The Real Reason Couples Fight About Money

Rachel Cruze: The Real Reason Couples Fight About Money

August 25, 2025  by  Jaime Catmull

Question #2 of GOBankingRates’ Top 100 Money Experts Series

What’s the best way to handle financial disagreements in a relationship?

Who doesn’t love a story that ends with “and they lived happily ever after”? Whether it’s a fairy tale or a rom-com, everyone swoons when the pair that belonged together all along finally heads off into the sunset hand in hand.

Yet the story usually ends at this point. There’s no mention of what that happily ever after really looks like — sharing space, juggling busy schedules and navigating arguments about money.

Part of merging your life with someone else’s means integrating your finances. Depending on your upbringing, personal history and beliefs, you could be bringing some very different money mindsets to the table — and serving up a perfect recipe for conflict.

Fortunately, according to Rachel Cruze, bestselling author and financial expert, achieving that “happily ever after” is possible — even when you’re still figuring out how to manage money as a couple.

GOBankingRates caught up with Cruze to ask why couples fight about money and what they can do to achieve their own financial harmony.

It Goes Deeper Than Dollars and Cents

Sometimes, a fight that seems like it’s all about money isn’t just about dollars and cents. Cruze explained that most financial disagreements stem from deeper emotional issues, like trust, communication and feeling disconnected from your partner.

 “I always say: Money touches every part of your life, from what groceries you buy to the dreams you have for your future,” she said. “So if there’s tension in how you’re handling money, it’s going to spill over into everything else. That’s why I’m such a big believer in working together, not separately.”

Understanding that there are emotional and philosophical factors at play in how you and your partner think about money is key to having practical, productive conversations about your finances. Cruze’s advice? “Stop hiding, start communicating, and get on a plan together.”

TO READ MORE:  https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/real-reason-couples-fight-about-money-how-to-fix-it-rachel-cruze/?hyperlink_type=manual

7 Morning Money Habits To Start Your Day the Frugal Way

7 Morning Money Habits To Start Your Day the Frugal Way

Caitlyn Moorhead  Sun, August 24, 2025  GOBankingRates

Adopting a frugal lifestyle doesn’t have to mean overhauling all of your financial habits. Making a few tweaks here and there to how you spend, save and invest could greatly improve your chances of building wealth.  Whether your goals include funding retirement accounts, paying off debt or just improving your financial health overall, sometimes the way you start the day is the best indicator of how you will finish the personal finance race. The morning offers a unique opportunity to set the tone for a day filled with wise financial decisions, such as these seven morning habits that can help you live more frugally.

Embrace a Home-Brewed Coffee Routine

If before you even open your eyes you are thinking about ways to spend money on coffee, your daily financial plan may already be off to a rough start. Yes, the allure and aroma of a cafe coffee can be strong, but the daily expense adds up quickly.

By switching to home-brewed coffee, you can save a significant amount of money each month, which will perk up your financial future. Invest in a good coffee maker and discover the joy of brewing your own. This is not only more cost-effective, but also allows you to experiment with different blends and flavors.

Plan Your Meals

The food you have at home is here to remind you of the money you’ll save by not making the impulse buy of fast food or ordering out. Meal planning is not just a way to eat healthier; it’s also a fantastic strategy for not depleting your bank account.

Take a few minutes each morning to plan your meals for the day as the little time spent here can save you a large amount of money down the road. This habit prevents impulsive food purchases and helps you stick to a budget. Utilize leftovers and plan meals around what you already have, reducing food waste and grocery bills.

YOU TUBE VIDEO:  Saving without sacrifice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hLMTb1pFrI&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ

Use Public Transportation or Carpool

With everything from tariffs to economic volatility increasing car costs to almost unmanageable amounts, it may be time to evaluate your daily commute and consider inexpensive options like public transportation or carpooling. These alternatives can significantly reduce your fuel costs and wear and tear on your vehicle.

It’s also an environmentally friendly choice that helps both future generations and the future of your retirement plan. And, if public transportation is efficient in your area, it can offer a stress-free time to read or relax before starting your workday.

Practice Energy-Saving Techniques

Speaking of doing better things for both the environment and your finances, mornings are a great time to implement energy-saving habits. Simple actions like turning off lights in empty rooms, unplugging unused appliances and using natural light can reduce your electricity bill.

