming a Financial Rebellion Partner? See what partners get at https://www.financial-rebellion.com/partner
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.