Surging government debt, inflation risks and geopolitical tensions have driven long-term yields toward multi-year highs, prompting lenders to raise fixed mortgage rates.
Home Blog
Global bond selloff pushes Canadian fixed mortgage rates higher
ధనవంతులు ఎక్కువగా డబ్బుని Invest చేసేది ఇక్కడే! 💰 – Top 5 Investments of Rich People | Kowshik
ధనవంతులు ఎక్కువగా డబ్బుని Invest చేసేది ఇక్కడే! 💰 – Top 5 Investments of Rich People
Open free Demat A/C with shoonya
Discover the 5 major investments that many wealthy people prioritize to build long-term wealth.
In this video, I explain how successful people often focus on creating assets instead of increasing expenses. We discuss Business, Real Estate, Stocks & Mutual Funds, Gold, and Self-Investment (Skills & Health), along with practical insights that anyone can learn from.
In this video:
• Business Investments
• Real Estate Investments
• Stocks & Mutual Funds
• Gold Investments
• Self-Investment (Skills & Health)
• Importance of long-term investing
• Why investing is essential for wealth creation
• Asset allocation basics
If you found this video helpful, don’t forget to:
👍 Like the video
💬 Share it with your friends and family
🔔 Subscribe to the channel for more personal finance content.
Disclaimer:
This video is created solely for educational and informational purposes, I am not a SEBI Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) or SEBI Registered Research Analyst (RA). The content shared in this video should not be considered investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Stock market and mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme-related documents carefully before investing. All investments carry risks. Returns are not fixed or guaranteed and depend on market performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Platform Disclaimer:
This video include information about the Soonya platform for educational or promotional purposes, Before opening a Demat or Trading Account, please compare brokerage charges, Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC), platform features, terms & conditions, and other applicable fees. Choose a brokerage platform only after conducting your own research and selecting the one that best suits your financial needs.
Hashtags :
#stockmarket #mutualfunds #investing #investment #wealth #wealthcreation #financialfreedom #money #personalfinance #business #realestate #gold #equity #sip #longterminvesting #financialeducation #finance #demat #telugu #telugufinance #kowshikmaridi #stockmarket #mutualfunds #investing #wealth #wealthcreation #personalfinance #financialfreedom #money #business #realestate #gold #equity #sip #investments #finance #demat #trading #telugu #telugufinance #kowshikmaridi #advt #ad
Tags :
Top 5 Investments of Rich People, rich people investment, where do rich people invest their money, Where Rich People Invest Their Money?, where rich people invest their money, where rich people invest their money telugu, rich people investments, rich people investment strategy, top 5 investments, best investment options, best investment options in telugu, investment ideas telugu, investing in telugu, wealth creation telugu, personal finance telugu, money management telugu, stock market telugu, mutual funds telugu, sip investment telugu, equity investment telugu, real estate telugu, gold investment telugu, business ideas telugu, financial education telugu, passive income telugu, kowshik maridi
source
Financial Analysts Journal, Q3 2026, Vol. 82 No. 3
When the Equity Premium Was New: How the Baleful Impact of Deflation Eluded E. L. Smith
Edward F. McQuarrie is a Professor Emeritus, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University
EBITDA, EBITA or EBIT?
Doron Nissim is Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting and Finance at Columbia Business School, Columbia University
Profitability Meets Investment: The Wealth Creation Effect in Stock Returns
Francesco Franzoni is Professor of Finance at US/Lugano and Research Fellow at CEPR
Daniel Obrycki is a partner at The Applied Finance Group
Rafael Resendes is a partner at The Applied Finance Group,
Carbon Beta: A Market-Based Measure of Climate Transition Risk Exposure
Joop Huij is an Associate Professor and Head of Indices, Rotterdam School of Management and Robeco Indices
Dries Laurs is a Lecturer in Finance and Quantitative Researcher, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Robeco Indices
Philip Stork is a Professor of Financial Markets and Instruments, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Remco C. J. Zwinkels is a Professor of International Finance, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Tinbergen Institute,
Analyzing ESG Follow-Through of Pension Funds: Evidence from Korea’s National Pension Service
Sehee Kim, Assistant Professor, School of Business Administration, Chung-Ang University.
Woo-Jong Lee, Professor, Business Administration, Seoul National University.
Hee-Yeon Sunwoo, Associate Professor, Business Administration, Sejong University.
Aaron Yoon, Professor, Business Administration, The University of Hong Kong.
