6 Money Lessons From Rachel Cruze That People Hate the Most

6 Money Lessons From Rachel Cruze That People Hate the Most

Nicole Spector  Mon, June 2, 2025   GOBankingRates

“The truth hurts!” is the kind of puerile retort we’re used to hearing in elementary school scrimmages and on trashy daytime talk shows. Yet, sometimes, this is a pretty spot-on sentiment. Scientific research has found that hearing the truth really can be hurtful. But it’s also usually necessary for growth. And this applies to our financial lives as much as, if not more than, anything else.

In her more than 15 years of working in the personal finance space, Rachel Cruze has found that there are some money truths, or lessons, that especially rub people the wrong way. Here are the six things that Cruze teaches about money that folks hate to hear about the most.

Don’t Buy a New Car Until You’re a Millionaire

No financial expert wants you to go out and buy a new car if you can’t afford it, but Cruze runs extra conservative here. She disapproves of anybody buying a new car if they have a net worth under $1 million. Many people don’t like her take, but it’s worth hearing out. New cars depreciate rapidly the instant you drive them off the lot. And they just keep plummeting in value over time.

“If you have the margin to be able to take that financial hit and it’s not a big deal in your world overall, then that’s OK to do,” Cruze said.

Eliminate Credit Cards From Your Life

We all know that credit cards can hurt us if we’re not careful, but we may not recognize just how careful we need to be. And we may not realize that credit card companies are constantly coming up with ways to seduce us into spending more. Think travel points and cash-back rewards.

Cruze advises people to stay away from credit cards entirely — advice people tend to find is unrealistic or overly aggressive. But honestly, most people aren’t paying off their credit cards every month, even though they know they should be. Additionally, a no-credit-card life is a pretty peaceful one.

“When you choose a life without debt, not only mathematically are you not sending your income to banks instead of keeping your income and investing it for yourself, there’s also an emotional aspect:When you have autonomy over your money completely … there is a level of peace that comes with that,” Cruze said.

Combine Checking Accounts With Your Spouse

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-money-lessons-rachel-cruze-180035778.html

Benefits of a Cash Budget – Part 2

Benefits of a Cash Budget – Part 2

Written by Sam - 

In part 2, I explain how budgeting will help save you time in the budgeting process.

How Cash Will Cut Your Budgeting Time By 80%

Think for a second about entering transactions into financial software like Quicken or YNAB. What are most of the transactions? By far the majority of the transactions come from categories like groceries, household, or entertainment. They are purchases at the grocery store, or walmart, or the corner convenience store.

What if you took those transactions away. For most people, there are only a handful or two of transactions left that occur every month. You might have utilities, a cell phone bill, a few gas transactions, but that’s about it.

Most of Your Transactions Come From Just a Few Categories

This is a classic 80/20 example. 80% of your transactions come from 20% of your budget categories. In fact, I would guess that for many people it’s more of a 90/10 rule. 90% of their transactions come from 10% of the categories. If you’ve used financial software in the past, go check this out and see if it holds true. In fact, leave a comment and let me know if it’s true. I know for us it IS true.

Now I want you to think about the time you spend budgeting every month and what that time is spent on. If you’re like us it’s spent on entering and/or categorizing transactions from the previous month. It’s spent tracking down transaction #x and finding out what it was for. Either you don’t remember or your spouse spent it and he/she doesn’t remember. You spend time tracking down missing receipts. It’s all a big mess.

Well all of that craziness doesn’t have to be. In fact, I’m going to give you permission to stop entering every transaction. How can I do that? Well let me ask this: why do you need to enter all those transactions? Do you really want to know how much you spend on milk every month? Do you ever really care to know on an itemized basis what individual items you purchased in your grocery category?

I don’t think that’s the case. If you think about it, all you really care about is spending the amount you want to spend in any given category. Well I’ve just shown that you can accomplish this goal by using cash. You don’t accomplish this goal by tracking every little thing, if fact, doing so is a lag measure and won’t have any impact on how much you spend next month. You’ll just go through the same process taking a lot of time and experiencing the same or similar results.

One Entry To Rule Them All

So am I saying that we don’t enter in our grocery transactions? That’s exactly what I’m saying. We have one entry in YNAB that is a cash withdraw for our grocery category. We don’t keep receipts, we don’t enter individual transactions. And do you know what? We have achieved our goal of staying within our budget more frequently and consistently than we ever did tracking everything.

