Hello, my dear community! If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that (almost) every morning, I share a page from two books I am reading during my morning routine.

As some of you might know, I now have a newborn, and my mornings don’t always look the same. Thankfully, we usually have a pretty good routine, but some days are unpredictable.

Reading a chapter from these inspirational books each day is something I look forward to and helps me get a sense of calm.

Jesus Calling

by: By Sarah Young

In addition to daily inspirational messages from the author, “Jesus Now” incorporates powerful passages from the bible.

The Little Book of Daily Sunshine

by: Clare Josa

This book (“Daily Sunshine”), is more about sharing inspirational messages to help us start the day on the right footing.

And that’s all, folks! Let me know if you end up checking these out or if you have your own morning ritual books you would recommend :). Share in the comments.

Cheers to health & profits!
Mabel

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Many investing fanatics (myself included) probably wish the market was open year-round.

However, that’s not the case.

Below, I share the dates on which the stock market will be closed in 2023:

• Monday, Jan. 2, 2023: Observed as a holiday due to New Year’s Day falling on a Sunday.
• Monday, Jan. 16, 2023: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Monday, Feb. 20, 2023: Presidents’ Day
• Friday, April 7, 2023: Good Friday
• Monday, May 29, 2023: Memorial Day
• Monday, June 19, 2023: Juneteenth National Independence Day
• Tuesday, July 4, 2023: Independence Day
• Monday, Sept. 4, 2023: Labor Day
• Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023: Thanksgiving Day
• Monday, Dec. 25, 2023: Christmas Day

And that’s all folks! Questions? Comments? Let me know below! 🙂

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On Wednesday, 12/14/2022, Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, announced that interest rates are going up again. This time by 0.50 points taking it to a new targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%:

Source: CNBC

The constant raises have been standard practice in 2022, and it’s the government’s attempt to control inflation, among other things.

So, what does it mean for people like us? For the average person?

The short story is that interest rates across the board will also increase.

All types of debt involving variable interest rates will rise, including mortgages, car loans, credit cards, and so on.

It is a great time to get aggressive in paying off credit card debt and any other type of consumer debt you may have lingering around.

With that said, at least one “silver lining” is that online banks will likely continue to raise their rates. The increase is excellent news for your emergency fund or any money you need to keep liquid.

Notice that I said online banks.

Brick-and-mortar banks continue to live in ancient times. Regardless of how often rates increase, they aren’t doing anyone any favors.

With that said, here are my two favorite online banks:

C.I.T Bank Savings Connect: Currently pays 4.05% interest
*C.I.T is not affiliated with Citibank. It is an entirely different institution.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Currently pays 3.30% interest

*Rates above have been updated as of 01/31/2023*

Regarding the stock market:

The truth of the matter is that the market does not like uncertainty. In a way, the constant interest rate increases are telling Wall Street that we’re still working on getting the economy on the right track and that we’re not there yet. We might continue to witness constant volatility and fluctuations in stock market performance.

With that said, remember that as long-term investors, our focus is to continue to invest in quality and to be patient. Day-to-day fluctuations should not worry us. However, if you recently started investing and this is all making you uncomfortable, feel free to email me (hello@girlsonthemoney.com). I’d be happy to share some words of wisdom that can provide peace of mind :).

And that’s all, folks! Questions? Comments? Feedback? Let me know below.

Cheers to health and profits,
Mabel

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Resources for beginners:

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Today is my blog anniversary. We are celebrating its 9th birthday! In honor of this special day, I want to share the “back story” on how the name was born. 

Back in 2013, I was working on Wall Street. My office was right across the New York Stock Exchange. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved working right in the middle of the financial capital of the world! 

If you are a New Yorker, this is going to sound crazy, but I actually looked forward to my commute. It meant that I got to walk down Wall Street daily, and I LOVED that.

I have so many cool anecdotes from my time in downtown Manhattan. One of my favorites was running into Jim Cramer one day while shopping at the local Duane Reade during my lunch hour:

This photo was taken back in 2013 and that explains the quality. But I will forever treasure this moment!!! :). I almost shied away from asking for a picture but gathered up the courage to do so. So glad I did. 

The location was my dream, but the actual job – not so much. I often found myself planning my future and next steps on what I actually wanted to do with my life.

Either way, I felt incredibly blessed and so grateful to have that job. I knew in my heart; it was all part of the grand plan. A “means to an end.”

Ironically, that was the same job where, while sitting at my cubicle one day (daydreaming about the stock market), the words: “Girl$ on The Money“ popped into my head. 

Kind of like magic. 

I am one of those people who believe God sends us each “personalized” great ideas. I see those ideas as gifts from up above. 

It is up to us to take one (or several) of those ideas and make sure they reach their highest potential and purpose.

If you’ve ever read the book “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, that theory makes perfect sense.

Although the name Girl$ on The Money sounded perfect for what I felt would be a significant part of my life purpose, I didn’t run to buy the domain right away.

