Reading up on personal-finance
100 deep · digging since nov 19, 25
- The ‘Do or Die’ Days - by A.M. Hickman
Author reflects on his creative block, financial windfall, and dilemma over investing in rural New York revitalization amid isolation, taxes, and community risk.
- They Divorced. Years Later, They Married Each Other Again.
A couple who divorced after 18 years remarried nearly two decades later, citing personal growth and renewed understanding as reasons for their second attempt.
- How to Find the Best Travel Deals Over Labor Day and Beyond
Last‑minute travelers can snag the best Labor Day and beyond deals by staying flexible with dates, destinations, and booking timing.
- How to Feed a Family for $28 a Day - NYT Cooking
The author shows that a family of three can eat home‑cooked meals for about $28 a day by planning meals, sticking to a list, repurposing leftovers, and choosing budget‑friendly ingredients.
- A Self-Help Influencer With Troubles of Her Own
While Nicole LePera has amassed a large following as a self-help influencer offering advice on emotional well-being and relationships, her personal life reveals a complex and troubled history.
- No More Sex, Flirting, Scrolling or Swiping
The author describes a personal retreat from social and digital intimacy, seeking solitude and self-protection by rejecting sex, flirting, scrolling, and swiping.
- Carry Wall Street in Your Pocket With These Free Apps
Google Finance and Apple's Stocks app have added new features to improve tracking of markets and investments.
- Groceries Are Expensive. Here’s How 5 Shoppers Are Adjusting.
Five shoppers across the U.S. are cutting back on groceries by switching to store brands, buying in bulk, meal planning, and reducing meat consumption due to sustained food inflation.
- Whatnot, the Live Shopping App Where Some People Bid Until They’re Broke - WSJ
A man's compulsive bidding on the live-shopping app Whatnot led him to spend $1.4 million in four months, depleting savings and credit, ultimately resulting in divorce.
- Gen Z Can’t Afford a First Date
In New York City, rising prices for dinner, drinks, and movies make first dates financially out of reach for many Gen Z adults, forcing them to seek cheaper alternatives.
- The Tax Strategy for People Suffering From Stock-Market Success
Investors with large unrealized stock gains can use tax‑loss harvesting or charitable giving strategies to realize liquidity without triggering immediate capital‑gains taxes.
- X Money officially launches in the US with Apple Wallet support after invite-only beta - 9to5Mac
X Money launches in the US for Premium and Premium+ subscribers, offering fee‑free P2P payments, a Visa debit card, Apple Wallet integration, and up to 6% APY.
- How to Choose a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home
Selecting a real estate agent who has recent local experience and asking probing questions leads to a better home sale outcome.
- Why Does This Jacket Cost $770? Because It Made Me a New Man.
The author explains that a $770 jacket transformed his self-image, revealing how premium clothing can drive men’s fashion obsession and personal reinvention.
- You’re About to Retire. What Are You Doing for the Next 20 or 30 Years?
Workers should prioritize figuring out how they want to spend their post‑retirement years over merely tracking savings balances, and consider meaningful activities that give purpose and fulfillment.
- 7 Useful AI Prompts for Understanding Your Spending
The article gives seven AI prompt templates for budgeting, debt, meal planning, retirement, savings, investing, and learning finance, and advises using Lunch Money to track spending.
- How a Family of 5 Lives on $46,000 a Year in Wakefield - The New York Times
Glennys Torres quit her teaching‑assistant job to start a Bronx daycare, aiming to lift her family from a $46k pre‑tax income to a sustainable business.
- The Podcasting Tech Investor Now Busy Hyping Trump Accounts - WSJ
Brad Gerstner, hedge‑fund manager and podcaster, champions Trump Accounts for children while highlighting his firm Altimeter’s strong returns and his crossover between Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Washington.
- Looking to Sell Your Home? Grab This Big Tax Break if You Can.
Sellers of a primary residence can exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples) of capital gains from taxes if they meet ownership and use tests.
