🧠 How my thinking towards money has evolved


Good morning to you Reader,

Did you know that the US dollar has lost 11% of its value in the first of 2025? (Source: Morningstar)

It's the worst half-year performance since 1991. So as you watch some assets go up in value (crypto, gold), recognize that a big part of that has to do with our dollars being worth 11% less than at the start of the year.

Yikes.

(View this email as a webpage)

📅 How my thinking about money has changed

I'm about to celebrate a birthday and I took a few minutes to think about how my approach to personal finance has changed over the last twenty-plus years.

I'm curious to hear how yours may have changed as you aged too.

👉 How my thinking about money has changed over 20 years (and what hasn't)

🎰 Are we in a jackpot age?

This post has a little bit of math but an important lesson - it's how we've become so enamored with jackpots (low probability events that result in massive wins) and the impact that has on society.

There's a little bit of math but it's correct and you can breeze past it if you'd like, the points are important to understand especially if AI concerns you.

(please reply and let me know what you think!)

👉 the jackpot age

💸 1 in 10 Americans are millionaires

I did not know it was that high!

And a thousand millionaires are added daily.

I was able to share my thoughts with AP reporter Matt Sedensky in his article on this subject.

👉 Who wants to be a millionaire?

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

Talk to you soon!

Jim

PS. Monarch Money is a popular budgeting and money management tool and for a limited time, you can get 50% off with the coupon code MONARCHVIP.

(see archive of previous emails)


You signed up for this newsletter via wallethacks.com

We respect you and your attention. If you no longer wish to get emails from us, you can unsubscribe and we will still be friends.

If you like sending gifts, we like getting them here - P.O Box 323, Fulton, MD 20759

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

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.

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

Good morning Reader, Remember Unclaimed Baggage? It's a store in Alabama that sells all the stuff that gets lost by the airlines. Last week, my wife ordered something from them and told me that they have a huge section of "new with tags" merchandise. Quick video recap of what it's about. We got a lot of new with tags clothes for the kids at a fraction of their regular price. They revamped the website and it looks amazing. If you haven't been in a while, check it out. (View this email as a...

Good morning to you Reader, The Federal Reserve opted to keep rates the same in their July FOMC meeting. If you peek at the CME Group's FedWatch tool, traders believe there's an 80%+ chance the Fed drops rates in the September meeting. With the poor job numbers last week and the unpredictable nature of these tariffs, the economy is looking a bit shakier. Traders are anticipating the Fed will have to make a move. If the Fed drops rates, interest rates across the board will fall too. If you...

Good day to you Reader, Thank goodness for emergency funds - our Bosch dishwasher showed the dreaded E:15 error (water leak) and despite my best efforts, it wasn't an easy fix (replace a diverter valve). A call to a technician and a few hundred bucks later, it was fixed. A $50 part = hundreds when you need a professional to diagnose and install it. Hopefully nothing else breaks for a few years! (View this email as a webpage) 📅 Beware the monthly trap Ever wonder why everything is sold as a...