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If I Could Invest $1,000 in Just 1 ETF in August, I’d Pick This Clear Standout Over the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)

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If I Could Invest $1,000 in Just 1 ETF in August, I’d Pick This Clear Standout Over the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)


Earlier this year, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF became the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) to surpass $1 trillion in assets. The ETF has grown in size thanks to its simplicity. It tracks the S&P 500 index and charges a mere 0.03% expense ratio, or $0.30 per $1,000 invested. Many brokerages allow users to invest in fractional shares of the ETF.

With low fees and the ability to invest a customized dollar amount in the ETF rather than full-share increments, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has become a popular choice for getting diversified exposure to the U.S. stock market.

However, if given $1,000 to invest in any ETF in August, I’d choose the Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX -0.94%) with its slightly higher 0.09% expense ratio, instead of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Here’s why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Customizing ETF holdings with investment objectives

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF hit a new all-time closing high on Aug. 7, finishing the session at $710.71 per share. A staggering 38% of the ETF is invested in tech stocks. And despite owning over 500 components, just 25 of them account for over half of the ETF.

The S&P 500 is now a growth-stock-focused index, and it’s not as well diversified in dividend and value stocks as it used to be. So some investors may prefer to simply buy their favorite growth stocks and support those holdings with value- and income-focused ETFs. Or conversely, buy the Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF or Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF and support those holdings with individual, dividend-paying value stocks.

Vanguard World Fund - Vanguard Communication Services ETF Stock Quote

Vanguard World Fund – Vanguard Communication Services ETF

Today’s Change

(-0.94%) $-1.75

Current Price

$184.85

A sector with high growth potential at an inexpensive valuation

What makes the Vanguard Communication Services ETF unique is its heavy concentration in a handful of growth stocks. Alphabet and Meta Platforms make up 42.5% of the ETF. Throw in Walt Disney and Netflix, and that’s over half the ETF in just four stocks.

Even with high-profile growth stocks like Alphabet and Meta Platforms, the ETF is chock-full of dividend-paying value stocks. Legacy media companies, such as Comcast, and telecommunications companies like Verizon Communications and AT&T tend to sport inexpensive valuations and high yields.

The Vanguard Communication Services ETF bets big on a few key growth stocks, but its supporting cast is mostly stodgy value stocks, whereas the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is heavily concentrated in many megacap and large-cap growth stocks. That’s why the Vanguard Communication Services ETF has a dirt cheap 17.1 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio as of June 30 compared to a 27.5 P/E for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Communications is the second-cheapest sector by P/E ratio, just ahead of financials, which may come as a surprise, given that so much of the sector’s weighing is in hyperscalers Alphabet and Meta Platforms.

Vanguard Sector ETF

P/E Ratio (as of 6/30/26)

Vanguard Information Technology ETF

36.2

Vanguard Industrials ETF

31.6

Vanguard Real Estate ETF

31

Vanguard Health Care ETF

29.1

Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF

28.3

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF

25.4

Vanguard Materials ETF

23.8

Vanguard Utilities ETF

20.9

Vanguard Energy ETF

19.8

Vanguard Communication Services ETF

17.1

Vanguard Financials ETF

16.3

Data source: Vanguard.

The top growth stocks in the Vanguard Communication Services ETF are surprisingly cheap. Alphabet is up 75.9% in the last year, but the rally in its stock price has been driven by earnings growth. So even after its recent run-up, it still fetches a 17.2 forward P/E.

WBD PE Ratio (Forward) Chart

WBD PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts

Meta Platforms, Netflix, and Disney are all down big from their all-time highs, even though their earnings are strong. Eight of the 10 largest holdings in the Vanguard Communication Services ETF have forward P/E ratios under 21. For context, the forward P/E ratio of the S&P 500 is 20.6.

A balanced ETF to buy in August

The Vanguard Communication Services ETF is a great buy for investors seeking quality growth stocks at attractive valuations, supported by value and high-dividend-yield stocks. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, on the other hand, is far more sensitive to continued investor excitement for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, especially red-hot semiconductor companies. AI spending could pay off big-time in the long run, but the more the S&P 500’s valuation expands, the more pressure falls on companies to deliver on loftier expectations.

