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
New girl math just dropped: Your shopping addiction is our country’s lifeline. The U.S. economy is growing slowly, with the GDP growth sinking every quarter -- but consumer spending and investment into AI is keeping it afloat. Thank heavens for Instagram ads! (more)
✨ BONUS: Do you regularly succumb to a good dose of girl math? Use this Financial Rebellion calculator to find out how much that is costing you.
A little AI celebrity gossip: Leopold Aschenbrenner, a well-known AI researcher, got married last week to Anthropic’s chief of staff Avital Balwit. Just days earlier, Aschenbrenner’s AI-focused hedge fund Situational Awareness nearly collapsed because of risky investments in AI companies. The AI power couple’s Tuscan-style villa wedding began with “a colloquium of panels and breakouts, followed by a ceremony.” I have no words. (more)
Google made an oopsie: Last Thursday Google unveiled the Google Earth Image Generation, a tool which allowed users to generate hyperealistic AI images that could be uploaded to real satellite images. What could go wrong? (Everything) (They pulled it after one day) (more)
By the numbers
28%: what share of Japan’s passenger miles are ridden on a train, compared to 10% in France and .25% in the U.S. (more)
1.5%: the slow growth rate of the U.S. economy in Q2 (more)
$1 billion: how much Jersey Mike’s raised before it’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week, a new record for a restaurant's IPO. (more)
Reader Poll
The Financial Rebellion Way
Think Like An Investor, Not A Consumer
Last week we talked about how many young Americans think gambling is more lucrative than investing — and it’s not. Don’t believe me?? Check out this calculator to see how much you’d make gambling vs. investing.
In a nutshell: the house always wins. And the house doesn’t care about your future. This week, we’re flipping the script entirely.
Because here’s the real problem: most young people were handed a consumer mindset from day one. See it, want it, buy it. The economy literally depends on you thinking that way. But the people quietly building wealth? They’re on the other side of that transaction—they own the thing you’re buying.
The consumer economy is designed to keep money moving away from you. Investing is how you reverse that current. Every share you own is a tiny piece of something real, something that grows while you sleep. That’s not gambling. That’s the rebellion.
Want to change which side of the transaction you’re on? Use this tool to calculate how slight changes in your budget can completely change your financial trajectory.
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 July 31, 2026:
▲ S&P 500 | 7,489 | +0.25% |
▲ NASDAQ | 25,373 | +0.69% |
▲ GOLD | 4,111 | +2.28% |
▲ YUM! BRANDS (YUM) | 153.28 | +2.59% |
▼ CROCS (CROX) | 128 | -4.76% |
▼ BITCOIN (BTC) | 62,544 | -2.15% |
▼ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 1,840 | -3.51% |
Stock and Crypto Moves
Jersey Mike’s debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with the largest IPO in the restaurant sector since Krispy Kreme in 2021. The sandwich chain proved that investors were hungry for both cold cuts and cold, hard cash. (more)
Despite the parasitic diarrhea outbreak plaguing Taco Bell’s earnings, parent company Yum! Brands are confident that this is just a small bump in the road - and I mean, bodily emergencies after eating Taco Bell are just standard procedure. (more)
Chip stocks skyrocketed this week after strong tech earnings from Microsoft and Lam Research sparked a widespread rally (more)
Starbucks topped quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, while caffeine-addicted investors watch closely whether new leadership and menu changes can revive growth. (more)
Crocs raised its full-year outlook after stronger results, but warned that near-term challenges could weigh on growth. The company continues to benefit from its popular clog business while facing pressure from weaker demand for its equally aesthetically-challenged HEYDUDE brand. (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.
Taylor, 21 - Dallas, Texas
Best Money Move - Putting my savings in a high yield savings
“My older brother helped me open up a high yield savings account with some birthday and Christmas money I got.”
“I started putting in any extra money into that account instead of my normal savings account.”
“Now I’m getting free money every month, through interest, and it’s amazing.”
Worst Money Move - Not maintaining my car
“I bought my car cash, which was great, but I kind of neglected it.”
“I was busy with school and work, so I didn’t maintain it like I should have.”
“I ended up paying for a brand new battery and some other expensive replacements that could have been avoided if I had stayed on top of things.”
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.
Tansley Stearns didn’t start a side hustle. She built a career on purpose, one unglamorous step at a time, until she was sitting in her dream seat as president and CEO of Orsa Credit Union.
Here’s what her path actually teaches about building something that lasts:
Start where the doors open, not where the spotlight is. Tansley’s first credit union job was in a mall basement. She took it. Nine years later, she’d led marketing, a branch, and a call center.
VP of Sales and Service. Strategy and governance. Industry think tank. Each stop wasn’t a promotion—it was a new skill set. She was collecting skills, not titles.
Let mentors tell you what you can’t see. Multiple leaders told Tansley the same thing: you want to be a CEO, go learn what you don’t know yet. She listened.
Big picture: “Dream Wild” isn’t just Orsa’s tagline. It’s Tansley’s actual operating system. Set the bar high, then figure out what you need to clear it.
Check out the Financial Rebellion podcast to learn about how to turn your passion into profit.
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 and 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? 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