How To Protect Your Financial Windfall

How To Protect Your Financial Windfall

Mike Crisolago Updated Sep 6, 2025 Money Wise

The (PCH) Publisher’s Clearing House saga is a cautionary tale for anyone who comes into a large sum of money — whether it’s a sweepstakes giveaway, a lottery win or an inheritance. Without a plan, that money can dry up faster than you think.

Oregon man won ‘$5K a week forever’ in 2012, spent cash like he was set for life — but Publishers Clearing House went bankrupt. Now he might lose home

An old sweepstakes TV commercial once promised, “Only Publishers Clearing House can make you so rich, so fast!”

But, as some unlucky winners discovered this year, the opposite is also true: Publishers Clearing House (PCH) can make your fortune disappear just as quickly.

That’s what happened to John Wyllie, a 61-year-old Oregon man who won $5,000 a week for life from the PCH Prize Patrol in 2012.

According to NBC affiliate KGW8 [1], Wyllie received an annual check for $260,000 every January. The money let him retire and buy a house on six acres in scenic Bellingham, Washington. But this year, the checks suddenly stopped. A few months later, Wyllie learned why: PCH had filed for bankruptcy without warning him or other winners.

Wyllie told KGW8 the turn of events “feels like a nightmare,” made worse by the fact that he hasn’t worked in more than a decade and can’t find a job now. With bills piling up, he’s sold off big-ticket items like a jet ski and trailer, but still expects to lose his home.

For anyone who’s ever daydreamed about a life-changing win, Wyllie’s story is a harsh reminder that easy money isn’t always forever. It’s a reality check that could strike anyone who finds themselves scrambling to offset the loss.

From bankable to bankruptcy

KGW8 reported that Wyllie is one of at least 10 winners still owed money they’ll likely never receive.

That’s because ARB Interactive, which paid $7.1 million to buy PCH, announced it would only honor prizes won after it took over in July. For past winners still waiting on payments, The Wall Street Journal [2] noted they’ll “have to seek payment from the bankruptcy estate.”

To Read More:  https://moneywise.com/news/oregon-man-won-5k-a-week-forever-in-2012-spent-cash-like-he-was-set-for-life-but-publishers-clearing-house-went-bankrupt-now-he-might-lose-home?vgo_ee=BBTvs18rqmt6BmqOXAbOrBi5mRumOoB%2BSflA5GE6mtZL%3AQ9fMQcFuTtGBKDNJFzGiBKfO7OuOYbq7

Here’s Why You Always Want to Know Your Net Worth

Here’s Why You Always Want to Know Your Net Worth, According to a Financial Expert

August 25, 2025   By  Jordan Rosenfeld

How do I calculate my net worth, and why does it matter?

If net worth sounds like something only the uber-rich have to think about, it’s time to think again. Everyone has a net worth — though some are certainly higher than others — but you might be surprised to learn that you’re worth more than you think. More importantly, your net worth is one of the clearest snapshots of your overall financial health.

Dr. Preston D. Cherry, a financial planner who calls himself “a life designer in the world of wealth,” is the founder of Concurrent Wealth Management and author of “Wealth in the Key of Life.” He explains how to calculate your net worth, why it matters more than you might realize, and how tracking it over time can help you achieve your biggest financial goals.

Do This Simple Math

Calculating your net worth doesn’t require any complicated technology or sifting through boxes of paperwork; it’s a lot simpler than people think, Cherry said. “It’s just what you own minus what you owe.” To calculate your net worth:

• Add up your assets: This includes cash, retirement and brokerage accounts, investments, your home and even business equity if you have it.

• Then subtract your liabilities: These include credit card balances, student loans, auto loans, your mortgage or any other outstanding debts.

A Snapshot of Your Financial Story

Once you calculate that number, Cherry encouraged a mindset shift: don’t think of it as a static figure, but as “a snapshot of your financial story.” In his words, “It gives you a sense of where you are and a guide to where you’re going.”

Think of your net worth as your personal financial narrative. “It tells you where you stand, how far you’ve come, and your aspirational future,” Cherry said. In other words, don’t use it to compare yourself to others, but to measure your progress against your own goals.

Tracking your net worth regularly, such as quarterly or annually, can reveal whether you’re headed in the right direction. It can also highlight blind spots, like lingering debt or underutilized savings opportunities, and bring clarity to future decision-making.