Also, consider shorter showers to save on water costs. These small changes can lead to noticeable savings every time you pay your monthly bills.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/7-morning-money-habits-start-141706004.html

Experts Warn The Internet Will Go Down In A Big Way — And You'd Better Be Ready

Experts Warn The Internet Will Go Down In A Big Way — And You'd Better Be Ready

Geoff Williams  Updated Mon, August 25, 2025  HuffPost

It’s bad enough when the internet goes down for a few hours because your power went out after a storm, but what if the internet went down indefinitely, sort of everywhere? What if your state or an entire region of the country lacked the internet or electricity because of a cyberattack or something innocuous, like problems with an aging grid or the federal government forgot to pay a bill?

Do you have a plan for that?

Most people don’t. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency surveyed 7,525 Americans for their 2024 report on disaster preparedness and found that 57% of the country isn’t prepared for, and isn’t planning to prepare for, a disaster.

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That’s a shame because an internet or electric type of emergency is likely to occur one of these days, said Robert Siciliano, a security analyst and author of ”Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention.” “I don’t think it is a matter of ‘if,’ it is simply a matter of ‘when.’ The electrical grid, as we know it, is only about 120 years old. And it is scattered in such a way that local or regional brownouts or total failures are happening too often.”

Siciliano added, “Having backup food, water, batteries and power should be a consideration for everyone. The term ‘prepper’ has gotten a bad rap.” He said that if you want to function in the event of a regional or nationwide electric or internet outage, “I think at this point everybody should be prepping.”

So if you want to keep your tech during a period of digital upheaval, feel free to borrow these strategies.

Try and create a backup internet plan.

“Preparing for individual internet disruptions and power outages is straightforward – you need backup internet access methods and/or the ability to generate energy on your own,” said Sean Gold, who should probably hang out with Siciliano. Gold is a prepper and the owner of the website TruePrepper. Gold also has a degree in emergency management and was an emergency manager in the Air Force.

Gold said that the best way to not lose your digital life during an internet or electrical grid crisis is to assume it’s going to happen sooner or later and plan for it.

“A cellular hotspot is an easy way to get through a day or two of internet outages, but if the outage is widespread, then that plan is much less effective with the overloaded cell towers. Many preppers are starting to embrace Starlink and satellite ISPs even if they are in less rural areas,” he said.

Of course, if you’re not a tech person, Gold might as well be talking in Sanskrit. So let’s do a quick translation:

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/experts-warn-internet-down-big-110018125.html

A Financial Pro on Managing Money as a Couple

One of You Saves, the Other Spends — Now What? A Financial Pro on Managing Money as a Couple

August 16, 2025  by    Laura Bogart

What’s the best way to manage money with a partner? 

You’re sitting at the breakfast table with your partner. Gazing into their eyes, you think about how much you love them, how much they — to quote “Jerry Maguire” — “complete you,” and how fortunate you are to have them.

Just as you’re about to fall even deeper in love, they open their mouth to tell you they might have, ahem, put a little more on the credit card than they planned. Or perhaps to chide you for not taking your employer match on your 401(k).  

Ah, love. Ain’t it grand? It still can be — even if your money habits clash — when you learn how to balance different financial styles. That process might sound complex and uncomfortable, but according to Emma Johnson, founder of Wealthy Single Mommy and author of “The 50/50 Solution” and “The Kickass Single Mom,” it starts with something simple: listening to each other.  

GOBankingRates caught up with Johnson to get her take on how happy couples can stay happy couples when it comes to managing money together.

YOU TUBE:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqyl46S4HvM&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gobankingrates.com%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ

 Respect Each Other’s Financial Independence  

One of Johnson’s first pieces of advice is to recognize that you and your partner are, well, your own people. You each had fully formed identities and managed your own money before you got together. Acting like a parent or boss with your partner’s finances can only breed resentment.

“Each partner needs some financial autonomy – money you can spend without checking in first,” Johnson said. “You’re both adults.” 

Therapists back this up. Given how often couples argue over money, it’s not surprising that services like Ascencion Counseling include financial advice right on their websites. To keep your financial independence while managing joint responsibilities, you and your partner need to communicate and plan together.