- How to AI-Proof Your Fund Portfolio<!-- --> - Barron's
Barron's identifies five defensive sectors and 13 funds that can protect portfolios against overvaluation and concentration risk from the AI-driven tech rally.
- 6 Things That Drive Us Crazy About Money in America
The piece catalogs six frustrating aspects of the U.S. financial system, including complex tax forms and hidden fees, advocating for simplification.
- Is It Worth It to Build That A.D.U.?
Hiring an appraiser can clarify whether building an accessory dwelling unit adds enough property value to justify the cost, especially when selling.
- Elon Musk Becomes the World’s First Trillionaire
Elon Musk's net worth exceeded $1 trillion after SpaceX shares surged 20% on their first day of trading, making him the first trillionaire.
- Americans Aren’t Money Savvy, and They’re Only Getting Worse
According to researchers, Americans' financial savvy is worsening over time, and those with poor understanding of basic finances consistently make bad money decisions.
- What It Means for Elon Musk to Be Worth $1 Trillion - The New York Times
A visualization using physical dollar bills demonstrates the immense scale and purchasing power of a $1 trillion net worth.
- Social Security at Risk for Cuts by 2032, Unless Congress Acts
Social Security's trust fund will be depleted by 2032, leading to automatic 22% benefit cuts for 68 million Americans unless Congress acts.
- They Wanted to Upsize for Their Kids, but Could They Do It on the Upper West Side? - The New York Times
A couple with a $1.5 million budget searched for a larger Upper West Side apartment with extra bedrooms, office space, and a short commute to their children's school.
- How a Recent College Graduate Lives on $18 Per Hour in the East Bronx - The New York Times
A 20-year-old part-time worker in the East Bronx supports his family on $18/hour while navigating rent, bills, and future plans.
- Machine Learning Can’t Pick Winning Funds. But It Can Help You Avoid Losers
A replication study finds that machine learning cannot identify outperforming mutual funds, but can help avoid underperformers.
- The Art of Money Getting
Hacker News commenters debate whether P.T. Barnum's 1880 self-help advice on choosing the right work and being honest still applies to modern wealth-building, with some arguing today's richest succeed by exploiting debt and political power instead.
- After a Breakup, an American Started Fresh in Amsterdam - The New York Times
An American art curator, after a breakup, moved to Amsterdam with a $350,000 budget and toured studios in three neighborhoods.
- U.S. Debt Is Now Bigger Than the Economy. That’s Not the Real Problem.
The U.S. national debt exceeds GDP, but the real risk is rising interest costs that crowd out other spending and slow growth.
- Where Americans Have The Most Money Left After Expenses
Midwestern households keep roughly one-third of income after essentials and taxes, while residents of Hawaii and California retain as little as 9-11%.
- Her Life Savings Mysteriously Disappeared After a Systems Glitch
Fidelity Investments customer lost account access for five days due to a glitch that removed her contact info and hid her savings, though funds were never lost.
- OpenAI launches ChatGPT for personal finance, will let you connect bank accounts
OpenAI launches personal finance tools for ChatGPT Pro users, letting them connect bank accounts via Plaid for spending analysis and planning.
- In a City of Big Dreams, Many Young Adults See a Cloudy Future
Young adults in New York and other cities face bleak job markets, rising rents, and debt that delay traditional milestones like homeownership and marriage.
- Here Are the Top 250 Private Wealth Management Teams of 2026<!-- --> - Barron's
The richest 0.1% of U.S. households now control 14.5% of total wealth, up from 8.7% in 1990, driving growth in top wealth management teams.
- How to Invest in SpaceX With Funds Before It Goes Public<!-- --> - Barron's
SpaceX is reportedly planning an IPO, driving up the value of funds holding its private shares, but investors should be cautious.
- The Best Markets for First-Time Home Buyers
Zillow analysis finds that buying is an affordable alternative to renting for first-time home buyers in large U.S. metros like Detroit and Cleveland.
