Corporate America is designed to create opportunities for those who know what components are necessary to excel to greater heights. Corporate America is also designed to block opportunities for those who are not patient, disciplined, educated, and knowledgeable regarding specific rules of engagement you must abide by and apply in order to be successful. There is a strategy to maneuver with ease in the corporate world, and it all comes down to one thing. Your corporate worth is determined by what is said about you on paper and now electronically. Ai will take over your algorithms and respond to your calls, email jobs, and process your loan approvals and everything we do. It is time to prepare your electronic portfolio today. We have solutions.
Our firm loves our way of government and we support it fully. We also understand that certain individuals inside of our agencies are only there to enrich themselves.
Xavier Gomes
Given these findings, it’s clear that achieving a comfortable retirement requires careful planning, consistent saving and strategic investment decisions. Here are key strategies to consider: Parents educate your children early. Retirement savings early! Make regular contributions, even if they are small, as they can accumulate significantly over time. The older you get. Reduce your debt reduction. Less is more. Start selling and down sizing. Consider paying off mortgages before retirement to decrease monthly expenses. Consult with Xcapital28 for a personalized and tailored portfolio. Life consulting can help in creating a direct approach and maximize returns. Contribute the maximum amount to retirement accounts like 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to take full advantage of tax benefits Cash for pennies pledge account. Diversify your portfolio across various asset and tax benefiting to reduce and mitigate risk. Include stocks, bonds, real estate and other alternative investments like art, which has seen has seen a 13.8% annualized return, surpassing the 10.2% from the S&P 500. There is no such thing as and emergency fund. Just having access to funds creates no emergency way of thinking. Learn how to cover unexpected expenses. This prevents the need to withdraw from retirement savings prematurely. Pull equity much sooner before selling off assets Money Pickle is the easiest way to consider hiring a matched financial advisor tailored to your specific goals. If you're ready to invest in the long-term financial well-being of you and your family, book a video call with a vetted professional committed to your growth today. Book a call with a coach fromXCAPITAL28.
Retirement is a mandatory goal and should be added to your budget and for many Americans, achieving the ideal savings target remains elusive for many. The average American retiree had about $170,726 in retirement savings in 2023, Only 12% of retirees have achieved or exceeded this recommended savings amount.
Debt management requires planning ahead and discipline and is a serious undertaking, and the return of inflation, layoffs, medical bills, gas, groceries and taxes has added another degree of difficulty for many. However, this is why having a solid budget, you can begin planning a solid foundation for your family and loved ones. It is not a question of if it is when the debt storm shows up at your door. I often hear individuals speaking of becoming rich or creating generational wealth but never speak of how to maintain it and trust is not the answer. A trust is within the pyramid but you are the rock that this will be built on. 1. Start with Housekeeping The number one and popular approach is to start with a budget. Let's live outside the book for a second. We all have budgets, I can remember being a kid and adding up the cost of snacks with what i had in my pocket and getting to the register and did not consider the tax. The store owner would either allow me to pay later, waive or place it back on the shelf. This often happens in our daily lives but as adults the burden of kids or shelter is a bigger responsibility than the price for a pack of cookies. As adults we often start off by doing the right thing and than life tosses us a curveball. This is where preventative maintenance and planning ahead helps. We plan for today and not tomorrow. We plan budgets as if we are not going to live beyond our current age. It is said that we are living above our means and beginning to go beyond what our budgets will allow and there are many reasons for this. The press does not speak about it. I will! The city you live in has outgrown you and your wallet. The apartment you have has now increased your rent. What do you do? You set a budget based on your expenses and now this has changed. Anytime you want to make a financial move, like paying down debt, buying a house, starting a business, or saving toward your retirement. The budget changes because others around you have changed it. Your budget accounts for all of