One common approach is to open a joint account for major shared expenses like rent, utilities and groceries, while keeping separate accounts for personal spending. Once you agree on how much each of you will contribute — ideally based on income rather than splitting everything 50/50 — you can still maintain individual control over your own separate accounts.  

This kind of setup gives each partner more confidence in their financial abilities while also minimizing potential resentment. That’s a win-win.

Love Each Other Through Your Differences  

TO READ MORE: https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/savings-advice/one-saves-other-spends-financial-pro-manage-money-couple/?hyperlink_type=manual

Start These 6 Money Habits To Help Improve Your Finances

Rachel Cruze: Start These 6 Money Habits To Help Improve Your Finances

Jennifer Taylor  Fri, August 22, 2025  GOBankingRates

Your lifestyle might affect your financial future in more ways than you realize. Rachel Cruze, a personal finance guru, money expert and Ramsey Solutions personality, recently shared a video offering advice to help improve your finances — with a minimalist approach.

Sure, you’re aware that you should try to pay off debt, build an emergency fund or improve your credit score, but what day-to-day saving and spending habits could you start to boost your financial health? Here, Cruze has highlighted some ways to approach small financial decisions that can be implemented to simplify and improve the bigger picture of your finances.

Simplify Your Schedule

Too much rushing around and being busy affects your money and peace of mind, Cruze said. This isn’t healthy for you, so she advised scheduling your life more intentionally.

Slowing down can help improve your financial situation in a variety of ways. For example, you might have more time to make dinner, meaning you’re spending less on takeout. Or you could slow down when shopping to save another swipe on your credit card. The term “slow shopping” means thinking about each purchase carefully before buying, which can help pad your savings account.

Spend Money on Experiences Over Possessions

Instead of constantly using your money to acquire new possessions — especially those you don’t need — Cruze advised spending it on experiences. She said experiencing things with people you love will make you happier. Keep that in mind the next time you are creating a budget.

“Stuff will not bring you joy,” Cruze said.

Of course, she emphasized that you also need to make sure the experiences you book fit into your budget. She also noted that it’s fine to have some stuff, but just avoid continually buying things, as doing so won’t make you happy.

Live on Less Than What You Make

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/6-habits-help-improve-finances-160037858.html

6 Daily Habits of Financially Secure People

6 Daily Habits of Financially Secure People

Laura Bogart  Mon, August 18, 2025  GOBankingRates

Financially secure people don’t just care about their personal finances — they actively nurture them. They prioritize savings, track spending and regularly contribute to their retirement accounts. Every financial move they make is a deliberate choice to protect and grow their money.

Think of it this way: Like a robust immune system, your money should be ready to work for you and keep you strong as you maneuver through a complex world. And just like your physical health — from the vitamins you take to the walks you enjoy and the water you drink (don’t forget that part) — financial health requires consistent, daily habits.

Just as regular checkups can affirm how healthy you are, checking in on your financial habits can also confirm that you’re in a good place money-wise. What better way to do a financial self-check than to see if you’re hitting certain benchmarks of good habits? You may find that you need to do a little more work to be as secure as you’d like to be.

Fortunately, developing healthy financial habits isn’t as hard as you might think (certainly easier than taking on the StairMaster at the gym). Here are six daily practices of financially secure people that you can adopt, too.

1. They Live Below Their Means

In an era where social media is constantly bombarding you with images of people whose homes, cars, clothes and even household utensils look nicer than yours, resisting lifestyle inflation is harder than ever. Financially secure people know that what looks like a glamorous life could very well be fueled by massive credit card debt.

Rather than compare themselves to others, financially secure people don’t just live within their means — they live below them. They prioritize value without compromising quality or safety, and the opinions of others don’t impact their financial decision-making. They spend less, knowing the money they save will go toward growing their wealth and achieving their financial goals.

Some tips for living below your means: If you regularly grocery shop at a bigger, pricier supermarket, switch to a more cost-effective option like Lidl or Aldi. Join your local “Buy Nothing” group, where you can swap household items for free, reducing unnecessary purchases.

To avoid impulse buying, impose a 48-hour waiting period whenever you’re tempted to buy something on a whim. Often, once you’ve had time to think, you realize you don’t need or even want the item.

