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7 Biggest Wealth Killers of 2025, According to Jaspreet Singh

7 Biggest Wealth Killers of 2025, According to Jaspreet Singh

Yahoo15 hours ago

An April 2025 Gallup Poll identified inflation, housing costs and insufficient wages as the three most common financial problems Americans reported. While these things make it harder to build wealth, many other factors are less obvious but can still put a big dent in your finances.
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In a recent video, money expert Jaspreet Singh discussed seven of the biggest things killing your wealth in 2025. See how you can start saving more money, investing in yourself and making better money decisions.
The May 2025 consumer price index data indicated a 7% year-over-year increase in car insurance costs, which was nearly three times the rate for all items.
The rising cost of this essential coverage shows how important it is to check rates for different car insurance companies since you'll likely find a better deal. Singh said rate shopping could save you 15% per month on your premiums.
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The current national average rate for savings accounts is 0.42%, and many major banks offer a small fraction of that. That tiny return doesn't come close to keeping up with inflation, which steals your money's purchasing power.
Singh recommended instead going with an insured bank offering a high-yield savings account, which he said can yield a much better 4% to 4.5% interest rate. That way, you'll start earning more than inflation and still keep your money in a safe place.
'2025 will go down in history as one of the most educational years in stock market history because you can see the importance of not being an emotional investor,' Singh said.
He discussed the tariff-related market turbulence over the last several months. If you sold your investments out of panic, you may have lost a lot of money compared with if you had stayed calm and waited for the markets to go up again. At the same time, you might have missed out on opportunities to make money if you didn't buy during the down periods.
Rather than acting on emotions, remember that volatility is normal and think about the long term. That way, you can make better investing decisions that build your wealth.
Singh spoke about how the extra money that people received during the pandemic led to increases in luxury purchases. That was also a time when many people's expenses dropped since they were often staying home.
But now you'll pay more for many purchases, and stimulus checks are far in the past. If you haven't tightened your budget and reined in spending on luxuries, your pandemic-style buying habits may be destroying your wealth today and even putting you into debt.
The American Gaming Association reported that Americans spent around $72 billion on sports betting in 2024. Being able to place bets on mobile apps has made it easier to find yourself with this gambling habit and overstated hopes of winning big.
'Expect to not make any money and do it for the fun if you find it fun, but you're not going to make any money,' Singh said.
You have a much better chance of building wealth if you control your expenses, maximize your income and smartly invest your extra money.
Being able to order most things on your phone and have them quickly arrive at your place is great for convenience. But the hidden costs associated with those orders can kill your wealth.
For example, you might have to pay service and delivery fees along with a tip. Plus, there's the risk of you buying things unnecessarily just because you see them, want them and can get them fast.
Rethinking convenience purchases is also important to avoid additional debt.
'The best investment you can make is not the S&P 500, it's not Nvidia, it's not Tesla, it's not real estate, it's not gold, it's not Bitcoin — it's you,' Singh said.
He explained that many people feel comfortable spending on fancy experiences or items, yet they question paying a similar amount to educate themselves and grow their skills. This cheats them from building knowledge that helps them make decisions that build wealth.
So consider spending money on courses, books, financial advisors and other things that improve your investment skill set.
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Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard
7 Tax Loopholes the Rich Use To Pay Less and Build More Wealth
5 Types of Cars Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Biggest Wealth Killers of 2025, According to Jaspreet Singh

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Credit scores decline for millions as US student loan collections restart

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Credit scores decline for millions as US student loan collections restart
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Credit scores decline for millions as US student loan collections restart

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of Americans are seeing their credit scores suffer now that the U.S. government has resumed referring missed student loan payments for debt collection. After 90 days of non-payment, student loan servicers report delinquent, or past-due, accounts to major credit bureaus, which use the information to recalculate the borrower's score. Falling behind on loan payments therefore can affect an individual's credit rating as severely as filing for personal bankruptcy. A lower credit score makes it harder or more expensive to obtain car loans, mortgages, credit cards, auto insurance and other financial services at a time when inflation, high interest rates, and layoffs have strained the resources of some consumers. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that in the first three months of 2025, 2.2 million student loan recipients saw their scores drop by 100 points, and an additional 1 million had drops of 150 points or more. 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Hanchon said her score dropped by 57 points as a result of her loans falling delinquent this year. That put her score below 600, or subprime. When Hanchon received her statement from her loan servicer, her expected monthly payments were higher than before the pandemic-era pause, even though she had enrolled in a repayment plan that takes a borrower's full financial situation into account. 'They said I now have to pay $358 per month," she said. "I'm not going to be able to pay that. ... But I'm not unusual in the world we're living in right now." Hanchon said she's had to prioritize paying medical expenses — for a dental crown, a root canal, and an endoscopy — before she'll be able to consider putting money toward the loans. While her housing situation is secure for the moment, she worries about the annual percentage rate for her credit cards fluctuating. 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Holmes has begun the process of appealing the reduction of his credit score, he said. He's been considering a move for professional reasons, and added that he's concerned it could be tough to rent a place to live with his score as it stands. 'I'm at the ideal age where I should be starting a family and buying a home,' he said. 'When you destroy me financially, what are the chances I'm able to do that and that's viable for me?' Holmes, who was the first person in his family to graduate from college, said he still has some outstanding Parent Plus loans, which he intends to keep paying down so that his parents' credit scores aren't affected. He graduated in 2019, shortly before the pandemic, and said he can see how his generation might have difficulty paying off the debt. 'Right as I was entering the workforce, the world really stopped,' Holmes said. 'Things were really bad for a lot of people for a long time. We're still coming out of that. And all of a sudden, the switches got turned back on overnight.' Kevin King, vice president of credit risk at data and analytics company LexisNexis, said he expects the effects of the resumed student loan collections to begin rippling through the U.S. economy in the coming months. 'There were a number of years where it was probably a bad financial strategy to be making student loan payments,' he said. 'A lot of consumers were confused as various government (policies of forgiveness) were passed and overruled.' King predicts that student loan payments will move higher in the so-called 'payment hierarchy,' or the order in which consumers make payments, since the government plans to use 'levers to compel" such as wage garnishment and the seizing of tax refunds. 'Which bill do you pay first, second, and not at all?' King said. 'Historically, student loans are really far down the list. But the government's being pretty aggressive here in pursuing payment activity in a way that may shift the hierarchy. Consumers might be more willing to go delinquent or default on something like a credit card or installment loan.' The Federal Reserve of New York study also found that borrowers ages 40 and older were most likely to be delinquent on their loans. Andrew McCall, 58, of Boise, Idaho, said he has about $30,000 remaining in outstanding loans from earning his computer science degrees. He said he can't afford his monthly payments, which are in the $250-300 range, and worries what a hit to his credit score might mean for all areas of his life. 'The fact that this economy is driven by debt to begin with causes my score to be paramount no matter what financial decisions I'm making, outside of going to the grocery store,' he said. 'My car, my house... Your credit rating becomes a social stratifier.' ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

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