This week’s newsletter contains a juicy secret about investing this holiday season 🌲, a newsworthy story about the Bidens loan plan ❌, and Taylor’s tool for staying productive 🧠. Read more to get the priceless tea!
🤫Let’s fill you in on the secret
I’m sorry to say it, but if you haven’t invested yet, this holiday season is probably not the best time to start. The market has been volatile lately, and there’s no telling how long that’ll last. But even if you do choose to wait until after the holidays are over to invest, don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers! If you’re wondering how investing works or what kinds of things you should consider before making your first investment, read on.
Investing can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting out.
Investing can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting out. It’s a long-term process that requires discipline and patience. You’ll need to manage your emotions because there will be times when the market drops sharply (or rises too quickly). You may also find it difficult to know where to put your money or how much risk is appropriate for you.
The first step in investing is creating a plan and sticking with it through thick and thin. Start by thinking about what kind of investor you want to be: conservative, moderate, or aggressive. Do some research on different types of accounts available—IRA, 401(k), 529 college savings plan—and decide which one best fits your needs.
The easiest way to make your investment strategy a reality is to create a plan and stick to it.
The easiest way to make your investment strategy a reality is to create a plan and stick to it.
It’s important to have goals in mind before you begin investing so that your money goes towards something more than just making more money.
Make sure that the goals you set for yourself are realistic and attainable—and update them as needed.
Write down your goals and review them regularly, especially when things are going well or poorly. This will help keep you focused on what really matters instead of drifting off course because things aren’t going exactly according to plan at any given moment (which they never will).
Take advantage of company matches.
- Take advantage of company matches.
A 401(k) or an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) are both great ways to start investing on the cheap. If your employer offers a 401(k), it’s worth taking the time to understand how it works and whether you should participate. Two key factors will determine whether or not you should sign up: What kind of match does your employer offer, and what is their vesting schedule?
- Employers will sometimes “match” employee contributions with their own contributions as well, meaning that if you invest $100 in your 401(k), they may also contribute another $100 for a total investment of $200. This can be an incredibly valuable benefit for employees—but only if they use it correctly! It’s important not to leave money sitting in cash when there are other options available at higher returns, like index funds which get you exposure to a wide range of investments without any need for research or active management on your part.* The second factor is how much time it takes before this money becomes yours—some plans require employees to wait until they reach certain years before withdrawing anything from their accounts (this varies by plan).
Investing costs money, but using online tools like Acorn or Stash can get you started for as little as $5.
The first step is to get started. Investing costs money, but using online tools like Acorn or Stash can get you started for as little as $5. You’ll need to open an account and transfer your funds from your bank account before investing, but once that’s done, these platforms will make it easy for you to invest on a regular basis.
Don’t try to time the market.
One of the primary reasons why people don’t usually invest is because they think they can “time” the market. They think that if they wait to invest until the last minute when stocks are down, then they’ll make more money when they sell. This simply isn’t true—you’re often better off just investing regularly and consistently over time.
So this holiday season, 2022—don’t try to time the market; just invest regularly! It’s a great way to prepare for retirement (or even celebrate it).
Understand what you’re investing in.
Before you make any investment, it’s important to understand what you’re investing in. The more you know about the asset and how it fits into your overall portfolio, the better off you’ll be.
- Understand the risks and rewards of an asset (and whether they are right for your goals).
- Determine how an investment fits into your overall strategy, keeping in mind that different assets might have different risk-reward profiles.
- Think about how an investment compares to other investments in your portfolio: Is this one a good idea? Does this fit with what else I already own?
Diversification is key. If you need help devising a strategy, consider seeking out the advice of a professional financial advisor.
Diversification is key. If you need help devising a strategy, consider seeking out the advice of a professional financial advisor. You can also invest in Robo-advisors, which are computer-driven platforms that offer automated advice based on your goals and preferences. With Robo-advisors, you put money in and let the algorithm do its thing—it’s like having an investment buddy who will make recommendations based on your goals without any human interaction required! Sounds pretty neat!