Despite its value tilt, it’s worth noting that the Vanguard Communication Services ETF isn’t devoid of high-flying growth stocks. Video game companies like Take Two Interactive and Roblox tend to sport premium valuations. And Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +7.26%) is already the 12th-largest holding in the ETF as of June 30 — making it the highest percentage weighting among the nine Vanguard ETFs that bought SpaceX in June. The ETF’s weighting in SpaceX will increase as more SpaceX shares are unlocked. And since Vanguard classifies SpaceX as a communications stock, the Vanguard Communications Services ETF is the only Vanguard sector ETF that is buying it.

Before the end of the year, SpaceX could become a top-five holding in the Vanguard Communication Services ETF, which would make the ETF’s valuation more expensive, but it would still likely trade at a steep discount to most other sector ETFs.

Investors who don’t mind complementing the earnings-driven growth narrative of the ETF’s top holdings with a high-flying, volatile stock like SpaceX may still find the Vanguard Communications Services ETF an appealing buy in August.

Daniel Foelber has positions in Netflix and Walt Disney and has the following options: short August 2026 $100 calls on Walt Disney and short August 2026 $110 calls on Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Roblox, Take-Two Interactive Software, Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, Vanguard Real Estate ETF, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast, T-Mobile US, and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

What is it like to study International Business Management at Uni?

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What is it like to study International Business Management at Uni?



Join Kat as she takes us through a day in her life as a final year International Business Management with Spanish student. Discover more about our business community and courses here
#NewcastleUponTyne #NorthumbriaUniversity #InternationalBusinessManagement #SpanishStudent #StudentLife #NorthumbriaUni #SupportAtUni #FinalYearStudent

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Best 12-Month CD Rates for August 12, 2026: Up to 4.40%

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Best 12-Month CD Rates for August 12, 2026: Up to 4.40%


Certificates of deposit (CDs) have seen rates rising even more, despite major banks lowering the rates on theri savings accounts. 

As of August 12, 2026, the best 12-month CD rates reach up to 4.40% APY (annual percentage yield), with many banks and credit unions still offering yields far above the national average of 1.68%, according to the FDIC. 

Over the last several weeks, rates have been rising slightly.

Now might be the best time to lock in a guaranteed rate. If you’re looking to earn a predictable return over the next year, these are the best CD rates available today.

💰 Today’s Best 12-Month CD Rates At a Glance

Here are the best bank and credit union savings accounts rates today:

Bank or Credit Union

Top APY

Minimum Deposit

E*TRADE

4.40%

$500

Credit One Bank

4.20%

$100,000

American First Credit Union

4.15%

$1

Barclays Bank

4.15%

$0

Live Oak Bank

4.10%

$2,500

1. E*TRADE – E*TRADE is currently offering a 12-month CD at 4.40% with just a $500 minimum deposit and no upper limit. Read our full E*TRADE review.

2. Credit One Bank – Credit One Bank is offering a jumbo CD at 4.20% APY, but it does require a $100,000 minimum deposit to open.

3. American First Credit Union – American First Credit Union is currently offering a 12-month CD in partnership with Raisin at 4.15%, with just a $1 minimum deposit. Read our full American First Credit Union Review.

4. Barclays Bank – Barclays Bank is currently offering a 12-month CD at 4.15% APY with a $0 minimum deposit. Read our full Barclays Bank review.

5. Live Oak Bank – Live Oak Bank is currently offering a 12-month CD at 4.10% APY with a $2,500 minimum to open. Read more about Live Oak Bank here.

You can find a full list of the best 12-month CDs here >>

How 12-Month CDs Work

A 12-month certificate of deposit pays a fixed interest rate for one year in exchange for keeping your money on deposit until maturity. If you withdraw early, the bank charges a penalty – typically 90 days of interest.

CDs appeal to savers who prefer guaranteed, short-term returns. While high-yield savings accounts offer flexibility, CDs can secure a higher fixed return for a set period, which can be helpful if rates are expected to decline.

For example, a $25,000 CD at 4.00% APY would earn roughly $1,000 in one year, compared with about $420 based on today’s national average 12-month CD rate.