the money coming in and going out each month. How do we now make informed decisions? It is as simple as planning your outcomes and negotiating with those who can impact your lifestyle. A realistic debt pay off plan is one approach but debt prevention is a better approach. Try this to help you get started. Look at apartments in your community and have them compete for your business. Lock your lease into your budget window. You can reclaim your deposit and stay without adding a moving cost to deduct from your savings. We have a process for you. After we have a good understanding of your income. The evaluation process for expenses. These are your fixed expenses such as mortgage, insurance, childcare, and internet service. What if I told you the evaluation can get your net income up to help you.Variable expenses, like grocery costs, fuel, entertainment, clothing, and medical expenses can change monthly. These are more difficult to plan for, but we can create ways to help back this with credit and savings to help increase your (LTV) loan to value and decrease your (DTI) debt to income ratio. To pay off debt, your savings will do this and balance your life expenses, paying your monthly bills and finding extra money in your budget to put towards your debt. any extra money you create puts towards your debt. 2. Preventive Maintenance Now that we have done some housekeeping, We can now maintain the house. The American dream of starting a business from a product or service. Instead, start a family business and this is your goal. Here is a hint to why. Learn to live off the tax statement based on budget. Our proprietary system of doing this keeps more money for you towards retirement. This ecosystem we have built for a very few clients. I challenge anyone this is a bullet proof debt management planning. You don't need a trust for this and you do not need asset protection for this. This is about compliance and procedure to help you have good debt not bad debt. Debt that pays you not the debt you pay. This is better than Ai, This is Hii human intelligence. 3. Debt payoff strategy The debt snowball and debt avalanche methods are examples of debt payoff strategies that can make effective use of the money you have to pay off debt. With both strategies, you’re making the minimum payments on all of your debts. The difference is how you allocate extra money. The debt snowball method builds momentum by focusing on small, early wins. You find the debt with the smallest balance and put any extra funds towards paying off that debt first. Once your smallest debt is paid off, you move to the debt with the next smallest balance. Paying off a debt in full early on can keep you motivated as you start getting closer to attacking debts with bigger balances. With the debt avalanche method, you put any extra money toward debt with the highest interest rate first. This can save you money on interest charges by eliminating high-interest rate balances. Once you’ve paid off the debt with the highest interest rate, you focus on the debt with the next highest rate. Either one of these strategies can be beneficial, although if you have high-interest rate credit card debt, the avalanche may save you more money. You can always start with one strategy and switch to the other to see which one works better for you. Remember, you’re making a dent in your debt anytime you are paying more than the minimum balance. 4. Factor in your student loans If you have federal student loans, you’ve probably had to think about how you’ll fit those payments back into your budget. For those who have experienced job loss, there are income-driven repayment plans that are a lower amount based on your monthly income. You can also consider refinancing federal loans, but you will lose federal student loan protections. Private student loan borrowers have fewer options, so it’s likely you’re still making payments on any private student loans you have. You may want to look into student loan refinancing, which is when a private lender pays off your student loans and gives you a new loan with new terms. Student loan refinancing is ideal if you have private student loans, especially high-interest rate ones. Refinancing your student loans can save you a decent amount of money throughout your pay off, although the amount you save on refinancing will largely depend on your interest rate, which is based on credit score. You can also consider extending your loan term to lower your monthly payment, but the downside is that you can seriously add to your debt. It’s worth researching the pros and cons to see what’s best for your financial situation. The final word on paying down debt Making a plan to pay off debt is an excellent goal, but be kind with yourself. If something happens along the way and you need to adjust your strategy, that’s okay. These tips can help you create a realistic plan that sets you up for success and fuels your motivation to keep moving forward.
