The Federal Reserve cut interest rates multiple times in late 2024 but has since paused on the path toward its stated goal of normalizing interest rates. Given the uncertainty from the impact of changing fiscal and trade policies, it may have been prudent for the Fed to hold interest rates steady while waiting to see the impact of the policy shift. However, the data from the first five months of this year has held steady and become more supportive of a resumption of the Fed’s previous interest rate policy, increasing the odds of a July cut.

Investors are always looking for an edge in the competitive world of investing. One of the tools that investors have added to their toolkit is monitoring betting markets where betters can make bets on economic and financial events. These markets tend to be very accurate as the “wisdom of the crowd” tends to create a market that assigns odds of an event occurring that are difficult to beat, as all relevant information is priced in.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit is a very valuable tax benefit for those who are paying college tuition costs for a beneficiary. However, not everyone qualifies as the benefit is phased out and then eliminated for those in higher income tax brackets. Therefore, it may be beneficial for taxpayers to plan ahead to see if they can reduce their taxable income to qualify to claim the tax credit.

Plus, a look at the Planned Solutions Incorporated Office Bulletin Board - We will soon be sending out the registration forms for our annual charity golf tournament. We are busy ordering the giveaways for the tournament and gathering donations for the silent auction. We hope you will be able to attend (either golf or attend the dinner) or donate to a cancer charity to support our efforts.

The Harlan D. Wood and Debbie Druivenga Memorial Cancer Charity Golf Tournament Date: Friday, October 1o, 2025 Location: Rancho Murieta Country Club – North Course 7000 Alameda Drive Rancho Murieta, CA 95683 Time: 1:00pm shotgun start, 5:30pm dinnerAll profits go to cancer research and education. You can help by attending the tournament or donating. Not golfing? Bring friends and attend the dinner.

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The Personal Finance Review is published and distributed biweekly by Planned Solutions, Inc. for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of a qualified financial planner before taking any action.

Chase Armer's book- Financial Planning Insights is now available at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/Financial-Planning-Insights-Decades-Planner/dp/1098306279?ref_=ast_author_mpb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

⁠Intro 00:00

The Federal Reserve’s Dilemma 01:25

What the Betting Markets Tell Us About the US Economy 12:31

American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) 19:00

Bulletin Board 23:26

Planned Solutions, Inc.