Wonder Bought Salt Hank’s to Scale 1 Viral Sandwich. Experts Say Its Cult Appeal Is Now at Risk
The company is increasingly acquiring founder-led brands with loyal followings. Can it maintain the hype surrounding them?
Regulation Crypto Assets: Here Is A Comparison To Reg A And Reg CF
Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced new proposed rules for issuers to raise capital under new exemptions for crypto assets. Regulation Crypto Asset (Reg CA) is widely modeled after two existing securities exemptions, Reg CF and Reg A.
Reg A and Reg CF were created by the JOBS Act of 2012. They are two of the three exemptions that allow for online capital formation – the other being Reg D 506c.
Under Reg CF, an issuer can raise up to $5 million from anyone in an online securities offering. The documents submitted to the SEC before relying on the exemption are a fairly simple notice filing and do not need to be qualified by the SEC.
Under Reg A, an issuer may raise up to $75 million (Tier 2), but the SEC must qualify the offering documents.
Of course, both exemptions have other requirements, but the SEC said it is mirroring these two exemptions for Reg CA offerings: one for startups and one for larger offerings.
The Startup Exemption allows for a crypto offering of up to $5 million in aggregate over four years. This may be used only once.
There is a required Transition Report or Form TR that must be submitted no later than four years after the Notice of Reliance the issuer must make to begin using the Startup Exemption
No financial statements are required. Securities are not restricted and face no rule-based resale restrictions; general solicitation is permitted; the exemption itself does not limit sales to retail/non-accredited investors. The issuer may be an individual, group, or entity. The exemption is a temporary “regulatory runway” while the issuer works to fulfill its objectives, which likely include decentralization.
The Fundraising Exemption has two tiers for issuers: Tier 1 up to $20 million and Tier 2 up to $75 million may be raised over a 12-month period. Tier 2 issuers must have an offering statement qualified by the SEC. Tier 2 requires audited financial statements.
Both Startup and Fundraising require forms of ongoing reporting, but the Startup requirement is limited. Neither requires an intermediary.
While the proposal could change before it goes into effect, the rules are pretty hardened. What will inevitably happen is that existing securities crowdfunding platforms will offer these crypto exemptions to stay relevant and competitive.
Below is a comparison table for Reg CA and Reg CF/ Reg A.
Alex Jones no longer on-the-hook for $50 million owed to Sandy Hook families
A Texas court on Friday slashed a $50 million judgment that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his false claims that one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was a hoax.
The Infowars founder can only be forced to pay about $6 million, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled in a unanimous opinion, citing state laws that limit lawsuit damages.
The ruling does not affect a separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut, where he was also found liable for defaming and causing emotional distress to relatives of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in the Newtown shooting.
The punishing financial verdicts against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, in recent years have forced him into bankruptcy, led to some of his personal property being put up for auction and led to him leaving his Infowars platform. For decades, he used the platform to push conspiracy theories about the United Nations, the federal government, gun control and more.
Sandy Hook families have yet to collect any money from Jones, who has waged lengthy appeals in state and bankruptcy courts as his company faces liquidation. He remains on air after moving onto new websites and streaming platforms.
Friday’s ruling did not throw out the trial court’s finding of defamation against Jones. Still, he called it “a gigantic victory for the First Amendment,” and said he will continue to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court to get the remaining damages thrown out.
“I got lawyers who are good constitutional lawyers and they are not backing down,” Jones said.
Jones has already tried to appeal the Connecticut judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court but was denied last year.
The decision by the Texas Third Court of Appeals left intact more than $4.1 million in compensatory damages awarded by a jury to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis for defamation and emotional distress. But it slashed more than $45 million in additional punitive damages down to $1.5 million to comply with the state’s $750,000 cap for each plaintiff.
The court found Heslin and Lewis did not show evidence that the harassment following Jones’ hoax claims rose to a level that would allow them to exceed the cap. It also said the trial judge improperly allowed the parents to seek higher damages after trial.
Mark Bankston, an attorney for Heslin and Lewis in the Texas lawsuit, shrugged off the appeals court ruling as “irrelevant” given that Jones still faces massive financial judgments in Connecticut.
“The families care not at all about this irrelevant ruling which affects only two of the 19 claims they all share. Jones still faces over a billion dollars of liability, so this changes absolutely nothing. All it does is highlight the absurdity of Texas law,” Bankston said.
