Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN), has launched stock trading and ETFs for all US customers. The announcement fulfills previous announcements as the marketplace seeks to become the “everything app,” supplying all an individual’s financial services needs.
Shares of Coinbase pushed higher on the news, closing the day up over 13% from the market open. While far below its 52 week high, the looming approval of the CLARITY Act, the crypto market infrastructure legislation, could provide the fuel to drive Coinbase shares back above $200.
In a blog post, Coinbase said the launch “marks a major step in bridging traditional markets with the digital asset economy.” The company said that a partnership with Yahoo Finance will boost its services by providing a wealth of financial data and information for its customers.
As traditional online brokerages have been slow to embrace crypto and alternative assets, Coinbase has an opportunity to provide a more comprehensive financial platform desired by sophisticated and younger investors.
Coinbase was the first crypto exchange to go public. It has since added many new features and functionalities as it aims to become the modern marketplace consumers demand.
Coinbase stated that users can trade thousands of stocks 24 hours a day, five days a week. While the company is launching with “leading equities,” the number of securities available will expand over time.
Coinbase also said it would expand perpetuals while allowing global investors to gain access to US equities.
“Our Everything Exchange vision is about removing artificial boundaries between asset classes and building for the next generation of markets. This expansion is a foundational step toward unifying traditional investments and digital assets into a single platform, simplifying portfolio management and unlocking what comes next,” said the company.
Coinbase already supports the diverse universe of crypto, including custody, institutional access, wallets, stablecoins, and more.
In 2025, Coinbase generated approximately $1.35 billion in stablecoin revenue, representing around 19% of the company’s revenue, up from $911 million in 2024.
Coinbase is also poised to enter the primary offering market for private securities. It has been mentioned in the past that tokenization will help support exempt securities offerings issued under Reg A, Reg CF, and Reg D. A secondary trading marketplace would be only a step or two away.
As my parents aged, my sister and I talked a lot about where Mom would go when Dad passed away. My sister’s house? My house? Assisted living?
We only discussed Mom because my father would obviously go first. He was not only older, but not nearly as healthy. He was legally blind; Mom had to drive him around and take care of him. It wasn’t a problem; she was healthy, happy and in great shape.
Then one Monday morning, Mom took a nap in her favorite chair, and she didn’t wake up.
We’d never considered that scenario as remotely possible. And that’s the thing about life: Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you find out you don’t.
As they say, people plan and God laughs.
I’ve talked to a lot of people about their retirement plans over the years. Most tell me they’ll keep working until they hit 65 or 67. Many have a spreadsheet mapping it all out. They figure they’ll max out their Social Security benefits and build a massive portfolio before finally calling it quits.
And often it works out that way. Other times, not so much.
The gap between when we expect to retire and when we actually do is one of the most consistent findings in financial research. If you’re building your entire financial future on the assumption that you’ll work into your late 60s, you need a backup plan.
The numbers don’t lie, and they tell a story you need to hear.
The gap between expectation and reality
There isn’t a single official retirement age tracked by the government, but the major surveys all point to the same truth. According to a Gallup poll on retirement timing, the average age when Americans retire is 61 or 62. Meanwhile, non-retired folks expect to keep working until they’re 66.
That’s a massive disconnect.
The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey summarized by Kiplinger from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) paints a similar picture. Workers reported a median expected retirement age of 65. But when you ask actual retirees, the median age they left the workforce was 62.
Even more telling is what happens at the extremes. In that same EBRI survey, 30% of workers said they expect to retire at 70 or later or simply never stop working. Yet only 9% of actual retirees did that.
Conversely, just 12% of workers plan to retire before 60, but 27% of retirees said that’s exactly what happened to them.
Why we leave the workforce early
You might think retiring early sounds like a dream. For some, it is. The EBRI data shows that among those who retired earlier than planned, 44% did so because they could afford to. That’s the ideal scenario.
But for the rest, early retirement wasn’t a choice. It was forced on them.
Health problems: According to the survey, 31% of early retirees pointed to a health problem or disability as the reason they had to stop working. You can’t plan for a sudden illness, but it happens all the time.
Company changes: Another 31% cited changes at their employer. That means layoffs, downsizing or a business closing its doors. If you lose your job in your early 60s, finding another one that pays the same isn’t easy. Many older workers eventually give up the job hunt and simply declare themselves retired.
This destroys the popular strategy of planning to work a few extra years to make up for a lack of savings. You can’t just assume your employer will keep you around or your body will cooperate.
The myth of working in retirement
Here’s another assumption that gets people in trouble. A massive 75% of workers in the EBRI survey said they plan to work for pay in retirement. They think they’ll pick up a fun part-time job or consult on the side to bring in some extra cash.
The reality? Only 29% of retirees actually do it.