I think I waited at least 3-6  months or maybe longer before I purchased it. 

I am not sure why. 

I do remember continually checking to see if it was still available, and it always was. 

It was reserved, especially for me. 

I know that might sound a bit corny, but that’s the reality of how I felt about it. If you are a business owner and/or have built a brand around a particular name that you came up with, you know exactly what I mean. 

Finally, on 11/12/2013, I purchased the domain, and the journey towards creating Girl$ on The Money officially begun :). Today we celebrate!

This cake was a birthday gift from my sister 3 years ago 🙂

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for being part of our community. 

For reading our newsletters, enrolling in our courses, asking questions, participating in surveys, following us on social media, and everything in between. THANK YOU. 

I wouldn’t be doing this work if it wasn’t for your support and because I know education around the topic of investing is extremely necessary.

Cheers to Health & Wealth!

Mabel

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Here is a question I’ve gotten several times over the years from members of the Girl$ on The Money community:

How do you feel about financial advisors? Do you recommend getting one? What should I look for when picking an advisor?

And here are my two cents:

While I 100% respect the financial advisor industry and believe there are great people out there doing that job, I am personally not a big fan of ‘blindly’ handing over my hard-earned money to anyone and having them manage it for me.

Time and experience have taught me that we all can learn how to make intelligent investment decisions and manage our own money. It is a skill like any other that gets better and better with time and experience.

Financial advisors can be costly, and how they get paid can depend on whom you hire. The advisor might take a percentage of your overall assets yearly (regardless of how your investments perform). Or, they might get paid via commission based on investments they tell you to buy. 

With that said, I understand that some people out there may feel they have overly complex financial situations and might feel like hiring a financial advisor is the only way they can get peace of mind. 

Others might need help creating a will or other financial plans and feel they could potentially benefit from an expert in those areas.

In those cases, I would recommend doing the following:

• #1. Before you officially hire anyone – Interview at least three different advisors! Come up with a list of potentials and then get to work. You can get some ideas via word of mouth (ask your friends if they are working with one). You can also use a nonprofit database like the National Association for Financial Advisors to find people in your area. Side note: I would not recommend just taking a random recommendation and going with it. Even if it’s a close friend or family member. Remember Bernie Madoff? His clients were mostly gathered via word of mouth and he turned out to be a huge fraud. Be careful!

• #2 Confirm that the advisors you are talking to are Fiduciary. A fiduciary means the advisor is legally required to always act in your best interest. Their recommendations should be tailored to you and your financial situation (not to benefit their pockets).

• #3. During the interview, ask how they get paid and whether they get a commission from the products they talk to you about

• #4 Ask them these kinds of questions: “If I were your relative or close family member, would you be giving the same advice?”

• #5 Ask them how they invest their own money!

This is by no means an ‘exhaustive’ list of things to ask. Just throwing out some ideas on questions I consider important.

I cannot emphasize this enough: You must understand fee structures and how much you’ll get charged for services if the money is not already being deducted from your overall assets. 

An idea I REALLY like (and would personally prefer) is to hire an advisor for a one-time fee to help you draft a plan based on your specific needs. I am not a fan of paying an ongoing monthly fee or a percentage of my assets if I am not actively using the advisor. Just my personal opinion!

Hiring a financial advisor should be similar to hiring a therapist. You want to feel comfortable with that person and ensure they have YOUR best interest at heart. Compare and “shop around.”

At the end of the day, if you decide to hire someone, I think it is still wise to understand how investing works so that you at least have an idea of how your money is being managed.

We work hard for our money and want it to work hard for us without spending a fortune or unnecessary fees in the process!

Questions? Comments? Let me know below.

Cheers to health and profits!

Mabel

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Hello, Future Investors!

During a recent workshop, I shared a personal story about one of the most important things saving my money and investing it has allowed me to do. Here’s the gist of it:

When I started working at my first corporate job (at the age of 21), I realized VERY early on that I did not want to depend on an employer for the rest of my life.

I noticed how MANY of my co-workers who had been at the company for 20-30 years were very miserable. Some were just counting down to retirement, while others were getting laid off and replaced for “making too much money” or for other inexplicable reasons.

It terrified me to ever see myself in their shoes.

I wanted to “someday” have the freedom of flexibility to do any of the following:

-> Change jobs at any time (if I felt like it) without the feelings of pressure or desperation that I “needed money to pay my bills.”

-> Have the ability to take time off at some point, maybe to travel a bit, figure out my next career move, or simply pause without having to wait until the average retirement age to do so.

I soon realized that the only way I could do any of that would be to reach a level of financial freedom that would allow me to peacefully do so.

I wasn’t 100% sure what that ultimate goal would be. However, I did know that investing my money would eventually afford me the freedom I was looking for.

Once I reached 30, I found my passion and life work. I started Girl$ on The Money, and it began taking its “first steps.”

Around that time, I had finished my MBA degree and had to make a decision.

Would I continue working in the corporate setting, perhaps at an investment bank (making the rich richer), or pursue my business full time? I decided on the latter.

