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Stat Of The Day
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$11.8 Billion
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PJs on, phone in hand, deals everywhere. Black Friday shopping broke records this year, with $11.8 billion spent online. Numbers show that from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, online shoppers were spending a jaw-dropping $12.5 million every minute.
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This Week In Your Wallet
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Think of it as a super-charged baby shower gift. The White House just released new details on how to sign your child up for a "Trump Account." While the tax-advantaged investment accounts are available to any child under the age of 18, babies born between 2025 and 2028 will receive $1,000 in seed money to invest in mutual funds or index funds that track the overall stock market. Also making headlines – tech billionaire Michael Dell and his wife pledged $6.25 billion to give $250 each to 25 million children under age 10 who open a "Trump Account," but aren’t eligible for the Treasury’s $1,000.
Shelling out a hefty annual fee for a premium credit card? Make sure it’s pulling its weight. Experts say there are five must-do moves to unlock your card’s true value – starting with looking beyond the flashy perks, like exclusive lounges and VIP events. "Some cards offer extensions on existing warranties on purchases, for instance, or will reimburse certain transactions if stores won’t accept a return," reports the WSJ. "Even if you signed up for your card because of a particular benefit, check the rewards section of your account to see what else might come in handy."
If you’re in debt, you know the urge to fix it…fast. This week, we’re covering two budgeting methods that can help you get your money back on track ASAP – proportional budgeting and zero-based budgeting. Proportional budgeting is all about breaking up your budget into bite-sized pieces you can easily visualize – like the popular 50/30/20 rule. Once you’ve hit the limit in a category, you stop spending. With zero-based budget (a HerMoney favorite), every single dollar gets a job – spending, saving, investing. By the end of the month, you hit zero — but not because you’ve spent everything, rather it’s because you’ve given every dollar a purpose. Here’s how to know which method is right for you.
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🎧 The Insurance Checkup You Didn’t Know You Needed
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Let’s be honest — insurance isn’t exactly dinner-party conversation. But it is one of the smartest ways to protect what you’ve worked so hard to build. In a special Mailbag segment on the HerMoney Podcast, Jean and Kathryn dive into how your insurance needs change as life evolves — from resizing your home to hosting family, collecting valuables, or even hitting the road in retirement.
Our friends at Nationwide sponsored this segment, where we explore coverage options most homeowners overlook — including water backup, valuables protection, and umbrella policies that safeguard your savings. It’s the perfect time for a mid-life insurance tune-up that makes sure your coverage (and your confidence) are keeping pace with your life. Listen now (at around the 36:00 mark)!
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The Rise Of Deborah Roberts: Working Her Way To The Top Of Network News
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"I had to kind of work my way back, and I had to prove myself and take some assignments that were far flung, just to make it very clear that I was just as committed as I had been before I left," Deborah Roberts, ABC News
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When Deborah Roberts and David Muir shot their first 20/20 promo in 2023, the mood was serious. But the internet couldn’t stop chirping about Roberts’ gold silk Rachel Roy trench. "So old, but still good," recalls Roberts. The unexpected fashion moment was a reminder of the smart, stylish presence she’s brought to ABC News since 1995.
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Roberts’ journey wasn’t linear. In 1998, she turned down a coveted Good Morning America role while pregnant with her first child and married to Al Roker – a choice encouraged by Barbara Walters, who urged her to prioritize her personal life.
When Roberts returned, she doubled down, earning an Emmy and a Peabody before stepping into the 20/20 co-anchor seat. "I had to kind of work my way back, and I had to prove myself and take some assignments that were far flung, just to make it very clear that I was just as committed as I had been before I left," Roberts shares on How She Does It.
Now, she’s embracing the power to focus on family, including the siblings who inspired her new book, "Sisters Loved and Treasured," which details her relationships with her six sisters growing up together in Georgia. "Nobody else shares that foundation with you, that childhood, those memories, that history, those little moments in life," Roberts shares. "That’s what I wanted to really reveal with this book. It is not perfect, but there is a bond there that is worth exploring."
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Things That Save You Time
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Ask Jean
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| Q: |
Today’s question comes from Ann. She writes: I regularly make purchases at my local thrift store, where the purchases benefit charity. Can I write those purchases off as charitable donations?
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| A: |
Love a good thrift store haul – but unfortunately, those bargains aren’t tax-deductible, as Shawn King, a federally licensed Enrolled Agent and Registered Forensic Investigator with White Crown Accountant explains.
"Since you receive goods of equal value in return for your payment, it is treated as a retail transaction rather than a donation," he says. "To qualify for a charitable contribution deduction, a taxpayer must make a true gift of money or property to a qualified organization and itemize deductions on their federal return."
So while your thrift store finds won’t lower your taxes, you’re still supporting a good cause, and you can still up your game when it comes to scoring the best deals. Here’s one go-to guide.
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Submit your questions to Jean here.
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