Category: Moneywise

In Columbia, South Carolina a TikTok video is making the rounds, showing single mom Nykia Hamilton tirelessly running the entire restaurant by herself — something she says has happened often.

In a now-viral interview with local South Carolina outlet WACH FOX 57, Hamilton claimed she was repeatedly left alone to run the restaurant where she works, taking orders, making food, cleaning and running the drive-thru without backup. Shifts can sometimes last over 12 hours, which was the case that day.

“I be missing out on my kids’ lives when I work so much,” Hamilton told WACH FOX. “I have to provide for them, but I really don’t have time to spend with them—and it hurts me a lot.”

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• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

Labor shortages squeezing fast-food chains

As the labor market continues to shift post-pandemic, restaurants, especially large fast-food chains, have struggled to recruit and retain workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the accommodation and food services sector still has one of the highest quit rates in the country.

Low wages, long hours, and understaffed shifts are a few of the reasons.

In Hamilton’s case, she says she’s had to stay late or pull long shifts solo, forcing her to choose between showing up for her job and showing up for her kids.

The original TikTok sparked a wave of sympathy and concern, with many pointing out that understaffed fast-food chains are becoming all too common: "Someone like this at the McDonald’s by Rushes and the Starbucks by Blossom Buffet. Girl was in there ALLL by herself at 11 at night. Scary as hell," commented TikTok user Michaila Busbee.

While major chains like Burger King and McDonald’s have made public commitments to improve worker retention and compensation, stories like Hamilton’s suggest those promises may not always reach the frontline. Burger King’s employee retention score on business rating and comparison site Comparably sits in the bottom 10% of similarly sized companies.

"One of my employees just quit on me, and they didn’t have anyone else to come in, so I had to work by myself, and close by myself,” Hamilton said.

In response to the situation, Burger King released a statement to WACH FOX:

"At Burger King, it is our policy that all company and franchise owned restaurants require more than one Team Member to be working per shift. We are working with the Franchisee of this location to understand what happened and take any necessary action."

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What to do if you’re working under similar conditions

If you’re an employee facing extreme understaffing or unsafe expectations, here are a few steps you can take:

• Document everything: Keep a written log or take photos of conditions.
• Know your rights: OSHA laws protect workers from unsafe working environments. You can file a complaint anonymously.
• Talk to others: If coworkers are facing similar problems, consider speaking up together.
• Look into worker resources: Local legal aid clinics, employment lawyers and even union reps may be able to help.

Employees asked to cover multiple roles may experience burnout, health issues, and family strain. They may also miss out on breaks or overtime protections, or feel too afraid to speak up out of fear of losing their job.

And for consumers? That strain often shows up in slower service, incorrect orders or even temporary closures — not to mention increasing menu prices as labor costs rise.

A loyal and committed worker

Despite the long hours and missing her family, Hamilton says she’s grateful to even have the job.

“I wouldn’t have no job because I do have a record, and it is hard to find a job with a record. And by grace of God, she gave me a job. So that’s the only reason why I stayed for her,” she said, referring to her manager.

Hamilton says she finally received support the following day — after another shift running everything by herself.

“I closed again by myself last night. I finally got help today. 11 o’clock and will stay until close at 11. We just don’t have any employees. Nobody wants to work anymore.”

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Lee from Nashville, TN, is in “recovery from a crisis” after her husband of 20 years was sentenced to prison for 10 years.

“We’re not going to end up on the streets,” she told The Ramsey Show co-hosts during a recent episode. The stay-at-home mom has four children — one is a junior in college and the other three, aged 9, 11 and 15, live with her.

But she’s “paralyzed in terms of what to do next.” She has some savings, but she’s relying on her parents to help her pay the rent.

“I’m boots on the ground trying to figure this all out,” she said.

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• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

What this means for her and the kids

Lee is in the process of getting a divorce; she’s also sold the family home and moved back to her hometown. While Lee has had a year to process some of her grief, she feels overwhelmed at the thought of moving forward.

“There’s the resolution of the court deal, but that light bill keeps coming and that water bill keeps coming,” said co-host Dr. John Delony.

Lee says her husband was an “excellent provider” with a high-paying job — and they were about to “push that snowball all the way down and really start building some serious wealth.” That included paying off their house in the next two to three years. Her kids were homeschooled and went to private school.

