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
🙈 The government gets involved: The White House released a proposed framework outlining priorities for future AI legislation, including child-safety protections, age verification, and data-center rules, while also signaling which areas it prefers Congress not to regulate. It also outlaws people over the age of 60 from sending obvious AI videos of dogs to family members. (more)
🏃🏻♂️ “But General! You don’t understand. If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen!” The French government is taking “appropriate measures” to discipline a French soldier who posted his run on the exercise app Strava, enabling journalists to geolocate the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is in the Mediterranean, helping protect French and allied interests during the war in Iran. (more)
🚛 Semi-serious business: Tesla says its all-electric Semi truck is approaching high-volume production, promising longer range, lower operating costs, and major efficiency gains for freight companies if it can scale manufacturing successfully. Sounds like they’re going to truck around and find out. (more)
By the numbers
👨🏾🎤 260,000: the number of people who attended the iconic K-pop boy band BTS’s first show in 4 years. (more)
⛹🏻♀️ $600,000: the new average WNBA salary after over a year of tense negotiations, up 400% from $120,000. (more)
🛬 3 hours: how early the TSA head recommends showing up at the airport for all flights, as shutdown-induced travel issues are calling for a turbulent couple of weeks for air travel. (more)
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Your Mom Was Right About Credit Unions (Just Ask Dominique)
Dominique Newell’s banking journey is every credit union’s dream comeback story—and proof that sometimes the old ways your parents taught you are actually the smart ways (very rebellious, we know)
The credit union boomerang effect:
Dominique’s first account as a kid? Credit union. Then college happened, no branches in Kentucky, so she defaulted to Big Bank like everyone else. Sound familiar?
Six years into building her Italian ice empire, she’s working events with Kemba Credit Union and realizes—wait, why am I giving my business to a bank that sees me as account #4829573?
Full circle moment: Now she’s transitioning both personal AND business accounts back to a credit union. Because when you’re grinding in your neighborhood, you need a financial partner who actually knows your name.
Big picture: While banks are closing branches and replacing humans with chatbots, credit unions are out at community events, actually meeting their future members. Sometimes financial rebellion means going back to what worked before Wall Street convinced you otherwise.
Learn more about Dominque’s story on the Financial Rebellion podcast:
Markets - stocks and crypto
In under 3 minutes, start investing spare change, saving for retirement, earning more, spending smarter, and more.
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Prices for the week ending February 27, 2026:
▼ S&P 500 | 6,506 | -2.81% |
▼ NASDAQ | 21,647 | -3.22% |
▼ GOLD | 4,574 | -9.00% |
▼ SUPER MICRO (SMCI) | 20.53 | -35.80% |
▼ TESLA | 368 | -7.78% |
▼ BITCOIN (BTC) | 70,302 | -5.98% |
▼ ETHEREUM (ETH) | 2,151 | -8.25% |
Stock and Crypto Moves
Stocks sink as the war escalates: US stocks fell amid escalating geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices, with the S&P 500 logging a fourth straight weekly decline. (more)
Super falls and Micro gains: Shares of Super Micro Computer fell sharply after US authorities charged cofounder Wally Liaw and others with allegedly diverting billions of dollars’ worth of AI servers to China in violation of export controls. (more)
An Amazon Smartphone: Amazon is reportedly developing a new smartphone years after the failed Fire Phone, potentially leveraging its AI ecosystem and services to create a more competitive device. The phone reportedly sends messages in 2-3 business days, overnight if you have Prime. (more)
Something wicked this way comes for Bitcoin: The simultaneous expiration of stock options, index options, stock futures, and index futures—known as quadruple witching—could increase volatility and put short-term pressure on Bitcoin as traders unwind positions. (more)
Altcoin looking for an alternate plan: Trading volumes for major altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin have dropped about 60% since a large crypto liquidation event in October, reflecting weaker investor enthusiasm and reduced speculative trading across the crypto market. (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.
Violet, 29 - Denver, Colorado
Best Money Move - House hacked with roommates
"I bought a 3-bedroom house and immediately rented out two rooms to friends."
"Their rent covers 80% of my mortgage, so I basically live for $400 a month in Denver."
"I went from barely saving anything to banking $1,500 monthly because my housing cost disappeared."
Worst Money Move - Ignored employer 401k match
"My company matched 6% but I didn't contribute for my first three years because I 'needed' the money."
"I literally left $5,400 of free money on the table because I couldn't budget properly."
"That money would've doubled by now with the market gains. I was basically refusing a raise."
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.
Newell’s Wada Ice
Dominique Newell turned a spontaneous LA trip and some coolers into Newell’s Wada Ice—proving you don’t need a storefront to build a seasonal empire serving Italian ice to Cincinnati.
Your mobile food blueprint:
Start where you are: Dominique literally stood in her neighborhood with “free sample” signs until cars pulled over.
Wholesale to winning: Started with zero recipe knowledge, just buying wholesale and rebranding. When the supplier said she got “too big,” she bought a hand-crank ice cream maker and figured it out. Sometimes success forces your next level.
Smiles sell more than sugar: Show up authentic, bring your kids, and actually care about the community. Dominique does free events and remembers names—now customers call HER when summer hits, begging to get on the schedule.
Big picture: While everyone’s fighting for restaurant leases, Dominique built a business that hibernates in winter and prints money in summer. Your weird food idea plus some coolers might be your ticket to freedom—just start serving samples in your driveway.
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.