Learn how to protect yourself. We have proven methods. This is only going to continue with online orders and upcoming holidays with retail shopping. We can create a ghost file for you and keep all your information private. The internet is a breeding ground for data breach, Target, Equifax and many others have learned hacking and AIi technology with GPS does not help. Ms.Hayes and her husband were alerted while on vacation, a new credit card was issued. After checking her email. A notice from the U.S. Postal Service Informed Delivery program, which showed her all the names and cards bound for her home. Ms. Hayes contacted Chase who reportedly attributed it to a glitch in the system and stopped the cards from being activated. Their fraud department later followed up, but Hayes said they didn’t do much except make a note in their system and issue her a new account number. "With no explanation just, ‘we'll take care of it, we'll send you a new card, a new number,’" she said. “I wanted them to say, ‘we’ll investigate it.’” In today’s digital world, data breaches involving personal identifiable information (PII) is becoming an inevitability. In August 2024, USA Today reported that data broker, National Public Data, had more than two billion records stolen from their servers, including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. Data breaches aren’t the only way criminals can potentially access your information. Federal officials say some of the most common ways your personal information could end up in the wrong hands includes stolen wallets or purses, tax returns or bank statements plucked from the trash, information stolen through public Wi-Fi, or via “phishing” emails or texts. When that information gets into the hands of bad-faith actors, it can quickly turn into a crime that only gets discovered after the fact. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 23.9 million people were the victims of identity theft in 2021 alone, with more than half of them accounting for a total loss of $16.4 billion. What’s worse, many of the victims didn’t find out until it was too late. In 2021, the DOJ reported that more than 25% of victims found out their personal information was breached only after a new account was already opened in their name. Fortunately for Ms. Hayes’ situation, Chase issued an emailed statement to ABC7 News: "We monitor customer accounts for suspicious activity and promptly contact them if something unusual is detected. In this instance, our vigilant customer alerted us first. We closed the unauthorized cards, issued a new account and card, and apologized for the inconvenience caused during her vacation." How to protect against identity theft & future attempts: To further minimize the chances of becoming a victim of identity theft, authorities say you should check your credit report at least once per year. Change pin numbers. Hold mail while on vacation. Everyone is entitled to a free copy of their report from all three credit bureaus at annualcreditreport.com. To go a step further, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends putting a security freeze on your credit file at each of the agencies to prevent anyone from opening a new credit account in your name. If you realize someone is attempting to commit identity theft using your information, the first step is to contact your financial institution where the fraud is happening. Reporting the issue and locking down your credit card, debit card, or bank account from further attacks can help you recover your information faster. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers a tool that can help you report identity theft and walk you through a recovery plan. Consumers can find that tool at identitytheft.gov. Boeing offers a 30% raise in an attempt to end the strike. With 30,000 factory workers on strike and 737 production halted for a second week, the embattled aviation company offered to hike wages for union members higher than the original 25% increase over four years they voted to reject. Boeing gave the union until Friday to ratify the improved contract, which also offered a bigger ratification bonus and larger contributions to employee 401(k) plans. The International Association of Machinists, which negotiated the earlier deal that its members rejected, didn’t immediately weigh in on what Boeing called its “best and final” offer.—AR The S&P 500 and the Dow set new records yesterday as investors kept the good vibes from the Fed’s big interest rate cut going while awaiting more economic data this week. Intel rose following reports that Apollo has offered it a multibillion-dollar investment and Qualcomm has approached it about a takeover.
Individuals are taught what to think and not how to think. Is this surprising not at all surprising. Americans go to work for many different reasons and one is to provide for their family. I urge individuals to understand more or work with someone who knows the legal process that follows a loved one’s death. Probate has Americans misinformed about the facts of life and death. A recent survey shows a report that more than 75% of Americans are not prepared. More than half of Americans have no idea what probate costs. Less than half of us understand that inheritance is not automatic. Only 3% of respondents know how long it takes to settle an estate. Probates can vary depending on the state you reside. The average time can take 20 months, Wills & Trust and family matters. “Some seem to think it only takes less than a month. We have interviewed over 500 of our clients personally, who guaranteed our thoughts,” Probate estimated costs 3% to 7% of the estate’s value. As a certified life planning coach for Atlanta, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach California, Naples and Destin FL. I go to my clients and on some occasions they spend hours at our offices preparing and structuring what will be essential at the age of retirement or sudden death. Overall, this is not a conversation most want to have or be concerned with but we have conceded that they don’t fully understand probate or retirement and management of debt . 50% of our clients said they know it will be difficult considering the retirement age change, friends who had to come out of retirement do to the cost of living “They’ve heard horror stories,” and now looking for solutions, and we are here to help guide and get qualified licensed individuals within their community. We also offer Iron-Clad Storage. Our lock boxes store important information so loved ones don't have to go hunting the items down. I can speak from personal experience, It can be a nightmare, meeting with funeral home directors, family and giving your loved ones peace of mind.
