| Subscribe Read in Browser |
 |
| Today's newsletter is sponsored by |
 |
|
|
| Stat Of The Day |
| $409 |
| That’s the average amount of unused rewards a cardholder has stashed away, according to a recent Forbes Advisor survey. Cash back, hotel stays, flights – all just sitting there. And points aren’t the only thing going to waste. Plenty of us also skip the annual perks that come with our plastic. Keep reading to snag yours. |
|
|
|
| This Week In Your Wallet |
 |
Have a premium rewards card? The clock is likely ticking on its perks. As The Wall Street Journal reports, many of the hyped hotel, airline and restaurant credits are use-it-or-lose-it, with deadlines at year's end. With annual fees running as high as $895, that's a lot to leave on the table. To claim yours, start by looking at your account online and getting a handle on what you have left to use. While apps can help you figure out the best use of your perks, DIY is likely the way to go. Before you think it’s not worth the effort, read what WSJ columnist and American Express Platinum cardholder Dawn Gilbertson has to say: "I nabbed a nearly $900 hotel for $210. And will get free breakfast, a resort credit, late checkout and room upgrade if available. So take stock of your card benefits now. American Express and Chase have handy sections on their websites that show you the benefits and whether you’ve maxxed them out."
Meta's new AI tool, Muse, wants to be your money manager. Should you let it? Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang says Muse can shop for products, manage travel plans, save you on insurance, negotiate utility bills, and more. He's even challenging people to save $1,000 with it in the #MuseMoneyChallenge on X. Budgeting and canceling unused subscriptions are on the menu, too. But before you hand over your financial details, consider the risks. Privacy is a top concern for many users, and experts tell Yahoo Finance they, too, are wary of linking sensitive financial information to third-party services. "Right now, the technology is too new. The data sharing implications are still unknown .… It's just not something we're going to recommend," says Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.
The new name to add to your estate-planning team? Your therapist. Over the next two decades, an estimated $124 trillion will change hands in the U.S., mostly flowing from boomers to younger generations, The New York Times reports. As you’ve likely heard, it’s being called the "great wealth transfer," and an increasing number of people are bringing in coaches or therapists to help them talk it through – and at the same time, protect family relationships (along with sanity). "Therapists can encourage parents to think about the impact their decisions will have on their children and their children’s relationships with one another," the NYT reports. "Even when things can’t be split evenly, as is often the case with family businesses, therapists can help parents telegraph their reasoning." |
|
|
|
| Tori Dunlap On How To Close Out 2026 Strong, Even If You’re Feeling Squeezed Right Now |
We're closing in on the end of 2026, and on paper, it's been an amazing year for the markets. But that doesn't change the math many of us feel day to day: inflation is still outpacing wage growth for a lot of people, and that high-yield savings account you loved a year or two ago isn't doing the heavy lifting it used to.
On the HerMoney Podcast, Jean sat down with Tori Dunlap, founder and CEO of Her First $100K, to talk about how to close out the year strong. They covered emergency funds, diversification, and why investing just $20 a month can be enough. With the market's biggest index funds increasingly concentrated in a handful of tech names, Jean asked Dunlap, a self-described index fund devotee, whether that changes her advice.
"Even my favorite index fund, VTI, is, in theory, well diversified, but index funds are weighted," Dunlap said. "They are weighted towards the companies with the most growth or the companies that are performing the best, and that tends to be tech right now."
Her own portfolio layers in more than one fund. "My portfolio right now looks like a lot in VTI, but some in VXUS, which is the international fund, some in BND, which is a bond fund, and then some in VNQ, which is a real estate fund," she said. "Every time we go to a little bit of a deeper level, we help insulate ourselves from the ebbs and flows of the market." |
|
|
|
|
| Things That Save You Time |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ask Jean |
 |
| Q: |
Today’s question comes from Louisa. She writes: "My mother is planning to retire at the end of the year. My siblings and I agree we need to have a proactive conversation about how to handle caretaking responsibilities. To make matters more complicated, we all live in different states, so none of us can physically check in on our mom, and none of us are familiar with resources in her home state. Are there some websites, programs, or frameworks we can use to help guide our conversation?" |
| A: |
First off, kudos for being proactive. Get the ball rolling with an early family meeting: list every task that needs doing, then assign roles based on each person's strengths and available time. Distance doesn't have to be a dealbreaker – for example, maybe one of you handles a weekly grocery delivery while another makes sure her bills are paid.
Your mom may be able to handle these tasks herself for now, but if you make a plan for when she can't, you'll be one step ahead. Just don't treat it as set in stone. You’ll want to revisit your plan periodically and adjust as needed.
To guide the conversation, the National Institute on Aging has a couple of good tools:
• The Caregiver's Handbook, which is an "introduction to caregiving" of sorts
• A Coordinating Caregiving Worksheet, to help you and your siblings talk through the tasks you'll likely need to handle, now or down the road
Lastly, every state has an office or agency on aging (or something similarly titled) that helps older residents and their families. Search resources by state here and check out what yours offers. Examples include transportation to medical appointments, delivered meals and Medicare guidance. |
|
| Submit your questions to Jean here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| We maintain a strict editorial policy and a judgment-free zone for our community. We strive to remain transparent in everything we do. Website posts and newsletters may contain advertisements, links and mentions of products from our partners. Learn more about how we make money. |
| *This is a sponsored post |
|