 2. Their Emergency Savings Account Is Fully Funded

Financially secure people are prepared for life’s financial curve balls. They’ve got at least three to six months’ worth of expenses parked in a high-yield savings account (HYSA), ready to handle situations like job loss, medical emergencies, or car repairs without having to resort to using credit.

HYSAs are ideal tools for building your emergency fund because in addition to earning interest, you can withdraw the money without penalty, unlike other investment vehicles like CDs or annuities. This allows your money to grow while remaining accessible for when the unexpected happens.

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-daily-habits-financially-secure-151541420.html

Americans Are Hoarding More Cash

Americans Are Hoarding More Cash, but not in checking or savings. Here are the accounts rewarding savers today

Danielle Antosz   Sun, August 17, 2025  Moneywise

Consumer spending remains strong in the U.S., even as inflation holds at 2.7% and checking and savings balances decline. So, where’s the money coming from?

New research from JPMorgan Chase's Household Finances Pulse analysis may offer an answer.

Analyzing data from 4.7 million households, the study found that while traditional bank balances have stagnated, total cash reserves — including money market funds, brokerage accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs) — are growing 3% to 5% annually in 2025.

The biggest gains are among lower-income households, with those in the lowest income quartile seeing 5% to 6% growth in total cash reserves.

This shift toward higher-yield accounts may help explain why consumer spending remains resilient, despite economic headwinds.

Where are Americans putting their money?

Instead of parking funds in checking or standard savings accounts, many households are turning to investment-style options with higher returns. If you're considering a similar move, here are a few of the most popular alternatives:

High-yield savings accounts (HYSAs): These work like traditional savings accounts but offer higher interest rates — often between 4% and 5% APY as of mid-2025 — often offered by online banks with lower overhead.

Certificates of deposit (CDs): CDs lock your money in for a fixed term in exchange for a guaranteed return. Rates vary by term but can exceed 4% for longer durations.

Money market accounts (MMAs): Offered by banks, MMAs combine savings features with limited check-writing abilities, FDIC insurance, and competitive yields — though often slightly below HYSAs.

Money market funds (MMFs): These are investment products, not bank accounts. While not FDIC-insured, they invest in low-risk, short-term securities and are considered a stable alternative to cash.

Brokerage accounts: These accounts allow you to invest in stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. While more volatile, they offer higher long-term growth potential.

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americans-hoarding-more-cash-not-210000368.html

I’m an Economist: Here’s When Tariff Price Hikes Will Start Hitting Your Wallet

I’m an Economist: Here’s When Tariff Price Hikes Will Start Hitting Your Wallet

August 1, 2025   by Gabrielle Olya

A blanket 10% reciprocal tariff issued by President Donald Trump took effect April 5, with more slated to roll out on Aug. 1. So far, prices haven’t surged — but that’s likely to change.

GOBankingRates spoke with Lauren Saidel-Baker, an economist at ITR Economics, about why prices have yet to spike, when they will and how far they are expected to climb.

Why Prices Haven’t Surged Yet

We never expected that prices would immediately rise by the full extent of the tariffs imposed.

In some cases, importers absorb at least a portion of the cost. In many cases, excess inventory has been brought into the U.S. in anticipation of these tariff announcements and there will be a lag while that lower-cost inventory is available.

While the impact of tariffs on pricing varies materially on a microeconomic scale, it tends to be smaller on a macroeconomic scale. The supply chain is relatively neutral currently, and stable financial conditions have permitted consumers to shift spending behaviors such that the aggregate effect of tariffs on overall consumer prices has been minimal thus far.

The overall consumer price index also includes housing and services, which are more insulated from tariffs.

When Tariffs Will Start Raising Prices

TO READ MORE:  https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/economy/im-economist-when-tariff-price-hikes-will-start-hitting-your-wallet/?hyperlink_type=manual&link_placement=morefrom_link&link_position=4

8 Smart Ways Frugal People Are Living Like There’s Already a Recession

8 Smart Ways Frugal People Are Living Like There’s Already a Recession

July 17, 2025 Written by Emily Fowler Saving Money / Budgeting

Fears of a recession are growing louder, and many people aren’t waiting for an official announcement to make changes. Rising prices on essentials like rent, food and healthcare are already forcing tough choices, and these workers are finding ways to survive economic uncertainty long before a downturn becomes official.