Recessions, layoffs, inflation, can be scary and have real-world consequences. Plan and be preventive towards change. No more reacting become proactive. Economies impact weak companies that lack the fundamental strength to survive. A preventative plan is your safety net towards future calamity. How do you learn to survive tough times? Saving to invest is a great litmus test. Look for alternative ways to navigate your earnings with new approaches to business and a down market. The U.S. economy has fallen into recession four times since 1990. We study all these books and do not understand how history has repeated itself. I was taught to save for emergencies and once those emergencies came. So went my savings and nothing to show for it. This becomes a vicious cycle. Set up your iron-clad portfolio today Iron-clad Your Business Now Investment management companies are set up for those who have set aside funds and have large estates. They consult with advisors not to understand how to generate additional streams of wealth but how to grow their money in the markets long term when the economy is bad. The S&P and NASDAQ:) will make you smile if you have a plan to raise your dividends in all four seasons, winter, summer, spring and fall. There is a secret behind the methodology to invest in these methods now. What we do is consult you on growing, protecting your money and offer proven products and services that work. Our annual fee schedule allows to see the impact of going from being in debt but now managing good debt. Building a Business based on the Seasons This is the core pathway of building a wealth system in the modern world that is based on financial markets, but most of our excuses are, money, time, desire, or education and who will manage this for me. Iron-Clad is not just a service that consult with you on various methods/products, such as cd's, precious metals, and assets. We offer consulting services to clients and prepare you for retirement plans for all budgets. We have high net worth clients but this is our way of giving back. Iron-Clad primarily generates revenue by only charging a small yearly percentage on the client assets, dicretionary income it manages. We prepare you for wealth management. XCAPITAL28 success is our clients success. This gives the client the opportunity of not overly committing and building a portfolio. The U.S. stock market continues to increase over the long term. The US economy fluctuates and we navigate you no matter what the economy is doing. You can grow and use that as time to buy, hold and sell. However, the number one question that is asked is whether this is susceptible to market crashes because prices decline, and scared clients might pull their funds out of the markets. Remember we use the market and everyone is impacted by market crashes differenlty. The funds stay in your account and we consult you on what,when and where to position yourself. You only wear one hat and we wear the other ones to help you manage retirement the right way. What is concerning the number of individuals that are coming out of retirement to support themselves. That is calamity and our goals are built on mitigating risk. Back To School Is An Invest Now: Back to school shopping and now parents are maxing out their credit cards once more. This time of year with sports, school activities parents have their hands full with one of the largest retail shopping events of the year, second only to winter holiday shopping. According to the National Retail Federation, "Hello Black Friday" now a new shopping king is back and back-to-school spending has increased to $38.8 billion, the second-highest figure on record, after last year’s high of $41.5 billion. Online shopping (57%), department stores (50%), discount stores (47%), clothing stores (42%) and electronics stores (23%). Big business will capture great potential revenue. Americans are sole proprietors who run their business independently and wear too many hats. Here are a few strategies to consider implementing, especially since winter may freeze your spending habits when the electric bill and gas bill goes up. Consider grass roots and door knocking. It works! If we can't create a community base business where we live we may lose additional income revenue. Secondly, set up meet and greets with other prospective owners to cross promote each other's services and lend out to your clients for referral fees.. Once you have done that. Get to know your banker. This is important to keep up with changing bank trends. Business is a contact sport in the majority of capital and the only race is beating your competitor and if that does not work try diplomacy or give us a call. Iron-Clad small business recession plan. Working From Home/Remote is still safe? Live Data Technologies say, workers will be fully remote by 2025. I will assume so with AI technology on the rise and considering Elon Musk has a future plans for self driving vehicles. Just sit at home with two remotes. One for the car and one for the television. The government and COVID -19 allowed this to occur along with the artificial market of the new job reports. Considering individuals are returning to work and the same individuals are working two jobs. That creates artificial numbers of job growth in the market. What will happen with small business 48.6% may not survive under current conditions based on polls. A survey study was done by RedBallon and the public square and the survey also indicated that 22.4% of respondents said their business wants to survive with continued inflation. This survey, which was conducted from April 30 to May 10 included 80,000 small businesses which are the driving