To be more specific, we have one cash withdraw, or sometimes two over the course of the month that cover a number of cash categories. At the end of the month, we may have as little as 10 total transactions in our register for the month and most of these are for automated transactions that are easy to identify, categorize and reconcile. It has literally changed our budgeting lives.

My cousin is a great example of how using cash can decrease your time spent budgeting. She pulls out cash for all of her non-automated expenses. She doesn’t even split the money into categories. She has such a good sense of how much money they need in the month for the various categories that she can consistently stay within budget even without categories.

At the end of the month, she has roughly 10 total transactions (if I’m remembering correctly) to deal with in reconciling her budget. Talk about quick and easy. Now I wouldn’t recommend lumping all your cash together at first, but as you get a better intuitive grasp on your spending over time, you can easily start combining your cash categories like she does.

The Myth of Tracking Everything

TO READ MORE: http://www.gettingfinancesdone.com/

Benefits of a Cash Budget – Part 1

Benefits of a Cash Budget – Part 1  

Written by Sam

In this article series of articles, I have recorded somewhat of a manifesto for using cash in your budget.

That’s right, I’m talking about using cash in your budget. Using cash in your budget is a tough topic. People shy away from it and toss it aside as being too much of a hassle. I want to challenge you to put those beliefs aside for a moment and let me make a case for using cash.

The fact is, I know how you feel. Using cash in our budget was one of the things I fought against most. We started using cash as part of Financial Peace University. It was one of those concepts I was ready to ignore and tried to convince my wife that we shouldn’t use cash. But she wanted to give it a shot and since I’d agreed to follow the program, I reluctantly went along.

I’m glad I did.

It quickly became clear how powerful using cash in your budget is. I was quickly converted and became a big advocate for using cash. In fact, I now consider it a requisite for having an effective budget. REALLY! I don’t know a single family who considers themselves successful at budgeting that doesn’t use cash.

On the flip side, I know plenty of people who struggle with their budget or struggle staying within their spending limits and are always trying to figure out why. Yet, they resist using cash. They just won’t give it a try. Or they give it a half-hearted try and quickly give up.

How We Saved $6,000 In One Year By Using Cash

So what was the result of using cash for me and Emily? Not only did we stay within our budget consistently for the first time in our marriage, but we actually spent $6,000 less the year we started using cash with no perceived decrease in lifestyle. It was mind boggling that we saved so much.

We saved an average of about $500 a month. We spent less on groceries, ate out much less, and no longer made impulse credit card purchases to the tune of hundreds of dollars a month. But I never would have thought those seemingly little things would make such a big difference in our savings.

The Advantages Of Using Cash

There are several advantages of using cash in your budget, but there are mainly two that I want to emphasize.

First, using cash makes it easy to control your spending and to keep within your budget.

Second, using cash will cut as much as 80% of the time spent reconciling your budgeting at the end of the month. While I’ve already showed you how to speed up your budgeting process, using cash is the thing that will have the greatest single impact in decreasing your budgeting time. My wife and I spend 30-60 minutes a month budgeting. THAT’S IT!

In this article I’ll be addressing the first advantage of using cash.

Before I jump in let me point out that I’m not saying you need to use cash for your WHOLE budget. In fact, there are some cases in which using cash doesn’t make sense. You’ll mainly want to use cash in those categories in which you tend to overspend. This may only be 2 or 3 categories.

Controlling Spending With Cash

The Power of Instant Feedback

Cash is the perfect instant feedback mechanism. It easy to keep from overspending because when the cash is gone, you know you’re done spending. It’s really as simple as that.

Alternative Ways to Track Your Spending

When using credit cards you are totally disconnected with how much you’ve spend and how much is left to spend. Some people try to track their spending by writing everything down in a notebook, but in my own personal experience and hearing experiences of others it’s very difficult to be consistent with a system like that. Inevitably you stop keeping track.

TO READ MORE: http://www.gettingfinancesdone.com/

11 Guidelines For Using Cash In Your Budget

11 Guidelines For Using Cash In Your Budget

Written by Sam

Here’s how to tell in which categories you should use cash.

1. You Don’t Have To Use Cash For Everything

To reap the benefits of using cash in your budget, you don’t have to go exclusively to cash. Some may choose to go exclusive, but it’s not necessary. Instead, identify which categories will be most effective for using cash using the tips below.  You should use cash for categories where either you tend to overspend or where there are a lot of transactions in a month.