A Reflection of Your Financial Choices

Another way to think of net worth, according to Cherry, is as “a reflection of how your financial choices support your well-being.” If your net worth is on the low side, that may show up as struggling to make ends meet or falling short of your goals.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.gobankingrates.com/net-worth/worth-more-than-you-think-wealth-expert-calculate-net-worth/?hyperlink_type=manual

4 Practical Yet Genius Money Tips From Tony Robbins

4 Practical Yet Genius Money Tips From Tony Robbins

Kristopher Kane  Wed, September 3, 2025   GOBankingRates

Managing your money isn’t always intuitive, and it can present significant challenges, especially if you’re just starting out. But no matter where you are in your financial journey, a few words of sound advice can never hurt. When it comes to financial wisdom, you could do a lot worse than listen to someone like Tony Robbins.

Over the years, the financial guru and motivational speaker has offered a lot of practical advice that can help just about anyone, regardless of their current situation, set and achieve their financial goals. Keep reading for four essential tips from Robbins that you can use to move toward your own financial success, one step at a time.

Harness the Power of Compound Interest

When it comes to long-term objectives like retirement savings or saving for a child’s college education, compound interest can be your most powerful financial ally — in fact, Robbins wrote in a blog post that it gives you an “unsurmountable edge” in making your investments grow.

The amount you need to set aside for these kinds of goals can sometimes seem too large to be realistic, but relying on the power of compound interest can make a huge difference.

If you know how to leverage compound interest, major goals become much less intimidating and a lot more doable. In a nutshell, by reinvesting the interest you earn on the initial amount of money you put in (the principal), you increase your total savings, as well as the amount you earn in additional interest over time.

This compounding effect isn’t linear, and it can exponentially increase the amount of money you’re able to save over long periods. Whether you have your money in a high-yield savings account, bonds or mutual funds, the key is to start early, stay consistent and be patient enough to let time and compound interest work their magic.

Know the Difference Between Pretax and Post-Tax Retirement Plans

Choosing the right retirement plan is especially important, and Robbins emphasizes the need to understand how pretax and post-tax retirement plans differ, and which might be best for you. He wrote on his blog, “While millions of Americans have a retirement account in place, the scary truth is, they have not considered the impact of taxes in retirement.”

With a pretax retirement plan — like a 401(k) or traditional IRA — you contribute a portion of your earnings before any taxes are taken out, which effectively lowers your taxable income for that year.

TO READ MORE: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/4-genius-practical-money-tips-160039018.html

Why So Few People Feel Secure About Money — Even When They Have Lots of It

Why So Few People Feel Secure About Money — Even When They Have Lots of It

And why the neighbors of lottery winners are often worse off.

Yahoo Creator  Sean Kernan  June 21, 2024

I’m not rich by any means. But I’ve done well enough to be comfortable, mostly because I saved aggressively early in my career. Yet I still feel like I’m only a stone’s throw from being in poverty, which is slightly irrational.  I remember having no money and having to budget until my next paycheck or risk groveling to my parents for help. It wasn’t a good life. And it still feels like yesterday, even though so many years have passed. Sadly, many people feel this way.

And to some extent — this stress can be constructive. It can mitigate risky spending. You’ll certainly never catch me with problematic expensive hobbies. But I wish I could feel more at ease about my station in life. Many of my friends are in this same psychological boat too. My buddy Brian is a software engineer, who has been making north of $180K per year — for years on end — while living in a low-cost area, and he’s still as cheap as he’s ever been.

So Why Are We Like This? How Do We Level Up And Counteract This Financial Anxiety?

The Origins Of The Problem People tend to downgrade their financial standing. For example, per a survey by the financial firm Ameriprise Financial, only 13% of American millionaires classify themselves as wealthy. Even among those who had more than $5M in total assets — many still said they didn’t feel rich.

These weren’t people living in Silicon Valley, where $5M only gets you a shack. These were everyday people from all around the United States — still feeling underfunded.

Part of this is because of the disappearance of pensions — and fear that we’ll live on our savings and social security to get us through to old age. Both of my grandfathers had pensions, with one of them having two full separate pensions (military and government). But we are now the 401K generation — in a system that is more stressful than ever.