If your financial plan relies on earning a paycheck after you officially retire, you’re taking a massive gamble. When health issues pop up or those part-time jobs don’t materialize, you’ll be left with a serious hole in your budget.
How to protect yourself
The takeaway here isn’t to panic. It’s to be realistic. You need to stress-test your financial plan for an early exit.
1. Save more right now: Don’t assume you have another decade to catch up. Push as much cash into your investment accounts as you can stomach while you’re still earning a steady paycheck.
2. Understand Social Security: You need to know what happens if you’re forced to claim early. Taking benefits at 62 permanently reduces your monthly check compared to waiting until your full retirement age. (You can read more about the impact of claiming early in “4 Dave Ramsey Rules for Claiming Social Security at 62.”)
3. Plan for the health care gap: If you retire at 62, you still have three years before Medicare kicks in at 65. Finding private health insurance to bridge that gap can be brutally expensive, though there are ways to cover health care costs for an early retirement. Factor those costs into your projections.
4. Build flexibility: The people who survive an unexpected early retirement are the ones who didn’t pin all their hopes on a single target date. Keep your debts low and your options open.
Dhananjai K Mishra, a Physics Professor and an esteemed alumnus of both IIM Lucknow and IIM Raipur, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our channel. His educational journey includes a Master’s degree in Quantitative Analysis and Risk Management from IIT Kanpur.
Our channel, Physifin by Dhananjai, is committed to providing valuable financial advice. However, we aim to go beyond the confines of financial guidance. Our content will also encompass motivational insights, strategic thinking, and corporate planning.
Stay connected with us on social media:
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Join us as we embark on a journey to enhance financial literacy and personal growth.”
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President Donald Trump announced a proposal to create a new retirement savings plan modeled on the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan, offering up to a $1,000 annual government match.
Roughly 40 million to 56 million private-sector workers lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, according to estimates from the Economic Innovation Group and AARP.
The proposal appears to build on the “Savers Match” created under the 2022 Secure 2.0 law, though the White House has not yet released a formal plan.
During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Trump previewed what could become one of the most consequential retirement policy changes in years: a new, federally backed retirement account for workers who do not have access to a 401(k).
“We will match your contribution with up to $1,000 each year,” Trump said, describing the effort as a way to give “forgotten American workers” access to the same type of retirement plan available to federal employees.
Details were sparse. No legislative language has been released, and administration officials say more specifics will come in the “coming weeks and months.” Still, early statements suggest the proposal would mirror the structure and investment options of the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan, often referred to as the TSP.
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What Is The Thrift Savings Plan?
The Thrift Savings Plan is a defined contribution retirement plan available to federal workers and members of the military.
The TSP offers:
A menu of low cost index funds.
Lifecycle, or target-date, funds that automatically adjust risk over time.
Automatic payroll deductions.
Government matching contributions for many participants.
Trump’s proposal appears to extend a similar framework to private-sector workers whose employers do not offer retirement benefits.
Who Doesn’t Have A Retirement Plan?
Access to workplace retirement plans remains uneven.
According to AARP, about 56 million private-sector employees work for companies that do not offer an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Lower-income workers, part-time employees, and workers at small businesses are significantly less likely to have access to a 401(k) or similar plan. Workers without access are far less likely to save on their own through an individual retirement account.
This access problem has long concerned policymakers in both parties. Research consistently shows that automatic payroll deductions dramatically increase participation and savings rates compared with voluntary, self-initiated investing.
Trump characterized the situation as a “gross disparity” between workers who can invest tax-advantaged dollars at work and those who cannot.
What Is The Saver’s Match In SECURE 2.0?
The proposal may also build on a policy already set to take effect under the SECURE 2.0 Act.
SECURE 2.0 created a “Savers Match,” replacing the previous Saver’s Credit. Beginning in 2027, eligible low- and moderate-income workers who contribute to a retirement account can receive a federal matching contribution of up to $1,000, deposited directly into their retirement account rather than provided as a tax credit.
Whether the proposal represents an expansion, rebranding, or restructuring of SECURE 2.0’s Savers Match will depend on legislative details that have not yet been released.
Could This Plan Actually Make It Into Law?
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested in an interview that the administration could pursue the plan through budget reconciliation, the same process used to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last year.
Using reconciliation could allow the proposal to advance without bipartisan support, provided it meets budgetary requirements. Retirement policy has historically drawn bipartisan interest, however, and similar concepts have been floated by lawmakers from both parties.
The Retirement Savings for Americans Act, reintroduced in 2025 by Senators John Hickenlooper and Thom Tillis along with Representatives Lloyd Smucker and Terri Sewell, would also create portable, federally matched retirement accounts for eligible workers.
What This Could Mean For Families
For households without workplace retirement plans, the impact could be significant – depending on the final structure.
A $1,000 annual government match is substantial for low- and middle-income workers. For example:
A worker contributing $1,000 per year and receiving a full $1,000 match would effectively double their savings.