Groceries are a main perpetrator of both those criteria which is why I absolutely recommend funding that category with cash. Other problem categories are ones relating to household spending (light bulbs, cleaning products, etc), eating out, personal, and entertainment.

There are actually some categories where it is easier to NOT use cash. Specifically I’ll mention gas for your car. At first Emily and I used cash for gas but found it to be significantly more inconvenient, especially during the winter.

After looking at our gas spending we realized that we don’t tend to overspend on gas. Our gas budget went up and down depending on the price of gas, but we weren’t more likely to drive less by using cash. I still had to commute to and from work no matter what and we don’t take a lot of trips.

Gas purchases also weren’t hard to track in our financial software. We knew that if the transaction was at Texaco it was gas so it didn’t add any confusion at the end of the month. In the end we decided that it wasn’t worth it to use cash and now use a debit card.

Some categories are on the edge and could go either way. For example, haircuts is a category that I think should not be cash, but Emily likes it in cash. From my perspective it’s not hard to track haircut transactions. A transaction at SportsClips is self-evident. There aren’t a lot of haircut transactions. At most I will get one and Emilyi will get one. I’m also not likely to overspend and get haircuts more often if I’m not using cash. For me, this category doesn’t need to be in cash.

For Emily that’s not the case. She is more likely to get a haircut or styling if there’s money available for it. She also will let money accumulate from month to month and then get her hair colored with the extra money. She likes having the money in cash because as it accumulates it gives her permission to do something extra without guilt. Therefore, Emily prefers to have this category in cash.

 In the end we do our haircut money in cash, but we could just as easily split the category into “his” and “hers” and do one in cash and the other not.

2. You Have To Commit For Cash To Work

When starting to use cash for chosen categories, you have to be willing to totally commit. If you have some transactions in cash and some on credit/debit card at the end of the month, you’re going to run into the same headaches you’ve always had. This means that ideally both spouses are on board. If your spouse resists, see if he or she is willing to give it a try for just a month.

TO READ MORE: http://www.gettingfinancesdone.com/

5 Basic Money Skills Many Americans Don’t Know

5 Basic Money Skills Many Americans Don’t Know

Ashley Donohoe  Thu, May 29, 2025   GOBankingRates

A Pew Research study found that 46% of Americans didn’t have at least a fair amount of knowledge of personal finances. Unfortunately, lacking financial literacy can put you at risk of taking on too much debt, not having enough for retirement and being unable to cover expenses.

In a YouTube video, money expert George Kamel reacted to this study’s findings and gave straightforward advice on handling five essential money tasks that many American adults struggle with. Learn how to boost your skills in these popular weak areas.

Checking Credit Reports

The Pew study noted that 25% of Americans didn’t feel very or extremely confident about getting their credit reports. While lenders and others may pull these reports to make important decisions based on your creditworthiness, you should also check them at least annually to spot errors or account issues and see where you stand with your debt.

Getting your credit report is easy, and you can do it weekly for free. While you could go directly to each credit bureau’s website, Kamel encouraged using AnnualCreditReport.com to get them all more conveniently. You’ll just need to provide some information to verify your identity. If you see any errors, contact your creditors and consider disputing them with the credit bureaus.

Budgeting

An estimated 41% of Pew study respondents weren’t very or extremely confident with budgeting. Not knowing where your money is going every month puts you at risk of overspending and not leaving some cash for your goals.

Kamel explained how to make a simple budget, starting with writing down your total monthly income and all expected monthly expenses (including giving and saving). You’ll then calculate what’s left of your income after those expenses, which Kamel said should be $0 based on his preferred zero-based budgeting method. But the same doesn’t apply to your bank account balance.

“It’s wise to keep a buffer of at least $100 bucks or more in your checking account,” Kamel said. Once you’ve got your budget, start tracking expenses to make sure you’re sticking to your plan.

Paying Off Debt

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York mentioned that U.S. households owed a total of $18.2 trillion in debt. Especially for the 43% of Americans lacking confidence in paying down debt, the monthly payments, interest and lost opportunities to invest make it hard to get ahead.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/george-kamel-lower-monthly-bills-160124044.html

5 Money Mistakes Even Financially Savvy People Make

5 Money Mistakes Even Financially Savvy People Make

Cindy Lamothe  GOBankingRates

No matter how great you are at managing your finances, no one is immune to making the occasional money mistake — and some of these can be dire.

