Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo: Protecting Purchasing Power and Beating Inflation

Rental real estate is often called a perfect inflation hedge—but rising costs can quietly destroy cash flow. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine a typical Midwest single-family rental where operating expenses grew 8% last year while rent rose only 4%. They explore how property taxes, insurance, and maintenance are squeezing net operating income, and why even with the 10-year breakeven inflation rate climbing to 2.26%, landlords may be losing purchasing power. If you're investing for income—or thinking about buying a rental—this episode reveals the hidden expense creep that can turn a supposedly safe hedge into a cash-flow drain.

#Inflation #RentalRealEstate #CashFlow #RealEstateInvesting #PersonalFinance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Podcast #Finance #PropertyTaxes #MaintenanceCosts #Landlord #InflationHedge #NetOperatingIncome #RentGrowth #TenYearBreakeven #CPI #PurchasingPower

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how persistent inflation—even at moderate levels—is quietly eroding the purchasing power of the classic 4 percent retirement withdrawal rate. With the 10-year breakeven inflation rate at 2.26 percent as of late July 2026, and core CPI still elevated, many retirees following the old 'safe' rule may be withdrawing more than they think in real terms. They trace the origin of the 4 percent rule from William Bengen's 1994 study, crunch the numbers on how a 2.3 percent inflation headwind reduces real withdrawals over a 30-year horizon, and explore dynamic strategies like the guardrails approach to adjust spending in line with market and inflation conditions. The conversation also touches on sequence-of-return risk and why a flexible withdrawal plan matters more than ever when inflation expectations are sticky. A natural donation segment notes that listener support via buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo keeps the show ad-free.

#Inflation #Retirement #WithdrawalRate #FourPercentRule #SequenceOfReturnRisk #PurchasingPower #PersonalFinance #Investing #RetirementPlanning #BreakevenInflation #CPIData #FedRate #SafeWithdrawalRate #DynamicWithdrawal #GuardrailsApproach #WilliamBengen #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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Retirees with fixed annuities are losing purchasing power even as headline inflation cools. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how a seemingly safe income stream can erode over time, citing the latest CPI data (332.6) and breakeven inflation rates (2.20%). They explore practical options: inflation riders, variable annuities, partial annuitization, and pairing with I Bonds. A must-listen for anyone relying on guaranteed income in retirement.

#FixedAnnuities #Inflation #RetirementIncome #PurchasingPower #CPI #BreakevenInflation #AnnuityRider #VariableAnnuity #I Bonds #TIPS #PersonalFinance #RetirementPlanning #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WealthManagement #InflationHedge #FixedIncome

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Lucas and Luna examine why the average 2026 salary raise may not be enough to keep up with inflation, even as CPI cools to 332.6. They break down the real purchasing power of a typical 3% raise when core inflation is still elevated, and offer strategies to negotiate or supplement your income. Plus, a look at how the current Fed funds rate of 3.63% affects your savings and why expecting a 2.2% cost-of-living adjustment next year might still leave you behind. A practical conversation for anyone who wants their annual raise to actually feel like a raise.

#SalaryRaise #Inflation #RealWageGrowth #PurchasingPower #CPI #FedRate #PersonalFinance #Negotiation #CostOfLiving #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #MoneyTips #2026 #JobMarket #PayRaise #InflationImpact

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how even as headline inflation cools, dividend stock investors may still see their purchasing power erode. With the S&P 500 dividend yield at 1.4% and the 10-year breakeven inflation rate at 2.21%, real returns from dividends often fall short. They discuss the importance of focusing on dividend growth rates, comparing real yields to Treasury bonds, and why sectors like utilities may not keep pace. Using current data from July 2026, they offer actionable advice for income investors to protect themselves against inflation’s subtle but persistent drain.

