| Subscribe Read in Browser |
 |
| Stat Of The Day |
| $0 |
If you’re brainstorming Valentine’s Day plans, McDonald’s probably isn’t your first thought. But if you’re trying to keep costs from supersizing, it should be. With the average shopper expected to spend a record $199.78 on the holiday this year, the Golden Arches are offering an alternative: free McNugget Caviar kits.
Each kit includes a 1-ounce tin of Baerii sturgeon caviar (branded, naturally, as McNugget Caviar), a $25 Arch Card for Chicken McNuggets, crème fraîche and a Mother-of-Pearl caviar spoon. The kits dropped this AM and like hot fries, they’ll go fast. |
|
|
|
| Applying For A Personal Loan? Get Answers To These 4 Questions First |
Thinking about taking out a personal loan? Whether you’re tackling home repairs, consolidating debt, or packing up for a cross-country job move, a personal loan can be a helpful tool.
Before you sign on the dotted line, it pays to understand exactly how a loan could shape your financial future. This week on HerMoney.com, we’re breaking down the four key questions to ask before you apply.
First up, will my credit score get me approved?
Most lenders require a minimum credit score, so step one is checking your credit. Plenty of free tools can show you where you stand. If your score needs a little love, consider pressing pause for a few months. Even a modest boost could improve your approval odds and help you lock in a lower interest rate.
If your credit is in solid shape and you’re ready to shop, you can use this tool to compare top personal loan options and rates. |
|
|
|
| This Week In Your Wallet |
 |
If the global economy were flashing warning signs, we might not recognize them. As The New York Times reports, familiar indicators showing how businesses, consumers, investors and workers respond to economic shifts have become far less reliable. "This has made interpreting the cascade of data trickier than ever. It’s as if cars, instead of slowing down at a flashing yellow light as expected, started speeding up," writes the NYT. A prime example? Consumer spending. Historically, when consumers are pessimistic about the economy, they pull back on spending. That hasn’t happened. "In every category, from rising prices to the job market, a survey showed that consumer sentiment has dropped to a 12-year low," reports the NYT. "Yet Americans have not stopped shopping. Consumer spending has risen steadily."
Is it a bullish signal when execs buy shares of their own company? The Wall Street Journal analyzed 1,400 insider stock purchases over the past five years to find out whether they actually lift share prices. The verdict? There is a boost, but it tends to be short-lived. "Share prices climbed a median 2% a month after the insider purchases, but their recoveries tended to taper off after that," notes the WSJ. "Just 15% fully rebounded from where they had fallen in the 30 days before the share purchase."
💪 The good news? You don’t need insider access to be a smart, confident investor. You just need the right tools – and community. That’s where InvestingFixx, HerMoney’s investing club for women, comes in. We meet twice a month on Zoom and your first month is FREE!
Having an estate plan is crucial. That’s a lesson Ellen Kate learned the hard way. Her partner died suddenly at 40. She was 37, and their kids were just 3 and 6. His death from a rare heart condition was devastating – but so was navigating his estate, something Kate assumed they’d have decades to address. Sharing her experience with HerMoney, she says the best place to start is with an estate-planning checklist. One of its key items? Life insurance. "My partner and I were working on this before he died," Kate says. "I had a policy from work, and at my partner’s urging, we met with a broker to get additional life insurance. My policy came through without a problem, but the insurance company requested more information from him. Unfortunately, he didn’t get around to providing this before he died. As a result, we didn’t get any insurance." |
|
|
|
| Things That Save You Time |
| â—Ź |
No spring break plans yet? Skip the endless scrolling. This Travel Roulette tool picks a destination for you. Just choose what you’re in the mood for – history, nature, beachy relaxation, etc. – pick your preferred region, then roll the dice and see where you land. |
| â—Ź |
If you’ve ever dreamed of having Martha Stewart as your personal chef, this is the next best thing. Take 45% off your first order from her Marley Spoon meal delivery kit by clicking here. Even better? Most recipes come together in under 30 minutes. Fancy(ish) dinner, zero stress. |
| â—Ź |
Meet the new GNO (girls’ night out). Admin nights. Grab your besties, your laptops and your to-do lists, and finally tackle the life tasks you’ve been avoiding – everything from paying bills to updating your résumé. |
|
|
|
|
| Ask Jean |
 |
| Q: |
Today’s question comes from Susan. She writes: Is it always a good idea to freeze our 3 credit reports? I am considering doing so for safety reasons, given the number of scams out there. |
| A: |
Short answer? Yes. Freezing your credit is free and a smart move to keep scammers at bay.
As Courtney Alev, Credit Karma’s Senior Director of Product Management and Consumer Financial Advocate, explains, freezing your credit can reduce your chances of becoming an identity theft victim. Anytime you’re worried about your identity being exposed, whether your wallet was stolen, or there was a recent data breach, she says, you may want to consider a credit freeze.
Think of it as putting your credit in a little digital lockbox. Once it’s frozen, new accounts can’t be opened in your name without your say-so.
Ready to get your freeze on? Click here for our step-by-step guide.
P.S. Another simple step? Enlist the help of a trusted identity theft service to keep an eye on accounts and personal info regularly. |
|
| Submit your questions to Jean here. |
|
|
|
| Mastering Change: Dr. Maya Shankar On Life’s Unexpected Shifts |
Life rarely unfolds exactly as planned. A difficult diagnosis, a breakup, or an unexpected job loss can shake not just our routines, but our sense of identity. Who are we without those abilities, relationships, or titles?
Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist, creator of the award-winning podcast A Slight Change of Plans and author of the bestseller "The Other Side of Change," has spent years exploring these questions. She joined How She Does It to share what she’s learned about navigating life’s biggest pivots.
One of the most effective tools, Dr. Shankar says, is self-affirmation. The exercise involves writing down the areas of your life that bring you deep meaning, especially those untouched by whatever change you’re facing.
"So, if you’re in a rough patch in your relationship, you might focus on your spiritual life. If you’re having a tough go at it at work, you might focus on the amazing community that you have," Dr. Shankar says.
The goal is to remind yourself that "you have this multifaceted, multidimensional existence, and it kind of takes the pressure off of this one identity that you were really laser focused on." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