“It’s important to recognize that some seemingly minor errors can have significant long-term effects,” said Michael Ashley, finance expert and founder of Richiest.

While everyone has financial blind spots, the good news is you can learn about them before they cause you problems. Here are some of the top money mistakes even the most financially savvy folks make.

Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week.

Neglecting to Regularly Review and Adjust Financial Plans

One common mistake, according to Ashley, is neglecting to review and adjust your financial plans regularly. “Many people assume that once they’ve set up a budget or investment plan, they don’t need to revisit it.”

However, changes in income, expenses or life circumstances can render old plans obsolete, potentially leading to missed opportunities or financial shortfalls.

Underestimating Small, Recurring Expenses

Another frequent issue is underestimating the impact of small, recurring expenses.

While a small subscription service or daily coffee might not seem like a big deal, Ashley said these expenses can add up over time and erode savings if not monitored carefully. “This can be particularly damaging in the long run, as the cumulative effect of these small expenditures can be substantial.”

Failing To Diversify Investments

According to experts, some people also make the mistake of relying too heavily on a single investment or income source.

“Diversification is a fundamental principle of financial management, and failing to spread out investments or income streams can leave you vulnerable to market fluctuations or job loss,” said Ashley.

He explained this lack of diversification can result in significant financial risk and instability.

“Truth is, thinking that you are good with money is one of the easiest ways to let your guard down and put yourself in a situation where you steadily miss out on financial advancement opportunities,” said Mafe Aclado, finance expert and general manager at Coupon Snake.

In her experience, one of the most common money mistakes people make — even when they are generally good with money — is failing to diversify their investments. Particularly frugal people, for example, have some good habits, like avoiding impulse spending, but they also avoid all but the most familiar and safe investments.

She said these people lay all their financial eggs in one basket. “And what makes this a huge money mistake is by concentrating all their investment[s], they run a huge risk of loss if the investment performs badly.”

Forgetting To Maintain an Emergency Fund

Moreover, even those who are generally good with money might overlook the importance of maintaining an emergency fund.

TO READ MORE: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/5-money-mistakes-even-financially-160055894.html

10 Sources Of Emergency Cash, Ranked From Best To Worst

10 Sources Of Emergency Cash, Ranked From Best To Worst

Christine Benz of Morningstar  Tue, May 27, 2025

If unanticipated expenses exceed your emergency fund, here’s a look at where to go next.

1. Your Own Emergency Fund/Short-Term Securities

Emergency funds should be held outside of tax-sheltered wrappers and include highly liquid investments like bank savings accounts, money market accounts, and so on.

2. Low-Risk Assets In Taxable Account

Next, look at other taxable holdings: investments in brokerage accounts, outside the confines of tax-sheltered vehicles.

When identifying possible securities that you could sell to raise funds, focus on liquidity, tax consequences, and any commissions you’ll owe.

3. Roth IRA Contributions

It’s never great to tap your retirement assets unless you absolutely need to, but the Roth IRA offers more flexibility and has fewer strings attached than other tax-sheltered retirement vehicles.

Specifically, you can withdraw any Roth IRA contributions at any time, without incurring penalties or tax—but you’ll have fewer retirement funds working for you.

4. Life Insurance Cash Values

Cash values that have built up in your whole life insurance or variable universal life insurance policy can be another decent source of emergency cash. You can withdraw money outright and have it deducted from your policy’s face value.

Another possibility is to borrow from the cash value of your life insurance. You’ll owe interest on the loan, and these rates can be reasonable but aren’t always low.

5. 401(K) Loan

A 401(k) loan is better than a hardship withdrawal because the interest you pay will get paid back into your account.

On the downside, borrowing from your 401(k) plan short shrifts your retirement savings. Not only will you have less money working for you in the market, but having to pay the loan back with interest also means you’re less likely to be able to make new contributions.

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-sources-emergency-cash-ranked-183036150.html

5 Things You Should Discuss During Your First Meeting With a Financial Advisor

5 Things You Should Discuss During Your First Meeting With a Financial Advisor

Gabrielle Olya   Mon, March 10, 2024

A financial advisor can be an excellent resource to help you make a plan for your money both now and in the future. But if you’re new to this world, you might not know how to make the most of your time during an initial meeting. In today’s “Financially Savvy Female” column, we’re chatting with Jane Voorhees, CFP, director of financial planning at ALINE Wealth, about how to prepare for a first meeting with a financial advisor and what topics you should be discussing.