- Markets 101: How to Read Stock Indexes and Securities
The article explains how to read major U.S. stock indexes (Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500), the 10-year Treasury note, Bitcoin, and commodities like gold and oil.
- Drunk post: Things I've learned as a senior engineer (2021)
A senior engineer's drunken list of candid career advice criticizes interview processes, praises dynamic languages, and emphasizes documentation and financial planning.
- iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF – SGOV
iShares SGOV ETF seeks to track an index of U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities under three months, offering a 30-day SEC yield of 3.55% as of April 2026.
- The Complicated Financial Lives of Dentists, the Millionaires Next Door - WSJ
Dentists often have high incomes and valuable practices but face complex finances due to six-figure student debt and years of practice investment.
- The Hack That Turns Trump Accounts Into Multimillion-Dollar Tax-Free Nest Eggs - WSJ
Parents can contribute $5,000 yearly to Trump accounts for 18 years and convert them to Roth IRAs for tax-free multimillion-dollar nest eggs.
- How a Family of 3 Lives on $500,000 on the Upper West Side - The New York Times
A family earning $500,000 on the Upper West Side struggles to save for a larger apartment due to high day care costs and cost of living.
- My Friend’s Husband Is a Tax Deadbeat. Should I Tell the I.R.S.? - The New York Times
An advice column examines the ethical dilemma of whether to report a friend's husband, a public-school teacher, for tax evasion, weighing civic duty against personal loyalty.
- How Escape Rooms Helped Me Escape My Life - The New York Times
Escape rooms provided the author with a temporary escape from grief and a vision of a possible, okay future self.
- I’m a Small Landlord. What Can I Do About My Nonpaying Tenants? - The New York Times
Small landlords reliant on rent struggle with housing court's high costs and slow processes, often leaving them with few effective remedies for nonpaying tenants.
- Opinion | If the Economy Is Improving, Why Is Your Budget So Tight? Tell Us Your Story. - The New York Times
The piece argues that many middle-class Americans feel their budgets are tight despite macroeconomic improvements, and invites readers to share their stories.
- More People Are Living Alone. Here’s Where They’re Doing It. - The New York Times
More people are living alone, especially in expensive cities, making solo living considerably more costly than sharing a home.
- With No Time to Spare, They Traded a House in Austin for a Condo in Chicago - The New York Times
A family sold their Austin house and bought a Chicago condo for $900,000, testing affordability in three North Side neighborhoods.
- A Word to the Wise: Don’t Trust A.I. to File Your Taxes - The New York Times
The U.S. tax code's complexity makes AI tools unreliable for tax filing, despite advancements in the technology.
- How a Parks Worker Lives on $37,500 in Tompkinsville, Staten Island - The New York Times
A parks worker earning $37,500 moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island to afford a solo apartment but still lives on a tight budget.
- They Wanted a Two-Bedroom in Queens, With Room to Grow, for Less Than $400,000 - The New York Times
A newlywed couple searched co-ops in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, Queens, and found two-bedroom apartments under $400,000 to put down roots.
- Trump Proposed a New Retirement Plan for With Up to a $1,000 Match. What to Know. - The New York Times
A proposed retirement plan would match up to $1,000 per year for low- and middle-income workers without employer plans, with probable income restrictions.
- With a Payout, She Left San Francisco Behind and Moved Back Home - The New York Times
A woman used a payout to leave San Francisco and return to Chico, Calif., where her extended family welcomed her.
- How a Family of 4 Lives on $168,000 in East Elmhurst, Queens - The New York Times
A family of four in East Elmhurst, Queens, manages on $168,000 annually with help from a kind landlord and family babysitting, prioritizing one major vacation per year.
- Why More Couples Are Choosing to Live With Roommates - The New York Times
Record-high housing costs are driving more couples to share living space with roommates to ease financial burdens, per a New York Times report.
- Crises Everywhere, but the Markets Don’t Seem to Mind - The New York Times
Despite worldwide disorder, stock markets have prospered, leading an economist to advise investors to 'keep calm and carry on'.