If this sounds like too much work for now (and let’s be real: it probably is), don’t worry: A little bit of education goes a long way when it comes to investing in success. There are plenty of free resources online that can teach beginners about everything from diversification strategies to asset allocation models. The more knowledge you have about investing fundamentals, the better your chances at success!
Don’t wait until you feel ready. It’s easy to put off investing when you’re young because you don’t see it as a priority. But by investing early and often, even small amounts can turn into large sums over time thanks to compound interest.
Don’t wait until you feel ready. It’s easy to put off investing when you’re young because you don’t see it as a priority. But by investing early and often, even small amounts can turn into large sums over time thanks to compound interest. While it’s impossible to predict what the stock market will do in the coming years—and that should always be kept in mind when deciding on investments—some strategies may help mitigate volatility going forward and make your portfolio more stable:
- Diversify your portfolio by buying low-cost index funds through a Robo-advisor like Wealthfront or Betterment instead of individual stocks.
- Stay away from cash investments (like money market accounts), which pay below-market interest rates these days and offer little opportunity for growth over time.
- Investing is an ongoing process; don’t worry about trying to “catch up” later on down the road when your finances have improved
Don’t wait till retirement to start investing!
If you’re just starting to get your feet wet in the world of investing and are looking for a way to feel out the market, don’t wait till retirement. Start now!
No matter how much money you have saved up or what age you are, there is never a bad time to start investing. You may not be able to invest large amounts of capital when starting out, but it’s important that people start investing early on so they can build up their portfolios over time and gain experience in making smart investments. It takes time for stocks and other investments to grow into profitable enterprises; therefore, it’s crucial that investors begin investing when they’re young so they can maximize their gains over decades (or even centuries).
📰 In the news
In the 2020 campaign, one of Joe Biden’s signature pledges was to eliminate student debt for millions of Americans. The former vice president has said that if elected president, he would make it easier for graduates with federal loan obligations to get relief from their debt burden by issuing a “formal declaration” that would allow them to erase some or all of their student loans without any conditions or strings attached.
The Supreme Court appears to be poised to rule that President Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate student loan debt is illegal.
You may wonder why the court would rule against a plan to help millions of Americans, but experts say that the justices are likely looking at how the administration has tried to implement it.
If you haven’t heard, Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan was a cornerstone of his 2020 campaign. He promised that if elected president, he would eliminate all student loan debt for everyone in America who owes less than $200,000—currently around 53 million people—and make sure they weren’t taxed on those loans until they were paid off. If a borrower’s income went up after they had their debt canceled and they made more than $50,000 annually, Biden said that person would pay 15% on any amount above that threshold each year until all their debts were paid off (this includes interest).
But as you’re probably aware by now, this bold move isn’t possible for one reason: Congress doesn’t actually have the power to make such big changes like this on its own; only lawmakers can pass laws doing so. And since President Joe Biden doesn’t have congressional approval yet (though he does have support from some members), experts say his administration is likely going down another route altogether—one which could end up being illegal if passed through executive action alone without legislative backing too.
Removing student debt was a cornerstone of Biden’s 2020 campaign.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule that the plan is illegal. That could spell trouble for Biden’s 2020 campaign, which included student debt forgiveness as a cornerstone of his platform.
The administration has already explored other ways it might offer relief to borrowers. For example, the Department of Education could cancel some or all federal student loans for people who have been out of school for over ten years and have been making payments consistently since then—a group that would likely include many former students with large debts due to graduate school or medical training, according to Politico Pro’s Colin Wilhelm and Kimberly Hefling.
The administration is still exploring ways it can offer relief to borrowers, but canceling student loans on its own would likely be illegal.
The administration is still exploring ways it can offer relief to borrowers, but canceling student loans on its own would likely be illegal.