But, by the beginning of 2025, they had spent about $150,000 on criminal defense fees and divorce attorneys. Despite this, she still has about $50,000 in the bank left over from the sale of their home. And, in the divorce, she’ll receive $260,000 in a 401(k), $75,000 in a pension through a former employer and another $10,000 from a military savings plan.

Lee is now renting a house near a good public school system since she can no longer afford private school. At this point, she has $7,000 in credit card debt. But she also doesn’t have a job.

She can’t afford rent on her own, but “my parents are willing to pay half the rent pretty much indefinitely” without any strings attached, though she says she would love to be completely independent again.

Delony says Lee is going to have to do something that’s really hard: “Every second you spend thinking about what almost happened or what could have happened is energy taken away from a mama that now has to provide for three kids all by herself,” he said.

While Lee says her grief is “crushing,” Delony says the “hardest, harshest thing I’m going to say probably today on this show is the water bill doesn’t care.”

So how can she make this situation work for her under such crushing grief?

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What are some immediate steps she can take?

Lee is overwhelmed about re-entering the workforce with a 15-year gap on her resume.

She wouldn’t be alone: A 2024 LendingTree analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey found that one in 10 American adults (10.7%) are out of the workforce because they’re caring for kids who aren’t in school or daycare.

If you’ve been out of the workforce for more than a decade, your skills may be outdated (or at least a bit rusty).

Ken Coleman, in a blog for Ramsey Solutions, suggests brushing up on your hard skills, such as attending workshops or events, looking for online courses to help you learn (or relearn) a skill or applying for (or updating) licenses or certifications. It’s also a good time to start working your connections and rebuilding your network.

From there, you’ll need to update your resume. If you’re in a similar situation to Lee, you may be wondering how to address that ‘mommy’ gap on your resume. Rather than trying to hide it, you may want to directly address it.

That doesn’t mean it has to be a big blank space. For example, did you volunteer for the PTA? What were your responsibilities?

Use the opportunity to highlight any gig or volunteer work you did during your ‘mommy’ gap, focusing on transferable skills such as problem solving and leadership. You could also highlight any courses or certificates you’ve taken before your return to the workplace, which demonstrates initiative.

In Lee’s case, she homeschooled her children (at least part of the time) so she’s familiar with the curriculum, which she could highlight when applying for teaching positions.

To create a modern resume, there are several free or low-cost resume guides and templates available online that can help.

While Lee does have some savings — and the support of her parents — she’s now solely responsible for making household financial decisions. That’s where financial coaching could help, especially for a newly single mom whose ex handled most financial matters.

A financial coach, for example, may advise her to set aside a portion of her savings in an emergency fund and then pay off her high-interest credit card debt. A financial coach could also help her design a budget and make a plan for future savings.

But that may mean putting some of her dreams on hold — at least for now.

“The dreams you had about the home school and the private school — there’s a period to end that sentence. It’s over,” Delony told her. What she needs to do right now is simply “survive.”

Lee has experience teaching, so he suggests she immediately apply to “every open teaching position in your local district.” If her district is like so many others in the U.S., “they’re desperate for teachers.”

While this may not be her dream job, it will help her take care of her family while she gets back on her feet. And it could help her focus on moving forward rather than dwelling on everything she’s lost.

“The only way to get through the paralysis,” said Delony, “is to take a step.”

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links.

Sometimes you can get the best advice by poking the bear.

One write-in guest on The Ramsey Show found out the hard way after trying to “make sense” of Dave Ramsey’s investment advice.

“You keep saying to invest $100 a month beginning at age 30 and you’ll be worth $5 million at 70 years old,” wrote a man named Isaiah. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

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• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

Isaiah pointed out that the life expectancy of a white American male is 72 years old, while for a Black male it’s 68, meaning “most people will never live to see $5 million.” He asked Ramsey to help him “make sense of this advice.”

Ramsey, who called Isaiah “entitled” and “belligerent,” said the real issue is the idea “you’re supposed to get rich in 10 minutes.”

Here’s why investing still makes sense — even if America’s lifespan stats suggest many men won’t live long enough to enjoy all their savings.

Crunching the numbers

Ramsey admitted that Isaiah isn’t completely wrong about life expectancy, but said he was putting words in his mouth.

Ramsey said that saving $100 a month was an example — the idea is to save something every month and start building a “money mindset.”