force of America's economy. Learn How To Prepare For A Recession: Increase Emergency Savings-wrong Pay Down High Interest Debt First-wrong Keep Credit Cards below-Maybe but questionable This is not how to prepare for a recession. Saving money and a down economy with high food prices, gas, inflation and home ownership is not going to help you long term with discretionary spending. Short term yes. Our lives may be short but getting there is a long process and everyone experience differently. The emergency is now and some are living, pay check to paycheck and now month to month. Paying down bad debt with debt on the books is not a good plan or strategy for budgeting with new procurements. We keep teaching these methods to ourselves first because selling you that is a great business model for the banks to have returning customers. Please don't teach this to your children and last but not least paying down your credit cards to 30%. The paying down of credit cards only improves your credit score and more loans for what you have already become. A debtor! Here is what I mean by that. Where do you go when your emergency savings are depleted? Your credit cards! Two secrets, only increase emergency savings to invest and only negotiate credit cards fully knowing paying down high interest debt does not place you and a creditor position. The first and only debt is good debt and the debt that only serves you. So what do I do with bad debt? You negotiate pennies on the dollar. The Iron-Clad Small Business Recession Plan will show you the way. Common sense says to me. How Can You save? When you are spending and the dollar is the same but not goods and services. Grocery shopping with a basket vs a cart. We have to get serious about financial hardship and living paycheck to paycheck. Here are a few tips on how to survive a recession? If your credit cards are maxed out. Speak with the credit card companies and negotiate the debt. They will understand! They have no options with you! Go on a payment plan and attack the interest and request to lower the principal. Stop being a minimalist. Spread out food consumptions and change your bills based on usage. Learn how to write all items off and have an investor buy back your debt. Place your savings into an interest bearing and convert the interest. This is just a few tips on how to become an Iron-Clad client. Learn debt management skills as an everyday tool. Retirement Planning: Tax Strategies Income Strategies Debt Strategies Insurance Products Putting a plan together today for tomorrow. Please don't be the mule at the river with good memory and poor judgement. Your 401k employer is not an expert for you to get advice from. Learn where you stand financially before it becomes too late. Don't keep yourself in a box. The same mix of mutual funds from your employer 401k are inherently flawed. Learn individual stock, leverage insurance products, pre tax money and Real Estate. A dysfunctional employment system wants to help you. The average individual investor is not knowledgeable or thinks enough on how to manage money. The less you do, the more you need to be engaged. Social Security Trust Fund Is At Risk: May no longer be guaranteed. A three month Treasury Bill is now paying over 5%. A1 insurance companies deferred income annuity will lessen you being a victim of the stock market. Guaranteed Income. Build a better portfolio and this will be your pension. Where did all the money come from to bail out the airlines, banks and car companies from getting bailed out from social security money? Poor fiscal management from our government. The government will do nothing to stop you from hurting yourself or undo what was done. You have to capture sectors outside the market. A portfolio is a net to capture a better financial future for you and your family. The government has artificially created the market. Just as in Real Estate individuals moving from one coast to another has artificially inflated the market. There should be money at risk and not at risk. So have money in a market and out of the market. Take the gain off the table and protect it. An uncertain market is the time to do protective strategies. A home can be a “money pit” for those who are simply not ready. There are grants and first time home buying assistance but no one does not take into account how a new home can financially bankrupt you. I am here to challenge the notion that buying a home is one of the keys to your future wealth and financial security. I will continue to express the importance of tax strategies, income planning and diversification of having a portfolio. Where so many hats can cost you because serving one goal you may sacrifice the ultimate one. Retirement planning! The number one debt that forces individuals back to work before they retire or after is health care. The time has come to access debt and to get rid of debt that is not to your advantage. Debt planning is not done with Americans as home steady climbing. Artificial markets of individuals migrating from one area to increase the average home price was 384,600 at the end of 2019 a gain of 33% according to Federal Reserve Data. This is out of reach for 90% of Americans. Average homes sold in the U.S. hit $513,100 during the 2024 first quarter, according to Federal Reserve data. Congratulations on buying a home last decade and still own it today, chances are your value and net worth has risen considerably. We all numbers don't lie but can be manipulated not to tell the full story. My line of work is to crunch numbers for projects to get approved and buy doing so. We must do a full scale financial forensic audit to see the full story to start today.
