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| Stat Of The Day |
| 30 Points |
Nepo babies, step aside. Nepo credit is officially a thing. A new study shows that being added as an authorized user on a parent’s credit card can give young adults about a 30-point boost on their credit score – without even swiping a card themselves. Over time, though, the bump from being a "nepo" borrower can fade. This group is more likely to fall 90+ days behind on payments compared to their peers who were never added as authorized users. In other words, you can’t rest on the laurels of the Bank of Mom and Dad forever. |
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| Things That Save You Money |
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Still scrambling for Valentine’s Day cards? Don’t sleep on Dollar Tree. One HerMoney staffer scored these cuties for just 50 cents each – cards that would have cost $5+ a pop anywhere else. (Or, ahem, $10 a pop if you’re going the Papyrus route) |
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The average price for a dozen long-stem red roses in the U.S. is $93.07 – up 3% from last year. Before you drop nearly a Benjamin on blooms, swing by Sam’s Club, where a dozen roses go for about $20. Their "premium" mixed bouquets (also around $20) are pretty spectacular, too. Or, if you aren’t a Sam’s member, keep in mind that Trader Joe’s has amazing deals on flowers year-round. |
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For the hard-to-buy for Valentine, we’ve got a surprisingly perfect pick: an AARP membership…Stay with us! They start at just $11 a year, and unlock serious perks – like $40 off Walmart+, discounts on movie tickets, rental cars and more. |
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Armoire can make getting dressed the easiest (and most affordable!) part of your day. For as little as $89/month, you can borrow the premium pieces your closet craves — from professional staples to weekend stunners — with free shipping, cleaning, and styling baked in. Sign up here for up to 60% off your first month of membership + two free bonus items! |
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| This Week In Your Wallet |
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Black women are breaking barriers everywhere – and entrepreneurship is no exception. They’re the fastest-growing group of business owners today. For Black History Month, we asked Black female leaders for their best tips on building stronger workplaces and supporting one another. One piece of advice stood out: Make space for every voice. "While brainstorming sessions can be great for collaboration, as leaders, we need to acknowledge that not everyone can think on the fly and feel comfortable sharing their ideas," says Gillian Williams, co-founder of Monday Talent. Her solution? Share the agenda ahead of time."This gives people a chance to think through—and even rehearse—what they want to say, helping them feel confident speaking up," Williams adds.
After a Super Bowl ad for "Trump Accounts," the president has announced families have a new way to open the investment accounts for kids – and potentially claim up to $1,000 in seed money. Parents or guardians can begin by filing IRS Form 4547 on TrumpAccounts.gov, or they can send the form with their 2025 tax return. Families will later be contacted by a "partner financial firm" to complete the setup, as CNBC reports. Accounts can be opened for any child under 18, but only those born between 2025 and 2028 qualify for the one-time $1,000 Treasury contribution. Beginning in July, parents, relative friends, employers – and really, anyone – can contribute up to $2,500 per year, with a $5,000 yearly total cap. Roughly three dozen companies and philanthropists have also pledged matching funds.
If you’ve shopped for a car recently, you know they’ve gotten ridiculously expensive. The good news? You can – and should – negotiate the price. As The Wall Street Journal reports, a recent study found that in a car-buying simulation, participants were willing to pay about $1,100 more for a $20,000 car to avoid haggling. If negotiating makes you nervous, start from home. "Poring over the details of an offer beforehand can be appealing to consumers accustomed to comparison-shopping online from their couch," explains the WSJ. "It also limits potentially uncomfortable in-person interactions and can help people feel more confident once they head to the dealership."
🚦 And here’s another quick win: don’t settle for the first car insurance quote you get. Shopping around can literally save you thousands. |
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| What It Really Means to Be Well Endowed According to Vivian Tu, Your Rich BFF |
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| "When you say something is well-endowed, you’re specifically talking about an endowment…a pot of resources that can be invested and then can grow for the future," Vivian Tu, Author, "Well Endowed" |
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| Most wealth advice is all about numbers – budgets, percentages, account balances, etc. But Vivian Tu, bestselling author of "Rich AF" and "Well Endowed," says it’s time to think bigger. |
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On the HerMoney Podcast, she and Jean Chatzky explore what it really means to be "well-endowed" – financially, emotionally, socially and even generationally.
"I think people forget that when I say the phrase, well-endowed, I could be making a little bit of a crass joke, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that," explains Tu. "When you say something is well-endowed, you’re specifically talking about an endowment…a pot of resources that can be invested and then can grow for the future."
Her message is simple: we all deserve to be well-endowed.
"We all deserve to have a pot of resources, a pot of money that can be invested, that can grow, and that can give us the life that we want in the future until we are no longer on this earth," adds Tu. "And in the hopes that your pot of money is doing so well, you might be able to leave a little something behind for the people you love most."
For Tu’s definition of a well-endowed retirement and her tips on values-driven wealth, tune into the episode here. |
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| Ask Jean |
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How do married couples split finances when one of them makes more than the other? |
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This is an incredibly common scenario. In fact, this tell-all about a woman who makes over 50% more than her husband is one of HerMoney.com’s most-read pieces – so if this is your reality, you’re in good company.
When partners earn differing salaries, spitting everything 50/50 often doesn’t make the most sense. "Fair doesn’t necessarily mean equal," says Kelley Long, member of the National CPA Financial Literacy Commission.
Instead, Long recommends doing a little math. Start by listing your combined expenses – housing, taxes, insurance, utilities and other shared costs. Then, compare incomes. For example, if you earn $100,000 and your partner earns $60,000, you’d cover 60% of shared expenses, while they cover 40%.
Income-based bill splitting tends to feel more balanced than going straight down the middle. One easy way to manage it is by setting up direct deposits from your individual accounts into a joint account that covers shared bills. From there, review that account and your expenses regularly. Costs change – maybe home heating costs spike, for example – so staying flexible, and keeping a little cushion can be helpful.
You’ll also want to factor in bigger-picture money realities, like debt and future goals. If one partner is carrying significant debt, the other might temporarily take on a larger share of household expenses to help free up cash flow for repayment. At the same time, you’ll want to account for bigger goals, like saving for retirement, a home purchase, etc.
Bottom line? There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Every couple’s finances look different. The most important ingredient in all of this is open, ongoing communication about what feels fair for both of you. |
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| Submit your questions to Jean here. |
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