“We have never said $100 a month from [ages] 30 to 70 is $5 million — it’s not,” Ramsey said, in a recent episode. “It’s $1,176,000, and that would be true of … any 40-year period of time you wanted to pick.”

But getting started on that investment journey can be overwhelming, especially if $100 a month isn’t possible for you quite yet. The important thing is to start saving with Ramsey’s 40-year horizon in mind.

With Wealthfront Automated Investing, you can start investing in the stock market with as little as $1.

Depending on your risk profile and tax bracket, Wealthfront will create a customized portfolio with low-cost index funds that combines up to 17 global asset classes. You can also opt for automated index investing — helping you build wealth without worrying about short-term market fluctuations.

Wealthfront automatically rebalances your portfolio, diversifies your deposits and can help reduce your tax liability by tax-loss harvesting. Even better, up to $500,000 of your deposits with Wealthfront Invest are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. This means that in the event of a brokerage failure your cash and securities are protected.

Get started today and snag a $50 deposit bonus when you open your first investing account and fund it with $500 or more.

Once you’ve established your investment base, that’s when you can start ramping up your contributions to move the needle to $100 a month or beyond.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What is a money mindset?

A money mindset is “your unique set of beliefs and your attitude about money,” explained co-host Rachel Cruze in a blog for Ramsey Solutions.

That mindset “drives the decisions you make about saving, spending and handling money” and “shapes the way you feel about debt.”

Cruze pointed to a Ramsey Solutions study of more than 10,000 millionaires, which found that 97% believed they could become millionaires in the first place.

“And having that mindset — not an inheritance, fancy education or wealthy parents — is exactly what caused them to succeed,” she wrote.

Some people have an “abundance mindset,” a belief that there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to grow wealth. Others have a “scarcity mindset,” the belief that resources are limited and wealth is hard to come by.

An abundance mindset focuses on possibilities and potential. A scarcity mindset focuses on limitations and fear, which can lead to unhealthy financial behaviors, such as overspending or hoarding.

If you want to begin your wealth creation journey but are worried about market uncertainty, consider opting for assets like gold that can be resistant to market shocks.

Investing in gold — often regarded as a safe haven asset — can not only help you grow your nest egg but also offer a buffer against market volatility. Opening a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold can help you combine the inflation and recession-resistant properties of the precious metal along with the tax advantages of an IRA.

Priority Gold offers free account set up and storage as well as free insured shipping for up to five years on their platinum package. Plus, Priority Gold offers guaranteed buyback assurance, ensuring you can sell your precious metals without any fees or added headaches.

The best part? You can receive up to $20,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases and a complimentary 2025 Precious Metals Guide when you sign up.

Shifting your money mindset

Changing your mindset is easier said than done. It often means identifying where your limiting beliefs come from — maybe your upbringing or past money mistakes. Then it takes time and self-reflection to overcome them.

An abundance mindset means looking at how to build wealth over time. It’s not just about saving $100 a month — it’s about how you use that money, whether through growing assets, investing or developing passive income streams.

“Millionaires focus on wealth creation, not just income generation,” wrote business strategist and CPA Melissa Houston in an article for Forbes. She added that they “don’t chase quick wins or get-rich-quick schemes.”

Instead, millionaires build sustainable wealth “through investments that appreciate over time” and make sure their money works for them through stocks, real estate and scalable business models.

If you want to start investing now, Brokerages like Robinhood allow you to invest in stocks, options and ETFs 24 hours a day, five days a week, without paying any commission on trades.

You can also opt for expert-managed portfolios that are proactively rebalanced depending on changing market conditions.

When you sign up and open an account on Robinhood using this link, you can get a free stock from a selection of top American companies.

For those looking to diversify beyond the stock market, the real estate sector might be worth considering. Real estate often acts as a hedge against inflation, and it can be used to diversify your portfolio against market shifts.

Accredited investors seeking to invest in real estate without the hassles of buying, owning or managing properties can tap into the $34.9 trillion U.S. home equity market through the Homeshares U.S. Equity Fund.

With a minimum investment of $25,000, accredited investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied properties in top cities across the U.S. The fund is designed with a 45% downside protection, providing a bit of safety in the event of defaults.

With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach can provide an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets.

If you’re not an accredited investor, or are not willing to invest large sums, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to invest in real estate with just $100.

Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived handles all the paperwork and management throughout the lifecycle of the investment, allowing you to sit back and become a landlord without any midnight maintenance calls to fix broken air conditioners or burst pipes.

Plus, Arrived distributes any rental income from properties as monthly dividend checks, helping you set up a passive income source from the comfort of your home.

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links.

As summer grilling season kicks off, Americans may be in for a costly surprise at the meat counter.

Beef prices are climbing — and the latest government data confirms it. According to the Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. beef and veal prices have jumped 8.6% over the past year. Ground beef surged 9.9%, beef roasts rose 9.5% and beef steaks were up 6.3%.

Omaha Steaks President and CEO Nate Rempe says the problem boils down to supply.

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• I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

“The number of head of cattle in the United States is at a low, really not seen since the 1950s. In fact, it’s wild,” Rempe recently told Fox Business.

As of Jan. 1, 2025, there were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms, according to the Department of Agriculture — the lowest count since 1951.

With domestic beef demand still strong, Rempe warned that tight supply is “putting a lot of upward pressure” on prices — and it won’t be resolved overnight.

“Supply is a tricky issue. You can’t just flip a switch [or] adjust a tariff. We need to rebuild the herd, and that’s going to happen over the next roughly 12 months. My guess is by Q3 [20]26 we’ll kind of start to come out of this,” he said in the interview with Fox.

Beef isn’t the only grocery item getting more expensive. The food index from the CPI has surged 26% over the past five years, and the USDA expects food prices to rise another 2.9% in 2025.

To be sure, headline inflation has cooled from its 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022. But the cost of essentials like food and housing remains persistently high.

Fortunately, history has shown that savvy investors and consumers can take steps to protect themselves from inflation’s impact.

Real estate

When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts for inflation.

This combination makes real estate an attractive option for preserving and growing wealth when the U.S. dollar is losing its value.

Over the last five years, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index has surged by more than 50%.

Of course, high home prices can make buying a home more challenging, especially with mortgage rates still elevated. And being a landlord isn’t exactly hands-off work. Managing tenants, maintenance and repairs can quickly eat into your time (and returns). The good news? You don’t need to buy a property outright — or deal with leaky faucets — to invest in real estate today.

For accredited investors, Homeshares gives access to the $35 trillion U.S. home equity market, which has historically been the exclusive playground of institutional investors.

With a minimum investment of $25,000, investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property.

With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets.

If you’re not an accredited investor, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to enter the real estate market for as little as $100.

Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to fit these properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income level. Their flexible investment amounts and simplified process allows accredited and non-accredited investors to take advantage of this inflation-hedging asset class without any extra work on your part.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

Gold

Gold has helped preserve wealth for thousands of years — and it remains just as relevant today, especially in the face of modern inflation.

One key reason? Unlike fiat currency, gold can’t be created out of thin air by central banks.

It’s also long been viewed as a classic safe haven. Gold isn’t tied to any one country, currency or economy, and in times of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, investors often flock to it — driving prices higher.

Over the past 12 months, the price of the precious metal has surged by more than 40%.

Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, recently highlighted gold’s importance as part of a resilient portfolio.

“People don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” he told CNBC in February. “When bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”

Priority Gold is an industry leader in precious metals, offering physical delivery of gold and silver. Plus, they have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 5-star rating from Trust Link.

If you’d like to convert an existing IRA into a gold IRA, Priority Gold offers 100% free rollover, as well as free shipping, and free storage for up to five years. Qualifying purchases will also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.

To learn more about how Priority Gold can help you reduce inflation’s impact on your nest egg, download their free 2025 gold investor bundle.

Farmland

The steady rise in food prices serves as a powerful reminder: no matter what happens in the economy, people still need to eat.

That’s why farmland is considered a natural hedge against inflation. As food prices climb, so does the value of the land that produces it. At the same time, farmland is a tangible, income-generating asset that isn’t directly tied to the ups and downs of financial markets.

According to the USDA, U.S. farmland values have steadily climbed over the past few decades, driven by increasing demand for food and limited supply of arable land.

These days, you don’t need to buy an entire farm or know how to grow crops to get in on the opportunity.

FarmTogether is an all-in-one investment platform that lets qualified investors buy stakes in U.S. farmland. The platform identifies high-potential agricultural properties and then partners with experienced local operators to manage the land effectively.