What To Do Before Your Meeting

Before an initial meeting with a financial advisor, do some research into who they are and how they work.  “Go to the advisor’s website and read through it,” Voorhees said.

She recommends looking for the answers to the following questions:

What are the advisor’s credentials (education, professional designations and licenses)?

What is the overall wealth management philosophy that is coming through or being portrayed?

Does the advisor have a team and if so, what role does each team member play?

Does the advisor work as a registered investment advisor (RIA) or do they work under the umbrella of a brokerage firm?

“Understand that RIAs operate under a higher fiduciary standard than broker-dealer firms,” Voorhees said.

What To Bring to an Initial Meeting

Once you’ve done some basic research to ensure you feel confident about the advisor you are meeting with, it’s time to set up the meeting. To make the most of this first meeting, come prepared with the proper financial documents.

“Bring investment and bank account statements, insurance policies, statements/details on debts you owe, your most recent tax return and a budget (if you have one),” Voorhees said.

What To Discuss During Your First Meeting With an Advisor

The first meeting is the time to make sure that you and your advisor would work well together, and that they are someone you are comfortable working with. Voorhees recommends asking about the following topics.

Their Process

“Ask the advisor about their wealth management process,” Voorhees said. “How do they analyze your individual situation and come up with suitable investment recommendations? How often will they review your portfolio/financial situation and meet with you either in person or by phone or Zoom?”

Their Pay Structure

You also need to find out how the advisor is compensated for their services.

TO READ MORE: https://news.yahoo.com/5-things-discuss-during-first-130017129.html

5 Suze Orman Money Tips For a Financial Fresh Start

5 Suze Orman Money Tips For a Financial Fresh Start

Nicole Spector   Tue, May 27, 2025   GOBankingRates

Financial guru Suze Orman has long been dedicated to helping the average American reach financial freedom. In an article posted on Oprah.com, Orman delved into 10 of her top tips on how to get a fresh financial start, which can help you get your finances on track.

GOBankingRates highlighted five of Orman’s standout, practical and realistic tips.

Break the Cycle of Self-Blame So You Can Move Forward

When we’re struggling to stay above financial waters, it’s all too easy to get sucked into a spiral of self blame. And look, you may be partly to blame for being in a bad place with your finances.

Maybe you went a little too wild with spending on the holidays and took on credit card debt. Maybe you took on a mortgage you can’t afford. Maybe you retired without having saved enough money to do so comfortably.

But you’ve got to stop beating yourself up about it. All of it. You simply can’t move forward while gripping the past.

“We are free to move forward only when we remove the emotional shackles of regret,” Orman wrote. “Deep breath, everyone. Exhale. Now you are ready to put your financial house in order.”

Get a Crystal-Clear Picture of Your Financial Situation

So, you may know the broad situation of your finances. For example you know you have debt, or you know you don’t have enough to retire early if things stay the way they’re going. But you need a finely-honed, crystal-clear picture of absolutely everything pertaining to your finances.

“I want you to open every single financial statement — bank, credit card, mortgage, 401(k), brokerage account — and take a look,” Orman said.

When doing this, look for opportunities to make things easier. For example, automate your recurring bills, as well as a savings portion from each paycheck.

Challenge Yourself To Save, Even Just a Little Bit More Money

Naturally, the best way to deal with a lack of savings is to save more. But “saving more” is such a vague sentiment. And it can also feel condescending.

How can we save more when we’re already spread so thin and barely getting by? Orman suggested the answer to this is to look at saving more as a challenge and to focus on key areas where trimming down costs won’t feel like much of a sacrifice.

This can be really simple and even satisfying. Start with your utility bills.

“I challenge you to reduce every one of your monthly utility bills by 10 percent,” Orman said. “I bet you can seriously trim your utilities by spending one afternoon increasing your home’s energy efficiency.”

Get Into the Nitty-Gritty of Your Retirement Plan

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/5-suze-orman-money-tips-120129225.html

With The Penny Going Away, What Should You Do With The Ones In Your Coin Jar?

With The Penny Going Away, What Should You Do With The Ones In Your Coin Jar?

Mike Snider and Daniel de Visé, USA TODAY  Sun, May 25, 2025

Learn to love your coins.

That’s the message from Kevin McColly, CEO of Coinstar, the company behind those coin-cashing machines you see in supermarkets.  American consumers made only 16% of their payments in cash in 2023, according to the Federal Reserve. A 2022 Pew survey found that two-fifths of consumers never use cash at all.