Why do people who have so much still feel sad about their financial standing?

Elizabeth Dunn, psychology professor at The University of British Columbia, and co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, looked into this very question. She found that social comparison, in particular, drives much of our financial dissatisfaction.

How we compare our income to others of similar age, education, and region of residence, greatly shapes our self-perceptions and satisfaction. Unsurprisingly, those who compared themselves to groups of higher income, tended to be less happy and more anxious about money.

Unfortunately, a majority of people tend to do upward comparisons. The severity of this impact was most notable: “The income of the reference group is about as important as one’s own income for individual happiness.”

It pains me to admit it: I’m 100% a victim of this statistic. I often watch videos of lavish mansion tours on YouTube, despite knowing the likelihood of me ever owning such a property is slim (unless I somehow write the next iteration of Atomic Habits).

But I still enjoy oohing and aahing over the stunning architecture, classy furniture and paintings hanging on the walls. It’s entirely possible this admiration is only heightening my anxiety about money.

Yet I know as well as you that the person in that mansion isn’t likely to be happier than the rest of us. Within a year of becoming rich, or facing tragedy, the vast majority of people return to their baseline happiness.

What’s most telling is that winning the lottery can significantly impact your neighbor’s wellbeing. One study in Canada found that as the magnitude of someone’s lottery winnings went up, their neighbors odds of financial distress and borrowing increased alongside it.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/why-so-few-people-feel-secure-about-money--even-when-they-have-lots-of-it-212029309.html

Why Keeping The Money Isn’t The Right Move

Why Keeping The Money Isn’t The Right Move

Will Kenton  Tue, September 2, 2025

Someone I don’t know deposited $500 to my Zelle account — is there any harm in just keeping it?

Your phone pings, and you open Zelle to find $500 sitting in your account, but it isn’t from your employer, a friend or anyone you recognize. Instead, it’s from a stranger, sent through Zelle with no explanation. At first, it feels like an unexpected windfall. Who wouldn’t be tempted to think of it as free money?.  But that surprise transfer may not be a lucky break. Money sent to your account by someone you don’t know often signals a mistake or, worse, the beginning of a scam.

And if you decide to keep or spend the funds, you could quickly find yourself in trouble. Understanding why these “accidental” payments happen and how scammers exploit them can help you protect your account and your wallet.

Why Keeping The Money Isn’t The Right Move

Unexpected deposits through payment apps are not gifts. Under federal rules like the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, unauthorized transactions can be reversed if they are reported. That means the money you see in your account could disappear just as suddenly as it appeared, especially if it was tied to fraud. Spending it can leave you in financial and legal trouble.

There is also a strong chance that what seems like a mistake is actually part of a scam.

Internet scams have become widespread. In the FBI’s latest 2024 Internet Crime Report, more than 859,000 complaints were filed with the Bureau, and reported losses to Americans increased 33 percent from 2023 to an eye-watering $16.6 billion.

How the scam works

The way the fraud typically unfolds is simple but effective. Here’s the basic play:

• A scammer sets up a payment app account with stolen credit card information.

• They send money to a random person (in this case, you) making it look like a lucky mistake.

• Shortly after, they reach out, often with a friendly or urgent message: “Hey, I sent you $500 by accident, can you send it back?”

• If you return the money, it doesn’t go back to the stolen card. The scammer has already switched their account to a real card they own, so your “refund” goes straight into their pocket.

• Meanwhile, your bank eventually realizes the first payment was fraudulent and reverses it. That $500 disappears from your account, but the money you sent back is gone for good.

TO  READ MORE:  https://news.yahoo.com/news/finance/news/someone-don-t-know-deposited-120000474.html

You Worked Hard To Build Wealth — Use This 3-Step Checklist To Protect It

You Worked Hard To Build Wealth — Use This 3-Step Checklist To Protect It

June 13, 2025  by  Laura Bogart  GoBankingRates

To say you’ve worked hard would be an understatement. You’re no stranger to pulling a 5 to 9 after your 9 to 5 ends. You’ve met with financial advisors and investment professionals to figure out how to stretch your money and grow it through passive income. What you’ve accomplished at this point in your life is impressive — and now, you’re starting to think about what the next phase might look like.

