Dear Plenty Community,

The consumer-price index stubbornly kept rising and inflation ended up at 3.5%, higher than February’s 3.2%. Fed Chair Powell suggested that plans to lower the federal funds rate are on hold until there’s evidence of inflation heading towards the long term target of 2%.

This means that savings APY rates will stay higher for longer (good for smart savers making the most on their cash!). High rates also means that debt will be more expensive. For those who have debt, they’ll end up paying more on interest expenses on their car loans, credit cards, or mortgages. And for those looking to make major purchases with debt, like cars + houses, many families will face a decision to wait or pay up.

When interest rates are high, stocks tend to be valued lower. That’s because the value of a stock is the total amount a company might earn in the future. When the interest rate is higher, a dollar in the future is worth less today. A company that says they can earn $XXX in 2 years is worth less than it used to, because $XXX today earns me 5%+. When it only earned me 2%, I’d value money in the future more. Zooming out, this is a key reason why your investments in the stock market is heavily influenced by any changes in the fed funds rate.

As the rates unfold, we’ll keep you in the loop. In the meantime, we’re excited to share two key trends we’re seeing amongst today’s couples.

- Emily, CEO/cofounder of Plenty

Why I froze my eggs at 27 years old

I froze my eggs at 27.

I had 50 pills, 26 injections, 6 blood tests, and 7 ultrasounds over the course of 4 weeks (most within a 12 day window), before having a 20 minute mini-operation. They put an ultrasound wand inside my lady parts with a needle that was really a vacuum to suck out eggs (modern science is definitely part wizardry, part MacGyver powers). It cost $16,000 and my medical insurance didn’t cover any bit of it. I had saved up for it carefully; after doing it, it felt more worth it than I had expected.

In our featured blog post this week, I talk about one of the best investments I’ve made. I share my experience freezing my eggs at 27 years old, why I made the decision, and the business behind egg freezing.

I hope it helps to start a conversation with you or a loved one.

How to plan a courthouse wedding

In 2023, the price of an average wedding went up to $29,000. Covid gave permission for more couples to make a different decision: to skip the wedding and save the money for other goals instead.

And there’s a long list of benefits: fewer logistics, smaller budgets, and the ability to make the day exactly what a couple wants.

Courthouse weddings are now 3 times more common than before covid. And increasingly, couples are throwing more relaxed dinners or parties afterwards, instead of taking the hit on the “wedding-price-tags”.

But what does it look like? Do you need to be in a literal “courthouse”? Our partner, Courtly, helps answer what’s new and increasingly normal for today’s couples.

Plenty is a wealth platform helping modern couples invest and plan for their future together. We bring the investment strategies and products of the wealthy to the everyday household. For more information, visit withplenty.com. If you ever have any feedback or questions, please do reach out to us at [email protected].

At Plenty, no financial topic is off-limits for modern couples. We offer straight talk and judgment-free guidance to help modern couples navigate the tricky and important intersection of money and relationships. Join thousands of couples who’ve signed up for our free newsletter today.

Plenty Financial RIA, LLC is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor. All investments made are legally owned by you. Investing is inherently risky and Plenty does not guarantee positive performance. Investments are held in accounts at BNY Mellon | Pershings, the world’s largest securities servicing company and are SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no assurance that the investment will provide positive performance over any period of time. Please see Plenty Financial’s general disclosures. Brokerage services are provided by Atomic Brokerage LLC "Atomic Brokerage", member FINRA and SIPC. Clearing and custody services are provided by Brokerage firm BNY Mellon Pershing, member SIPC. Plenty Financial RIA, LLC has a relationship with Atomic Brokerage to manage and execute investments on behalf of customers. Subadvisory services are offered through Atomic Invest LLC ("Atomic Invest"), an SEC-registered investment advisor, member SIPC. Atomic Invest was formerly known as Helium Advisors LLC. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a particular level of skill or training.