A college student once walked into my office, brimming with excitement. “I want to invest in Bitcoin!” he declared. When I asked why, he said, “My roommates are making so much money. They bought it last year and it has already doubled!” This type of enthusiasm is common, but troubling. One of the key distinctions between a novice and a seasoned investor is how they understand and respond to risk. This student was acting like a novice, in that the pursuit and thrill of easy money was overshadowing their ability to seriously consider risk. But what does it really mean…

I recently began learning sign language. It might sound strange at first. I do not know anyone with an auditory impairment, and there is no immediate practical need driving me to do it. But I started anyway. Why? Because I want to grow. The Science Of Optimal Experience In Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explores how humans thrive when they are engaged in what he calls “optimal experience.” These moments occur when we stretch our skills, face new challenges, and grow in complexity as individuals. Growth, according to this framework, is not just something we achieve.…

When policymakers’ ambition to pass big tax cuts collides with the need to limit the cost, the inevitable loser is simplicity. People may get a tax cut, but they’ll battle more paperwork to get it. Case in point: the struggles of congressional Republicans to downsize President Trump’s many campaign tax promises. Congressional Republicans are straining to balance multiple, often-conflicting goals in a big 2025 tax bill. They want to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and enact some form of Trump’s ideas such as tax-free tips and overtime. But while the House and Senate budget frameworks allow trillions…

There is a viral video circulating of a Florida man who journaled the cost of one day at Disney World with his wife and three children. Their day consisted of parking, tickets, snacks, lunch, and dinner. The video, which now has over 8.4 million views, shows the day costing $1,400 for his family of five. That’s not quite the cost of the average monthly mortgage payment in America—but it’s not too far off. Of course, if you have to travel to attend a Disney theme park (as I would have to do from Phoenix), you would quickly surpass that number.…

2025 Student Loan Interest Rates Near 50-Year Highs If you’re heading to college this fall, be prepared to pay a lot more, and it’s not just rising tuition. The new federal student loan interest rates for 2025–2026 will likely come with some of the highest interest rates in decades. While the latest rates will likely dip slightly from last year’s peak, they will still likely be among the most expensive federal student loans since the Great Recession and nearly on par with interest levels last seen in the inflation-ridden 1980s. The consequence for student loan borrowers would be that borrowing…

Your graduation cap might not be the only thing up in the air after receiving your college diploma. What about your financial plans? A recent study from Handshake, a career services platform, shows that nearly two-thirds of the class of 2025 with concerns about their careers cite a shaky job market and low starting salaries as the culprits. With job openings on the decline, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many graduates are worried about whether their first job will provide enough income—and stability—to support their future. Amid these concerns, your post-graduation financial plans should reflect the realities of…

The Treasure State of Montana has adopted the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (“UPEPA”). The UPEPA passed the Montana House by a vote of 96-1 and in the Senate by a vote of 50-0. This follows the similar unanimous passage of the UPEPA in Ohio and Idaho and speaks volumes for the quality of the UPEPA as an out-of-the-box Anti-SLAPP law for states not having an Anti-SLAPP law or looking to replace a bad one. Peter Russo of the Institute for Free Speech put out a statement that: “This achievement represents years of advocacy and marks a dramatic improvement in…

The sirocco, a wind that blows from the Sahara and across the Mediterranean, delivers, in turn, dry and then humid air that can reach hurricane speeds. It’s said to cause people to become irritable, aggravate health problems, and abrade mechanical devices. There’s an economic sirocco coming in from previous conditions, skimming over trade war uncertainty, pulling up additional heat from volatile labor markets, lifting vapors of concern about the national debt, getting a boost from growing international distrust over U.S. actions and intentions, and blossoming into a hot and damp atmosphere. The chances of a recession continue to grow. What…

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) is exploring ways to lower the costs of his proposal for a public catastrophic long-term care insurance program. Among the ideas on the table: Simplifying the benefit structure and switching from a cash benefit to one that reimburses people for their out-of-pocket expenses. Suozzi’s bill, the Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home (WISH) Act, would provide a lifetime long-term care benefit for people who need assistance with two of six daily activities, such as bathing, eating, dressing, and toileting. Once somebody requires help with these tasks, they’d receive a benefit equal to the median…

Republicans in Congress, at the Department of Education, and in the White House are advancing an array of proposals that threaten to diminish or eliminate multiple federal student loan forgiveness programs. If enacted, advocacy organizations warn that the consequences for borrowers could be devastating, leading to higher payments and decades trapped in debt. The attack on student loan forgiveness programs is three-pronged. Last week, Republican lawmakers in Congress advanced legislation that would make major changes to key federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs, and cut off debt relief entirely for certain borrowers. Simultaneously, the Department of Education initiated a…