The administration could still offer relief to some students through parameters set out in laws already signed by Congress. Under the Borrower Defense to Repayment law, passed in 2018, students who have been defrauded by their colleges have a special process for discharging their loans. The Department of Education says it has received more than 4,000 applications from borrowers seeking debt forgiveness under this program. The department has not made any determinations yet about whether applicants are eligible for a loan discharge under the program because it is unclear whether the department has the authority to do so since it does not control the funds flowing into universities or colleges with which these individuals were allegedly defrauded.”
Several experts think the court will side with Trump administration lawyers, saying the president does not have the authority to cancel student debt without Congress’ approval.
Several experts think the court will side with Trump administration lawyers, saying the president does not have the authority to cancel student debt without Congress’ approval. The Department of Justice, which defended the Education Department’s actions in court, told Axios that it is still exploring ways it can offer relief to borrowers.
“The Supreme Court is likely to rule that the president does not have the authority to cancel student debt without Congress’ approval,” said CFPB Deputy Director Seth Frotman in an email statement. “But if they do rule in favor of [the Trump administration], then this could mean relief for millions who are struggling under huge debts.”
The Department of Justice defends the Education Department’s actions, arguing that presidents have done this for decades to benefit a targeted group of borrowers.
The Department of Justice defends the Education Department’s actions, arguing that presidents have done this for decades to benefit a targeted group of borrowers.
“The President has broad authority to modify student loan debt owed to the United States,” the DOJ told Business Insider in a statement. “For example, Presidents Reagan and Bush used this authority to cancel debt owed by students who were unable or unwilling to repay their loans.”
Student loan cancellation groups say eliminating student debt would help the economy by allowing people to spend more and boost their credit scores by removing delinquencies and defaults from their history, which could help them access lower interest rates on home or auto loans.
- “If you’re a buyer or someone who wants to buy a house or car, it’s good for your credit score,” said Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of Cappex.com and Fastweb.com.
- The more money you have in savings, the more likely lenders will be willing to give you credit at lower interest rates because they’ll be less worried about whether or not you can afford the payments.
The economy would also benefit from increased spending by those able to pay off their student loans thanks to higher salaries after graduating from college with less debt hanging over them.
The administration could still offer relief to some students through parameters set out in laws already signed by Congress, experts said. The law authorizing the pandemic relief efforts gives the secretary of education discretion to make changes to certain types of federal loans — including Perkins and TEACH grants — but it’s unclear whether that would include outright forgiveness.
The administration could still offer relief to some students through parameters set out in laws already signed by Congress, experts said. The law authorizing the pandemic relief efforts gives the secretary of education discretion to make changes to certain types of federal loans — including Perkins and TEACH grants — but it’s unclear whether that would include outright forgiveness.
It’s also unclear how much money would be available if the White House sought a way around the Supreme Court ruling.
🧰 This Week in Taylor’s Toolkit
Time management is a skill that is learned over time. For the past few months, it feels like I’ve been running 25-hour days. Recently, I got a productivity journal to help me find clarity and prioritize tasks. A productivity journal can be a powerful tool for making you more productive. It is a simple, easy-to-use journal that will help you track your day-to-day progress and set goals for improvement. It can help you stay focused and motivated so that you can work more efficiently and effectively. It also helps you to be more organized and productive by making sure that your tasks are in order and that nothing falls through the cracks.
❓ Ask the Expert
“I just got laid off and I don’t know what to do. I’ve been applying for jobs but no one getting back and I’m starting to run out of savings what should I do? Please help! ”
— Alisia
Hi Alisia, the first step is to take a breath – you are strong and will pull through now! Next, contact an unemployment lawyer to help you negotiate your severance package if it’s available to you. Once you do that you will want to reevaluate your budget at this time; are those subscriptions or services necessary? Now to find another job reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn with your résumé, and always utilize keywords that will pull through in a scan. And lastly, if you can, ask your family and friends for support.
Please feel free to ask another question, and I know you will get through this!
Your finance friend,
Taylor