What To Know Before Opening A CD

Certificates of deposit operate differently than savings accounts. Make sure you understand what you’re getting:

  • Short-Term Goals: Ideal for saving toward tuition, a wedding, or a home down payment within a year.
  • Rate Protection: A CD locks your APY, so you’re insulated from rate cuts.
  • Ladder Strategy: Pair a 12-month CD with longer terms (24- or 36-month) to capture higher rates while maintaining liquidity.
  • Safety:
    FDIC or NCUA insurance protects up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution.

Before opening an account, make sure you understand all the terms:

  • Minimum Deposit: Some banks require $1,000 or more to open.
  • Withdrawal Terms: Review penalties before committing funds.
  • Renewal Policy: Many CDs automatically renew at maturity unless you opt out.
  • Rate Guarantees: Confirm whether your rate is locked at the time of application or funding.
  • Online Access: Ensure the bank allows easy transfers and e-statements.

How We Track And Verify Rates

At The College Investor, our editorial team reviews CD rates daily from more than 30 banks and credit unions nationwide. We confirm every APY directly from official rate disclosures and regulatory filings.

Only FDIC- or NCUA-insured institutions available to U.S. consumers are included.

Our rankings are editorially independent – compensation does not influence placement. While we may earn a referral fee when you open an account through some links, our reviews and recommendations are based solely on yield, accessibility, and overall customer experience.

FAQs

Are 12-month CDs safe?

Yes. CDs are federally insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution.

Can I withdraw my money early?

Yes, but you’ll forfeit some interest, typically three months’ worth.

Are CD earnings taxable?

Yes. Interest earned is subject to federal income tax, and in some states, state tax.

What happens when a CD matures?

You’ll usually have a 7- to 10-day grace period to withdraw or renew your funds.

Is now a good time to open a CD?

Rates remain near their cycle highs, so locking in a short-term CD can make sense before potential cuts.

Editor: Colin Graves

Reviewed by: Richelle Hawley

The post Best 12-Month CD Rates for August 12, 2026: Up to 4.40% appeared first on The College Investor.

Humid July CPI report puts pressure on Fed to hike

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Humid July CPI report puts pressure on Fed to hike


David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Processing Content

  • Key insight: Headline inflation increased by 0.1% last month for an annualized growth rate of 3.4%. The reading could push some policymakers to support tighter monetary policy.
  • Expert quote: “If I do not see signs of continued disinflation soon, I am prepared to act. With five years of above-target inflation, the risk grows that higher inflation may become entrenched in price- and wage-setting behavior, leading to persistence that would be much harder for us to attack.” — Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook
  • Forward Look: With opinions split on the Federal Open Market Committee about how urgently to address rising prices, the July CPI reading undercuts arguments about an underlying disinflationary trend.

Pressure could be mounting on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates after inflation regained steam in July. 

After a slight reprieve in June, progress on inflation appears to have stalled in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest consumer price index report. It shows prices ticked up by 10 basis points in July for a headline inflation rate of 3.4% year over year. Core inflation, which factors out food and energy, rose 2.5%.

Both the headline and core rates were in line with economic forecasts ahead of the report. They also matched the prints from June. Because inflation did not improve, the outcome bolstered arguments that inflation is persistent, broad-based and in need of containment.

“When I look at policy broadly, I don’t see any tension in our mandate. We’ve been missing on the inflation side for more than five years, but the labor market is right around my estimate of full employment,” Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said earlier this week. “I don’t think policy is restrictive, meaningfully restrictive at this point.”

In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Hammack argued that the Federal Open Market Committee should have hiked rates at its meeting last month and suggested that multiple increases might be in order. 

“I would say in general, one 25 basis point move probably doesn’t do a whole lot for the economy, so it’s probably, you know, some number of movements,” she said. “But, I don’t want to prejudge what that number is going to be.”

Hammack was one of three FOMC members in July to vote against keeping their benchmark interest rate unchanged, preferring to raise rates by 25 basis points. Wednesday’s inflation print underscores their argument and could sway other committee members who said they would favor a hike if they don’t see evidence of disinflation. 

“If I do not see signs of continued disinflation soon, I am prepared to act,” Fed Gov. Lisa Cook said in a speech last week. “With five years of above-target inflation, the risk grows that higher inflation may become entrenched in price- and wage-setting behavior, leading to persistence that would be much harder for us to attack.”

Others in the nine-member majority from last month’s meeting have also emphasized the upside risk to inflation in recent public comments, including Fed Gov. Christopher Waller and Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson. 

