The US Is About To Go Full Louis XVI
.The US Is About To Go Full Louis XVI
Notes From the Field By Simon Black August 8, 2022
On September 3, 1783, after nearly a year of excruciating back-and-forth negotiations, all sides had finally gathered together in Paris to sign a historic peace agreement. It was a pretty important peace deal. Because the Treaty of Paris, as it is now known, is what formally ended the American Revolution, and when Great Britain legally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
The treaty was signed in Paris because France had been a major supporter of the US war effort. And just as soon as the ink was dry, French King Louis XVI ordered his finance minister to prepare an accounting of exactly how much money France had spent on US independence.
7 Levels of Financial Freedom
.7 Levels of Financial Freedom: How To Work Your Way Up, According to Experts
GOBankingRates Andrew Lisa Sat, August 6, 2022
Whether you’re living to work, drowning in debt, struggling to save, overspending, or existing from paycheck to paycheck, you’re all too familiar with the invisible chains of financial stress. The answer, of course, is financial freedom, but with so many bills and so little money left over at the end of the month, how could anyone get from here to there?
Grant Sabatier — a self-made millionaire and golden child of the FIRE movement — has created a roadmap that he says can bridge the gap between financial servitude and financial independence. There are seven levels, and if Sabatier is right that most Americans are already at the second level, you only have six more rungs to climb.
How To Get Your Finances in Shape in 12 Months
.How To Get Your Finances in Shape in 12 Months
GOBankingRates Jennifer Taylor Fri, August 5, 2022
Whether you’re buried in credit card debt, haven’t started saving for retirement or don’t currently have an emergency fund, you’re committed to turning things around.
Of course, knowing where to start isn’t always easy — especially if you’re planning to work toward several financial goals.
When it comes to which goals to set for the year, you’ll of course need to consider your unique situation. However, Mark Henry, founder and owner of Alloy Wealth Management, a wealth management firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina, shared six common financial objectives to get you started.
9 Money Moves You Should Make This Week
.9 Money Moves You Should Make This Week
GOBankingRates Jordan Rosenfeld Fri, August 5, 2022
It's easy to let our finances go on autopilot when we have so many other responsibilities and tasks keeping us busy in any given week. Yet finances don't just improve on their own -- getting to a place of financial stability or independence takes attention and conscious steps. Steps that you can make this week can make a huge difference in your financial picture, now and into the future.
Here are 9 money moves you should make this week -- your future self will thank you for it.
The Best Tax Deal in the Eastern Hemisphere
.The Best Tax Deal in the Eastern Hemisphere
Notes From the Field By Simon Black August 3, 2022
One of the most important elements of a Plan B is to legally reduce your tax rate. Depending on where you live, the government routinely confiscates up to half of your hard-earned income.
At best, this money is wasted and squandered— for example, the billions of dollars of military equipment left in Afghanistan, or billions in fraud taken through PPP Covid loans. At worst, it is actively used against you— for example, the Justice Department targeting parents justifiably angry at their local school board.
By finding legal ways to pay less, you do your part to deprive the beast of its power, which feels good and does make a difference. More importantly, you reclaim your own money to do with as you please.
Here’s What Everyone Should Be Doing To Fight Inflation
.Here’s What Everyone Should Be Doing To Fight Inflation, According to the Top Money Experts
Jennifer Taylor Sun, July 31, 2022
The current inflation rate is now 8.58%, and Americans are cutting back on spending through strategies ranging from coupon stacking to purchasing store brand items. GOBankingRates asked some of our Top 100 Money Experts for their best tips on how to fight inflation. From cutting back on non-essentials to creating a financial plan, fight inflation with these expert recommendations.
Start Making Tough Spending Decisions
"Start making tough spending decisions," said Liz Claman, host of "The Claman Countdown" at FOX Business News.
Let’s Say You Actually Won The $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot. Now What?
.Let’s Say You Actually Won The $1 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot. Now What?
(This info could also apply to the RV of the Dinar)
Charlotte Observer Evan Santiago Thu, July 28, 2022
This Friday’s Mega Millions lottery drawing has garnered quite the buzz after no winner claimed the prize from Tuesday night’s drawing, with the nationwide jackpot now at $1.02 billion.
It’s an eye-opening amount of money that will undoubtedly change someone’s life forever. The largest jackpot won by a North Carolina resident was a $344 million Powerball jackpot in 2019.
So what is it like to be the one who beats the odds? Van Denton, director of communications at North Carolina Education Lottery, gave The Charlotte Observer a breakdown of what happens if you become a lucky winner.
Here’s How Much in Taxes You’ll Pay if You Win the $1 Billion Mega Millions
.Here’s How Much in Taxes You’ll Pay if You Win the $1 Billion Mega Millions (and Other Fun Facts)
Vance Cariaga Thu, July 28, 2022
If you’re buying a lottery ticket on the off chance that you might win the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot this week, you’d do well to remember this: Winning isn’t all Dom Pérignon and luxury suites. You’ll also face a hefty tax bill — so much so that you might have to scrape by on $380 million or so once the IRS takes its cut.
Since nobody took home the grand prize on July 26 by matching all six numbers, the Mega Millions jackpot has now ballooned to $1.02 billion, CNBC reported. The next drawing is Friday night, July 29, at 11 p.m. EST.
Why Lottery Winnings Don’t Always Lead To Happiness
.Why Lottery Winnings Don’t Always Lead To Happiness
Shirin Ali | July 27, 2022
Story at a glance
Winning the lottery may increase a person’s life satisfaction and remain that way for decades to come.
An increase in happiness isn’t as certain, with research showing lottery winners showing little to no improvement there.
Researchers say happiness is subjective and is interpreted differently from person to person.
Receiving a massive influx of cash may seem like instant gratification but research has shown that winning a lottery may increase life satisfaction but may not impact general happiness.
Here’s How To Build a 6-Month Emergency Fund
.Here’s How To Build a 6-Month Emergency Fund
Nicole Spector Wed, July 27, 2022
We may be a country sorely lacking in financial literacy, but we all have one core principle ingrained in us: We must have an emergency savings fund.
In theory, it sounds pretty simple: You make a certain amount of income, and set a certain amount of that aside in an account that you only tap into when the going gets especially tough and you need to shell out dough for something like a new car part or a surprise medical bill. But embarking on building a six-month (the recommended amount) emergency fund can be challenging.
Tails, You Win
.Tails, You Win
Jul 26, 2022 by Morgan Housel
Steamboat Willie put Walt Disney on the map as an animator. Business success was another story. Disney’s first studio went bankrupt. Later cartoons were monstrously expensive to produce, and financed at onerous terms. By the mid-1930s Disney had produced more than 400 cartoons – most of them short, most of them liked, and most of them losing money. Disney and his studio were nearly broke.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs changed everything. The $8 million it earned in the first six months of 1938 was an order of magnitude higher than anything the studio earned previously. It transformed Disney Studios. All company debts were paid off. Key employees got retention bonuses. The company purchased a new state-of-the-art studio in Burbank, where it remains today. By 1938 Walt had produced several hundred hours of film. But in business terms, the 83 minutes of Snow White was pretty much all that mattered.