Read Time: 4 min

Hey Reader,

2 weeks ago, I sent out a survey asking you what you thought of the new newsletter style, and I heard y'all loud and clear.

Many of you wanted a bit more detail and context with each money news story, so that's exactly what I'm going to do starting today.

Now that you're up to speed, let's go build some wealth.

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👀 What I'm Watching

Data from the CME shows investors think the odds of the Fed raising interest rates by the end of 2026 are around 20%.

1 month ago, data showed the odds of the Fed cutting rates by the end of 2026 were higher than 90%.

What's happening?

So for the past 2 years, the only question about the Fed was when they'd cut rates.

Now, there's a chance the opposite will happen because of the Iran War.

Gas prices jumped a full dollar per gallon this past month and it's causing everything else to get more expensive.

• Import prices just posted their biggest monthly jump since 2022.
• Grocery costs are climbing as shipping and fertilizer prices surge
• And all of this is piling on top of the Fed trying to get inflation back to their target 2% rate

So now the Fed is backed into a corner.

Earlier this week, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said 'I could see circumstances where we would need to raise rates if it was going a different way and inflation was getting out of control.'

No one knows for certain whether they'll raise interest rates but that doesn't really matter.

Because even the expectation of increased rates could spook banks and lenders and cause them to make changes.

Think of it like this: if there's a chance of a massive blizzard next week, you're not gonna wait until it's here to stock up on groceries. You do it today.

📝 The Breakdown

Here's how this impacts your money and wallet:

• Your money: If inflation goes up, the value of your money goes down
• Your credit card: The average credit card APR is around 21% right now. If the Fed raises rates, that number goes up. If you have credit card debt, that means you might owe more money every month.
• Your mortgage: If you've been waiting for rates to drop before buying a house... you might be waiting a lot longer.
• Your student loans: If you have student loans with a variable rate, then higher rates mean higher monthly payments.

✍️ Your Next Move

Here's what you need to do today:

1. If you have credit card debt

Right now, the average credit card charges about 21% interest.

At this rate, most of your monthly payment goes straight to interest and not to paying down what you actually owe which is how people end up stuck in the debt cycle.

But there's a strategy smart people use to break it.

Instead of juggling multiple high-interest credit cards, they replace them with one lower-interest personal loan.

Here's what that looks like:

• You take out one loan at a lower, fixed rate
• Use it to pay off your credit cards in one shot
• Now you've got one single payment

​Click here to see if you qualify (checking will not hurt your credit score)

It takes about two minutes to check your options. You'll instantly see whether you qualify and what your rate could be.

But remember, it only makes sense if you can get a lower fixed rate.

2. If you have cash and want a better alternative to a high-yield savings account:

If inflation goes up, your cash loses value.

Keeping your money in a HYSA is a great start but if you're looking to put your money to work somewhere else that:

1. Gives you a higher yield than most HYSAs
2. Is safe
3. Doesn't lock your money up
4. Isn't a hassle to manage

​Then check out this video for a better alternative.​

🗓️ Behind The Scenes

Here's a quick recap of what I was up to this past week:

• I got new glasses! One of the most underrated features for glasses is having clip on sunglasses... I'm not sure why this isn't more common but it's so convenient because you don't have to buy a separate pair of prescription sunglasses. Only glasses-wearers will understand.
• I found out this week that Benito (my puppy) can watch TV. I played a video with birds in it for him and he started lunging and licking the screen when the birds popped up.

✅ Cool Things From This Week

• Money Tip of the Week:Why waiting to invest until you have enough costs you thousands​
• ​If you've shipped anything internationally, FedEx or UPS may owe you money.​
• ​43% of workers want to switch careers but almost nobody is doing it. Here's why.​