The decision to hold rates steady, while expected, was met skeptically by some market participants, many of whom viewed Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s explanation of the hold call lacking in substance. During his post-meeting press conference, Warsh said inflation was too high and pledged that the Fed would tamp down on it, but he declined to outline the group’s precise thinking on the subject.

Wednesday’s CPI report follows an unexpectedly poor labor market reading last week. Coupled with June inflation data that showed a marked improvement from May’s red hot reading, the jobs report weakened arguments for a hike, but July’s pricing print could shift the balance of risks back toward price stability. 

The market response to the inflation report was muted. Ahead of the release, 54% of federal funds rate futures contracts had priced in a hold in September while the rest of the market called for a hike. After the report was published, the hold position rose to 58%.

The Fed still has more than a month to dissect economic data as it weighs whether or not to adjust interest rates at its September meeting. Before then, it will receive the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ personal consumption expenditure report — the central bank’s preferred inflation measure — as well as August jobs and CPI reports next month. 

In the meantime, Warsh is due to deliver his keynote speech at the Fed’s Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium in two weeks. Typically, Fed chairs use the event to outline the central bank’s intended course of action for the remainder of the year, but Warsh has steadfastly refused to engage in any type of communication that could be considered forward guidance.

“Historically, at least for my first tour of duty at the Fed, the more recent periods — it would be sort of a setting-up speech more often than not — of what was going to be happening in the fall,” Warsh said during his press conference. “I haven’t made any judgments on that. But those are judgments we’ll have to come to.”



Stop Solving the Wrong Problem — First Ask This Question When Growth Stalls

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Key Takeaways

  • Early validation is not permanent validation — a product that solved a clear need six months ago can quietly drift from the problem it was built to address.
  • What customers say and what they do are rarely the same — trust the behavior over the feedback, because purchasing patterns and drop-offs are more honest signals than anything in a survey.

Founders are often taught to move quickly, listen to feedback and keep improving. That advice is useful, but it can also create a trap. When a product or business model starts to struggle, many entrepreneurs immediately look for ways to refine the solution. They add a feature. They adjust the messaging. They change the packaging, pricing or sales process.

Sometimes that works. Other times it only makes the business more complicated. I have learned that one of the most important questions a founder can ask is not “How do we make this better?” It is “Are we still solving the right problem?”

That question matters because markets do not stand still. Economic pressure changes buying behavior. What felt urgent to customers at one stage of the business may feel less relevant six months later. A product that once solved a clear need can slowly drift away from the problem it was created to address.

This is especially important for founders building in health, wellness, consumer products or any category where trust, behavior and daily routines matter. Customers may not always be able to explain what they need in a survey or review. But they will show it through what they buy, repeat, abandon and recommend.

Research from McKinsey has found that organizations that leverage customer behavioral insights outperform their peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin. For founders, the takeaway is simple: strategy should not be built only around what customers say. It should also be built around what they do.

Reassess the problem before refining the solution

Founders can become attached to their original idea because they remember the energy that gave rise to it. They remember the pain point, the early conversations and the first signs of traction. But early validation is not permanent validation.

The more a company grows, the more dangerous assumptions become. A founder may think the problem is still convenience, when the customer now cares more about trust. They may think the challenge is price, when the real barrier is confusion. They may think the market wants more options, when customers are actually asking for a clearer path.

Before refining a product, founders should pause and define the current problem as clearly as possible. What is the customer trying to solve today? What has changed in the market? What pressure is the customer feeling now that they were not feeling before?

In my own work across consumer and wellness brands, this reassessment has been essential. A product may begin with one promise, but the customer’s relationship with that product can reveal something deeper. They may not only want a supplement, a skincare product or a wellness solution. They may want simplicity, confidence, consistency or a better way to make daily choices that support their lives.

When my team understands that deeper problem, improvement becomes more focused. The goal is no longer to add more. It is to solve more precisely.

Let behavior lead your strategy

Customer feedback matters, but it is not the whole story. Customers can tell you what they think they want. Their behavior tells you what they truly value.

That is why founders should pay close attention to purchasing patterns, repeat usage, drop-off points, engagement signals and the moments when customers hesitate. These signals reveal where your business is aligned and where it is creating friction.

