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| Stat Of The Day |
| $39,000 |
Missing an 18K white gold solitaire diamond ring? Unclaimed Baggage in Alabama found one, valued at $39,000, which tops their annual list of most valuable lost items. The company buys unclaimed baggage from airlines and resells the contents (sometimes even the luggage – yes, someone left behind a $10,000 Louis Vuitton suitcase recently). Check out the report on their most interesting finds here, and then browse their collection of secondhand treasures here. |
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| How To Break Up With Your Financial Advisor ✌ |
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We’ve already shown you how to find the right financial pro…but what happens when the spark fades? During this week’s InvestingFixx session, we covered the latest market news (tariff pause, anyone?) and got real about how to cut ties with your financial advisor when things just aren’t clicking anymore.
Pam Krueger, CEO of Wealthramp, joined us for InvestingFixx this week to offer her perspective. She says the classic "It’s not you, it’s me" line works just as well with a financial advisor. Keep it simple and professional: "My life is going in a new direction. I’m sure you’ll respect my privacy. Thank you for all the work you’ve done — I really appreciate it," she suggests. |
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| Choosing Motherhood (Or Not): Fertility, Privilege, And Redefining The Timeline |
For the first time in U.S. history, more women over 40 are having babies than teens – a milestone that’s worth celebrating. But delaying motherhood can come at a price. Egg retrieval alone can cost around $5,000. And in the U.S., a single round of IVF can range from $12,000 to $30,000.
Ruthie Ackerman knows these costs firsthand. Author of "The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us," she joined the HerMoney podcast to share her deeply personal path to motherhood and reveal the true financial and emotional toll of fertility decisions.
Ackerman’s journey included freezing her eggs in her 30s, navigating a divorce, and ultimately becoming a mother at 43 through donor eggs.
Through it all, she came to recognize what she calls the "fertility wealth gap." "We, as women, start off already making less money than men," says Ackerman. "And now it’s falling on us in our twenties and early thirties and even beyond to pay for the privilege, if we even have that option of fertility preservation." |
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| With inflation impacting the price of everything — from the groceries we buy to the gas we put in our cars — it's more important than ever that we stretch our dollars further. That’s why HerMoney loves the app Upside — it gives us real cash back on the things we're already buying. Upside users are making an extra $280 a year on average — that’s a nice chunk of change for some summer vacation fun, or more money for your retirement savings. And the best part is — you can stack your Upside cash back with your credit card rewards. Download the FREE Upside App today, and use promo code HMJC to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. |
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| This Week In Your Wallet |
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Remarrying later in life? As The New York Times reports, be prepared to tackle some "thorny" financial questions, especially those involving adult children and inheritances. "The later in life you come to a relationship, depending on the complexity of your prior life, the more complicated merging [your financial lives] tends to be," HerMoney CEO Jean Chatzky tells the NYT. One way to sidestep the complexities? Get a prenup. "A discussion about a prenuptial agreement, while perhaps uncomfortable, can bring to light assumptions or unspoken differences between spouses," reports Martha White. "For instance, if both partners have children from previous relationships, they might have different ideas about who is entitled to what after each of them dies."
Buh bye, junk fees. The FTC’s crackdown on junk fees, which are unexpected and sometimes hidden fees charged by companies, goes into effect this week and takes aim at two industries: live events and lodging. As CBS reports, "the rule instructs businesses to be more transparent with consumers on fees. They will have to tell you exactly what they are for. It also calls for them to avoid using vague phrases like convenience fees, service fees, or processing fees." For more on the junk fee crackdown, check out this FAQ from the FTC.
PSA for job hunters: Full-page, ultra-long cover letters are a thing of the past. There are new rules when it comes to the best cover letter format for today's job market. For starters, 200 to 400 words is the modern sweet spot according to Zety, a resume site. A recent survey also shows that the most important thing you need to include is why you want to work for the company. Beyond that, incorporate the motivations behind your application, your career objectives, and a (quick) highlight reel of your career achievements. "Which means you’ll have to do a bit more than just pasting your resume into a Chat GPT cover letter generator," writes Sophia Surrett for HerMoney. "Instead, focus on what attracted you to the job, and why you would be a good fit." |
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| Things That Save You Time |
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How long does it really take to tackle your junk drawer or tame that chaotic Tupperware cupboard? Less time than you’d expect, and this woman is proving it by timing herself as she tackles her most avoided chores. Consider us inspired. |
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If you want to get healthier, have some "exercise snacks." According to a recent study, short bursts of exercise (anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes) can improve your health. In other words, something is better than nothing! |
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Running on fumes, but no time for a nap? Try timing your caffeine consumption for mental sharpness. As The Washington Post reports, "Caffeine starts to work very quickly, in 15 minutes, and reaches its maximal effectiveness in about half an hour to an hour." |
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| Ask Jean |
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Today’s question comes from Kathryn. She writes: I have basic IRA and Roth IRA accounts at Charles Schwab. Occasionally, I get notifications about proxy voting on companies I am invested in. I never vote because I never know much about what is happening. What am I missing by not voting? |
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Your vote is your voice. That’s something we usually hear whenever there’s a big election. And, it can hold true in this instance, too, if you directly own stock in the companies you’re receiving notices about.
By not exercising your proxy vote, you’re essentially giving up your shareholder voice in the companies you’re invested in. You could have the chance to weigh in on decisions like board member elections, mergers, executive compensation, or changes to company policy. Many proxy votes also cover what are referred to as "ESG" proposals, or Environmental, Social and Governance proposals. For example, climate impact disclosures or labor practices.
Yes, you might need to do a little research to figure out what you think about the proposals on the table (that’s what Chat GPT is for, isn’t it?) But at the end of the day, voting helps keep company management accountable. When shareholders don’t vote, what happens is that large institutional investors and fund managers end up being the ones who largely call the shots. |
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Submit your questions to Jean here.
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