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Hi, I'm Jim Wang and I share my strategies and tactics for managing your money and enjoying more out of life.

🐜 ANTs are marching!

Published about 2 hours ago • 3 min read

Good morning Reader!

The big financial news of the last week was Anthropic filing their S-1, which means their IPO will happen soon (ticker: ANT). The earliest it could happen is November 16th but I won't be lining up to buy shares. I'm working on a Youtube video how IPOs aren't as exciting as they are made out to be... anything specific you want me to discuss?

(full disclosure, several years ago I invested in a fund that got shares of Anthropic... buying at IPO isn't great, buying a few years before it can be)

Also last week, the Fed held rates steady. Not sure anyone noticed. Experts expect them to raise rates in the last meeting of 2026 though. 🤣

In related news, Series I bonds are sexy again. Series I bonds purchased now will have a fixed rate of 1.40% and a composite yield of 5.51% for the next six months. The 1.40% fixed rate is the highest it's been since November 2006.

Savers are benefiting from this rising rate environment and borrowers are feeling the pressure. If you have loans (especially variable rate loans), it may be a good time to consolidate and see if you can't get something more predictable - this could help.

💲 Best Bank Rates (as of 11/3):​
​

💰 High Yield Savings - 4.40% APY + $400 Bonus from SoFi​

🏛️ Short Term Treasury - VBIL 3.83%, VUSXX 3.88%, SGOV 3.79%

🏛️ I Bonds - 5.51% (Nov2026-Apr2027)

(Treasury interest is not subject to state/local taxes)

💵 Bank Bonuses - $1000 Raisin, 500 Bank of America, $800 from E*Trade, $450 US Bank, $200 Barclays, $400 SoFi & more (click here if you want to get emails of new bank offers)

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🏛️ Treasury Money Market Funds

Treasury money market funds are mutual funds that buy U.S. government debt, which makes the interest exempt from state and local taxes. If you live in a high tax state, it can mean huge tax savings.

In this video, I explain how it works, what to watch for (not all "Treasury" mutual funds are 100%), and other options. I also share this calculator to help you compare tax-equivalent yields.

NOTE: I use Vanguard as the primarily example because it's my main brokerage. You can find similar funds at Fidelity, Charles Schwab, etc. they all have them.

​👉 This Pays More Than Your High-Yield Savings Account​

(Click here if you want to be emailed when I put out a new Youtube video)

📺 Best Free Online Streaming Services

I just updated my guide to the best free streaming services for 2026, covering Tubi, Pluto TV and 20+ others, plus free options for kids, sports and local channels.

I also included the memberships, phone plans and credit cards that can get you paid services like Netflix and Disney+ for free.

If you want to cut your cable (or streaming services for a little bit), this list can help you replace them.

​👉 Best Free Online Steaming Services​

🗞️ Money Stuff I Found Interesting

Here are some interesting articles you may have missed:

💵 Good Deals If You Need Them

What did you think of today's email?​
✅ I Loved It! 🟨 It Was Okay ❌ Not My Favorite​

Talk to you soon!

Jim

PS. Oh, crypto platform Binance was hacked last week and thieves made off with $6.3 billion in crypto!!! 💀

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Hi, I'm Jim Wang and I share my strategies and tactics for managing your money and enjoying more out of life.

💵 Founder of WalletHacks.com

I have been writing about money for nearly 20 years and believe that personal finance is one of those subjects that is made complicated because it benefits a select few. Our aim is to help make it easier to understand so that regular folks can use what we teach to take control of their money and build wealth.

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