📈Money Moves

If there’s one thing I’m noticing more of across NYC over the past few years, it’s an abundance of furry friends! Since Manhattan is one of the loneliest places on earth, a dog as a best friend is needed more than ever. Although the Big Apple is a concrete jungle, ironically, it’s not designed for

Anytime I hear about fancy derivative products, packaged securities, or borrowing against equity, I picture the Great Financial Crisis of 08. Although I was only 8 at the time, 2020 was a sudden reminder of what it could’ve been like. Although the housing market today is much more structurally sound and resilient with safeguards put

If rampant inflation for the past year has told us anything, its that consumers are flush with cash and ready to spend like it’s 1999!  Even though I was born in the dot-com era of 2000, I’m sure it was as wild especially since Black Friday, lockdowns, and online shopping weren’t around back then.  The

Historically, every 8 to 10 years a recession tends to hit the U.S. economy, and one notable indicator has come to proceed each one for the past 40+ years; a steep treasury yield curve inversion. Today is no exception and with months-long looming Fed-induced recession fears across the street, strategists are pontificating if the economy

It’s been a hard year on various fronts, particularly for employees in certain industries and businesses as they grapple with record 75 bp rate hikes for months now which makes everything more expensive across the board.  Fortunately, the Fed won’t hike forever, and hopefully, sooner than later they can engineer a soft landing and launch

As we head into the final stretch of the year, taxes are already on millions of Americans’ minds. In fact, the day after tax season is over, it’s never too early to begin filing for the following year. It’s arguably the most important duty an American citizen must keep tabs on. Whether you’re a self-employed

There’s nothing more frightening than seeing your favorite staple goods such as Tootsie Rolls or Snickers go up in price over time, especially when they set the foundation for spooky traditions that never seem to go out of style. For better or for worse, we all need some sweet treats in our lives. Health =

What’s hotter than eating hot Cheetos in the summer in the Sun Belt?  Rampant inflation! It’s hard to cool down here!  Unlike in other parts of the country which have seen on average ~40yr high inflation according to September’s disappointing CPI report, the South has been hit hard not only by brutal hurricanes with strong

When cheap borrowing is prevalent, unicorns, leprechauns, and coincidentally zombies start arising, just in time for it all to crash and burn! WELCOME TO THE CLASSIC FAIRYTALE. Spoiler alert, they never exist!  That’s actually good news since it means bad times never last forever either!  As a reference, bear markets on average last a year. 

The economy can reveal a great deal about where the not-so-distant consumer sentiment trends are headed and how thick Americans’ wallets really are. Since the real estate market lags behind the broader stock market universe by a couple of months, economic indicators are a useful guide to detecting where supply/demand levels will end up for

With rising mortgage rates reaching highs near 7% not seen since the Great Financial Crisis and loan applications plummeting to a decade low, this is an advantageous time for cashed-up first-time homebuyers looking to scoop up a deal in this muted frenzied frothy market and to be able to finally lock in a deal before

Real estate is a non-fungible physical tangible scarce asset. The beauty about real estate is that although it requires a substantial amount of capital and time upfront, down the line, it is made for those who are more risk-averse (not risk-takers) and generates an unexpected inflationary-proof return if you’re patient enough. What’s ironic is that

As an investor and consumer in this hyper-competitive fast-paced inflated world, the easiest choice is to stay complacent and do nothing. After all, if you do nothing, no one will ever say anything, however, is that a choice your future self will be proud of down the line? I didn’t think so. As a result,

The old lousy adage, “The rich get richer, as the poorer get poorer “ may not be the case anymore. Welcome to 2022, where “the richer get eaten, as the poor get snackin”, for now… With the top 1%’s billionaires shedding a collective $50 billion+ this year alone due to the market’s sell-off, crypto plunging,

As the Fed prepares to have its FOMC meeting on the 21st-22nd of Sept and is expected to raise the FFR by a historic 75–100 bps to curb rampant 40-yr high inflation, spending, and borrowing, we must wonder if this delayed hawkish move and additional rate hike will really be able to engineer a soft

When the beach house isn’t enough and the commute sucks, heading South for top-income earners not only for winter break is a no-brainer.  However for those who will have to welcome them year-round now, almost everything from food to gas skyrockets, evictions and delinquencies rise, and current homeowners are priced out, all due to the