The American spirit was alive and the people spoke loudly and nothing IS new under the sun. When Jefferson was subsidizing a newspaper attacking George Washington he was working in Washington's cabinet. The fight is not physical It is spiritual. You have to be of sound mind and order to fight battles. As a young entrepreneur, challenges, obstacles and roadblocks with fierce competition is not an illusion. It's real! There are great times throughout American history and this year's election of 2024 is one of them.
-Xavier Gomes
*NYC ENDS DEBIT CARD PROGRAM
FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS
*QATAR ANNOUNCES EXPULSION OF HAMAS LEADERS
*HAMAS CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO WAR WITH ISRAEL
*LATEST MIGRANT CARAVAN BROKEN UP IN MEXICO
EU LOOKING TO REPLACE RUSSIAN GAS WITH GAS LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
CHINA SAYS IT HOPES FOR "PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE" WITH U.S.
RUSSIA IS 'READY' TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE
Why is all of this important? The stock market hits record high and bitcoin surges to
record high and everyone can move past who is president.
Given these findings, it’s clear that achieving a comfortable retirement requires careful planning, consistent saving and strategic investment decisions. Here are key strategies to consider: Parents educate your children early. Retirement savings early! Make regular contributions, even if they are small, as they can accumulate significantly over time. The older you get. Reduce your debt reduction. Less is more. Start selling and down sizing. Consider paying off mortgages before retirement to decrease monthly expenses. Consult with Xcapital28 for a personalized and tailored portfolio. Life consulting can help in creating a direct approach and maximize returns. Contribute the maximum amount to retirement accounts like 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to take full advantage of tax benefits Cash for pennies pledge account. Diversify your portfolio across various asset and tax benefiting to reduce and mitigate risk. Include stocks, bonds, real estate and other alternative investments like art, which has seen has seen a 13.8% annualized return, surpassing the 10.2% from the S&P 500. There is no such thing as and emergency fund. Just having access to funds creates no emergency way of thinking. Learn how to cover unexpected expenses. This prevents the need to withdraw from retirement savings prematurely. Pull equity much sooner before selling off assets Money Pickle is the easiest way to consider hiring a matched financial advisor tailored to your specific goals. If you're ready to invest in the long-term financial well-being of you and your family, book a video call with a vetted professional committed to your growth today. Book a call with a coach fromXCAPITAL28.
Retirement is a mandatory goal and should be added to your budget and for many Americans, achieving the ideal savings target remains elusive for many. The average American retiree had about $170,726 in retirement savings in 2023, Only 12% of retirees have achieved or exceeded this recommended savings amount.
Angela Weiss/Getty Images Kamala Harris conceded to Donald Trump . The vice president’s concession speech, delivered yesterday afternoon at Howard University in Washington, DC, hit both grateful and somber notes. She expressed optimism for the future, saying, “The light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.” The Democratic nominee obliquely referenced the challenges she faced, reminding listeners that she had just 107 days to make her case to the American people and that she succeeded in at least one area where President-elect Trump failed: As she conceded, she said, “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy and tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.” World leaders reacted to the election . Messages of support for President-elect Donald Trump streamed in from around the globe on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were among the first to congratulate Trump on winning a second term in the White House, with the former saying the victory was “history’s greatest comeback.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin was not planning to call Trump and congratulate him, saying, “We are talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state.” However, the Russian news outlet Verstka said that Putin congratulated the president-elect through “mutual friends.” President Biden also congratulated Trump and invited him to a meeting at the White House. Business leaders shared their feelings . Elon Musk, David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Bill Ackman, and many of the president-elect’s other paladins were predictably effervescent yesterday as they celebrated his win on X. Jeff Bezos sent a glowing show of support, posting, “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory.” Bezos has only tweeted twice since 2023, both times to praise Trump. Some of the president-elect’s opponents also sent messages of support: Mark Cuban congratulated Trump, saying, “You won fair and square.” Andrew Yang, a tech entrepreneur who ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said, “Defending democracy means accepting election results that don’t go your way. Congrats to Donald Trump—I hope that he brings people and the country together.”—HVL
Presented By Frontieras What’s hotter than burning coal? Not burning it. Frontieras’ patented technology is creating a clean way to transform coal into hydrogen and several other valuable byproducts. This is a $2.1t combined energy market opportunity . And here’s the big reason why you don’t want to miss it: If Frontieras can reach just 2% of the global coal market, there’s potential for a $1t valuation (about only eight companies in the world can claim that). They’ve already raised $7m from investors, and they’re opening a new facility in West Virginia very soon. Sounds like it’s time to join Frontieras as they bring their innovation across the country. Become a shareholder in the early stages while you still can .