If customers consistently purchase one product but ignore a bundle, the issue may not be awareness — the bundle may be too confusing. If customers engage heavily with educational content but hesitate to buy, the product may need clearer proof or simpler positioning. If customers buy once but do not return, the problem may be experience, expectation or follow-through.

I have learned to separate preference from behavior. A customer may say they want more choices, but too many choices can create decision fatigue. A customer may say they want innovation, but what they actually reward is reliability. A customer may praise a brand’s mission, but only buy when the offer feels clear and useful.

Real-world action is one of the most honest forms of feedback. The founder’s job is to notice it without defensiveness.

Simplify before you scale

When growth slows, many companies respond by adding. They add more products, more features, more campaigns and more explanations. The intention is usually good. The result is often confusion.

Complexity can make a business feel more sophisticated internally while making it harder for customers to understand externally. In their influential Harvard Business Review study on “feature fatigue,” Roland Rust and colleagues found that consumers routinely pick feature-rich products at the moment of purchase, then abandon them once they discover the complexity gets in the way of actually using them. The lesson for founders is unambiguous: more is not the same as better.

Founders should ask hard questions before scaling. Is the offer clear enough to grow? Can people quickly understand what the product does? Can they see who it is for? Can they explain the value in their own words? Can they buy, use and recommend it without needing excessive explanation? Answering those questions requires looking at the entire customer journey.

Simplicity does not mean reducing ambition. It means removing anything that distracts from the core value. In many cases, scaling becomes easier when the offer is narrower, the message is cleaner and the experience is more intuitive.

Build reassessment into the business

Product-market fit is not a finish line. It is a relationship between the company, the customer and the market — and like any relationship, it requires continued attention.

Founders should create systems that make reassessment part of the business rhythm. That may include regular reviews of customer behavior, cross-functional conversations between product and marketing teams, post-purchase analysis, customer service insights and market trend reviews.

The key is not to collect more data for its own sake. The key is to turn feedback into decisions. What should be simplified? What should be removed? What should be tested? What needs to be explained differently? What assumption is no longer true?

This process also requires humility. Founders must be willing to admit that a product can be good and still need to change. A strategy can be smart and still need to evolve. A market can validate an idea once and still demand something different later.

The founders who build lasting companies are not only the ones who move fast. They are the ones who stay close enough to the customer to know when to pause, reassess and redirect.

Growth is not always about building the next version of the solution. Sometimes it is about returning to the problem with fresh eyes. When founders make that a habit, they give their companies a better chance to stay relevant, useful and resilient as the market changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Early validation is not permanent validation — a product that solved a clear need six months ago can quietly drift from the problem it was built to address.
  • What customers say and what they do are rarely the same — trust the behavior over the feedback, because purchasing patterns and drop-offs are more honest signals than anything in a survey.

Founders are often taught to move quickly, listen to feedback and keep improving. That advice is useful, but it can also create a trap. When a product or business model starts to struggle, many entrepreneurs immediately look for ways to refine the solution. They add a feature. They adjust the messaging. They change the packaging, pricing or sales process.

Sometimes that works. Other times it only makes the business more complicated. I have learned that one of the most important questions a founder can ask is not “How do we make this better?” It is “Are we still solving the right problem?”

That question matters because markets do not stand still. Economic pressure changes buying behavior. What felt urgent to customers at one stage of the business may feel less relevant six months later. A product that once solved a clear need can slowly drift away from the problem it was created to address.

Resy Adds Tock Restaurants and Wineries, Expanding to More Than 25,000 Venues

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Resy Adds Tock Restaurants and Wineries, Expanding to More Than 25,000 Venues


Resy Adds Tock Restaurants and Wineries

Resy is expanding in a big way by bringing Tock restaurants, wineries and experiences onto its platform.

Starting August 11, diners can access more than 25,000 venues through Resy with the addition of Tock’s inventory. That includes restaurants, tasting rooms, wineries and other hospitality experiences that were previously available through Tock.

The expanded lineup includes well-known restaurants such as Atomix in New York, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester County and Smyth in Chicago. Resy is also adding nearly 1,200 wineries, including Scribe Winery, Heitz Cellar, Ridge Vineyards and Sandhi Wines.