Although carrying any type of debt is worse than not owing anything, in this high inflationary environment, paying off debt shouldn’t feel as painful.  Given inflation eats up our purchasing power, the quicker you can pay off your dues and refinance today, the easier your life will be tomorrow. Historically speaking, although it may not

With home affordability levels not seen this low since ’89 according to the WSJ, many potential homebuyers have been priced out of the market since the home buying spree of 2020 and there seems to be little room in sight for negotiation. Luckily, with higher mortgage rates comes a cooling of inventory and supply, alleviating

No matter what the haters say, cash will forever be king. Although there’s a bull market somewhere, it might feel impossible to spot so buckle up and stash that cash before it’s too late. Luckily with July’s CPI reading lower than expected at 8.5% due to lower gas and food prices, there are hopeful signs

Despite fears of a recession hovering around 40% as of August 2022, the Fed, Washington, and Wall Street don’t seem to want to acknowledge any signs of it and they may not need to! Luckily at the moment there’s not much evidence of the economy faltering or consumers falling behind given the job market is

Without tying yourself to a specific class or income bracket, it’s important to appreciate where you are now and already how far you’ve come. If you’re paying your dues to Uncle Sam, although it may be frustrating to hear how much billion-dollar corporations hide their money in tax shelters in the Bahamas to avoid paying

Real estate has always been one of my all-time favorite asset classes for a handful of reasons and to no surprise it’s one of the top performing investments year to date thanks to 41-year high inflation!  If you want to follow the top 1% or above, the best holding period for real estate would be

Before generating any passive income through physical real estate you plan on maintaining and treating as your appreciating child for the next few years, it is recommended to first understand what the property you plan on earning a considerable amount of income from involves. As a shareholder, no matter how many shares of Tesla you

As a lifelong New Yorker, NYU student, resident, and employee of the city, at age 21, I’ve made my way across the whole island dozens of times at this point and have unpacked every nook and cranny there is to know about this vibrant overpriced place. And it never gets old. If there’s a trend

With Manhattan median rents officially topping $4k, I’m shocked to hear one of the most expensive cities in the US, pricier than what one would bargain per sqft for in Manhattan, is seeing its rents shockingly decline to lower levels than when Covid first hit in 1Q 2020. With income levels averaging $150k+ per individual

With newly minted public crypto unicorns laying off a good chunk of their staff to various coins plunging to more than half of their value since last summer, this over-leveraged correlated asset class should expect a bumpy or possibly unseen road ahead. When working at a startup, it’s best to keep one eye open at

As a newly minted landlord for over 2+ years now, I can confidently say it still feels like a full-time job.  Naturally, as a female, I gravitate towards putting others’ needs first before my own which leads me to be a control freak when it comes to my precious real estate.  After all, it is

According to CNBC and Statista, 57% of Americans didn’t pay federal income tax in 2021. Initially, you may be thinking that number sounds inaccurate given the lack of business acumen and financial logic Americans have; however when you evaluate the breakdown of the variety of income sources available today, the immense opportunities out there in

Unlike any other activity, one of the most ironic things about investing is that no matter how much experience you may have, whether it be as a past stellar hedge fund manager or a top-rated portfolio manager in Florida with an unbelievable track record, the market doesn’t care. Every day is a new day in

With ballooning asset prices and record valuations for all kinds of real estate since the start of the pandemic, home prices have skyrocketed to unforeseen levels pricing out well-established eager buyers. Through peak and trough, this superior asset class is hailed as one of the safest investments of all time, especially in this tanking market.

Sometimes the slowest way is the fastest. Allowing breathing room for your investments to grow is designed to work for you, not defeat you. After all, in life, time is the best healer and sooner or later, any downturn from the past will be erased. Even though the current drastic sell-off in the market can

Those reading are NOT typical Americans. You are taking charge of your financial health and because of that, hopefully, your savings rates, investment balance, and annual income have grown exponentially since the pandemic. Not to mention double-digit home growth in several hot spots. Now you deserve to revenge spend a little and at this moment

Retirement – a time to do absolutely nothing or splurge on anything you’ve always wanted to may not be so fun after all especially as costs eat into purchasing power more than ever before. With virtually everything costing almost 9% more than a year ago, except Jack Dorsey’s first Tweet, some retirees are so desperate

When you think of the most ideal tax-advantageous strategies to legally pay the least amount in taxes, without spending hundreds of thousands of hours and trust money on lawyers, accountants, tax attorneys, etc., owning any kind of business will forever be a top contender and make your life easier when it comes to tax season.