#Inflation #DividendStocks #PurchasingPower #RealReturns #S&P500 #DividendYield #InflationErosion #PassiveIncome #Investing #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #RetirementIncome #IncomeInvesting #StockMarket #EconomicData #CPI #BreakevenInflation

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In Episode 141 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into the quiet erosion of money market fund returns. With the Fed holding rates at 3.63 percent and breakeven inflation at 2.21 percent, the real yield on cash is barely positive. They walk through how the average money market fund yields around 3.6 percent, why inflation expectations matter more than nominal rates, and the $12 billion that flowed into these funds last month—much of it from investors chasing safety. Plus, they discuss whether brokerage cash sweeps are a worse deal and why Series I bonds might outperform if inflation ticks higher. A practical look at the hidden cost of playing it safe.

#Inflation #MoneyMarketFunds #CashInvesting #RealReturns #PurchasingPower #Fed #InterestRates #BreakevenInflation #PersonalFinance #SeriesIBonds #BrokerageCashSweep #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #Investing #LucasAndLuna #Episode141 #InflationAndYourMoney

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If you've got cash sitting idle in a brokerage account, you could be losing hundreds of dollars a year in purchasing power. Most brokerages pay near-zero interest on uninvested cash sweeps, while money market funds yield over 3.6%. With inflation still running above the Fed's 2% target — the breakeven rate sits at 2.21% — that gap is quietly eroding your savings. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down exactly how the cash sweep mechanism works, why brokerages get away with such low rates, and three concrete steps you can take to stop the leak. They walk through the math using current Fed funds and CPI data, compare sweep yields across major firms, and explain why switching to a money market fund or a high-yield savings account could save you real money. If you've been ignoring that cash balance in your brokerage account, this is the episode that will get you to act.

#BrokerageCashSweep #Inflation #PurchasingPower #MoneyMarketFunds #HighYieldSavings #FedFundsRate #CPI #BreakevenInflation #PersonalFinance #Investing #CashManagement #FexingoInflation #Finance #ProtectYourMoney #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Episode140 #LucasAndLuna

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Episode 139 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo examines how inflation erodes the value of credit card reward points, miles, and cashback. Lucas and Luna discuss the latest CPI data (332.6 for June 2026, core CPI at 336.1) and the 10-year breakeven inflation rate of 2.26%, showing that while headline inflation is cooling, reward devaluations are accelerating. They explain why hoarding points costs you real purchasing power, offer strategies to protect rewards (like spending points sooner or choosing fixed-value redemptions), and tie in the ad-free support angle at buymeacoffee.com/fexingo.

#Inflation #CreditCardRewards #PointsDevaluation #Cashback #PersonalFinance #CPI #CoreCPI #BreakevenInflation #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #RewardsStrategy #TravelPoints #AirlineMiles #PurchasingPower #InflationEating #Episode139

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If you've got money sitting in Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App, it's likely earning zero percent—meaning inflation is quietly eroding its purchasing power. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down exactly how much you lose with current CPI at 332.6 and a 10-year breakeven inflation rate of 2.26 percent. They discuss why digital wallets haven't kept up with the Fed funds rate of 3.63 percent, and what you can do—like moving idle balances to high-yield savings or money market funds—to stop the leak. A practical, numbers-driven look at a hidden cost of payment app convenience.

#DigitalWallets #Inflation #Venmo #PayPal #CashApp #PurchasingPower #HighYieldSavings #MoneyMarket #FedFundsRate #CPI #BreakevenInflation #PersonalFinance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationAndYourMoney #LucasAndLuna #Finance #ConsumerFinance

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Episode 137 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna reveal how moderate inflation is silently eroding the real purchasing power of 529 college savings plans. With the latest CPI reading at 332.6 (down from 333.98) and college costs rising 3–5% annually, they walk through a concrete example: a $10,000 contribution that loses a third of its value in college-cost terms over 18 years due to conservative default allocations. They discuss strategies like adjusting equity glide paths, using age-based options, and the new Roth IRA rollover provision starting in 2024. Tune in for actionable advice on protecting education savings from inflation.

#Inflation #529Plan #CollegeSavings #PersonalFinance #Investing #EducationCost #TuitionInflation #AssetAllocation #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #Finance #Money #Budgeting #RothIRA #GlidePath #TaxAdvantage #CollegeBoard

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