| | | | Betting Markets Go Legit?
First, don’t miss today’s Daily Chart Setup trade idea down lower in this newsletter.
Polymarket just went from crypto outcast to Wall Street darling with a $2 billion investment from the owner of the NYSE — here's how you can profit from the prediction market revolution through ICE stock, Circle's 500% gains, and the pick-and-shovels plays fueling this $28 billion industry.
Come join me as we dive in and see what’s moving!
Plus, as always, we have stocks popping and dropping so come find out what is moving this morning as I look for stocks and do some live premarket analysis on SPX, SPY, NDX, QQQ, Russell, IWM and other stocks that are potential plays for the day.
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Is $100K the New Poverty Line in Modern America?
If you're earning six figures today, it no longer means what it did a generation ago. What once signaled comfort now often represents the minimum needed just to stay afloat.
Not long ago, $100,000 meant stability — a house, cars, vacations, savings. Now it often covers little more than the basics. The government says the poverty line for a family of four is $31,000, but that number is detached from reality. It doesn't reflect the cost of simply participating in modern life.
The Real Poverty Line Nobody Talks About
The median household income is $83,000, but analysts estimate that if the original 1960s poverty formula were updated for modern necessities, the true poverty line would be closer to $140,000. That's not wealthy — that's the baseline for stability.
This is what some analysts describe as the cost of participation — a cover charge to be part of modern society that outpaces income growth.
Consider a typical two-income family. Both parents work, but childcare alone can run $30,000 a year. After taxes and expenses, the second earner may contribute only a small net gain. They're running full speed just to stay in place.
And that's before dealing with the rising participation costs baked into modern life — not luxuries but requirements.
The Hidden Tax of Modern Life
Economists sometimes argue that goods are better today, so higher costs don't matter. Despite claims that higher costs are justified by improved quality, this hedonic lie fails to account for the financial strain on families.
A phone line in the 1950s, adjusted for inflation, should cost about $58 a month. Instead, a family may pay around $200 for mobile plans and broadband because being reachable and connected is no longer optional.
Healthcare tells the same story. Inflation-adjusted costs suggest premiums should be around $115 a month, yet the average family pays more than $1,600 — then avoids using the insurance because of deductibles that can hit $10,000.
Transportation has ballooned too. The average new car loan is now more than $50,000. People are financing basic mobility at luxury-level prices.
When you add up taxes, insurance, childcare, transportation and basic connectivity, a median household can burn through $50,000 a year before groceries, vacations, savings or even small comforts enter the picture.
It's no wonder a six-figure income feels stretched thin.
To navigate these challenges, learning to trade and invest becomes crucial, offering tools to grow wealth in a rapidly changing economic landscape.
The American dream isn't gone, but it's become far more expensive. Hard work alone doesn't get you ahead anymore. The system now favors people who understand how to make money work for them — through investing, compounding and strategic wealth building.
This is why I focus so much on teaching people how to trade and invest. In a world where the cost of simply existing keeps rising faster than wages, you need tools that help you grow wealth instead of watching it evaporate.
Now be sure to join me live at 9:15 a.m. ET for “Morning Monster,” my market-open livestream on YouTube!
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