Resy Adds Tock Restaurants and Wineries

For Amex cardholders, there is another important change coming. Beginning September 15, 2026, eligible purchases made on Tock and at hundreds of participating Tock venues in the U.S. will start qualifying for the Resy Credit available on select American Express cards.

Resy says eligible venues will be clearly marked on the venue page, and more Tock restaurants are expected to become eligible for the Resy Credit over the following months.

That could make the Resy Credit noticeably easier to use, especially in markets where Tock has a stronger presence than Resy. It also expands the benefit beyond traditional restaurant reservations into a wider range of dining and hospitality experiences.

Resy Adds Tock Restaurants

Which Amex Cards Have Resy Credits?

The updated eligibility requirement affects cards that provide Resy statement credits. The full list of eligible cards includes:

The amount and frequency of the credit vary by card, but the same basic rules now applies. You must enroll and the restaurant must display the qualifying Resy Credit badge when the purchase is made.

Guru’s Wrap-Up

This is a meaningful expansion for Resy, especially for American Express cardholders. There thousands of new places where you can use your Resy credits. 

Just make sure that a restaurant or winery is eligible. If a venue is eligible for the Resy Credit, users will see this noted on the restaurant’s venue page. More Tock restaurants will become eligible for the Resy Credit over the coming months.

Scott Strazik’s stunning turnaround at GE Vernova

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Scott Strazik’s stunning turnaround at GE Vernova



Good morning. The company Thomas Edison helped found in 1892 to light up the world is now betting its future on powering the AI age. As GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik told me recently, “For us, our true north is to electrify the world. And if we electrify the world, we will decarbonize the world.”

GE Vernova’s equipment and technology are used to generate about 25% of the world’s electricity, whether it’s gas, wind, steam, hydro, or nuclear energy. It also produces equipment and software for power grids. (Shawn Tully recently wrote about GE’s turnaround and its split into three entities: GE Vernova is No. 124 on the Fortune 500, GE Aerospace is No. 101, and GE Healthcare is No. 217.) Since GE Vernova became an independent public company in April 2024, the stock is up more than 600%.

But behind those incredible numbers is a deliberate strategy: Strazik has successfully pivoted to new growth areas, in part by turning new customers such as NVIDIA and nuclear-energy startup Blue Energy into R&D partners. In an era of accelerating speed and complexity of transformation, that’s a playbook worth studying.

“The technical hurdle with how they want to run AI factories is much more complex than our standard‑fare offering, and that’s great,” said Strazik. “What I see happening is a lot of the technology we’re developing to help them … will ultimately apply to the broader grid over time. But they will have funded a lot of the learning curve.”

Strazik appreciates but is not sentimental about the past, noting that “25% of our employees today weren’t part of the company the day we spun. They don’t even know GE.” The same is true for customers, 25% of whom only started buying from the company after it spun off, he added: “Technology companies that historically were not buying directly from us have become critical customers and strategic partners.”

What Strazik thinks about is not just the technology but talent: “We need kids that get excited about building stuff, because we need to build a lot of stuff in the next decade.”

Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@fortune.com

Top leadership news

Schools running VCs

Crystal Springs, a 569-student private day school located on the peninsula between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, is one of a small but growing number of Silicon Valley private schools that have built what amount to miniature venture capital funds. The funds are capitalized with donations from the school community, guided and overseen by parent-investors from well-connected firms such as Lightspeed, Notable Capital, and Sequoia, and are aimed at early-stage, pre-IPO companies.  

Altman’s magic email address

OpenAI is seeking to clear internal bottlenecks with an email address that lands in the inboxes of the company’s leadership team. An employee can email friction@openai.com to raise issues ranging from a technical system that isn’t working to office-related frustrations, such as not having enough IT vending machines. A former OpenAI employee who spoke to Fortune praised the friction system as an effective way for leadership to get ground-level feedback, saying: “Literally anybody can complain about big company bullsh*t directly to Sam and they can act on it.”

Inside AI-free ChatTJB

Former Google employee Tucker Bryant has built a chatbot that behaves like many others: Users ask a question and wait for a response. The difference with ChatTJB is that an LLM or algorithm doesn’t create the answer. It’s written by Bryant, or increasingly, one of the more than 10,000 people who’ve applied to help him answer all those questions. Bryant told Fortune the volunteer waitlist is growing by roughly 1,000 people a day, turning what started as an art project about AI dependence into a strange reversal of the AI boom’s defining anxiety.