President Donald Trump has ordered the Treasury to stop minting pennies because their production cost exceeds their value. (Intriguingly, the same is true of nickels.)

*****************************

Many Americans regard both nickels and pennies as more nuisance than currency. The typical household is sitting on $60 to $90 in neglected coins, enough to fill one or two pint-size beer mugs, according to the Federal Reserve. Americans throw away millions of dollars in coins every year, literally treating them like trash.

Why do we treat coins like trash? McColly thinks we should change the way we think about coins.

To state the obvious, coins are worth money. Coinstar converts $3 billion in coins into spendable cash every year, one coin jar at a time. The average jar yields $58 in buying power.

Most of us don’t realize how much our coins are worth. Thus, a trip to a coin-exchange kiosk (or a bank, or credit union) can yield a pleasant surprise.

“People underestimate the value of their jar by about half,” McColly said. “It’s a wonderfully pleasurable experience. People have this sensation of found money.”

Certain groups of Americans – lower-income households, and those over 55 – still use plenty of cash, the Fed found, along with people who prefer to shop in person.

Coins aren't clutter, they're currency

As for the rest of us, McColly thinks it is time for a paradigm shift. Don’t think of your coins as clutter. Think of them as recyclables.

“They’re metal,” he said, in case we needed a reminder. “And they have a long and useful life.”

The Treasury still mints more than 5 billion coins a year, although the figure is dropping, according to the journal CoinNews.

“Those are just natural resources coming out of the Earth,” McColly said: Copper-plated zinc for pennies, copper-nickel alloys for nickels, dimes and quarters.

His point: If Americans got serious about gathering up their idle coins and “recycling” them into the monetary system, the Mint wouldn’t have to make so many new ones.

Granted, McColly has a vested interest. His company collects a small cut of the coins that consumers deposit.

“You can go to your own bank or credit union and not pay any fee,” said Kimberly Palmer, personal finance expert at NerdWallet. Both NerdWallet and Bankrate offer tip sheets on exchanging coins for cash. Most banks will take an account holder's coins for free, Bankrate reports, but not all, and you may need to roll the coins yourself.

“I think that a lot of people probably do have hidden coins stashed around their home, and it can be worth their time to go and collect them,” Palmer said.

McColly notes that Coinstar generally waives its fee if the depositor chooses to trade in coins for a retail gift card, rather than cash.

He is not alone in forecasting a future for the penny, the nickel, and their more profitable kin.

“We’ve been much slower than parts of Europe and Asia to adopt mobile payments and contactless credit cards,” said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.

The pandemic delivered a timely reminder of how much we still rely on cash: Consumers and business owners sat on their coins amid a global shutdown, seeding an actual coin shortage

“It kind of froze the whole system,” Rossman said.

Retiring coins: Where does it end?

While Trump has only instructed the Mint to stop making pennies, some voices have urged America to stop using them.

The Common Cents Act, introduced on April 30 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, would round cash transactions to the nearest five cents.

“The penny is outdated and inefficient and no longer serves the needs of our economy,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York Democrat.

But the bill could push the nation down a slippery slope.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/penny-going-away-ones-coin-023835550.html

So What Happens To America’s 114 Billion Pennies Once The US Stops Making Them?

So What Happens To America’s 114 Billion Pennies Once The US Stops Making Them?

Chris Isidore, CNN   Sun, May 25, 2025

The American penny isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that it plans to start winding down production of the one-cent coin it has been minting for more than 230 years. But the penny will still remain legal tender, and will still be in use at thousands of retailers around the country for sometime to come.

“If we look at the experience in Canada, for the first year after they stopped making pennies, there’s really no change in transactions,” Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores, told CNN. Convenience stores do more cash transactions than any other group, about 32 million a day, or about 20% of the total number of purchases by their customers, Lenard said.

The National Retail Federation, which represents most major US store chains as well as thousands of small retailers, also said it anticipates its members will use pennies even after production stops at some point early next year, although it does anticipate that many will round cash transactions to the nearest nickel once the supply of pennies at banks starts to run short.

“Retailers’ primary goal is serving customers and making this transition as seamless as possible,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations for NRF.

There are an estimated 114 billion pennies currently in circulation, but they are “severely underutilized” according to the Treasury department. Many are at home in coin jars or junk drawers, or some other forgotten location gathering dust.