Depending on the type of stake you want, you can potentially get a cut from both the leasing fees and crop sales. Then, years down the line, you can benefit from appreciation and profit from its sale.

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

A former In-N-Out employee is suing the burger chain for more than $3 million, saying he was discriminated against and fired because to his hairstyle.

According to NBC Los Angeles, 21-year-old Elijah Obeng filed the lawsuit in early June in Compton Superior Court. He accuses In-N-Out of wrongful termination, racial discrimination, harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and failure to prevent workplace discrimination.

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• Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don’t have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here’s how
• I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

Obeng, a Black man, says he started working at the Compton In-N-Out after graduating from high school. But as his hair grew longer, he says management repeatedly reprimanded him for violating the company’s dress code, which requires hair to be tucked neatly under a hat.

Humiliating and biased orders

The lawsuit says Obeng began braiding his hair to comply with the policy, but that wasn’t enough. He says supervisors then told him to shave his sideburns, which he considers part of his cultural identity. After refusing, Obeng says he was written up for issues and passed over for promotions.

On May 25, 2024, a supervisor allegedly sent him home in front of coworkers and told him to remove his sideburns. Obeng called the incident humiliating. When he chose not to comply and instead said he’d return for his next scheduled shift, he was fired days later.

The company cited previous write-ups as the reason for termination, but Obeng believes he was let go for pushing back against what he describes as racially biased policies.

So, what are his legal rights? Discrimination laws can vary by state, but California has several laws designed to protect workers in cases like this.

California law prohibits workplace discrimination based on race, including hairstyles connected to cultural identity. Obeng’s lawsuit may rely on the CROWN Act, a 2019 state law that bans discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles like braids, locs, twists and afros.

Under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), employees are also protected from:

• Racial discrimination
• Retaliation for asserting those rights
• Harassment based on protected characteristics

In California, policies that disproportionately impact certain racial or cultural groups — like grooming rules that punish Black hairstyles — may be illegal if they’re not essential for safety or job performance.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What to do if you’re being discriminated against

In California, employers aren’t just expected to avoid outright discrimination; they’re also required to make reasonable accommodations for cultural expression, including hair. That matters, especially given the long history of Black employees being told their natural hair or protective styles are “unprofessional.”

If you’re facing a situation like Obeng’s, here are steps you can take to protect your rights:

1. Document everything

Keep a written record of interactions with supervisors, discriminatory comments, policy inconsistencies and disciplinary actions. Forward any relevant emails from your work account to your personal email in case you lose access.

2. Know your rights

Review your employee handbook and familiarize yourself with protections under your state’s civil rights laws. In California, visit the Civil Rights department online. If you’re in another state, look into local enforcement laws.

3. Report internally

File a formal, written complaint with HR or your supervisor. Keep a copy for your records and include all relevant documentation, and stick to the facts.

4. File with the state

If your complaint isn’t addressed, you can file a report with the Civil Rights Department in California. In other states, contact your labor or human rights agency.

5. Consider legal action

If your concerns still aren’t resolved, you may want to speak with an employment lawyer. They can help you explore options, including a potential lawsuit for discrimination or wrongful termination.

Obeng’s case is still unfolding, and In-N-Out has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. But for workers across the country, it’s a reminder that cultural expression, including hairstyles, is protected by law in many states. And when those rights are violated, employees have options.

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

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Last year was an excellent time to be an investor. According to the annual World Wealth Report from Capgemini, 562,000 Americans became millionaires in 2024 — a 7.6% increase from 2023.

This rapid increase had two major contributing factors: interest rate cuts and the explosion of AI investments. Americans invested $109 billion in AI in 2024, far exceeding every other country in the world, according to Stanford University’s 2025 AI Index.

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• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

According to Kris Bitterly, head of Citi Global Wealth at Work, alternative investments are another important element contributing to this rapid wealth accumulation.

“Many investors, presently, when you look at their asset allocations, they’re significantly underweight on alternatives,” Bitterly told Bloomberg, noting that alternatives present “unique opportunities that are not available in public markets that you want to express in your portfolio.”

If you’re interested in exploring some options that are usually reserved for the ultra wealthy, here are a few alternative investments you can easily add to your portfolio today.

Low barrier to entry real estate investments

Real estate is a well known driver of high-net-worth individuals’ wealth. The National Association of Realtors found that approximately 90% of all millionaires in the U.S. grew part of their wealth through real estate.