That next chapter should start with protecting what you’ve built. Just as you mapped a master plan to build your wealth, you’ll need a strategy to safeguard it. While personalized advice from your financial advisor is always smart, these three essential steps can help you prepare now.  

Create an Estate Plan  

An estate plan is a cornerstone of protecting your financial legacy — helping ensure the hard work you’ve put in today will continue to bear fruit long after you’re gone. One of the most powerful ways to protect your assets is to keep them in the family and make sure your loved ones can access them easily and responsibly. 

Start by working with a trusted financial and legal team to create a will or a revocable living trust. A revocable trust allows you to manage your assets while you’re still around and to lay out clear instructions for how those assets should be distributed after your death. It can be changed or revoked at any time, as long as you’re making competent, voluntary decisions. It also spares your heirs the time and expense of probate.

To reduce the emotional and financial burden on your family in a crisis, you should also set up an advance healthcare directive and designate durable powers of attorney for both medical and financial matters. These documents ensure your wishes are honored and take difficult decisions off your family’s shoulders.  

Make Sure You Have the Right Life Insurance  

At a minimum, life insurance is designed to protect your family’s financial future if something happens to you unexpectedly. A policy can help them pay off debts, cover day-to-day living expenses and continue pursuing long-term goals like college or retirement savings.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/financial-planning/you-worked-hard-build-wealth-checklist-protect-it/?hyperlink_type=manual

Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When You Get Rich Overnight

Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When You Get Rich Overnight

Laura Bogart  Sun, August 31, 2025  GOBankingRates

You’re about to score a financial touchdown. Maybe you’ve crushed it at work and landed a sweet promotion. Perhaps you’ve won a lottery or stumbled into a side hustle that suddenly pays off. As you near the end zone, heart pounding, head full of dreams, you can’t afford (literally) to fumble. Whether you’re blindsided by unexpected taxes or tripped up by bad financial advice, you have a lot to lose if you drop the ball.

If there’s one thing Brandon Copeland, former NFL linebacker turned financial expert, knows, it’s how not to fumble good fortune — whether that’s a game-changing play or a sudden influx of cash.

As founder of Copeland Media and Athletes.org, and the author of “Your Money Playbook,” Copeland now dedicates his time to making financial education more accessible for everyone, from high earners to those just trying to get a handle on their first paycheck.

His financial expertise, shaped both by personal experience and by watching fellow NFL players navigate big contracts, has taught him what to do — and, crucially, what not to do — when you come into some money. As part of GOBankingRates’ Top 100 Money Experts series, he answers Question #16: Why do so many people fumble a windfall, and what moves should I make if it ever happens to me?

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ2DcWPD7qw

1. Not Taking the Time To Learn About Money

When Copeland is outside tossing the pigskin with his five-year-old son, the little guy doesn’t catch it every time. And despite being a force on the field himself, Copeland doesn’t expect his son to be perfect — after all, he’s still learning. He sees a clear parallel to how most of us approach money.

“Most things in life take practice, and unfortunately when it comes to money, many of us never had the chance to learn or practice those skills,” he said. “We just start earning it. So, it’s not absurd to think, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be perfect at this.'”

To Copeland, a windfall doesn’t just reveal your financial blind spots — it magnifies them. That’s why he’s so passionate about financial education, both in the classroom and through his foundation.

“My goal is to help a younger version of myself,” he said. “I think of the problems I had growing up, where I wanted money, but nobody taught me about it. I was blessed to have a high school football coach who ran a hedge fund and invited me to intern with him.”

That mentorship gave Copeland his first real playbook for success in life — and in finance. It’s one he would carry into teaching financial literacy at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the nonprofit he started with his wife, Beyond the Basics.

2. Giving in to the Urge To Splurge

TO READ MORE:https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/avoid-4-common-mistakes-rich-131819561.html

3 Things To Focus On To Make Sure Your Identity Isn’t Too Wrapped Up in Money,

3 Things To Focus On To Make Sure Your Identity Isn’t Too Wrapped Up in Money, According to Rachel Cruze

Peter Burns   Mon, September 1, 2025  GOBankingRates

Money is an integral part of everyone’s life. Money allows you to buy things you need to survive and helps you maintain your health. It gives you freedom and opportunities to pursue your dreams. It also gives you security and peace of mind. However, when you have a lot of money, it can be easy to root your entire identity in your finances.

