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| Stat Of The Day |
| $5.77 |
Not so eggcellent. The cost of breakfast staples (like eggs, now averaging $5.77 a dozen) is likely behind the increase in your grocery bill, as The Wall Street Journal reports. Other morning essentials, like coffee and concentrated orange juice, (which has spiked about 90% in recent years) are also driving costs up. |
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| Karen’s 2024 Market Recap: What Worked, What Didn’t And What To Expect In 2025 |
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| "I’ve hedged some of my stock with collars but the one thing I’ve learned here, is sometimes expensive is really worth it. They are the Simone Biles of streaming." |
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| 2024 was a year like no other for investors. A roller coaster ride, if you will, with some downs and plenty of ups that helped carry the stock market to record highs. As she does every year, InvestingFixx co-founder Karen Finerman is recapping it all in her 2024 stock market year in review (a thread of 12 Tweets that cover it all!) |
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One of 2024’s winners? Netflix (NFLX), which is part of Karen’s portfolio and our InvestingFixx portfolio, too. "The continued growth around the world is just astounding," she notes. "I’ve hedged some of my stock with collars but the one thing I’ve learned here, is sometimes expensive is really worth it. They are the Simone Biles of streaming."
What will the New Year hold? Finerman says to expect the unexpected. "Looking back on every single year, for the most part, I never could have foreseen the twists and turns. But, the one constant is that I'm always long," she says.
PS, resolving to up your investing game in 2025? Join Karen, HerMoney CEO Jean Chatzky and hundreds of other smart women, just like you, for our next InvestingFixx session. Your first month is free! |
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| Reset Your Zen In 2025 |
This holiday season has been… stressful. With the craziness behind us, and the New Year now here, it’s time to ensure we’re stressing less than we did in 2024. That’s because when we’re less stressed we have more space to manage our needs (including those of the financial sort) and better plan for the future.
Resiliency expert Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe joined the HerMoney Podcast to share her top tips for starting the New Year as chilled out as possible. One of the biggies? Finding your people. As Hanley-Dafoe explains, when you know someone has your back, it can make even the toughest situations more manageable.
But how do you know if someone is, as they often say, ride or die? Hanley-Dafoe suggests imagining that you’re trying to buy the person a gift. Does the thought of doing that stress you out? "If this person was really in alignment with you, you wouldn’t have to get the perfect gift to impress them or to feel important. When you find people where you can be you with all of your messy parts, [you’ll find that] some of those other pressures just don’t exist in that space," Hanley-Dafoe says. |
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| This Week In Your Wallet |
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Attention, iPhone users. Apple might owe you cash. The company is set to shell out $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accuses Siri, its virtual assistant, of eavesdropping on the convos of those who use Apple devices, as the AP reports. "The alleged recordings occurred even when people didn’t seek to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger words, ‘Hey, Siri,’" the AP explains. "Some of the recorded conversations were then shared with advertisers…the lawsuit asserted." The settlement still needs to be OK’d by a judge, but if approved, consumers owning Apple devices from September 2014 through the end of 2024 could file claims and potentially receive up to $20 per device.
"Returnuary" is here. Following what’s expected to be a record-breaking holiday shopping season, January (aka, Returnuary), is the biggest month for returning unwanted gifts. "This year, returns are expected to amount to 17% of all merchandise sales, totaling $890 billion in returned goods, according to a recent report by the National Retail Federation — up from a return rate of about 15% of total U.S. retail sales, or $743 billion in returned goods, in 2023," as CNBC reports.
Planning to sell your home in 2025? You’ll likely want to make some last-minute upgrades before the "For Sale" sign goes up. But which ones will give you the biggest bang for your buck? As experts tell The Wall Street Journal, replacing your garage door, for example, is likely worth it. Remodeling your kitchen? Not so much. There are also improvements you can tackle that cost next to nothing and can make a big difference. "Painting the walls and pulling up old carpets can freshen the house, even if the finishes are dated," notes the WSJ. "Decluttering the spaces, washing windows and treating lingering smells all help the house to show better." |
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| Things That Save You Money |
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Holiday splurging (or all those new headlines) have you feeling less than healthy? Try "Dry January." Not only can going alcohol-free for a month boost your health (hello better sleep, weight loss and more energy), but it can also save you money. The free app Try Dry can help you track calories and cash saved. |
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No room in the budget for a gym membership? No problem. Here are 10 fitness apps to help you kick off a healthy New Year – all of which offer free trials. |
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If you want to save money on groceries, shop like a European. As Food and Wine explains, the "European shopping method" involves "buying fewer items more often, which may be slightly more time-consuming, but also more enjoyable, affordable, and less wasteful." |
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| Ask Jean |
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Today’s question comes from JJ. She writes: I have an older sibling who has some health struggles that make it difficult for him to have a higher-paying job. His job doesn’t offer a 401(k), but I know he could open a Roth IRA! I want to talk to him about it, but don’t want to come off as if I’m trying to tell him how to run his life. Any tips? Also, can I open a Roth for my brother and contribute to get him started? |
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First off, your brother is incredibly lucky to have a sister like you who is looking out for him.
Now, let’s dig into this. Regardless of the situation, money convos are often hard to both initiate and navigate. Your approach will depend on your relationship with your brother. Is it common to chat about financial matters with him? If so, "it could be as simple as sitting down and figuring out how much he could comfortably contribute to the Roth IRA and then showing the impact of that savings with an online Roth IRA calculator," explains Crystal Cox, a financial advisor based in Madison, Wisconsin.
If you rarely talk about money with your brother, you’ll need a different approach. For example, as Cox suggests, you could start with a personal story about what you’re doing to prepare for your retirement, and gently ask if he’s thought about his own. "Then maybe offer to help with the logistics of budgeting, opening the account, and making contributions," she adds.
Now, on to the second part of your question. Unless you’re a person’s legal guardian, you can't open a Roth IRA for an adult. He will need to do this himself (you can, of course, help him through the process). Once it’s open, you can help him fund it. Logistically, it’s not as simple as depositing money into his account, as Roth IRAs must be funded by the account holder. You could however provide him with a check, or send money to his checking account, making sure he knows it’s for his Roth IRA. Lastly, you will also want to make sure he’s aware of the Roth IRA contribution limits set by the IRS. |
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Submit your questions to Jean here.
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| More For You To ♥ |
😎 Overspend during the holidays? Let’s fix that. Join HerMoney’s 4-week financial coaching program which kicks off TODAY! Get your budget back on track with one-on-one coaching, tap into expert tips to stop money leaks and take control of your finances, once and for all. Ready to reset? We have just a couple of seats left. Snag one, here.
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