But it’s not easy to break into property investing if you’re not already wealthy. Many new homeowners can only access the market because their parents have provided the down payment. As Redfin reported, one-third (36%) of Gen Zers and millennials expect to receive a cash gift from family to help fund their down payment.

If you’re considering real estate investing, but don’t have enough saved for the down payment quite yet — or you just don’t want the hassle of being a landlord or homeowner — there are some real estate investment options with a lower barrier to entry.

If you’re not an accredited investor, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to enter the real estate market for as little as $100.

Arrived offers you access to shares of SEC-qualified investments in rental homes and vacation rentals, curated and vetted for their appreciation and income potential.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived makes it easy to fit these properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income level.

For accredited investors, Homeshares gives access to the $34.9 trillion U.S. home equity market, which has historically been the exclusive playground of institutional investors.

With a minimum investment of $25,000, investors can gain direct exposure to hundreds of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the headaches of buying, owning or managing property.

With risk-adjusted target returns ranging from 14% to 17%, this approach provides an effective, hands-off way to invest in owner-occupied residential properties across regional markets.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

Gold is your neighbor’s best-kept secret

While it might not be the trendiest investment, gold still holds value in a properly diversified portfolio.

Over the past few months of tariff uncertainty, gold has done incredibly well. Gold breached $3,000 per ounce in April — avoiding some of the up-and-down spikes that rocked the S&P 500. Gold could even surpass the $4,000 benchmark by the second quarter of 2026, according to a report by JPMorgan.

Hedge fund managers like Ray Dalio are bullish on gold for this reason. It can hedge against inflation and help shield against volatility, ensuring high-net-worth individuals can weather any financial storm.

One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, which combines the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those looking to potentially hedge their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.

To learn more, you can get a free information guide that includes details on how to get up to $10,000 in free silver on qualifying purchases.

You don’t have to be a celeb to invest in fine art

For many, the trickiest part of investing is learning how to get started. Do I need a finance manager? What should I invest in? And what does everyone mean by diversified anyway?

But some investments don’t just sit in an account. In fact, the wealthiest among us often invest in beautiful works of art they can keep in their homes and enjoy every day.

David Bowie was known for his large collection of modern art, including works from Marcel Duchamp, Henry Moore, Frank Auerbach and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

While hanging a Basquiat on your wall someday might sound like a pipedream, that doesn’t mean investing in the art world is completely out of reach.

With Masterworks, anyone can diversify their portfolio by investing in fine art.

From their 23 exits so far, Masterworks investors have realized representative annualized net returns like +17.6%, +17.8% and +21.5% among assets held for longer than one year.

To earn a profit, you can either wait for Masterworks to sell the painting — the typical timeframe before a sale is between 3 to 10 years — or you can sell your shares yourself on the secondary market.

Masterworks takes care of all the heavy lifting: from buying the paintings, to storing them and to selling them for you — no art experience required.

Get started with Masterworks today and you could make your portfolio as beautiful as a Starry Night.

The crypto rise continues

Once considered a fad, crypto is now dominating the alternative investment conversation.

Bitcoin hit a record high in May, skyrocketing by 3% and surpassing a $110,000 valuation for the first time ever. Its rise could continue once the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’s final plans are unveiled by President Donald Trump’s administration on July 22, 2025.

A recent study from Greyscale Investments also found that 38% of high-net-worth Americans with at least a million in investible assets expect to invest in crypto in the future, pointing to its relevance in a high-net-worth portfolio.

So all the bullish crypto sentiments coming from the office of the president just might be the real reason your neighbor was suddenly able to buy that new Benz sitting in the driveway.

For those looking to hop on the Bitcoin bandwagon, new crypto platforms have made it easier for everyday investors.

For instance, Gemini is a full-reserve and regulated cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, which allows users to buy, sell and store bitcoin and 70 other cryptocurrencies.

You can place instant, recurring and limit buys on their growing and vetted list of available coins.

Gemini is also offering new users $15 in free Bitcoin with code GEMINI15 when you trade $100 or more. However, the trade needs to be revenue-generating for Gemini — meaning no stablecoin or withdrawal-deposit shuffling. Just remember to act fast, the promotion is only good for 30 days after creating a new account.

But if you’re not ready to buy just yet, you can still invest in crypto with their Gemini credit card, which transforms a percentage of every purchase into bitcoin or a coin of your choice.