According to a study from Lance Surety Bonds, people are slashing spending, picking up extra work and moving to cheaper locations to stay ahead of rising costs. Their strategies show what it really takes to recession-proof a household when paychecks can’t keep up with inflation.

Cutting Personal Spending

More than half of frontline workers (58%) have cut personal spending to the bone. Eliminating non-essential expenses is a recommended first line of defense when paychecks don’t stretch like they used to.

Picking Up Side Hustles

More than half are bringing in extra income through side gigs. They’re not alone; 41% of U.S. consumers now have supplemental income streams, according to PYMNTS, as people try to close the gap between wages and cost of living.

Dipping Into Savings Early

To read more:  https://www.gobankingrates.com/saving-money/budgeting/smart-ways-frugal-people-living-already-recession/?hyperlink_type=manual

4 Recession-Proof Money Habits for 2025 and Beyond

4 Recession-Proof Money Habits for 2025 and Beyond

John Csiszar  Tue, August 12, 2025  GOBankingRates

No matter what the state of the economy is, it seems there’s always talk of a looming recession ahead. And recessions are indeed a normal part of the business cycle, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll ever go away.

But in reality, recessions normally occur many years apart, with the economy often growing a decade or more between contractions. According to data from the National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, there have only been six recessions since 1980, a span of 45 years.

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That being said, there hasn’t been a major recession in 16 years, not counting the shortest recession on record that occurred at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. With high interest rates, markets at peak valuations and prices on everything from groceries to cars remaining elevated, it could be a good time to implement some recession-proof money habits in 2025.

Best of all, these sound financial practices will also help you preserve and grow your wealth even if a recession never comes.

Build Your Life Around Having Excess Cash

When it comes to staying out of trouble financially, cash flow is king. No matter how much money you earn, if you spend all of it, you’ll never be financially secure.

This is why financial advisors always caution about lifestyle creep. If your income jumps from $50,000 to $60,000 per year, for example, it’s extremely common for your spending to increase by $10,000 per year also. Resist the temptation to spend every last dollar you earn or else you’ll always live paycheck to paycheck.

What are some ways to accomplish this? Setting aside money for savings and investments before you even pay your bills is a great way to build long-term wealth while learning to live beneath your means. Paying off high-interest credit card debt — or never getting into debt in the first place — is a great way to get a handle on your finances and free up your cash flow.

Stock Your Emergency Fund

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/4-recession-proof-money-habits-125816895.html

How Airlines Will Use AI To Charge You More — and 8 Ways To Outsmart Them

How Airlines Will Use AI To Charge You More — and 8 Ways To Outsmart Them

Seychelle Thomas  Tue, August 12, 2025  GOBankingRates

You’ve been using AI for your shopping list, vacation itinerary or to create cartoon versions of yourself. Major airlines, however, are using AI to rake in more profits. Airlines like Delta are beginning to use generative AI to analyze your search habits and set a price based on what it thinks you’ll be willing to pay.

Even though AI could make your next trip more expensive, there are still a few ways to outsmart the system and get a fairer price.

Delta Leads the AI Charge

During the Q&A portion of an earnings call, Delta Airlines president Glen William Hauenstein, shared that Delta is continuing to experiment and roll out dynamic AI pricing for flights using an AI startup, Fetcherr. Currently, 3% of domestic Delta flights have their prices set using generative AI. By the end of 2025, Delta plans to increase that to 20% of all domestic flights. “We’re in a heavy testing phase. We like what we see. We like it a lot and we’re continuing to roll it out,” Hauenstein said.

Will AI Make Traveling More Expensive?

For consumers, that means airlines like Delta and potentially others are using your personal data to determine how much you’ll pay for your next flight. That could include your login status, social media activity, previous booking history, search frequency, financial status and IP location, according to the FTC. It also means that you could see drastically different prices based on each individual’s online habits.

In response to news of Delta’s AI individualized pricing, three senators released a public letter voicing their criticism and concerns regarding this practice. Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal penned a letter to the CEO of Delta Air Lines in July, chastising the use of surveillance-based pricing models and demanding answers on how the AI system is being trained and what personal data is being used.

“Prices could be dictated not by supply and demand, but by individual need,” the senators wrote in the letter. So if you needed a flight to see a sick family member and the airline’s AI was fed that information, you may see higher prices when searching for tickets. Or if the AI is fed your income data and knows you make above a certain amount, you could regularly be charged more than others are paying.

