Newsletter
Better Finances for a Better You
← 056 Neontra Newsletter Issue #055 054 →
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Did you know?
At the end of 2023, the average credit card debt per borrower was $6,360, or about 10% higher than the year before—ushering in an all-time high
Credit Card Statistics And Trends →Word of the week
Prime Rate
The best interest rate that lenders charge customers is known as the prime rate, or prime lending rate. It's possible that your credit card's real interest rate is higher than the prime rate. Variable APRs frequently fluctuate in tandem with changes in the prime rate. It follows that your variable APR will probably increase if the prime rate does, and vice versa.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common personal finance terms →Budgeting
It's more useful to measure the average American's credit limit by age group, so you can compare your limit to others like you. Here's a look at how each generation fared in Experian's 2022 consumer debt report (ages in parenthesis):
- Silent generation (77+): $32,379
- Baby boomers (58-76): $40,318
- Generation X (42-57): $35,994
- Millennials (26-41): $24,668
- Generation Z (18-25): $11,290
Quote of the week
"To acquire money requires valour, to keep money requires prudence, and to spend money well is an art."
- Berthold Auerbach
Infographic of the week
Where Does One U.S. Tax Dollar Go?
Come tax season, a common refrain is: “what do my taxes even pay for?” To answer that question, we visualized U.S. federal government spending by function, referencing expenditure to a single federal tax dollar. Data is for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023 from the U.S. Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Total spending amounts are converted to cents on the dollar and percentages, to show where one tax dollar goes.
Major Areas of U.S. Government Spending →Saving
5 savings mistakes people make when building their financial life by Kunyi Yang
- Waiting too long to start retirement saving
- Not maxing out a 401(k)
- Falling victim to lifestyle inflation
- Not having enough emergency savings
- Keeping too much in volatile assets like cryptocurrencies
Investing
Warren Buffett's Investment Strategy By Matthew Frankel, CFP
KEY POINTS - Buffett's approach prioritizes a "margin of safety," paying less than a company's intrinsic value to protect against losses. - Quality over quantity: He avoids struggling businesses, preferring wonderful companies at fair prices. - Buffett emphasizes independence from market trends, advocating for a long-term, contrarian mindset in investing.
Warren Buffett's investing philosophy in 9 steps →Serious stuff
Top 10 Most Common Financial Mistakes By Emily Morris
The most common financial mistakes that often lead people to major economic hardship →Fun stuff
"Oh, the money tree The money tree It's a beautiful sight to see Why couldn't it happen To you and me There isn't a man in town Who isn't a regal spender And they never wear a frown For lack of that legal tender"
Which artist is #1 on our Neontrack playlist this week?
Listen to our Neontrack playlist when you have music and money on your mind.