- Americans With Higher Incomes Are Starting to Fall Behind on Payments - WSJ
Financial stress is spreading to higher-income Americans as they fall behind on mortgage and credit-card payments, according to credit-counseling agencies.
- 5 Conversations to Have With Your Aging Parents - The New York Times
Proactive conversations with aging parents about care, finances, and wishes lead to better outcomes and reduced family stress.
- Feeling ‘Amateur’ at Retirement Planning, They Asked A.I. for Help - The New York Times
More people are turning to AI chatbots for high-stakes retirement planning advice, often as a preliminary step before consulting human advisors.
Takes
He made enough to buy the latest MacBook Pro M5 full specs 💻✅ 37K visitors in 2 days btw https://trustmrr.com/startup/brandmymac
@marclou
health insurance is instant depression juice. have looked at cost-sharing plans (@JoinCrowdHealth, etc) but they all have pre-existing condition lockouts that make them a no-go for our family.
@Shpigford
If I were in my 35s or 45s right now and wanted to leverage AI to retire within 8-10 years, here's what I'd do: 1/ Immediately form an LLC company. Not next month. Not once you're 'ready.' This week.
@ethancoder0
If you have a Costco membership and own your home - this link is about to save you some money: https://www.costco.com/f/-/services
@BillDA
A very fun exercise is to export all your bank accounts (as CSV) both personal and business and stock broker And dump it all into Claude Code and ask it to make a little dashboard showing your spending It's hard to know how much you actually spend over lots of accounts so this can help you understand that You'll spend some time merging transactions (like company names change or their statement label changes), and categorizing, you can just do this by talking to Claude Code btw very easy, I also hooked it up to @xai Grok so it can use that to categorize mass transactions (very cheap) The best part isn't the dashboard it makes but that once you have all the data collected, you can ask Claude Code lots of questions directly about your finances and learn stuff, like I learned: - I was paying for some subscriptions for 2 years I forgot about ($$$) - My US stocks charge me withholding tax (30%) on dividends, which I knew but never realized how much $$$ it was (which is why non-US citizens should buy UCITS ETFs not US stocks!) - My pool remodeling was ridiculously expensive compared to the rest of the home remodeling and we got fleeced hard (that's life!), then the pool company caused a €9000 water leak that they won't pay (funny) - I spent $400K on domains over the years, I should probably stop spending money on them, it's an addiction @marckohlbrugge gave me and it's way more than my gf's shopping - My biggest monthly cost by far is AI at about $24K/month in GPU costs for Photo AI, but that's just how it is, I already got the cheapest rates possible, AI is pricey! - My 2nd biggest cost is taxes, who would have thought??? - Travel is quite expensive, flying business class, getting nice hotels and regularly traveling adds up a lot! - My business costs without AI (!) are extremely low, about $5K/month on revenue which is about 98% profit margin (!), with AI it goes up to $28K/mo or about 86% profit margin (still good!) - Lawyers become quite an expense in this part of my life, you buy a house you pay a lawyer and notary, you register trademarks for your business you pay a lawyer, but they're a great thing to spend money on I think because they protect you from losing much more money than they cost! - I started spending much more money since 2022 because of AI costs but also making much more money because of AI, so it's good - My spending has remained remarkably consistent as a percentage of my net worth at "just" 5%/year, which is close to FIRE which is always my goal (don't spend over 3%/year of your net worth), in my case it's different cause I actually have company income, so it's more of a fun goal to be responsible with my money - Around 2024 my life definitely switched from barely spending money and living as a digital nomad to buying a house and spending on that a lot, I knew a house was a money pit, but it's also a nice money pit and it helps me sleep better (great AC and bedroom), live healthier (home gym), and work better (coworking), so it's worth it - I barely have any personal subscriptions except Netflix, YouTube and Spotify, I asked it to built a "Recurring subscriptions" box too so I can see what subs I have and cancel them Try it!