“While Delta has stated that the airline will ‘maintain strict safeguards to ensure compliance with federal law,’ your company has not shared what those safeguards are or how you plan to protect American families against pricing discrimination in the evolving AI landscape,” the senators wrote.

How To Outsmart AI Pricing

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/airlines-ai-charge-more-8-192003158.html

3 Tools the Wealthiest Americans Use To Safeguard Their Generational Wealth

3 Tools the Wealthiest Americans Use To Safeguard Their Generational Wealth

Laura Bogart  Tue, August 12, 2025  GOBankingRates

When you imagine the wealthiest people you know — whether in real life or on the covers of magazines — you know that hard work or good luck (or a combination of both) likely played a role in building their fortunes. But keeping that wealth intact for decades — and ensuring it benefits future generations — takes deliberate planning and the right financial tools.

And because you’re putting nose to the grindstone to grow and protect your own wealth, you know that building a legacy of financial security also involves a lot of effort. Still, you might not be sure exactly how the wealthy safeguard what they have worked so hard to build.

To preserve what they have built and ensure it is available for future generations, high-net-worth individuals turn to a variety of tools, products and strategies — many of which could also help everyday people like you grow and protect your own wealth.

As you see what the experts GOBankingRates spoke with shared, you will realize that the resources you need to reach these goals aren’t so challenging to find.

Diversification

For Lukendric A. Washington, JD, LLM, CFP, RICP, CEO of Manifest Wealth Management, the question of how wealthy people safeguard their wealth has one very clear answer — diversification. He wants clients to make sure their wealth isn’t bottled up in one kind of asset, because if that asset performs poorly, well, the bottle can break, and with it, their nest egg.

“In their investment portfolios they likely have a mixture of several, if not all, asset classes,” he said. “Beyond the typical investment options, there are private equity options, which can be riskier and less liquid, but can also reduce the risk that one event or one bad investment will destroy their entire portfolio.”

The wealthy and wise spread their assets across different categories to mitigate the risks that can come with having too much exposure to a single investment. Smart diversification can happen across industries (for example, having a portfolio with investments in different sectors) or by including alternative investments such as precious metals, real estate or even fine art.

Life Insurance

 TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/3-tools-wealthiest-americans-safeguard-141809253.html

The Debt Problem Was Actually Scarier In The 90’s Here’s How They Solved It

The Debt Problem Was Actually Scarier In The 90s. Here’s How They Solved It. Podcast

Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black )  August 12, 2025

I was still just a kid as the US headed into the 1992 US Presidential election, but I remember the excitement around my home town as Ross Perot entered the race as an independent candidate.

Perot was from Dallas, where I grew up. And he was one of the first tech billionaires, long before the dot-com boom.  Like Elon today, Perot knew that America was heading down a dangerous fiscal path. At the time, the US government was spending about 28% of its annual tax revenue just to pay interest on the national debt.

PIC

It wasn't because the debt was so vast. Actually back then it was just a fraction of today's debt.

The real problem was that sky-high interest rates from the 1980s (15%+) had pushed the government's borrowing costs and annual interest bill to the moon.

So Ross Perot decided to run for President under a promise to fix the deficit.

Few people understood anything about the deficit back then. So Perot used his vast fortune to buy TV time where he would explain the problem in hour-long presentations. I remember  learning things from him that I'd never even heard about before-- Treasury markets, bond yields, government accounting, mandatory spending, and more.

Perot single-handedly dragged America's deficit issue to the front page and started a national conversation; so even though Bill Clinton ultimately won the election, Perot succeeded in making deficit reduction a top priority.

It was interesting times politically. Clinton was rocked by scandals, impeached, and deeply hated by the other party... quite similar to the situation today. They didn't have social media back then, but 'talk radio' pundits raged 24/7 with the same ferocity of today's Twitter mob.

Yet even with such conflict and division, Congress and the White House managed to work it out. And over the next decade, interest costs fell from 28% of tax revenue down to 18%. And by the end of the 1990s the government was posting strong budget surpluses.

How did they do it? It wasn't rocket science or black magic. They simply took a common sense approach to spending-- they held spending increases to minimal levels, all while tax revenue soared thanks to a tech-fueled economic bonanza.