Over 20 years, assuming a 6% annual return, $2,000 per year in contributions could grow to roughly $73,000.
Without the match, $1,000 per year at the same return would grow to about $36,500.
The difference (nearly $37,000) illustrates how matching contributions can materially change a family’s finances.
However, policy design matters. Without clear guardrails, the benefits could skew toward workers who already have the financial flexibility to contribute.
Ashlin Endter (pictured top), founder and mortgage broker at 4MG Mortgage, said that 70% of people purchasing homes in the next five years will be Hispanic. She said it is important that they can get assistance in their native language for one of the most important financial transactions in their life.
“There are 39 million Spanish speakers in the US,” Endter told Mortgage Professional America. “And 23% of Hispanic borrowers say language was an impediment in the mortgage process. A Maxwell survey said 38% couldn’t find a Spanish-speaking lender in their area, and 31% considered abandoning their mortgage application because of language barriers. In the end, 51% had to hire a professional translator at their own expense.
“Applications that take minutes took three-plus weeks for 24% of Spanish-speaking borrowers, and still, less than 1% of loan officers identify as Hispanic.”
Need for more Hispanic LOs
While there is a continuing need for more properly translated documents, Endter said there is also a need for more native Spanish speakers to get involved in being a loan originator or mortgage broker.
“We need language access, and we also need to help the future originators,” Endter said. “If you don’t want to go to college, that’s cool. Go to trade school. You know what’s in trade school? Origination. Can you read? Can you write? Do you have a passion to help people? Do you have a heart to serve? Come learn.”
It’s not clear if this will affect the way that ACHs show up on the receiving end as far as bank bonuses go. ACHs will often satisfy direct deposit requirement for many bank bonuses.
Alphabet’s accelerating growth has pushed its valuation higher.
While shares of Alphabet(GOOG +0.67%)(GOOGL +0.68%) have underperformed the S&P 500 so far in 2026, investors should remember that the stock is up more than 70% over the last 12 months. So, a modest lag as the S&P 500 gains 1% year to date seems reasonable.
The bigger question is whether, with such a monstrous gain in the rearview mirror, it’s too late to buy the stock. Investors buying the stock today have to pay a substantially higher valuation for the Google parent company than they did 12 months ago. Is the stock worth this valuation? Or should they wait to see if they get a better entry point into the tech stock?
Image source: Getty Images.
Accelerating growth
To understand why the Street has been so optimistic about Alphabet’s business over the last 12 months, look at its accelerating year-over-year revenue growth trends in recent quarters. After growing its top line 12% year over year in the first quarter of 2025, this growth rose to 14% in Q2, 16% in Q3, and finally 18% in Q4.
And even this accelerating trend arguably understates its momentum. Probably the bigger thing exciting investors recently has been the accelerating growth of Google Cloud, its cloud computing business. Google Cloud revenue rose 28% year over year in Q1, 32% in Q2, 34% in Q3, and a staggering 48% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
And there’s plenty of evidence that the company is succeeding in AI. Not only is AI showing up across Alphabet’s entire business, but its AI app Gemini has now grown to over 750 million monthly active users. Further, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in its fourth-quarter update that “Search saw more usage than ever before, with AI continuing to drive an expansionary moment.”
Given the stark difference in Alphabet’s growth rates between its most recently reported quarter and the first quarter of 2025 and the clear momentum the company was seeing in AI at the end of 2025, the company arguably deserves its much higher valuation today than it did a year ago.
A look at Alphabet stock’s valuation
Interestingly, despite the stock soaring more than 70% over the past 12 months, Alphabet shares aren’t necessarily expensive today. As of this writing, the stock trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 29 — not bad for a company that saw revenue grow 18% year over year in Q4 and has an important catalyst in Google Cloud, which posted 48% year-over-year revenue growth in Q4.
And keep in mind that while technology in general is considered risky, Alphabet’s business is fairly diversified. Yes, about $82 billion of its approximately $114 billion of fourth-quarter revenue came from advertising. But about $13.6 billion of that revenue came from Google subscriptions, platforms, and devices, and about $17.7 billion from Google Cloud.
Additionally, Alphabet has a spectacular balance sheet. It ended 2025 with nearly $127 billion of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, up from about $96 billion in 2024. And the company operates with a significant net cash position; its long-term debt at the end of 2025 is just $47 billion.
Today’s Change
(0.68%) $2.10
Current Price
$313.00
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$3.8T
Day’s Range
$309.45 – $313.60
52wk Range
$140.53 – $349.00
Volume
1.2M
Avg Vol
35M
Gross Margin
59.68%
Dividend Yield
0.27%
Of course, you can’t talk about big tech companies these days without discussing their capital expenditures budget, and Alphabet’s is big. The company plans to spend between $175 billion and $185 billion in capital expenditures in 2026. With net cash provided by operating activities in 2025 coming in at about $165 billion, it looks like Alphabet plans to spend most, if not all, of its operating cash flow in 2026.