Many individuals believe that purchasing designer clothes, buying sports cars and eating at upscale restaurants can improve their social status, but this leads to an important question: Who are you if you lose everything?

Personal finance expert and co-host of “The Ramsey Show” Rachel Cruze asks herself this question often. She explained that it’s possible to lose everything you have, from your car to your home to your gym membership, so it’s crucial to focus on what truly matters: ensuring you aren’t defined by your possessions. In a recent YouTube video, Cruze recommended focusing on these three things to make sure your identity isn’t just your possessions.

A Higher Purpose

“There are things in life that are so much bigger than you,” Cruze said. Keeping yourself grounded in what’s really important is an excellent way to make sure you don’t lean too much into your wealth and ego.

To Cruze, this relates to religion: “If I am worshiping something so much bigger than me that cannot be taken away, there is value and security in that for me.”

However, you don’t need to be religious to have guiding principles that add meaning to your life.

One type of higher purpose may be self-development. Dedicating yourself to creative arts or lifelong learning can be fulfilling. It’s about the journey rather than the outcome. Self-development improves your mental health, happiness and confidence, allowing you to be more than just the items you own.

Generosity

The second way to make sure money doesn’t control your identity is through generosity.

“If crap hits the fan and you have nothing else, there is something that is built through a generous life that will stay with you forever,” Cruze explained.

Embracing a generous lifestyle when you do have money can help you sustain that spirit when you don’t. Even when you don’t have much, Cruze recommends allocating 10% of your budget toward giving to a worthy cause. When you do this, it shifts the focus off your own problems and reminds you of what you do have and what you can do to help others.

Even if you don’t have money to spare, you can still be generous with your time and effort. An SWNS survey found that out of 2,000 American adults, 54% want to leave a positive mark on the world. You can achieve this by mentoring youth, volunteering, building up your community and motivating others.

YOU TUBE VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWvsJi1Kz0A&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ                                

TO READ MORE: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/3-things-focus-sure-identity-141631667.html

‘Check Washing’ Costs Americans Over $1 Billion Each Year, Says USPIS — How To Spot It And Protect Your Money

 ‘Check Washing’ Costs Americans Over $1 Billion Each Year, Says USPIS — How To Spot It And Protect Your Money

Jessica Wong  Sat, August 30, 2025  Moneywise

Despite seeming retro, check fraud is experiencing a surprising resurgence, with criminals stealing billions of dollars through these schemes.

According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), "check washing" fraud is inflicting substantial financial damage on Americans. Postal inspectors report intercepting more than $1 billion in fraudulent checks and money orders annually.

Despite the rise of digital financial transactions, thieves are increasingly targeting mail containing paper checks as a vulnerable point in the system.

Using common household supplies, scammers can modify stolen checks by removing the original information and substituting false details before depositing them under assumed identities. Below, we explain their tactics and how to protect yourself.

What is “check washing”?

Check washing is a theft method where criminals steal checks, commonly from mailboxes, and use household chemicals such as nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol to erase the ink. After removing the original information, the thief changes the payee name and amount, cashes the altered check and escapes with the stolen funds.

This scheme, which has been around for decades, has seen a significant increase in incidents since 2021, with check fraud cases nearly doubling according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Postal inspectors warn that this troubling trend is expected to worsen throughout 2025.

Criminal organizations have been identified selling stolen checks on digital platforms and recruiting individuals known as "money mules" to deposit falsified checks into fraudulent accounts, according to NASDAQ Verafin. In a contemporary evolution of this long-established fraud scheme, these stolen checks are now being traded on dark web marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Real-world cases show just how quickly it can happen, and victims are losing thousands.

According to ABC7 NY, when Carol Perlman mailed a $656 check, criminals altered it to $9,000. Though her bank eventually refunded the money, they only did so after local media covered her story.

In the same ABC7 NY report, Matt Schick became a victim after depositing a contractor's payment in a street mailbox. Within days, someone had intercepted and cashed it for $7,500.

Fortune magazine reported on entrepreneur Steve, who was stunned to discover that his $310,000 IRS payment never arrived. Thieves had chemically "washed" the check, replacing "IRS" with another name before depositing it. He was forced to pay his taxes again, including penalties and interest, while still fighting with his bank to recover the stolen funds.