@levelsio
I got early access to Grok Bot and I'm hooked. I haven't been this excited about a new AI product in a while. It's like OpenClaw, but super easy, reliable, and less scary to use. I think this will be a huge new product line for Cursor/Grok/SpaceX. I've already found so many ways to use it that have meaningfully made my life better: 1. Matchmaking people looking for jobs with companies who are hiring (see below) 2. Auto-replying to support emails (saves me hours!) 3. Scanning my credit card statements and finding recurring subscriptions to cancel 4. Sending me (really good!) briefs for upcoming podcast guests See below for my actual set of agents that I've been using and chat with daily. Great work on this team Grok Bot. (I'm not an investor in this, nor do I have any ties to this product/company. I'm just a fan!)
@lennysan
🚨 BREAKING: Claude can now map out your retirement better than most people charging $3,000 ever will. Here are 6 prompts to figure out exactly when and how you can retire. (Save this before it disappears).
@Ambrose0_X
I just reserved my Cloudflare Wallet tag: http://nickgray.cloudflare.pay Reserve yours now at http://cloudflare.pay
@nickgraynews
This year is my 10th year as an entrepreneur. 10 random facts and thoughts: - It took me 2 years to make $1 - 88% of my projects failed - You never know when it’ll work - Once it works, everything is easier - Understand momentum. Ride the waves. - Product market fit, or No - It's a lonely journey - Doing is better than thinking - Failing is better than thinking - Sleep 8 hours. Exercise for 1 hour
@marclou
It might be because you're already rich You lose a bit of the (literal) hunger when you're not broke anymore and it changes your biology You could artificially constrain your money so you live like a broke guy and can only spend money you make from your new businesses Hard to do in practice with gf/wife and kids etc But you could do it on some micro scale like make a virtual bank account on Revolut or whatever, then every month put in an amount of money the same as you make on your new project's Stripe (only the profit of course) That might trick your brain into being incentivized
@levelsio
i make $40,000/month with my solo online business my friends @marclou, @levelsio, @robj3d3 all make a ton of money also from the internet but we almost all work in our own ways… different working hours, different goals, different people… so this is how i work
@jackfriks
i would have never bought this monitor if it wasn't a business expense
@jackfriks
If I were in my 30s or 40s right now and wanted to leverage AI to retire within 10 years, here's what I'd do: 1. Immediately form an LLC company. Not next month. Not once you're 'ready.' This week.
@TedCruz1072676
30 year treasury yield is now 5.3% I can buy $1 million of these bonds Get $53k/year and pay $0 in state tax Every single year for 30 straight years Then get my full $1 million back after My annual expenses are $50k/year Why wouldn’t I do this and retire? 😳
@BarbellFi
I recently learned it's common among wealthy people to use concierge doctors who don't accept insurance (more time with doctor, specialized care, etc) and just get insurance with a really high deductible to cover crazy expensive emergencies
@lindaxie
Some of my personal finance rules: 1. most all money goes into index funds. virtually 0 stock picking. 2. stick to a monthly budget 3. meet monthly with spouse to review past spending, discuss if we're happy/not about it, any changes we want 4. try to be intentional about stuff i buy. spend on hobbies that i love, buy stuff that lasts, not disposable amazon junk. 5. assume my private company is worth very little or nothing 6. wanted to maxmize time i can spend without income. very conservative. (even though i know i'll keep working). used to have a sheet that counted the months/years. 7. every month, deposit money into index funds. 8. spend little on things that don't bring joy (luxury clothes, owning a home, jewlery, nice hotels) and a lot of stuff that does (weekly cleaner, nice apartment, eBay clothes, services around the house, trainer) 9. tip a lot 10. say no to most all investments 11. remind myself that money's a tool to help get to the end game, not the end game. 12. don't let money be the number 1, 2, 3 reason to do a project. Not for everyone, but these rules help me sleep like a baby.
@thesamparr
Co-sign.
