showcasing top money stories
The Nothingness of Money [More to That] “When I was in junior high school, I heard a riddle that blew my mind.
It went something like this:
Rich people need it. Poor people have it. If you eat it, you die. And when you die, you take it with you. What is it?
Feel free to sit with the question for a moment.
Okay.
Ready?
The answer is…”
#1 is a banger and it keeps on going.
8 Lessons for Investors From Market Turbulence in 2025 [Morningstar] – “Uncertainty loomed large at the beginning of 2025. Many forecasters were expecting a slowdown in economic growth during the year. The prospect of major changes in US tariff policy only added to the uncertainty, especially when President Donald Trump announced a long list of proposed tariffs that were much higher than previously expected. Market pessimism came to a head in early April, when US equities sold off by more than 10% over a two-day period. Trump’s tariff announcement touched off concerns that tariffs would increase costs for companies and consumers, reduce demand, slow gross domestic product growth, and lead to retaliation by major trading partners.”
This video talks about why some people love sports and others don’t, but breaks it down in a way that applies to so many aspects of our lives – including areas that affect our money.
Psychology of People Who Don’t Obsess Over Sports [Psychology Simplified]
The Three-Step Guide to Fixing Affordability [The Atlantic] – “Affordability is voters’ No. 1 issue by far. It propelled Trump back into office last year, as it propelled Zohran Mamdani, Mikie Sherrill, and Abigail Spanberger into office this year. Trump might be callous, but his comments—it’s not real, so buy less; it is real, but it’s getting better—point to the profound dilemma all politicians face when trying to address the cost-of-living crisis.”
One of the most infamous pickpockets of the Midwest was known as Fainting Bertha!
It’s a sad story but it’s fascinating how much they know about her.
Mugshots of Bertha Liebbeke aka Fainting Bertha, One of the Midwest’s Most Infamous Pickpockets – “Bertha would locate a prosperous-looking gentleman in a crowd and smile demurely at him. Intrigued, he would come closer. When he got next to her, she would be suddenly overcome by a dizzy spell. The gallant gentleman would catch the lovely lady just in time to keep her from hitting the ground. She heaved a sigh, came to and thanked him, but not before she’d picked her rescuer’s pockets so skillfully that he didn’t notice the theft until she was long gone. When they reported their losses to the police, none of Bertha’s victims suspected her as the culprit.”
Happy New Year!
Hello Apexians!
It’s Christmas Eve and I wanted to wish you all a happy holiday season, a restful holiday season, and one where you can spend it with family and friends.
We will be doing the same and so Apex Money will be on break until the new year plus a few days.
We’ll be back on the 5th!
Remember all those stories of small Italian towns selling homes for €1?
Having stayed in Italy a few times and probably ventured past one of those homes in the countryside, it felt like a LOT of work. But there is a romantic allure to buying a home for a song, fixing it up, and enjoying the fruits of your labor for years.
Last year, Business Insider published a video looking at what happened with a couple who took Sicily up on their offer.
Morgan Housel shares five insights from his new book, The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life.
5 Simple Spending Habits for Happier Living [Next Big Idea Club] – “Money can enhance your life, but it doesn’t create lasting happiness. Genuine contentment comes from meaningful relationships, a sense of purpose, and the ability to appreciate what you already have.”
I really like #3 – Spending money can buy happiness, but it’s often an indirect path.
“Money itself doesn’t buy happiness, but it can help you find independence and purpose, which are both key ingredients for a happier life. A big, nice house might make you happy, but mostly because it makes it easier to have friends and family over. The friends and family are what actually make you happy.” (emphasis mine)
Jordan Grumet shares his personal journey through financial independence and there’s a lot we can all learn from his journey, especially as it relates to spending in “season two,” where he became financially independent.
How I Finally Stopped Caring About Spending [The Purpose Code] – “The financial independence world has a funny relationship with spending. On paper, we obsess over investments, spreadsheets, and safe withdrawal rates. There are arguments about whether 4% is too conservative, whether 4.7% or 5% is mathematically more accurate, and endless threads about how to optimize asset allocation down to the decimal.
But beneath all that noise, I think there’s a simpler truth:
We don’t actually want to spend.”