The markets

S&P 500 futures are up 0.016% this morning. The STOXX Europe 600 was down 0.02% in early trading. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 was down 0.07% in early trading. The Nikkei 225 is up 0.83%. South Korea’s KOSPI was up 3.68%. China’s CSI 300 was up 0.58%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.01%. India’s NIFTY 50 was down 0.73%. Bitcoin was down at $63K.

Around the watercooler

How a book that inspired Warren Buffett and a $14,000 side hustle helped billionaire Bill Ackman get started as an investor By Emma Burleigh 

Long-time OpenAI exec Brad Lightcap is leaving the ChatGPT maker to ‘start something new’ By Emily Forlini 

France hits unsolicited telemarketers with $87,000 fine per call, following similar provisions in other European nations By Joshua Hong

Former deputy mayor and now Mamdani nemesis sued the city’s pied-à-terre tax rollout. The city froze the judge’s pause within hours By Catherina Gioino

CEO Daily is curated and edited by Joseph Abrams, Jason Ma, Claire Zillman, and Lee Clifford.

How I’d Invest Ksh 1,000,000 (6 Proven investments Ideas) #InvestInKenya #bestinvestment #investing

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How I’d Invest Ksh 1,000,000 (6 Proven investments Ideas) #InvestInKenya #bestinvestment #investing



What would you do if you had Ksh 1,000,000 to invest right now? In this video, I’m breaking down exactly how I would invest every shilling in 2025—across 6 different assets that balance growth, safety, and future potential. This is a real plan, based on logic, goals, and current market conditions in Kenya.

This is my 6-part strategy to grow, protect, and maximize wealth in Kenya’s current financial landscape.

From money market funds for stability, to special funds for diversified global exposure, and even a small allocation to cryptocurrency—I’m walking you through my reasoning, strategy, and how much I’d put in each. I’ll also share the ONE investment most people overlook but could change everything.
If you’ve ever felt stuck on how to start investing or how to make your money work smarter for you, this is the video you’ve been waiting for.

It’s not about following the crowd—it’s about thinking through each move with purpose.
Let me know in the comments: How would YOU invest 1 million shillings today? Would you go bold, stay safe, or split it up like I did?

Watch, comment, and start your journey to financial freedom today.

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Using AI to Develop Optimal Trade Execution Strategies

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In 2026, the CFA Institute launched its first AI Investment Challenge, a national competition where university teams apply artificial intelligence to real-world investment problems. It helps students build practical skills in investment analysis, data, and responsible AI use.

The CFA Institute AI Investment Challenge is designed to simulate how investment teams use technology to analyze data, generate insights, and present recommendations. Students participated in teams, working through a structured, multi-stage competition to develop an AI-enabled solution to a real investment problem. Throughout the challenge, participants received guidance from faculty advisors, industry professionals, and judges with expertise in investment practice and technology.

In our first AI Challenge, we fielded 28 teams and had to make difficult decisions, as all of the competitors submitted interesting and innovative solutions. The competition culminated in a final round where five top teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges to win a spot on the podium.

Over three consecutive weeks, we are showcasing our top three finalists. This AI innovation comes from our second-place winners from University of Exeter: Maksim Kitikov, Harrison Maxwell and Kirill Papka.

New data centers are moving into lower-income zip codes

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For brokers advising buyers in affected markets, that retention gap is a data point worth understanding as America’s housing supply shortfall is slowly plateauing after years of sustained growth.

The stability on home values may not hold. The average large data center opening in 2026 draws 60 megawatts of power, up from 24 megawatts in 2018, raising utility, water, and community capacity pressures in markets less organized to respond.

Glen Morgenstern, economist intern at Realtor.com, noted the next wave of host communities “tend to be lower-income, lower-density and farther from a city center, which usually also means fewer resources on hand — fewer attorneys, less organized civic engagement, and housing markets that react more slowly to new information.”

In March, seven major AI companies signed a voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge to absorb new grid infrastructure costs rather than pass them to residential customers, a commitment since expanded to companies representing 80% of US power delivery.

Whether that pledge holds and whether home value stability follows will be an early test for the markets absorbing the next phase of the buildout. 

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