@pmarca
This is really clever. https://www.ayush.digital/blog/the-memory-heist
@steipete
I built myself a TUI portfolio tracker and I think I'm love 💕
@bdc
To All the Folks Who Are About to Be Rich
@joulee
Filed my taxes for free with the IRS using Free File Fillable Forms 🇺🇸 Cost of filing my taxes last year: $7,000 Cost of filing my federal taxes this year: $0
@shl
I feel compelled to remind you : If you buy one Bitcoin at $126,000 And it goes to $89,000 You can sell it And buy it back 6 seconds later You still have the same one Bitcoin But you can realize a capital loss of $37,000 for tax purposes
@GoingParabolic
I'm a financial planner that works with the wealthiest 1% of people in their 30s and 40s I wish everyone understood these 10 critical lessons about finance:
@TKopelman
Our real estate agent sold their home for $580,000 in 2025. They paid $355,000 for it back in 2018. They paid 0% capital gains tax on that $225,000 gain. Because, Real estate 🏡
@theficouple
@Stammy So happy you’re enjoying! Yes this is painful. TL;DR No tax lots from Plaid. Financial institutions don’t make this easy to get it. On our radar to improve. @zachperret let’s figure this out!
@ebloch
A preview for Pro users: a new personal finance experience in ChatGPT. Pro users in the U.S. can securely connect financial accounts, see where their money is going, and ask questions based on the information they choose to connect. Your full financial picture, now in ChatGPT.
@ChatGPTapp
I replaced my financial advisor with Claude - and no, that's not clickbait. Claude now operates as my personal CFO - and it's the best thing I've done for my finances in years. It's trained like a McKinsey-level analyst, using all my financial data. Steal the full setup:
@milesdeutscher
Genuinely feel for those who haven't invested in stocks. Just wow.
@UltraLinx
The Patient Capital of Recognizing People
@richzou
As a millionaire, I don't invest in the S&P 500 because… The richest people in America do the opposite. When I worked at JP Morgan… I saw exactly how the top 1% manage their money. Here’s what they do (& how you can too):
@benkellyone
YouTube: https://youtu.be/cWntNpgDCZk?si=Q8o4KwAn1PSgqFRD Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7y4nuzFt25nVC4MQMR4aKo?si=cad59429de3540a9 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/howard-marks-79-years-of-investing-wisdom-in-55-minutes/id1469759170?i=1000723091838
@myfirstmilpod
I’ve been on CrowdHealth for 5 months. I just don’t want to deal with the insurance companies anymore on principle. The cost savings are just a bonus.
@dvassallo
If I were in my 40s & wanted to retire in the next 10 years, here's exactly what I'd do: 1. Start an LLC before the week is over. Not next month. Not after you "research more." This week.
@gedamtekle
Roth IRA contribution limit = $7,500 Mega Backdoor Roth contribution limit = $47,500 I recently did my first Mega Backdoor Roth converting $63K (from multiple years) from my after-tax 401k to a Roth IRA Here's how it works:
@iamcoriarnold
Introducing: Brew Markets It's our daily newsletter that helps you make sense of markets and the investing landscape. Sign up: https://www.morningbrew.com/brew-markets/subscribe?utm_campaign=bm&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mb
@brewmarkets
If you’re making over $250k/yr Retire your wife immediately Not so she can do yoga and Pilates all day But so she can become the family real estate professional With the real estate professional status on your tax returns You’ll be able to claim enormous tax deductions from buying real estate Have your wife quit her job And you’ll secure generational wealth from buying tax deductible, cash flowing real estate My life changed forever when I had my wife quit her corporate job and we started buying a ton of section 8 rental properties Running this playbook till I’m blue in the face
@andyantiles_
All the tax savings I got from using a s-corp went to my accountant.
@dvassallo
I quit my job in May 2024, almost two years ago. I've spent $143k of savings, trying to make this work. Last month was the first time my bank balance didn't drop. LFG
@GregorySchier