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Turns Out, US Median Income Increased. Here are the 2025 Stats by Age, Race and Sex.
If you are feeling poorer, it turns out you are not alone. Household income has increased across the board; however, prices are going up. Inflation is eating and nipping at expenses. If we are being honest, rampant consumerism is also a problem. Every year, the US Census Bureau compiles data on US Household income and poverty rates. Once it’s published, we get inundated with punchy headlines from the media. The data is filtered by age range, gender, race, and even by geographic region. Just another massive data set that can help us make sense of money. To clear the room, household income typically rises. Despite personal malaise and economic disruptions…
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Bitcoin hit 80,000. So What Now?
Yeah. This is a short one. I posted about Bitcoin as it gained momentum and hit $80,000 as of August 27, 2026. Also, Trump signed the order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America amid the latest trade war, but I digress. Back to the story. Bitcoin is back, and so are bitcoin bros. They usually disappear to lick their wounds when bitcoin is down, but over the last month, the bros are up +19.12%. That’s amazing. While I may be a jerk, I’m happy to see other investors make money since it sucks to be on the losing end. However, I did note that year-to-date, bitcoin is down 7.65%…
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Experiencing the Impact of the Financial Wall
No one prepares for the financial wall. It’s not just one of them but a set of micro thresholds that can have a positive or negative impact on your psyche. Like failures, there is always a cost for success. And today, we made +$75,000 on a day in the market. My hands were shaking… To be clear, it wasn’t a violent shake. It’s a slight, unsteady awareness that you might have gone too far. Or more accurately, further than you ever imagined. I mentioned this to the ladies on our financial podcast, “The Financial Griot.” I think we are mutation. Some deviant strand of what you should be. It might…
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A Study Found that Thriving U.S. Families Need to Make $150K a Year. Where Do You Fall?
The recent study, Measuring the True Cost of Economic Security, conducted by the Urban Institute, found that a well-off household needs to make at least $150,000 annually. The news hit social media like an expected tidal wave. This economic security threshold reminds us that the cost of living in the U.S. has ramped up dramatically. As the U.S. loses its political standing, along with the global increase in middle-class standards, the future is more expensive. U.S. households are already feeling the squeeze. Many of whom are surviving on less than $80,000 per year. Based on 2024–2025 Census Bureau data, median household income varies significantly by race. Asian (-led) households earn the highest…
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Falling Behind: The Economic State of Black Men, 2025
Black men are often left out of the conversation when it comes to their economic and social position in the United States. As a second pillar in a household and often the primary breadwinner, their contribution shouldn’t be overlooked, but alas, I have to write this because they/we are. With over 600,000 black men entering unemployment since November 2025, some experts expect the number to climb to a million by November 2026. There is a palpable degree of financial security and stability that Black men can provide in an era of rising costs, inflation, and global turmoil. Their absence may equal a structural and sustained collapse of black communities. At…
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Retiring Early? Now What? What We Plan to Do.
Retiring soon and now what? Everything needs a well thought out plan in my opinion. I have a ton of ideas that will be tweaked.
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Which is Better Generational Renting or a 50-year Mortgage?
Recently, Ms. Constance Carter, Wealth Advocate, wrote an opinion piece on “the 50-Year Mortgage Is a Trap, not a Path to Black Wealth.” She goes at length into contextually the 50-year home loan as a bondage, but that’s not accurate. Considering you can pay off your debt as soon as possible through expedited payments with your lender, her Op-Ed is far from accurate. Go beyond that, her attack on home ownership seems negligent to the point of full advocacy of becoming generational renters. Since the peak in 1860, black homeownership plateaued at around 44%. This wouldn’t be so bad if most of that ownership centered around the Boomer generation. You…
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This is Why Early Retirement Goes Wrong!
I was watching one of my favorite ‘Retire Early and Travel the World’ couples the other day and found that they have been struggling. After watching the 1 hour and 23 minutes YouTube vlog, it was clear that they weren’t ready for retirement. To be fair, no one is ever truly ready to retire. Even the Financial Samurai blogger had regrets. In April 2024, they sold everything, and for the first few months, Gean and Kristine (Fire We Go) were locked in. Typically, people will downsize and even trade in their bigger homes for something smaller. In addition to this, this couple set out to see the world and take…
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How to Navigate Finances in High Price-Inflation Waters. Q/A Recap
I was recently invited to participate in a panel titled, “How to navigate finances in 2025”. Given the change in the U.S. administration, global wars, and financial instability, this was the right call for Florida State University’s Black Alumni Association. By the time the bat signal went up, America dove $600 trillion into the muck of tariffs and supposed liberations. When the panel came around, we’ve all but rebounded. It’s pretty much pandemonium. JPMorgan said we are headed into a recession one day, and the next month stated that we will be in a +8% performance year. The financial experts don’t know what will happen at any given turn. Deuces…
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Here’s How To Adjust Your Investment Strategy for the Rest of 2025
With all the noise from tariffs, wars and Trump, it's best to lean into your own investment strategy. It's ok to keep it simple.