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Many hard-working Americans dream of a retirement with no stress, no daily commute and no demanding boss. Life will surely be better with the freedom to do what you want, when you want… right?

Even if you have a decent nest egg of $1 million, there are potential downsides to retirement that you’ll want to consider before heading into your golden years. Here are three of them:

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• I’m 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don’t panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast)
• Robert Kiyosaki warns of a ‘Greater Depression’ coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 ‘easy-money’ assets will bring in ‘great wealth’. How to get in now

1. The IRS doesn’t retire when you do

Most retirees believe their tax rate will drop substantially in retirement, but that’s not always the case. After all, if you aim to live off 80% of your current income and your retirement income is entirely taxable, you may end up paying close to what you did in your working years. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this.

The key to paying less tax in retirement is to incorporate tax planning into your pre- and post-retirement planning. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t do this. A 2024 survey by Northwestern Mutual found that only 30% of Americans have a plan to minimize their taxes in retirement.

Prior to retiring, work with a financial advisor to invest in a mix of traditional and Roth 401(k)s and IRAs. The right mix will depend on your current and expected tax rates, among other factors.

Withdrawals from Roth accounts are generally tax-free in retirement. If you have a high deductible health plan (HDHP), consider contributing to a healthcare savings account (HSA), which will also have tax-advantaged withdrawals.

Also talk to an advisor about permanent life insurance policies such as universal, whole or variable life. These policies build a cash value that you may be able to borrow against to provide a source of tax-free income. Annuities are another insurance product that could be part of your tax planning.

Once retired, it’s important to have a clear, tax-conscious plan for when you’ll withdraw from your various accounts. Considerations include any employment income you’ll receive in your first year of retirement, when you decide to start collecting Social Security, which accounts have required minimum distributions, which income streams are tax advantaged and which are fully taxable.

Strategies that can be used once retired include making qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) or investing in a qualified longevity annuity contract (QLAC).

With multiple sources of income and different tax treatments, some retirees find their taxes are more complex to calculate than they were during their working years.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

2. Your health may not be what you hoped

Many of us have a vision of an active retirement — spending our days playing golf, gardening, volunteering or traveling.

However, most of us will experience declines in cardiovascular health, muscle mass, bone density and cognition as we age. About 44% of people 65 and older report having a disability and about one-third of those 85+ have some form of dementia.

Deteriorating health might force us to rethink how we’ll spend our retirement days, but it could also influence how we spend some of our retirement dollars. In all, a 65-year-old may need $165,000 in after-tax savings to cover healthcare expenses — and as you age these costs will make up an increasing portion of your total expenses.

Between ages 55 and 64, healthcare costs will make up about 7% of your expenses, but this rises to 12% between ages 65 and 74 and 16% when you’re 75 or older.

A person turning 65 today has about a 70% chance of needing long-term care during their remaining years and about 20% will require care for more than five years. The costs for this can range from an annual national median cost of $26,000 for adult day care to a median of $75,504 for homemaker services — and a whopping $127,750 per year for a private room in a nursing home.

Preparing for these costs starts before you retire and may even influence when you retire. For instance, if you retire before you qualify for Medicare, you’ll need to plan for bridging the gap in healthcare coverage. A financial planner can help you estimate your expected medical costs, including premiums for Medicare and other insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. Incorporate these costs into your planning and saving.

3. You might find retirement boring

A 2019 survey of British retirees found that the “average retiree grows bored after just one year.” This is partially why 20% of retirees surveyed by T. Rowe Price in 2022 were working either full- or part-time and another 7% were looking for work. While almost half (48%) of respondents were working for financial reasons, almost as many (43%) were working “for social and emotional benefits.”

It turns out that for some people retirement can be boring and lonely. It’s a big adjustment to move from the purpose, structure and social interaction that comes with working every day. Like much else around retirement, this can be eased with some prior planning.

Before retiring, take time to think about what’s important to you and how you could incorporate this into your golden years.

For example, that might mean working part-time in a similar field or volunteering for a cause you believe in, or maybe even going back to school and studying something you’re passionate about.

It may take some trial and error, but retiring well involves more than just planning your finances — it involves planning your new life.

What to read next

• You don’t have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here’s how
• Here are 5 ‘must have’ items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you?
• Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here’s how
• Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they’re banking on instead

Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.