What a surprise! After all this time bickering and obsessing over every nook and cranny of Twitter, last Monday Elon has finally become the largest shareholder of his favorite social media platform! It’s pretty impressive to see billionaires spend so much time on social media and still get 10x more done than the average person. 

2021 was a banner year. All sorts of records were closed. Did you close any? Whichever way, I thought so. After the market’s brief ~35% correction from Feb to March 2020, stocks, or shall I say, stonks (memified version) blasted to the moon! In terms of economic growth last year, growth hasn’t been this stellar

A genuine rich life doesn’t have to cost a lot. Oftentimes the cost isn’t monetary anyway. Anytime you cut corners and slip into the easy short-term instant gratification comfortable route, you must expect less in the end. Life rewards those who are willing to do whatever it takes. The best investment will always be in

Believe it or not, not everyone is David Dobrik or even younger, Emma Chamberlain or Charlie D’Amelio, who earn millions from social media, YouTube, and various one-hit-wonder ventures that directly came out of a following. Success begets success. You only need to get it right once to catapult yourself but to sustain it requires an

Luckily real estate is one of the few sectors that benefits from rising rate hikes.  As rents rise, home prices ride along the wave of inflation offering utility acting as a hedge. Plus mortgage rates are influenced by the 10-yr Treasury bond yield so the Fed’s rate-hike cycle won’t have a drastic effect.  In this

My rule of thumb is to never have more than 20% of your capital or net worth in 1 investment or asset class. If you do, expect to become toast. Eventually. Just like there should never be a need for someone to pressure you to spend money, there should be absolutely no reason, no matter

Never thought that not having enough hours to work would be a problem but here we are! Although 4 hour work weeks seem nice, they can get boring quick if you’re unwilling to become uncomfortable and grow additional passive income streams. My fellow colleagues in college are facing a good problem. They have too many

40% of homes in the U.S. are selling above asking price, rents are through the roof in coastal cities, and offices are slowly filling up. This all comes to show that this is certainly not a buyers market. A balanced market is considered to have around six months of supply. Although we’ve been hovering in

Those who are least protected with fewer assets need to tackle their financial means more seriously. These are the people who cannot afford to wait. On the other hand, those who spend hundreds of thousands on lawyers, accountants, services, consultants, fiduciaries, and supervisors don’t have nearly as much pressure yet still prioritize this seemingly boring

Don’t edible spoons, chopsticks, plates, bowls, and cups sound delicious, better than the actual meal? The full-fledged edible-packaging revolution aimed at reducing single-use containers and plastic waste is here to stay! (A peaceful one)  If we can’t stop eating, at least we shouldn’t waste our pastic utensils and cutlery no more! I never thought I

During a low-interest-rate environment and high inflationary times, capital preservation assets such as cash and liquid securities do poorly since they end up having negative real interest rates. Despite the poor purchasing power, this is also an opportune time to pay off debt faster and lock in an attractive mortgage rate before they inch higher.

When Covid hit in March 2020, Manhattan elites and Upper East and West side city dwellers drove the exodus out of NY and fled to their Great Gatsby mansions in Long Island and hammocks in Long Beach.  If you can’t get away from property and state taxes, at least find a better view! Now they

The number one thing people will never complain about is that they could use more money. The number one thing people will never complain about or blame when they have too much money is money. The obvious reason for attaining more is fewer problems and more bliss yet behind the vast amount tends to be

One of the greatest things about investing is that no matter your prior experience, track record, performance, or stellar on-the-ball predictions, everything can and most likely will go out the window in the future. It won’t matter. The markets aren’t a formula or have 1 solution. They are unpredictable. As investors, we all sign up

Prior to the pandemic, I had been experimenting with this question for a few years until remote work became the norm and my hypothesis flipped on its head! If you are provided the luxury to skip out on the commute, ~30 min Sweetgreen lunch line, and WFH all day, every day instead, you don’t have

The most powerful force in the markets is compounded returns. Through the dollar-cost-averaging (DCA) approach which entails depositing a reasonable amount of funds in incremental amounts into your portfolio, you are more likely to earn a higher percentage in your portfolio over time than dumping a lump sum inheritance or lottery win once in a

