Inspired Money

The U.S. just sent over $1.5 billion in military aid to Taiwan. China responded with military drills around the island.

This situation feels familiar.

230 years ago today, George Washington published his Farewell Address in The American Daily Advertiser. His central warning: avoid permanent alliances with foreign nations.

Washington had watched European powers drag smaller nations into costly wars. He believed America's strength lay in staying out of entangling commitments that served other nations' interests more than our own.

His words proved prescient. For over a century, America largely followed his advice—building economic strength while avoiding permanent military alliances.

Then came two world wars, NATO, and a web of defense commitments spanning the globe.

Today, the U.S. has security agreements obligating defense of over 50 countries. Our military presence extends to 750 bases in 80 nations. And tensions with China, Russia, and Iran have made those commitments more expensive, and more dangerous, than at any point since the Cold War.

So, what does this mean for your wallet?

Geopolitical risk isn't abstract. It shows up in oil prices, supply chains, and defense spending that crowds out other priorities. When conflicts escalate, markets react, and your portfolio feels it.

And for your investments: Washington understood that entanglement creates vulnerability. The same principle applies to your portfolio. Diversify beyond any single nation's fortunes. Don't let your financial future depend entirely on one country's political decisions.

Proactive diversification builds resilience.

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

What's your bigger concern right now, U.S.-China tensions or the cost of our global commitments?

5 days ago | [YT] | 2

Inspired Money

Most investors are making decisions with incomplete information. And they don't even know it.

On September 18, 1947, 79 years ago, the Central Intelligence Agency officially came into existence, born from the National Security Act President Truman had signed two months earlier.

The reason? Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941, U.S. intelligence was scattered across a dozen agencies. The Army had clues. The Navy had clues. The State Department had clues. But no one was connecting the dots. The result: 2,400 Americans killed in an attack we could have anticipated.

After the war, leaders realized the problem wasn't a lack of information. It was that information was fragmented. Critical insights were there, but they were isolated.

So they built an agency whose entire job was connecting those dots before the next surprise.

For investors, the parallel is clear:

Today's markets are flooded with data. Earnings reports, Fed speeches, geopolitical headlines, social media sentiment. The information exists, but most people consume it in fragments. They react to one headline without the context from three others.

That's how portfolios get caught off guard.

So, what does this mean for your investments?

The cost of not knowing is always higher than the cost of finding out.

Whether it's understanding how oil prices affect inflation, how Fed policy shapes borrowing costs, or how geopolitical risk moves markets, the investors who connect dots outperform those who react to isolated headlines.

You don't need classified intelligence. You need a system for making sense of what's already public.

What's one financial decision you've made where connecting more dots would have changed the outcome?

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

6 days ago | [YT] | 3

Inspired Money

Oil at $100. Tensions in the Middle East. Markets on edge.

On September 17, 1978, the world faced a similar crossroads. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin concluded 13 days of secret negotiations at Camp David, signing framework agreements that paved the way for the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation.

The stakes were enormous. Just five years earlier, the 1973 Yom Kippur War had triggered an oil embargo that quadrupled oil prices and sent the U.S. economy into recession. Inflation spiked. Lines at gas stations stretched for blocks. The American household budget took a direct hit.

Carter's gamble paid off. The accords stabilized a volatile region, eased oil supply fears, and helped restore confidence in global markets. Sadat and Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize.

The key lesson from Camp David: Geopolitical stability is a critical portfolio factor, not just a headline.

When tensions rise in oil-producing regions, energy prices spike. Inflation follows. Borrowing costs climb. Your mortgage, your groceries, your investments, all connected to events thousands of miles away.

Today, with oil above $100 and Middle East uncertainty rising, the Camp David Accords remind us: peace has a price, but so does conflict.

For your financial plan: Build resilience. Diversify across sectors and geographies. Don't let short-term headlines drive long-term decisions.

How are you adjusting your financial strategy to account for global uncertainties?