The math says that all those pennies could fill a cube roughly 13 stories high. Many people don’t even take them as change, tossing them into the leave-a-penny-take-a-penny dishes at store checkouts.

Lenard said the large number of pennies in circulation means that retailers won’t necessary run out of them for a while. But eventually stores won’t be able to get new rolls of pennies from their banks and will start rounding transactions up or down to the nearest nickel. The decision when to do that will rest with each retailer, not official government policy.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/news/happens-america-114-billion-pennies-113050465.html

Is Lending Money To Family Always The Right Thing To Do?

Is Lending Money To Family Always The Right Thing To Do?

Monique Danao   Thu, May 22, 2025  Moneywise

I’ve hustled hard to make something of myself. Now my sister, 29, wants to borrow money — again. What do I do?

Consider the case of Eric, a 33-year-old who is debt-free, owns his own business and lives comfortably after years of hard work and risk-taking. When his 29-year-old sister recently asked him to cover a few months of her rent, he said no.

Lending money to family: What could go wrong?

According to Lending Tree, 35% of Americans who lent money to family or friends reported negative consequences. These include hurt feelings (14%), decreased contact (11%) and resentment (10%).

Lending to family can also blur emotional lines. It’s one thing to help someone in a crisis. But if there’s no plan for repayment or accountability, it can easily lead to resentment.

A short-term favour can quickly shift the family dynamic and turn one sibling into a provider and the other into a dependent.

Financial help doesn’t equal financial handouts

Saying no to lending money doesn’t mean saying no to helping. Some forms of support can be more beneficial in the long run. Here are a few alternatives that might empower your sibling more than a temporary bailout:

• Offer to review their budget: Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh set of eyes to spot where money is going. Instead of offering cash, propose working together toward a goal like building an emergency fund.

• Help them apply for jobs or update their resume: A part-time job might not cover everything. Offer to help update their resume, practice for interviews, search for better opportunities or tap into your network on their behalf.

• Help them explore debt consolidation: If they’re overwhelmed by bills, consolidating the debt into a single, lower-interest payment might help them catch up.

• Set boundaries with conditions: If you choose to help in the future, consider setting clear expectations, like one-time assistance, partial repayment, or proof of an action plan.

• Connect them with a financial advisor or credit counsellor: If the situation is complex, a professional can offer tailored advice and help them build a sustainable plan to get back on track.

TO READ MORE:  https://news.yahoo.com/news/finance/news/ve-hustled-hard-something-myself-120300511.html

What Is Your Emotional Money Score?

What Is Your Emotional Money Score? Suze Orman's 20 Questions To Determine If You Are In Control Of Your Money Or If It's In Control Of You

Kaili Killpack  Mon, May 19, 2025  Benzinga

Do your emotions drive your financial decisions — or do you stay calm and calculated no matter what's happening in the market or your bank account? According to personal finance expert Suze Orman, understanding the emotional side of money is one of the most powerful steps you can take toward long-term financial security.

On a recent episode of her "Women & Money" podcast, Orman introduced listeners to the "Emotional Money Score," a self-assessment tool that helps people measure how much their emotions are influencing their financial choices.

Why Emotions Matter in Money Management

Orman has long emphasized that fear, shame, and anger are internal obstacles that can sabotage financial success. These feelings can prompt impulsive decisions — like spending money you don't have or avoiding bills out of anxiety. Even the best financial plan can fall apart if emotions take the driver's seat.

She reminds listeners: "Money alone isn't the key to true financial freedom...It’s your mindset, your emotions, and your willingness to face the truth."

How the Emotional Money Score Works

To help listeners get a better handle on their emotional habits around money, Orman presented a 20-question quiz. Each question gives you four choices – A, B, C or D – with each letter representing a different emotional response to a common financial situation — such as facing an unexpected expense, setting goals, or talking about money with loved ones.

Once you’ve answered all 20 questions, you assign points to each response:

A = 3 points

B = 1 point

C = 0 points

D = 2 points

Then total your points to calculate your Emotional Money Score.

Take the Emotional Money Score Quiz

Choose the answer that best reflects your current habits or feelings:

1.   When you think about your finances, which emotion do you feel most often?
 A. Calm and in control
 B. Anxious or fearful
 C. Indifferent or avoidant
 D. Excited but sometimes impulsive

TO READ MORE::  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/emotional-money-score-suze-ormans-154509245.html