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The world’s richest man is set up to have an incredibly fruitful four years. Elon Musk spent nearly $130 million through his political action committee (PAC) to help elect Donald Trump and other Republicans this election cycle. In return, Trump has promised him a seat at the table. The 2024 presidential campaign was the most expensive election in history, and no one showed up more than Musk, who formed his America PAC earlier this year and then publicly endorsed the GOP contender after he was shot at a Pennsylvania rally in July. With control of X, Musk was able to flood the social site with disinformation about popular Republican talking points like election fraud and immigration. The America PAC also funded Democrat impersonation campaigns on Facebook and through texts designed to target voters with messages that might persuade them to vote against Harris, according to 404 Media. How could Musk cash in? The biggest Musk win could come from the 47th president giving him unfettered access to regulatory bodies. Both Trump and Musk said during campaign stops that the tech mogul would be a government cost cutter in the second Trump administration. Without mentioning which specific departments he would trim funding for, Musk has promised he would cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Musk isn’t shy about advocating for his interests in Washington. He has said point blank that he would push to get autonomous vehicles on the road, a technology Tesla has invested heavily in. SpaceX already has government contracts worth more than $15 billion collectively, but Musk has complained a lot online about the Federal Aviation Administration’s limits on the company. He also owns X and Neuralink, which have received scrutiny from the FTC and the FDA, respectively. There may be trouble ahead. While Trump has promised to put heavy tariffs on China, Tesla relies on its Shanghai factory for a significant percentage of its EV deliveries, and the new levies would hurt the car company’s bottom line. But the tariffs could also obliterate Tesla’s cheaper Chinese EV rivals, like BYD.—MM
JPMorgan is suing customers over “infinite money glitch.” It turns out that banks don’t just let people steal money from ATMs. JPMorgan filed lawsuits in three federal courts against customers who allegedly took thousands of dollars from machines by depositing bad checks and withdrawing funds in an illegal loophole that went viral on TikTok earlier this year. One Houston, TX, man owes JPMorgan nearly $300,000, the bank said. Though the suits are civil, JPMorgan has referred cases to law enforcement and is still investigating thousands of other incidents across the US. The bank wants the stolen funds returned with interest. Google weathered a bumpy quarter to beat earnings estimates . Google parent Alphabet reported Q3 earnings yesterday, besting analyst forecasts with over $88 billion in revenue, which sent the stock up in after-hours trading. Google’s third quarter was full of challenges: It restructured teams to optimize for the AI race and faced multiple antitrust lawsuits, one of which found the company guilty of being an illegal search monopoly. But the tech giant appears no worse for wear thanks to increases in Cloud and YouTube ad revenue. In other earnings news, Chipotle missed expectations in its first report since CEO Brian Niccol defected to Starbucks. TGI Fridays closed dozens of stores ahead of rumored bankruptcy . Like many chain restaurants, the spot where your entire high school would get dinner before going to the movies on a Friday night is having a tough go of it. TGI Fridays abruptly closed ~50 locations this week, CNN reported, as the casual chain known for its endless apps reportedly weighs bankruptcy. Fridays had 270 locations in the US at the beginning of the year but is down to 164 today amid competition from lower-cost restaurants and a mounting pile of debt. Red Lobster, Buca di Beppo, and other formerly popular casual dining chains have already filed for bankruptcy this year as consumers shift their spending habits to save money.—AE
Super Micro, a leading hardware provider for Nvidia and other top AI players, is super flopping: The company’s stock buckled this week after announcing that auditor Ernst & Young resigned mid-job, worsening concerns about the accuracy of Super Micro’s finances. Past its peak? For a time, Super Micro rode the generative AI boom even harder than Nvidia. It spiked 2,000% in the two years leading up to March, when it made it to the S&P 500. Since then, its market cap has collapsed from a high of nearly $70 billion to below $20 billion—with about $10 billion of that loss happening this week after EY’s resignation. Charting the decline: Notorious short-seller Hindenburg Research alleged “accounting manipulation” at Super Micro in August, and the Wall Street Journal revealed a Justice Department probe into Super Micro in September. Roasted: This week, EY questioned Super Micro’s “integrity and ethical values,” according to an SEC filing. The firm said it couldn’t trust the company’s self-reporting and wasn’t willing to associate with Super Micro’s financial statements. Super Micro knocked the decision and said addressing EY’s concerns wouldn’t change any previously reported earnings. Looking ahead…the tech company has to file its overdue annual report by Nov. 16 or possibly get booted from the Nasdaq.—ML