TO READ MORE:  Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching stocks — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead

FBI, Cybersecurity Experts Warn Of 3-Phase Scam That Is Draining Bank Accounts

FBI, Cybersecurity Experts Warn Of 3-Phase Scam That Is Draining Bank Accounts

Jeremy Tanner  Sat, August 30, 2025 

(NEXSTAR) – A multi-phase scam credited with emptying the financial accounts of numerous Americans – many of whom were nearing the age of retirement – is again making headlines after the FBI recently issued a warning.

Unlike many scams, “Phantom Hacker” attacks often come in three distinct phases, each building on the last to thoroughly convince the victim to allow access to their funds.

“Victims often suffer the loss of entire banking, savings, retirement, or investment accounts under the guise of ‘protecting’ their assets,” the FBI said in a news release.

Aaron Rose, security architect manager at cybersecurity firm Check Point Software, told Nexstar in an email that the crooks often use victims’ personal interests against them. Fans of vintage cars, antique watches or other items might post publicly on social media, making them vulnerable to bad actors.

 “Criminals use personal interests to make their criminal actions appear authentic which decreases the chances of being caught,” Rose said, adding, “AI technology can analyze social media content to detect personal interests and life milestones which allows it to generate messages that seem personalized.”

Since 2024, the scam has reportedly been used to steal over $1 billion in funds, with the majority of victims being at least 60 years old, according to FBI data.

“These attacks are not just simple phone calls or phishing emails—they’re complex operations that involve multiple impersonators, spoofed phone numbers, and coordinated follow-ups,” Scott Davis, chairman of the Cybersecurity Association of Pennsylvania, said in a recent interview. “Seniors are being tricked into believing they’re protecting their money, when in reality they’re handing it straight to criminals.”

‘Tech support’ and the first phase

While pretending to work in tech support for a legitimate company, the scammer will use a phone call, text, email or pop-up window to contact the victim.

Once the victim calls for tech support help, the scammer instructs them to download a program giving access to the victim’s computer. After pretending to check the device for viruses, the scammer will then suggest the victim open financial accounts to look for unauthorized charges.

TO READ MORE:  https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/fbi-cybersecurity-experts-warns-3-120000759.html

What You Need To Do To Prepare Your Home And Your Family

Storm is on the way: Here's What You Need To Do To Prepare Your Home And Your Family

Hurricane season is here and it's important to be ready if you're anywhere near a hurricane zone. Here's everything you need to remember to be prepared!

Sean McBride  Creator of Charleston Crafted  Updated Sat, August 16, 2025

As a South Carolina resident, hurricane season is officially my least favorite time of the year. I don't like that I feel the need to constantly check to see if there is tropical activity in the distance and I hate the feeling of deciding what to do if a storm is coming.

However, just because I don't like the season doesn't mean I'm not prepared for it.

Hurricane Erin is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season and has gained significant attention for its size and unpredicted path. While it does look like the Hurricane Erin path will curve away from the east coast of the United States this time, that doesn't mean that with the next storm we'll be so lucky.

Living in a hurricane zone teaches you to be prepared and be vigilant about your surroundings throughout the entirety of hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1st to November 1st. Hurricanes and tropical storms can both produce damaging rains and wind and can impact your area even if the path doesn't come right through your state.

And if recent history has shown us anything, being anywhere near the zone means you need to be prepared, not just if you live on the coast. So, if you're thinking about what you need to do to be prepared this hurricane season, let's take a look

How To Prepare For Hurricane Season

Storm intensity and frequency has been on the uptick for decades, and it's seemingly only going to get worse as our climate continues to change. Hurricanes aren't going to go away, so we have to be prepared to live with the after effects.

It's important to know your risk by identifying what type of FEMA zone you live in and what the likelihood is of a storm. Hopefully you've done some research, but if you're new to an area, talk to your neighbors about how storms have impacted your neighborhood in recent years.

If you are in a flood risk zone, you need to know the degree of severity and what that means for your area, so be prepared by knowing what you will likely need to do.