Big spending like this, of course, raises the stock’s risk profile. But it also increases the potential reward if these investments pay off handsomely over the long haul. And given that Alphabet is historically a good steward of capital, odds are this big spending spree will yield a good return on investment. But given the sheer scale of its capital expenditures and the fact that tech companies are undergoing a transformative phase driven by AI, the stock may require an unusual amount of patience from investors.
Finding an extra $500 a month can make a real difference when you’re trying to cover rising expenses, pay down debt, or build a little financial breathing room. Luckily, there are some practical ways you can earn extra income with a little consistency and effort. And they aren’t something sketchy; these are legitimate, well-established platforms where you can start earning fast. Here are six verified places people are actually making a little extra cash on the side.
1. Freelance Marketplaces With Real Earning Potential
Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are legitimate marketplaces where people earn extra income offering services such as writing, editing, customer support, and graphic design. These platforms have built‑in protections like secure payments and dispute resolution, which help reduce risk for beginners.
Many freelancers start with simple tasks—data entry, transcription, or basic research—and gradually raise their rates as they gain experience. While competition exists, clients actively search for reliable workers, making it possible to build steady monthly earnings. With consistent effort, many users reach or exceed the $500‑a‑month mark.
2. Online Tutoring and Teaching for Flexible Schedules
Online tutoring platforms like Cambly, TutorMe, and Wyzant allow people to earn extra income teaching subjects they already know. Cambly, for example, doesn’t require teaching credentials, making it accessible for beginners who enjoy conversation‑based English tutoring.
TutorMe and Wyzant typically require subject proficiency but not formal teaching licenses, which opens the door for college students, retirees, and professionals. Sessions can be scheduled around your availability, making this ideal for parents or full‑time workers. With regular students, earning $500 a month is realistic and often easier than people expect.
3. Selling Digital Products for Semi‑Passive Earnings
Digital products—like printables, templates, planners, or simple guides—offer a scalable way to earn extra income without trading hours for dollars. Platforms such as Etsy and Gumroad allow creators to upload digital files that can be sold repeatedly with no additional work. Many successful sellers start with simple items like budget trackers, meal planners, or small business templates.
While it takes time to create products and learn what customers want, even a small shop can generate consistent monthly sales. Over time, this can become a reliable income stream that grows with your catalog.
4. Paid Surveys and Market Research Studies
Paid survey platforms like Prolific, User Interviews, and Swagbucks offer legitimate opportunities to earn extra income by sharing your opinions. Prolific is known for academic studies with transparent pay rates, while User Interviews offers higher‑paying consumer research sessions.
Although surveys alone rarely reach $500 a month, they can reliably contribute $100–$300 when used consistently. The key is signing up for multiple platforms to increase your chances of qualifying for studies. These earnings stack well with other online income sources, making them a strong supplemental option.
5. Remote Customer Service and Chat Support Roles
Companies regularly hire remote workers for customer service, chat support, and email response roles, offering predictable ways to earn extra income. Job boards like FlexJobs, Indeed, and Remote.co list verified openings from reputable employers.
Many roles require only basic communication skills, a quiet workspace, and a reliable internet connection. These positions often pay hourly, which makes it easier to estimate how much work you need to reach your $500 goal. For people who prefer structured schedules, this is one of the most dependable online income paths.
6. Reselling Items Through Online Marketplaces
Reselling is a fast and practical way to generate extra income using items you already own. Platforms like eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, and Facebook Marketplace make it easy to sell clothing, electronics, home goods, and collectibles.
Many people start by decluttering their homes and then move on to sourcing low‑cost items from thrift stores or yard sales. Clear photos, honest descriptions, and competitive pricing help items sell faster. With consistency, reselling can become a dependable monthly income stream that grows over time.
Why These Online Income Streams Actually Work
These online opportunities are effective because they rely on established platforms with real demand, transparent payment systems, and accessible entry points. None of them requires large upfront investments or advanced technical skills, which makes them ideal for beginners. They also offer flexibility, allowing you to choose work that fits your schedule and energy level. Whether you prefer creative projects, structured hourly roles, or passive‑leaning digital products, there’s an option that aligns with your strengths. With consistency and a mix of platforms, earning an extra $500 a month is achievable for many people.
Which of these online income ideas would you try first, and what’s your biggest motivation for earning extra money each month?
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Amanda Blankenship
Amanda Blankenship is the Chief Editor for District Media. With a BA in journalism from Wingate University, she frequently writes for a handful of websites and loves to share her own personal finance story with others. When she isn’t typing away at her desk, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, son, husband, and dog. During her free time, you’re likely to find her with her nose in a book, hiking, or playing RPG video games.
