Mornin’ mornin’! Happy Tuesday!

To be accepted —> accept others more

To earn respect —> give more respect

To live carefree without judgment —> stop judging and caring so much about what other people do. (unless they do something really dumb, then judge away! — kidding 😉)

Just a little something to keep in mind this week… If you feel like you’re being treated unfairly, look inwards not outwards. You get what you give.

Okie dokie, onto the money stuff! 👇👇👇

TO DO

Create a My Social Security Account 👨‍💻

If you haven’t done so yet, create a My Social Security Account online. With just a few clicks, you can:

• Check Estimated Benefits: See how much to expect in retirement. You can also see Survivor Benefits and Disability Benefits if eligible.

• Review Past Year Earnings Reports: Double-check that all your annual earnings are accurately recorded.

• Replace SS Card: Request a new Social Security card easily, online.

Don’t wait until retirement. Anyone can create an account with SSA — It’s encouraging to see what your future self is potentially eligible for!

BALANCE

Practicing Financial Self-Care 🧘‍♀️

Nobody is born with the perfect work, life, money, and happiness balance.

It’s something that must be worked on, constantly over time.

What is financial self-care? —> It’s any activity that leaves you both emotionally fulfilled 😌 and financially progressed 🤑.

Here are a few examples:

• Find your “craft beer equivalent”: Spending a little money on the things you LOVE (even if nobody else understands) can be like a relief valve. It allows you to enjoy the journey today and prevents you from bigger, unnecessary splurges on crap you don’t value long-term.

• Negotiate your bills: Advocating for yourself (and your hard-earned money) boosts your confidence, self-worth, and net worth!!!! Spending an afternoon calling your phone/internet/utility providers can save you thousands a year.

• Positive money affirmations: Yep, it sounds cheesy! But yep, it WORKS! Because so much of your money success is tied to your mindset. How you talk to yourself directly impacts the actions you take. So make it positive!!!

• Boost your e-fund: If you’re constantly worried about little money disasters popping up and ruining your life, maybe it’s time to increase your cash position. E-funds help you sleep better at night!

• Take a PTO day!!: Sadly, 46% of Americans don’t use all their PTO days. Don’t be one of those folks. You negotiated it as part of your compensation package. You deserve it. Take time off!

• Learn to say ‘no’ more. If you say ‘yes’ too often to what everyone else wants, it can leave very little time and money for what you want.

Keep reading: 16 Ways to Practice Financial Self-Care

TOGETHER WITH BETTERMENT*

Starting earning today

With Cash Reserve, Betterment’s high-yield cash account, you can rest assured your money will be putting in the elbow grease—earning 11x the national average**. Get started today.

**The national average savings account interest rate is reported by the FDIC (as of 3/18/24) as the average annual percentage yield (APY) for savings accounts with deposits under $100,000.

LIFESTYLE

Money. Time. Energy. 🔋

You might have seen a “three stages of life” graphic like this at some point.

It’s a sobering image. Really makes you stop and think about your day-to-day life and the resources you have much of and the ones you have little of 👇👇👇

It doesn’t accurately depict everyone’s specific situation. But it’s pretty darn close to what the average person can expect to encounter as they move through life’s different stages.

A couple of thoughts:

• There are many forms of wealth: It’s not just about money. Living a truly rich life means staying healthy, maintaining relationships, exercising, and being conscious of where you spend your time. If you focus on just one aspect, you might become poor in the other areas.

• Use what you have, while you have it! For the things in life you have an abundance of… spend, give, share, and ENJOY those things. Nothing lasts forever so it’s important to live in the moment.

• Glass half full, or empty? I’ve seen young people waste so much time worrying about money, and old rich people complaining about how they have no energy or health left. Charts like this aren’t supposed to make you focus on the things you don’t have much of in life. Instead, take advantage of the things you DO have.

We hope this is food for thought. What stage of life are you in right now? Can you make small changes now to enjoy a better money/time/energy balance?

Related stuff:

• ⏰ Time > Money: Episode 719 w/ Ben Miller of ChroniFI

• 📝 Money Mission Statement: Some of life’s most important questions and how they relate to your finances

ICYMI

In other news…

SL Forgiveness 🤷‍♀️
A new report shows that ~48% of student loan borrowers are expecting loan forgiveness in the future. Will it come to pass? I don’t know. But don’t count your chickens before they hatch. And don’t make any borrowing decisions based on assumptions of not having to pay the tab.

New or Old? 🏠
According to Zillow, brand-new homes are selling for cheaper than existing homes in many places. Here’s the breakdown of major cities where this is happening.

Commissions 🙋‍♀️
Real estate Buyer’s Agent commissions are starting to drop, with the national average now down to 2.55%. This is expected to drop even further as the commission landscape gets shaken up.

Gift Cards 🔐
Maryland has become the first state to require secure packaging for most gift cards sold at stores. As more states adopt this, hopefully gift card fraud will become a thing of the past!

Car-free Community 🚲
Pete Adeney, aka Mr. Money Mustache, moved to America’s first car-free community for 4 months just outside Phoenix. “We Americans get nervous when anyone talks about alternatives to car transport. But at the root, all it means is more nice things closer to your home—and who doesn’t want that?”

Luck v. Talent 💪
Fun read from the Harvard Gazette — Is it better to be lucky, or talented? (Spoiler alert: Both are really important)

ASK HTM

With falling interest rates, those of you with a decent chunk of home equity built up might be thinking about tapping it to pay down other debts…

Getting a HELOC can be a great financial move! Paying off high-interest debt with a new low-interest loan might be a smart move.

But, it’s crucial to know yourself and think long-term. If there’s even the slightest chance that you’ll fall right back into credit card debt, or spend the HELOC money elsewhere, it’s better to take alternative measures.

That’s the short answer — here’s the full pros and cons list!

Have an awesome week, lovely people! Catch you next Tuesday,

Best friends out! 🍻