Additionally, if a hurricane begins to form in the Atlantic, Gulf or Caribbean, make sure you stay up to date with the NOAA path tracker so you can know where the storm is and where it might end up. Don't spend too much time listening to random "experts" online and instead focus your attention on the actual data presented by NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Create An Emergency Evacuation Plan

The most important thing to do in an emergency hurricane situation is to listen to your local officials. If a mandatory evacuation order has been issued, listen to that order. It's not smart to try to decide whether or not you think a storm will actually hit your area badly.

If an order has been issued, make sure you know the evacuation routes and whether or not they will be opening additional lanes on the highway. It's best to leave at less busy times, if possible, and not wait until the last minute when the entire town is trying to drive out. 

TO READ MORE:    https://www.yahoo.com/news/creators/lifestyle/story/storm-is-on-the-way-heres-what-you-need-to-do-to-prepare-your-home-and-your-family-192126619.html

4 Secrets of the Truly Wealthy, According to Dave Ramsey

4 Secrets of the Truly Wealthy, According to Dave Ramsey

Caitlyn Moorhead   Wed, August 27,   GOBankingRates

One of Dave Ramsey’s most consistent pieces of financial advice is that wealth-building isn’t necessarily tied to how much money you make, but rather how you manage what you have. Many people assume that earning a higher income automatically leads to wealth, but Ramsey points out that a disciplined approach to spending and saving is far more important. Truly wealthy people live below their means and when they do spend money, they don’t advertise it.

Essentially, saving consistently is more important than the size of your paycheck or what you splurge on. Known for his no-nonsense approach to personal finance, Ramsey has helped millions of people get out of debt and take control of their financial futures. But what separates those who simply earn a good living from the truly wealthy?

According to Ramsey, “When you quit worrying about what people think and you’re actually living life for you and your family — that causes you to make completely different purchases and live a completely different lifestyle.” Here are key principles that truly wealthy people understand and practice consistently.

They Don’t Dress To Impress

The wealthy don’t leave their financial futures to chance. They create a plan, stick to it and regularly review it, which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for extravagant purchases like designer clothing. Think about some of the billionaires you see in the news — many aren’t dressing like a million bucks even though they have more than a billion bucks.

Ramsey would recommend taking baby steps toward building an emergency fund, paying off debt or investing for retirement well before you spend thousands of dollars on pants or shoes. The truly wealthy know where their money is going each month and it’s not hanging in their closet.

They Don’t Share Their Vacation Pictures

Ramsey is a strong advocate for long-term investing and wealth-building strategies. However, once someone has grown their wealth to be in a place where they are considered rich, they tend not to advertise how much they have or are spending.

Some of the most lavish and luxurious expenses can include trips the wealthy take, but the truly wealthy don’t let you know about those.

Ramsey said, “They enjoy nice vacations but they seldom post them for you to see on Instagram because they didn’t take you on vacation. They wanted to go on vacation.”

They Keep Their Holiday Spending in Check

Generosity is a hallmark of the truly wealthy, and giving often brings even more fulfillment than financial success. However, that doesn’t mean they spend everything they can afford to during the holiday season.

TO READ MORE:   https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/4-secrets-truly-wealthy-according-110551464.html

Kevin O’Leary: Top 2 Financial Rules From My Mom That I Still Follow

Kevin O’Leary: Top 2 Financial Rules From My Mom That I Still Follow

Gabrielle Olya  Sun, August 24, 2025 GOBankingRates

“Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary has built his wealth through entrepreneurship and savvy investing, but he credits his mother for setting him on the right financial path. There are several money lessons his mother taught him throughout his lifetime that still shape how he approaches finances today.

Here are two of the financial rules O’Leary learned from his mom that he thinks everyone should follow.

Keep Your Own Financial Accounts — Even in Marriage

When you get married, you may want to merge all of your finances — but O’Leary learned from his mother that this is not the smartest approach.

“My mother taught me a lot about financial independence,” he told GOBankingRates while discussing his partnership with HelloPrenup, an online prenuptial agreement platform. “She was married twice but kept a secret account from both of her husbands her entire life.”

O’Leary said that his mother started saving 15% of her pay when she was very young and kept that money completely sequestered during her marriages.

“She helped my brother and I through school [with that money],” O’Leary said. “She really believed that in a marriage, both spouses should have their own financial identity. They should never give that up because you don’t know it’s going to happen in marriage.”

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kevin-o-leary-top-2-201622431.html