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| Stat Of The Day |
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| Salad eater? Your wallet has noticed. The latest Consumer Price Index shows salad dressing rose 5.0% over the course of 12 months – more than any other item. Want to dress for less? Scroll on for one HerMoney team member’s DIY recipe. |
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| This Week In Your Wallet |
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Have children later in life? Your Social Security timing may change. Those eligible for benefits who have children under 18 can unlock a "gusher of government money," as The Wall Street Journal reports. "There are more older parents than ever, and they are learning – sometimes by surprise – about Social Security’s dependent benefit," reports the WSJ, explaining that once a parent or grandparent with a dependent files, a child generally can collect up to half of the full retirement-age benefit until they turn 18, or 19 if they are still in high school. "The federal agency doesn't market it widely, but it can alter the calculus about when to draw benefits."
Caregiving is the sleeper issue of the midterms. Most voters 50+ in battleground states say they’re more likely to vote for candidates interested in supporting unpaid family caregivers, according to a new AARP survey. As USA Today reports, Americans are living longer – though not necessarily healthier – lives, and the need for caregivers is growing. The bulk of caregiving usually falls to family and friends, who are often unpaid and may have their own children to care for (hi, sandwich generation). "Across the country, millions of families who care for an aging parent or grandparent, or a loved one with disabilities, are being pushed to the brink by rising costs and an economy that makes care harder to afford, and caregiving harder to sustain," says Lystra Sawney of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation's largest healthcare union.
Have federal student loans? Here’s a deadline worth your attention. The Trump administration has extended the date for federal student loan borrowers to sign up for autopay and get a 1-percentage-point reduction in their interest rate. Federal borrowers now have until Dec. 31 to enroll, and the benefit will last through June 30, 2028. Borrowers on autopay have typically had access to a 0.25 percentage point discount, and the current average interest rate on federal student loans is 6.54%. Most, but not all, federal student loans qualify. Here's what you need to know, and how to sign up. |
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| Things That Save You Money |
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HerMoney's Haley has been trimming her budget by making her own salad dressings, and she swears by this creamy cashew recipe. It's her at-home answer to Sweetgreen's cashew dressing (she goes light on the cashews to save $). Her math: she gets at least twice the salad and dressing she'd get there, where a single salad can run as much as $20. Pictured above: couscous with roasted pine nuts, chickpeas, dates, arugula, tomatoes and goat cheese. Yum! |
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You've heard of clothing rental companies, but what about platforms that let you borrow from the closets of stylish strangers? That's the premise behind these apps. |
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Renting an Airbnb soon? Things might not be as they appear. Here’s what you need to know about the latest vacation rental scam. |
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| Investing In Gold: What To Know Before You Buy |
Gold has had a notable run in 2026, and more everyday investors are asking: is investing in gold still worth it, or has the moment already passed? To help answer that, Jean sat down with Meghan Pinchuk, Chief Investment Officer and Partner at Morton Wealth, during a recent session of InvestingFixx, Jean’s investing club for women.
As Pinchuk explains, investors have called gold an inflation hedge for decades, but the mechanism behind that reputation is often misunderstood. Rather than protecting against inflation broadly, she explained, gold protects specifically against the declining value of paper currency.
"The way we think about it [gold] is that it’s just money," Pinchuk says. "So it’s really less than an investment, and it’s more of an alternative to just holding all of your cash or your money in the U.S. dollar or other paper currencies around the world."
She added that the key difference is supply. Governments can print more paper money whenever they choose, but gold can't be created at will. So if more paper is circulating, Pinchuk explains, gold should hold its value relative to it. Its strength is measured against the dollar.
For those considering investing in gold, Pinchuk broke down three main approaches, each with different costs and trade-offs. Learn more about them here. |
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Not sure if gold fits in your bigger picture? A pro can help you figure it out.
Willow has made its name by beating an industry that – let’s face it – wasn’t built with women in mind. Connect with a vetted fiduciary advisor who can answer your big questions and help you put together a plan for your future. Take this short quiz to get started. |
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| Ask Jean |
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| Q: |
Today’s question comes from Paula. She writes: "I’m leaving my full-time job to start my own business. What do I need to do with my 401(k)?" |
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Congrats, Paula! Going out on your own is a big step…and this is the time to think about what happens to the retirement nest egg you’ve been building.
The good news is that you don’t need to do anything right away. If your company allows it, you can leave your 401(k) where it is. That can be a fine choice if you like the investment options and the fees are reasonable.
That said, your best bet may be rolling the money into a SEP IRA or solo 401(k) – whichever you’ve chosen to keep saving for retirement. Having everything in one place can make it easier to keep track of your money and manage your investments.
To initiate a rollover, sit down with HR or your plan administrator. You'll need to fill out and sign some paperwork. Then, they can cut you a check (made out to your new financial institution) for your 401(k) balance and send it to the account you’ve opened at a brokerage or bank. |
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| Submit your questions to Jean here. |
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