Newtown families harassed as Jones claimed the massacre was a hoax
Heslin and Lewis’s 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among those killed in the Sandy Hook attack. Their lawsuit against Jones and the 2022 verdict marked the first time he was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws.
Jones portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, but conceded during the trial that the shootings were “100% real” and that he was wrong to have lied about them.
At the Texas and Connecticut trials, victims’ relatives testified that Jones’ followers — believing his claims that the shooting didn’t happen — subjected them to death and rape threats, in-person harassment and abusive comments on social media. Jones argued there was no proof that linked him to those actions.
Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn’t suffice and initially called on them to make Jones pay more than $150 million for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through.
Almost immediately after the punitive damages in Texas were announced, Jones’ trial attorney predicted the award would be reduced to $1.5 million on appeal.
Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said Friday’s ruling has no bearing on the ongoing lower court proceedings in Texas involving the liquidation of Infowars’ parent company.
The Onion steps in to mock Jones and help frustrated families
Jones and his company have filed for bankruptcy, and those legal proceedings continue. The satirical website The Onion also moved to take over Jones’ Infowars platforms and turn his bullhorn of conspiracy theories into parody sites.
Jones gave up the Infowars brand in April and moved to a new location, switching his shows to new websites and posting them on his personal X account. The Onion, meanwhile, has set up its own Infowars webpage on its website, running videos of shows parodying Jones.
A proposed licensing deal that would give The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property has been put on hold because the liquidation proceedings have been stayed during Jones’ appeals.
In November 2024, the Chicago-based satirical outlet was named the winner of a bankruptcy court auction of the assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, aimed at helping pay some of the defamation judgments. A federal judge overturned the auction results, citing problems with the process and The Onion’s bid.
___ This story has been corrected to show that Jones is still liable for $4.1 million in compensatory damages in addition to $1.5 million in punitive damages.
___ Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.
Bitcoin soars to nearly $80,000—but crypto’s new favorite coin, Hyperliquid, is stealing its thunder
Bitcoin is surging again. The cryptocurrency climbed above $78,200 on Friday for the first time since May. But it wasn’t the only crypto asset posting big gains. Hyperliquid, the decentralized perpetual futures exchange, reached a record $75, leaving its HYPE token up over 195% so far this year, according to CoinGecko.
Hyperliquid’s gains have drawn market share that might otherwise have flowed into Bitcoin, according to Ish Asad, a research analyst at crypto index fund manager Bitwise Investments.
“If Hyperliquid and perpetual futures weren’t so popular, people would just be buying spot Bitcoin,” Asad told Fortune.
Hyperliquid, which lets users trade through self-custody wallets rather than a traditional centralized exchange, has emerged as a major force in crypto derivatives trading over the past year. During the first quarter of 2026, the platform processed more than $633 billion in combined spot and perpetual futures volume, over six times its total during the second quarter of 2024, according to investment manager VanEck.
Its growing success has “sucked away volume” from direct purchases of smaller crypto tokens. Perpetual futures let traders speculate on a cryptocurrency’s price, often with leverage, without buying or holding the token itself, making the platform attractive to active traders.
“All the crypto trading happens on Hyperliquid now, so most of the other crypto assets are getting less buying pressure,” Asad added.
Hyperliquid’s most recent price jump came two days after President Donald Trump said his administration was working to bring the platform to the U.S.
“I understand that [Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair] Mike [Selig] is also working to bring Hyperliquid into the United States in a fully compliant and legal fashion, working very hard on that,” Trump said at a White House event.
Behind the rally
Despite Hyperliquid drawing some capital away from direct Bitcoin purchases, the cryptocurrency still gained nearly 25% over the past week. Macro factors, including the Treasury Department’s recent bond-buyback announcement, helped set the rally in motion, but Asad said liquidations drove Bitcoin’s most recent surge.
On Tuesday, as Bitcoin traded around $64,000, traders liquidated $1.3 billion in short positions in a single day. Another $1 billion in Bitcoin shorts were liquidated over the following 48 hours, bringing the week’s total to $4.5 billion, according to Bitwise.
Political developments also helped support the rally. At a meeting with crypto industry leaders this week, Trump urged Congress to pass the Clarity Act, a bill that would establish a long-awaited market structure framework for digital assets. On Thursday, Selig said he had directed the CFTC to begin developing clearer crypto rules if Congress does not pass the legislation before the end of the year.
