Welcome to the 59th edition of Your Weekly Aura, a newsletter featuring must-read money and mindfulness tips and tricks from Courtney & Kelsey. This week we’re talking about the value of dropping dead weight.
Addition by Subtraction
Spring cleaning is about making time and space for the things that serve you by identifying and eliminating the blockers that are holding you back.
We’ve all had that friend.
The one who that spent most of their time insulting us, manipulating us, or otherwise making us feel badly about ourselves.
We held on because of our history, until we hit our breaking point, until we realized, we deserve better.
And once she was gone, we started to feel better.
For more than a decade, the center of gravity for the hit TV series Grey’s Anatomy revolved around Dr. Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) relationship with Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).
But after 10 seasons, the chemistry was fading and ratings were declining. Insider reports suggest that Dempsey’s off-screen drama was an issue on-set for with Shonda Rhimes, Pompeo, and the rest of the cast and crew. So the writers decided to shepherd Dr. McDreamy to an early, dramatic demise via car accident.
And the bet paid off. A post-McDreamy Meredith was forced to face her grief and learn to move on and carry the show without her love interest and co-star of more than a decade. This led to some powerful character development and an opportunity for the steamy cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Nathan Riggs, to mend her broken heart.
Eight years later, Grey’s Anatomy is in it’s 19th season and remains one of the highest rating dramas on television.
This is an example of “Addition by Subtraction.”
The premise is simple. Sometimes, you need to drop that toxic friend or cast member that is holding you back so that you can rise to new heights.
The same is true in investing.
Direct-indexing is an investment strategy that lets you personalize your investments according to your risk profile, personal values, and financial goals.
Let’s look at an example:
Nancy decides to invest in an index fund that tracks the S&P 500 (500 of the biggest U.S. companies), but becomes concerned about the future of the tech industry and one particular social media company, ZETA. She decides to use a direct indexing approach to build her own index fund that also tracks the S&P 500, but does not include ZETA.
A few weeks later, the U.S. Government announces that ZETA will pay a significant fine for illegal practices. ZETA’s share price tumbles with the news and Nancy’s original S&P 500 tracking index fund takes a hit. However, because Nancy no longer has ZETA in her portfolio, she is shielded from those losses, and her personalized portfolio remains strong.
Just like the writers of Grey’s Anatomy killed off McDreamy to make the show and cast stronger, Nancy dropped ZETA to strengthen her portfolio.
In life and on-screen, relationships evolve. We learn to let go of what is no longer serving us to make room for new opportunities.
So, whether it’s toxic friendships, casting choices, or investments, remind yourself that learning to let go of what’s holding you back can help is the first step to regaining your strength and moving forward.
For Your Aura
Want to learn more about your money story and discover your Aura? Take our quiz to find out your money personality today.
The Star: De-influencing for dollars.
The Thinker: If you’re getting a W2, you’re a sucker.
The Empath: Looking Back: How ’Blurred Lines’ predicted everything that went wrong with pop culture over the past decade.
The Activist: Influencers are embracing their roles as gig workers — and they’re starting to organize.
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Ask The Experts
What is a high-yield CD (Certificate of Deposit)
A high yield CD is a type of savings account that you can open at a bank or financial institution. It’s called “high yield” because it typically offers a higher interest rate compared to regular savings accounts.
When you open a high yield CD, you deposit a certain amount of money for a set period of time ranging between three months and five years. Typically, the longer the term, the higher the interest rate you might receive. During that time, the bank pays you interest on your deposit. The interest rate is usually higher than what you would earn in a regular savings account, which means you can potentially earn more money on your savings.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that high yield CDs may have some risks. For example, if you need to withdraw your money before the CD matures, you may be charged a penalty. Also, the interest rates on high yield CDs can change over time, so it’s important to be aware of that. It’s a good idea to carefully consider the risks and benefits before investing in a high yield CD, and you may want to talk to a financial expert for advice.
MARKET NEWS
↗️ Big Bank Revenue. JPM Chase posted record revenues; Citibank and Wells Fargo shares increased after exceeding revenue expectations.
↗️ Whoppers. Burger King is selling more experts than ever before, showing signs of an early turnaround in the US.
↘️ Abortion rights in FL (again). The Florida House passed a 6-week abortion ban backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
↘️ NPR 💔 Twitter. NPR becomes the first major corporation to leave the platform.
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This material has been distributed for informational and educational purposes only, represents an assessment of the market environment as of the date of publication, is subject to change without notice, and is not intended as investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice or opinion. Aura assumes no obligation to provide notifications of changes in any factors that could affect the information provided. This information should not be relied upon by the reader as research or investment advice regarding any issuer or security in particular. The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. This information is not intended as a recommendation to invest in any particular asset class or strategy or as a promise of future performance. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will work under all market conditions or is suitable for all investors. Before investing, please carefully consider your willingness to take on risk and your financial ability to afford investment losses when deciding how much individual security exposure to have in your investment portfolio. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There is a potential for loss as well as gain in investing. Aura does not represent in any manner that the circumstances described herein will result in any particular outcome.