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Inspired Money

Markets feel fragile today. Oil above $100, the 10-year yield near 5%.

But 106 years ago today, fragility looked far more terrifying.

On September 16, 1920, a horse-drawn wagon exploded in front of J.P. Morgan's headquarters on Wall Street. 38 people were killed. Hundreds more were injured. Windows shattered for blocks. It remained the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil until the Oklahoma City bombing 75 years later.

The target was obvious: the heart of American finance.

What happened next is often overlooked.

The New York Stock Exchange reopened the very next day. J.P. Morgan's offices were back in operation within hours. The market barely reacted. In fact, the Dow closed higher that week.

This wasn't panic. It was resilience.

The Morgan firm ordered the damaged building repaired immediately, but intentionally left the shrapnel scars in the limestone facade. They're still visible today at 23 Wall Street. A powerful reminder that markets can endure what seems impossible.

The takeaway for investors:

Crises are inevitable—geopolitical shocks, terrorist attacks, oil spikes, inflation surges. Markets will always face disruption. The real test is whether your portfolio is built to endure them.

The investors who panicked in 1920 missed the rally. The investors who stayed disciplined captured it.

That principle holds true today. Your portfolio doesn't need to predict every crisis; it needs to survive them.

What's the biggest risk you're actively preparing your portfolio for right now... geopolitical, inflation, or something else entirely?

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Inspired Money

Your 401(k) could lose more than a third of its value in a single year.

That's exactly what happened 18 years ago.

On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest in U.S. history at $639 billion. Within hours, the financial system was in freefall.

The warning signs had been building for months. Lehman was overleveraged, holding billions in subprime mortgage assets that were rapidly losing value. When no buyer stepped in and the government declined to intervene, the 158-year-old firm collapsed overnight.

The Dow dropped 4.4% that day, its worst point drop since 9/11. Credit markets froze globally. Retirement accounts lost trillions in value over the following year, and unemployment eventually peaked at 10%.

The ripple effects hit Main Street hard. Families watched their savings evaporate. Homeowners went underwater. Small businesses lost access to credit.

It's crucial to remember: Lehman's collapse wasn't the root cause of the crisis. It was the catalyst. The underlying issues had been building for years through excessive leverage, poor risk management, and the widespread belief that housing prices could never fall.

The key financial takeaway:

Diversification means spreading your wealth beyond just different stocks. It's about avoiding having all your assets tied to one company, one sector, or a single assumption about the economy.

The investors who recovered fastest in 2008 weren't the ones who predicted the crash. They were the ones who had a plan, stayed diversified, and didn't panic sell at the bottom.

Eighteen years later, markets have hit new highs. But the next crisis won't look like the last one.

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

What's the biggest lesson you took from 2008, or what financial risk are you watching most closely today?

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Inspired Money

They told me financial shows are boring.

Nobody wants to watch an advisor’s podcast. It’ll be too dry. It’ll put people to sleep.

Not with this Inspired Money energy! ⚡

Last week’s conversation with Keith McCullough and Mike Taylor just became the most-watched Inspired Money livestream on YouTube, taking the top spot from our episode with Arrowverse star Katie Cassidy.

Apparently, money can be fun. Who knew? 😄

Thank you to Keith, Mike, Katie—and everyone who watched, commented, and shared.

If you haven’t seen the new record holder, watch “The Stock Market Should Have Crashed Already” here on the Inspired Money channel.

*Image is an AI-generated parody. No affiliation with or endorsement by DC, Marvel, or any superhero franchise is implied.*

#InspiredMoney #Investing #StockMarket

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

Inspired Money

Defense stocks quietly outperformed the S&P 500 by double digits over the past 3 years.

Most investors missed it.

86 years ago today, Congress reached final agreement on the first peacetime military draft in American history.

On September 14, 1940, both chambers approved the conference report for the Selective Training and Service Act, requiring men ages 21-35 to register for military service even though the US wasn't officially at war. Two days later, FDR signed it into law.