In the meantime, worries over U.S. debt surpassing $40 trillion and a weakening U.S. dollar have renewed investor interest in alternative assets such as gold and Bitcoin.
She Ignored One Letter for Months… It Was Worth Thousands #money #finance
An ordinary envelope sat unopened on a kitchen counter for months because its owner assumed it was junk mail. When she …
source
What Investors Can Do About Rising Costs and a Shaky Economy
With rising interest rates, taxes, insurance, gas, and materials, not to mention dropping a couple of C-notes every time you go to the grocery store, the next time someone asks you to attend a real estate meet-up group, no one would blame you for saying, “That’s OK, I’ll sit this one out.”
Is there a viable way to invest in real estate in the current market? Let’s take a look at the factors at play and how to come out ahead.
Interest Rates
The biggest detriment to buying leveraged real estate is high interest rates. As of Aug. 13, Bankrate reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate had risen to 6.74%. Inflation, fueled in part by the Iran war and the Federal Reserve’s reluctance to drop rates in light of economic uncertainty, means that borrowing money remains the single greatest impediment to making cash flow on a rental.
With median home prices at $434,100, near a record high, according to the Wall Street Journal, a 20% down payment would make the principal and interest payment $2,260 on a 30-year fixed mortgage at a 6.78% interest rate—not including taxes and insurance. Depending on your location, your monthly payment could be in excess of $3,000/month.
Meanwhile, according to Zillow, the national average rent, as of May, was $2,291/month. Clearly, the numbers, using national averages, don’t add up, and it doesn’t look like that’s about to change.
“There is no reason to think that mortgage rates are gonna come back down again. So they’re just saying I have to get on with my life, and that’s what they’re doing,” Brad Case, chief residential economist at Homes.com, told the Journal.
House Prices Aren’t Coming Down Fast Enough
According to Fortune, simply blaming the Fed for the affordability crisis doesn’t tell the whole story. The U.S. is still chronically undersupplied when it comes to houses. A Bank of America estimate cited in the article suggests that housing starts would need to reach 6 million annually to absorb that demand. Meanwhile, house prices rose by 40% in the 18 months following the pandemic, when rates were low.
Taxes and Insurance: The Hidden Villains
The rapid increase in house prices means that taxes have increased with reassessments. To add insult to injury, insurance costs soared between 2018 and 2024—at a much faster rate than inflation.
According to a report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, cited by CNBC, average premiums in the Northeast have risen by 18%, by 25% in the Midwest, 27% in the Southeast, and 43% in the West over the seven years up to 2024. Premiums have risen by another 7% since the beginning of 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index.
The report’s coauthors, Jeffrey Czajkowski and Paula Harms, wrote:
“The data tells the story of a homeowner’s insurance market that is overall operationally robust but nonetheless under pressure and exhibiting signs of stress. These trends support consumer sentiment that coverage is becoming more expensive and harder to find or keep in some places.”
Your Tenants Are Dealing With Inflation, Too
Passing on the increased costs of owning rental property to your tenants isn’t going to fly. They are feeling the pinch too.
To make matters worse for landlords, while expenses have gone up, rental prices have been inching down for the last three years, though they are still 17.2% higher than before the pandemic as of May.
A Softer Job Market Has Many Tenants Fearful
Employment has always been the wild card as far as landlords are concerned. Should a once-stable tenant unexpectedly lose their job, chaos can ensue.
The job market has been volatile in recent weeks. It was widely reported on Aug. 7 that the U.S. job market lost 23,000 jobs in July, while previous months’ gains were revised down.
Rental Strategies for Landlords in a Turbulent Market
If you are considering sitting out a turbulent real estate market, you are not alone—which is why you should consider jumping in! I know, it sounds a little preposterous, but as legendary investor Warren Buffett advised in a 2008 New York Times opinion piece, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”
Being contrarian and finding ways to invest in difficult markets is where profits are made, so let’s roll up our sleeves and take a look at a few safe investing strategies that could help you add to your portfolio and snag some deals in a down market.
Revise the BRRRR
A recent Bigger Pockets podcast explained this in great detail. In some affordable markets, buying a property under $300,000 doesn’t mean dodging bullets, where the job market and rents are decent, allowing landlords to cash flow. Combining these facts with a low-cost cosmetic BRRRR will allow you to get the maximum bang for your buck, recycle your cash, and keep it moving.