Over the ten-year period between 1991 and 2000, government expenditures only rose by 35%. Adjusted for inflation that's just 5.5% over the entire decade.

Meanwhile tax revenue nearly doubled over the same period. Poof. Problem solved. And America stormed into the 21st century with a record budget surplus, and its interest costs and national debt under control.

Could this happen today? Maybe. There are a lot of similarities. The US government currently pays roughly 22% of tax revenue just to cover the annual interest bill on the national debt, and this amount is growing rapidly. Not to mention, interest costs plus mandatory entitlements (like Social Security and Medicare) already consume 100% of tax revenue.

If they don't solve this problem, America is going to be looking at a major fiscal crisis in the coming years.

Unfortunately few people in power seem to be taking this seriously. The White House is far more focused on tariffs and trade rather than the obvious problem-- excessive spending. And when it comes to deficit reduction, their approach is to seize control of the Fed to push through interest rate cuts.

Congress, meanwhile, seems completely oblivious to the problem.

One of my major concerns is that American voters tend to oscillate from one side to another. So if the guys in power now don't solve this problem now, voters could swing hard to the Left in 2028, quite possibly to a card-carrying socialist.

There are certainly a lot of socialists emerging in American politics. And they all see deficits as a "revenue problem" and believe that higher taxes will fix every challenge.

Well, we did the math in today's podcast: "taxing the rich" won't make a dent in the deficit problem. Neither will wealth taxes, or any of the other idiotic proposals that socialists come up with.

The only way to fix this is to cut spending... and to spend the money much more responsibly.

Fingers crossed that they see the light. And soon. But I wouldn't hold my breath just yet on major fiscal reform... which is why it's so critical to have a Plan B.

Listen in to today's podcast, in which we cover:

• The 70% tax rate fantasy – Even taxing every dollar over $10 million at 70% doesn’t cover a single year’s interest on the debt.
  
  

• Why huge new taxes barely move the needle – A wealth tax might grab $200–250B upfront, then $60–100B/year. Yet the debt is growing by trillions annually.
  
  

• Behavior matters – People restructure income, delay gains, and move capital. The socialists' 'wealth tax' projections will never match reality.

• Their entire philosophy is to treat the private sector like an ATM while refusing to cut a cent of waste.
  
  

• The problem with the socialists who want to "seize the means of production" is that they've never produced anything!
  
  

• The spending problem – The top 2% already paid ~$1 trillion in taxes in 2021 (28% effective rate on $3.5T income).
  
  

• Since July 4th, the US has added nearly $800 billion to the debt— about $500B of it brand-new spending.
  
  

• The real “third side” of the coin – It’s not just a revenue problem or a spending problem—it’s decades of baked-in waste, fraud, and mismanagement in federal budgets.
  
  

• Zero-base budgeting: A common-sense approach where agencies start at zero and justify every dollar… something almost no one in Washington is willing to consider.
  
  

• Bond market reality check – The Fed can nudge short-term rates, but long-term rates are set by the bond market—
  
  

• This means that political control of the Fed may not deliver the rate cuts they expect.
  
  

• Socialist footholds in major cities – from NYC to Chicago to Seattle, socialists  are winning local races and pushing radical tax-and-spend agendas.

The bottom line:

Confiscating more from the productive economy doesn’t fix the problem; it fuels it. The only real solution starts with cutting waste and ending the government’s addiction to spending.

Until that happens, individuals need their own Plan B—whether it’s hedging against inflation with real assets, diversifying internationally, or building networks with like-minded people who see what’s coming.

That’s exactly why we built our Total Access community. Over the years, it’s become more than just an exclusive group—it’s sparked friendships, partnerships, and a global network of people who are prepared, connected, and two steps ahead. After 15+ years in this business, it’s the thing I’m most proud of.

Listen to the full breakdown here.

For the audio-only version, check out our online post here.

Finally, you can find the podcast transcript for your convenience, here.

To your freedom  James Hickman  Co-Founder, Schiff Sovereign LLC

https://www.schiffsovereign.com/trends/podcast-the-debt-problem-was-actually-scarier-in-the-90s-heres-how-they-solved-it-153299/?inf_contact_key=4b7a85caadcfd64048d54c60ca26ef2c6284348d8861bd17e5bddf76463f0190