Let’s flashback to a year ago. A great deal of Gen Zers and Millennials who were bored, exhausted, and online 24/7 took advantage of their stimulus checks, and the low-interest-rate environment easily and supported themselves better financially in 2021.  Their investment returns may have even surpassed a couple years of potential postgraduate earnings and paid

Consumers are STILL spending like there’s no tomorrow. We thought the buying spree was a quick fad once vaccines rolled out and cases slumped but now it’s gotten quite ridiculous. How much could one possibly buy? After a couple of beach homes, cars, MacBooks, furniture, the next stop are investments — the best financial decision one could

Some say EVs should be completely free and others say they are destroying the planet and consumers’ pockets even more. Sadly in this capitalistic society, EVs won’t become free and certainly aren’t disappearing with the reliance on one powerful entrepreneur charging the way. No pun intended. The stock market, environment, and Elon wouldn’t approve either.

Sadly during a deadly pandemic, the rich got richer and the poorer got poorer.  Is covid discriminatory? Yes and no.  Now the top 1% own over 50% of the nation’s wealth while the bottom 90% own less than 10%. Despite America being the wealthiest nation in the world, this money is not evenly distributed. The

Although many oppose gift cards as a gift, I truly don’t mind. It’s the thought that counts. It’s certainly better than receiving a present I end up returning. Surprises aren’t my style. Practicality and frugalism are. Although gift cards may seem sad and meaningless, it’s free cash that must be spent! As long as it’s

Although risk-free U.S. government securities don’t sound like a worthwhile juicy returnable investment in a low-interest-rate environment, they may be more enticing than you think especially as inflation is nearing record highs in nearly 40 years! There are a variety of treasury securities to choose from and one of the advantages to owning them is

Beach home? Doggie? Range Rover? Crockpot? We’ve all purchased something we thought would be handy in lockdown but at this point, we are over it. Alongside inflation bitting us, millions are now dealing with the financial, mental, and physical impact of their pandemic splurges! These splurges aren’t as easy as unsubscribing from one out of

The stealth wealth revolution is back! As a lifelong New Yorker, I’ve seen distinct changes in the ways residents and even tourists present themselves. Although tourists will always be recognizable. Living below your means and not showing off is not only a guaranteed way to seem more friendly and approachable, but it makes your personal

As a personal finance blogger and mentor, I’m always intrigued by investors’ and everyday people’s habits, especially students. They have the most hilarious excuses on why something was a ‘great deal’! Lately, I’ve been hearing many have massive regret over their abrupt pandemic purchases. You’re not alone. Over 64% of millennials alone have regrets about

I don’t know about you but prior to 2021, I haven’t heard of half of these terms that have taken the investment world by storm. Ryan Serhant, luxury real estate realtor and owner of Serhant predicts in 5 years 50% of real estate sales will be transacted through crypto and digital real estate will be

As a student, part of my mission in college is to meet as many students, professors, alumni, staff, etc. as possible and be immersed in everything. I believe there’s no better place to have this mindset than in NYC. NYU is one of the most diverse schools with the most unique campuses and it would

This year everyone’s holiday wish is to be able to intelligently discuss crypto and actually make sense. We’ve all heard of it but still cannot figure it out. After all, the best way to confirm you know something is to tell your family of all ages. When you can explain it to a toddler in

What’s certain is uncertainty. Part of investing requires becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. ALWAYS. You cannot build true wealth without stepping out of your comfort zone. “Risk whatever you’re willing to loose” is a classic slogan to remember. Without it, there’s no exchange. You must get used to it and the best way to do

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! In the market’s case, it already surpassed its record highs and proven analysts’ predictions to be way off roughly a year and a half ago so by now, investors couldn’t be more eager to close out the year. December is a time investors have the most pent-up

Fighting climate change, eradicating hunger, demolishing poverty, and breaking the gender, pay, racial, wealth, you name it gaps won’t get resolved overnight, let alone in a lifetime. Many investors are in a toss-up. Dependent on your generation, you either love or hate value minded funds. Traditional investing seems to only focus on generating the biggest

In the short-run, grossing a high net-income per year would be preferred.  More deposited in one’s pocket per year, the easier it is for them to use it to their liking. The only problem is, net-income from an employer isn’t guaranteed to last or be as grand in subsequent years. Most people don’t even pay