Combine a house hack with low-cost government financing and the 2-out-of-5 capital gains tax exclusion
An FHA mortgage (there are other low-down payment assistance programs in different states) is an affordable way to buy a home, requiring a 3.5% down payment. It can also be used on a small multifamily (two to four units), allowing you to house hack: live in one unit and have your tenants help with the mortgage payment.
If you live in the home for two out of five years and sell it, you will not have to pay capital gains taxes on the increased equity of $250,000-$500,000 (depending on your marital status). Combining these strategies is a bulletproof way to get you through a turbulent market.
Increase the cash flow
This might sound easier said than done, but increasing the cash flow on your rental doesn’t mean jacking up the rent on your existing tenant but rather incorporating a different rental strategy entirely.
Whether it’s adding ADUs, renting by the room, or pivoting into medium-term rentals, there are numerous ways to increase your cash flow, depending on how hands-on or labor-intensive you want to get.
Live only on your W2 income and invest in small, affordable rentals
By investing your profits back into your buildings and then paying off your portfolio, you can cash flow with a minimum of stress. This BiggerPockets podcast outlines the strategy.
Final Thoughts
A tough real estate market means that passive investing might become less passive. It means looking harder to find deals and thinking out of the box to make them work. Also, notions about quitting your W2 job might have to be put on hold, as the stability of a paycheck is gold dust in turbulent times.
However, investing now has an upside: fewer bidding wars and more realistic pricing. A high-interest rate climate isn’t lost on sellers, who are more inclined to price their homes accordingly. A clear-minded, methodical approach to investing based on solid strategies, rather than speculation and hype, will keep you in good stead in today’s market.
When things eventually turn around—which history has told us they will—refinancing to a lower rate will allow you to emerge with cash flow and equity.
APM Financial Fitness: August 2026
If you spent more time watching the World Cup competition than reviewing your finances, you’re not alone. Millions here and around the world began tuning into Cup matches last month, with the final game scheduled for July 19th. It was a welcome diversion from worries about inflation, although the annual inflation rate slowed to 3.5% in June, down from May’s 4.2%.
Home Financing
Should Your Extra Cash Go Toward Extra Mortgage Payments?
If you’ve achieved some long-term financial goals or received a salary raise, you may be revisiting your monthly budget and deciding what to do with the additional funds. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
If your current mortgage has a lower interest rate, you may want to consider investing your extra cash instead of paying down your mortgage. For example, you could check out high-yield products like Certificates of Deposit (CDs) or a high-yield savings account.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind.
Be sure to preserve your financial liquidity. It may be a better idea to move additional funds into an emergency savings account. If you increase your monthly mortgage payment too much, you could end up with a temporary cash flow problem.
Pay down any higher interest debts first. If you have balances on higher-interest credit cards, student loans and/or car loans, it’s recommended that you take care of these first.
Last but not least: while mortgage interest can be tax-deductible, your deduction may shrink along with your mortgage balance.
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. The information presented regarding mortgage interest deductions is general in nature and may not apply to your specific financial situation. Tax laws are subject to change and can vary based on individual circumstances.
Source: marcus.com
Insurance
Automotive Gap Insurance: What It Is, When You Need It
If you’ve recently been shopping for a new car or truck, you’re aware of how much sticker prices have risen. This is why you may want to consider adding gap insurance coverage to your mandatory auto insurance coverage.
Gap insurance covers the “gap” between what a vehicle is worth and what the driver owes on their auto loan or lease if the car is totaled or stolen. Without gap insurance, you may end up paying the remaining loan or lease balance, even if the vehicle’s been written off or not recovered.
You may want to consider getting gap insurance if:
-
You made a small down payment on an expensive vehicle,
-
Are leasing the vehicle,
-
Have bought a vehicle that’s expected to depreciate quickly; or
-
If you opt for a longer auto loan term. This makes it likely that you’ll have negative equity for a period of time.
-
If you’re thinking of purchasing this insurance, keep in mind that you must be the original loan or lease holder, and that the vehicle being insured is fairly new (not more than 2-3 years old).
While gap insurance may be offered to you by the dealership when you’re finalizing your purchase, your insurance provider may offer coverage at a lower price. You may also want to ask your auto loan provider about gap insurance. If you’re leasing, check the small print: these often include gap coverage or a waiver of “gap liability” by default.
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not a licensed insurance agent or broker; we do not sell, solicit, or provide insurance advice. Before making any coverage decisions, consult a licensed insurance professional and review your specific policy documents to determine what is appropriate for your individual situation.