The Board game of life and the pursuit of becoming financially debt free. M.B.D Contrary to everything you’ve ever heard about higher education, the cost of going to college is slowly dropping. While eye-watering sticker price increases at top schools have stolen headlines and triggered a cacophony of grumblings about “the state of things,” the actual price students pay to get a bachelor’s degree has gone down over the last decade, according to a report released last week from the College Board. The numbers: Once you factor in inflation and grants awarded to students, the average net cost of tuition and fees for an in-state freshman attending a four-year public university was $2,480 for the 2024–2025 school year—a 40% drop from $4,140 in 2014–2015. About half of the students who graduated last year finished their degrees without debt, compared to two-fifths of graduates in 2013. Private school tuition has declined by 12% in the last decade. The average net price for a year of private college post-financial aid awards was around $16,510 this year, compared to $18,680 during the school year beginning in 2014. What happened? With more colleges competing for a smaller pool of prospective students, schools have been forced to tamp down tuition. More state and federal funding flowing into universities following the 2008 financial crisis hasn’t hurt, either. Plus, many colleges got an extra Covid-era boost in funds. Still not cheap In an effort to avoid sounding like the Lucille Bluth banana meme , it’s important to note that, yes, college is still expensive. For every $1,000 spent by US households last year, $12 of it went to college tuition alone, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis. And these costs don’t include room and board or hidden costs like textbooks. Bottom line: The report is a (dim and maybe flickering) ray of light in the gloomy narrative of unaffordable higher ed.—MM
American voters have spoken and have selected their next president—now that the Republicans control the Senate, they are also controlling the house, the country’s powerful legislative chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, with big plans for American energy and policy changes for next year and beyond. GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said that his party would “probably” roll back the CHIPS and Science Act, a bipartisan 2022 law that has set aside $53 billion to companies producing semiconductors. Johnson, who made the comment in a central NY district that is receiving a new $100 billion Micron chip plant because of the law, walked it back and said the “CHIPS Act is not on the agenda for repeal.” No incoming president has taken office without their party’s control of the House and Senate since George H.W. Bush in 1989. And that’s allowed them to enact hallmark legislation early into their terms—for instance, former President Trump’s tax cuts in 2017 and President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.
Pensions were a touchstone of stable mid-20th-century employment, at a time when unions were strong and employers were eager to incentivize workers to stick around long enough to receive a company watch engraved with “for 30 years of service.” But starting in the 1970s, the government began tightening regulations around pensions to ensure that companies wouldn’t default on their obligations to retired employees. Meanwhile, businesses realized the costliness of guaranteeing lifetime retirement payments. In response, companies ditched pensions for 401(k)s, which rely on employee contributions often matched by the employer. This shifted the responsibilities and risks of retirement planning from employer to employee, but gave workers more flexibility as job hopping became the norm. 401(k) vs. pension There’s pros and cons to both. While pensions guarantee a steady income stream, payments sometimes aren’t indexed by inflation, which can erode their value over time. On the flip side, 401(k)s are subject to market fluctuations and require financial literacy. Plus, the plans are often unavailable to non-white collar employees, leading to more inequality. Is the status quo sustainable? BlackRock CEO and economist Larry Fink says no. He wrote to investors earlier this year, advocating for an overhaul of the retirement system to adapt to an aging America with longer life expectancies. He proposed bolstering retirement savings programs and floated the politically fraught idea of raising the retirement age.—
The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.
- Ludwig Von Mises