The House vote: 233-124. The Senate: 47-25.

Why does this matter for your money?

That single policy decision triggered one of the largest industrial mobilizations in history. Factories pivoted. Supply chains transformed. Capital flowed into steel, aircraft, shipbuilding, and manufacturing at unprecedented rates.

Investors who recognized the shift early positioned themselves ahead of a massive economic transformation.

The pattern repeats.

When governments signal major policy shifts, especially around defense and national security, capital follows. It happened in 1940. It happened after 9/11. It's happening now as global defense budgets hit record highs.

The money lesson: Policy precedes profits. When governments commit resources at scale, entire sectors transform. You don't need to predict wars. You need to watch where governments are already directing capital and follow the money.

The 1940 draft wasn't a surprise attack. It was a deliberate, public decision made months before Pearl Harbor.

The opportunity was visible to anyone paying attention.

Is yours?

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Inspired Money

Help us fine-tune Inspired Money.

We currently use short pre-recorded videos to introduce each new segment and frame the questions. What do you prefer?

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

Inspired Money

Americans will donate over $600 billion this year. Most will leave thousands in tax savings on the table.

Sixty years ago this Labor Day weekend, Jerry Lewis hosted the first MDA Telethon. Over 21 hours, he raised more than $1 million for muscular dystrophy research. It was the birth of modern charity broadcasting.

Lewis knew this: giving feels good, but smart giving makes your dollars go further.

That first telethon wasn't just generous; it showed the power of timing, visibility, and momentum. Donors gave because they felt part of something bigger, and many likely didn't think twice about the tax implications.

Sixty years later, the same trend continues. Most people donate in December, often in a rush. They miss opportunities that could stretch their dollars further.

Boost your charitable impact with these strategies:

Bunching donations: Instead of giving $5,000 every year, give $15,000 every three years. You exceed the standard deduction threshold and actually get a tax benefit.

Donor-advised funds: Contribute appreciated stock, take the deduction now, and distribute to charities over time. You avoid capital gains taxes and maintain flexibility.

Timing Matters: Donating appreciated assets instead of cash can save you 20%+ in capital gains taxes while the charity receives the full value.

What this means for your wallet:

Jerry Lewis raised $1 million by making giving feel urgent and meaningful. You can honor that spirit while being strategic. The IRS rewards thoughtful giving, but only if you plan ahead.

Year-end is coming. Don't wait until December to think about this.

What's your approach to charitable giving, spontaneous or strategic?

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Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.Americans will donate over $600 billion this year. Most will leave thousands in tax savings on the table.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Inspired Money

AI data centers now consume more electricity than some entire countries. The grid can't keep up.

This is a current challenge. Utilities are scrambling. Tech giants are signing deals with nuclear plants. Energy infrastructure is the new bottleneck for the AI boom.

On this day 144 years ago, we faced a similar moment.

September 4, 1882. Thomas Edison flipped a switch at Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan. About 80 customers received electricity for the first time, fundamentally changing daily life.

But here's what most people forget: Edison didn't just invent the light bulb. He built the entire system—generators, wiring, meters, distribution. He understood that revolutionary technology requires revolutionary infrastructure.

The early investors who saw this weren't betting on light bulbs. They were betting on the grid.

Today's parallel is striking. AI's potential is limited by one thing: power. The companies solving that problem—utilities, grid operators, nuclear, and next-gen energy—may be the infrastructure plays of our generation.

For your wallet:

History shows that the biggest technology shifts often reward infrastructure investors more than the technology itself. Think about it: railroads were a bigger long-term play than individual train companies. Telecom networks outlasted most internet startups.

Energy infrastructure could follow the same pattern.

The takeaway from 1882: always consider the underlying power source, not just the innovation itself.

Given AI's massive energy demands, what do you think will be the bigger investment opportunity over the next decade, AI companies or the energy infrastructure powering them?

Featured image is an AI-generated historical illustration, not a period photograph.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4