Source: wallethub.com
In the News
Workforce Pell Grants Go Live
Considering that the average costs to attend college have increased over 40% faster than the rate of inflation, many Americans think a higher education isn’t worth the price. However, an alternative to college loans is now available.
The new policy, known as Workforce Pell, widens the scope of federal Pell Grants by helping lower-income learners pay not just for associate or bachelor’s degrees, but for nondegree job training as short as eight weeks. Students may apply for a Workforce Pell and become qualified for positions in high-demand fields including nursing, welding, automotive repairs and HVAC.
Workforce Pell is a welcome expansion to federal education grants, and funds became available this month. However, many would-be applicants aren’t aware they exist. In addition, some states are still identifying the training programs that satisfy the eligibility requirements.
If you or a family member would like to learn more about Workforce Pell, click here to visit ACT’s Workforce Pell web page.
Source: hechingerreport.org
Credit and Consumer Finance
How This Year’s World Cup Is Affecting Global Pocketbooks
Every summer, there’s a moment when the school supply lists come out and parents start doing math in their heads. This year, that math is harder than usual.
Families across the country are getting ready to spend on notebooks, backpacks, clothes, and school supplies, and the price tags are adding up. Surveys this year show a mixed picture, but the theme is the same everywhere you look: shoppers are spending real money on back-to-school, and they’re feeling it. One national survey found that 62 percent of shoppers are hunting for sales this year, up from 52 percent last year. Another found that a quarter of parents are cutting back on back-to-school spending specifically because everyday costs have gotten more expensive.
At the same time, the broader numbers on how people feel about their finances have been sliding too. Consumer confidence dropped for the third month in a row in July, and higher grocery and gas prices are a big reason why.
Back-to-school shopping isn’t optional. Kids need shoes that fit and supplies for class, whether or not the family budget feels comfortable that month. That makes it a good stand-in for something bigger: the everyday cost of living has crept up, and families are adjusting how they spend, not whether they spend.
You don’t need a survey to tell you this if you’ve stood in the school supply aisle lately. But it’s worth naming, because a lot of people feel like they’re the only ones falling behind on their budget. They’re not. Comparing prices, shopping sales, and rethinking what’s a need versus a want are becoming the norm, not the exception.
If back-to-school costs are stretching your budget this year, you’re in good company, and there’s nothing wrong with looking for ways to make your money go further. That might mean shopping sales, spacing out purchases, or simply being more deliberate about what you buy first versus what can wait.
A tight month here and there is normal. But if this is starting to feel like a pattern rather than a one-time squeeze, it’s worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, not just this month’s budget. Sometimes that kind of squeeze is a sign it’s worth checking whether your mortgage payment still fits your life, or whether equity you’ve built in your home could help cover a specific need without adding new high-interest debt.
You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to make any big decisions today. If tighter months have you wondering whether your home loan still makes sense for where you are now, an APM Loan Advisor can help you look at your options. Every family’s situation is different, and we’re here to help you see what’s actually available to you, no pressure, no sales pitch.
Source: nerdwallet.com
Did You Know?
The 1776 Economy of the 13 Colonies
When the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, low-tech ruled. Agriculture was the economy, with an estimated 95% of laborers (many enslaved) working long hours on farms and plantations. This meant that the 13 colonies’ economy could be tipped into a recession by bad weather.
Farmed and fished commodities like tobacco, flour, rice, dried fish, whale oil, and indigo were the colonies’ biggest exports. Described as “blue gold”, indigo was used to dye military uniforms and royal robes. During the 1770s, it accounted for 25% of all colonial exports.
Well-dressed colonials imported expensive silks, wool and brocade materials from Britain. They also imported sugar from the Caribbean. Firewood was the most popular energy source, and it represented 18% of the colonies’ GDP.
During this time, American colonists were technically the most prosperous people on Earth, enjoying higher incomes than their English counterparts. According to historians’ estimates, an average American earned almost 14 pounds per year, compared to 10 to 12 pounds for a Briton. Plus, colonial wealth was more equally distributed, with over 50% of white Americans being property holders while fewer than 5% of the aristocratic English owned land.
Instead of flaunting their wealth by carrying an Hermès Birkin bag or driving a Rolls-Royce, affluent merchants and planters went for a dinner party display of a single pineapple, which could cost around $8,000 in today’s dollars. (Those who couldn’t afford to buy one often rented one.)
Sources: morningbrew.com