The MAIN factor that allowed me to do that with peace of mind was the savings and investments I had built over time. Emphasis on the investments!!

Had I not been investing the money I was saving over the years, there is no way I would have felt comfortable and free to leave that “good-paying job with great benefits.”

Investing my money allowed me the freedom to do just that and start building my business. It has been one of the best decisions of my life.

I had accomplished that goal I had set for myself in my early 20s. What an incredible feeling.

What do YOU believe saving and (most importantly) investing will allow you to do? What kind of goals or freedom are you seeking?

Let me help you get there!

I’d love for you to join us in the upcoming Investing Bootcamp and interact with fellow like-minded individuals.

Investing is one of the most valuable skills you’ll learn in your entire life.

It goes well above and beyond “making money.” It means having the freedom and flexibility to create your ideal life.

For more information about our updated and upgraded Investing Bootcamp, click the link below. We start on October 10th 🙂

Investing Bootcamp for Investing Beginners

Cheers to health and profits!

Mabel ❤ $

UPDATE: Starting November 1st, 2022, and through May 1st, 2023, the NEW rate on Series I bonds is 6.89% (adjusted from 9.62%). Keep reading to learn more about what iBonds are.

Hello, my Dear Community!

After a recent Instagram Reel where I mentioned Series I Bonds as a vehicle to save money in the short term and get higher interest rates, I received many questions about these government bonds.

Here’s a quick post where I share the BASICS of Series I Bonds. Please note that this is by no means comprehensive. If you have specific questions, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Six facts about Series I Bonds:

#1 The Bonds are backed by the US-Government

#2 They have a variable interest rate which is set based on inflation. In other words, the higher the inflation, the higher the interest paid by these bonds (and vice versa)

#3 The rate is reset twice per year – on May 1st and November 1st of each calendar year.

#4 The current rate is 6.89% and is subject to change in May of 2023 (as noted).

#5 You can purchase these bonds for as little as $25 (if you buy them electronically via treasurydirect(dot)com) and as high as $10,000 per year. They do allow you to invest an additional $5K per year if you use money from your tax refund.

You MUST leave the money alone for at least one year (think of it as a 1-year CD).

You are free to take your money out after one year. However…

To get ALL of the interest on your money, you must leave the money invested in the bond for at least five years. If you “cash out” before the 5-year mark, you give up three months’ worth of interest.

Side note: Check out this very informative podcast episode from the amazing Suze Orman, where she explains how interest is calculated and how it is reflected in your account.

#6 The interest you earn from these bonds is exempt from state and local taxes. However, you will still be responsible for federal taxes.

If interested, you MUST purchase the Series I Bonds directly from the government website treasurydirect.gov. Emphasis on the .gov. There are tons of other bonds on that website. Make sure you are looking at the Series IBonds section specifically.

IMPORTANT: Beware of scammers or anyone else trying to “sell” you these bonds. They must be purchased from the government site!!!

And that’s all folks!

If you found this post helpful, please let me know and share it with those in your circle who can benefit.

Cheers to health and profits!

Mabel

Reminder: This post is NOT sponsored by ANYONE. It has been shared for educational purposes.

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Courses & Resources:

The Beginner Investor Starter Pack: The bundle includes all the “ingredients” you will need to motivate you to take ACTION and begin your investing journey with CONFIDENCE.

*This post was last updated on 05/09/2023. All rates are updated as of that date.*

It is no secret that I am a huge stock market fan.

The fact that we have the privilege of investing our money in high-quality stocks and funds that help us build wealth over time is fascinating to me.

With that said, something to keep in mind is that we shouldn’t have all our money invested.

There is a “little” something called emergencies that does not give us a warning. They just show up. Unannounced.

Before allocating any money towards the markets, make sure you have cash in a LIQUID account that is easily accessible when needed.

My favorite accounts for emergency savings (and beyond) for several years now are as follows:

CIT Bank -Savings Connect Program

The highest interest rate comes from C.I.T’s Savings Connect Program. They are paying 4.60% interest with a minimum deposit of $100! *Beginning on May 9th, 2023.

Note: C.I.T is in no way affiliated with Citibank. It is an entirely different institution.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs –

Some of you might recognize Goldman Sachs as a leader in the investment banking industry. However, as of 2006, the business branched out into consumer services. One of those services is online savings accounts for the general public!

They are currently paying 3.90% interest.

Remember that the higher the interest rate, the more money you’ll receive in interest payments based on your bank deposits. However, keep in mind not all banks are created equal! Do your due diligence before opening up an account.

Both of the banks mentioned above operate under the most up-to-date security standards. They are safe, trustworthy, and highly regulated financial institutions. They’re also FDIC insured.

Where do you currently have your savings? Is it time to make adjustments?

Questions? Comments? Let me know below! Also, remember you can always email me at hello@girlsonthemoney.com.

Cheers to health and profits!

Love,

Mabel ❤$

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