🐤 The gold standard

Markets: Halloween is Thursday, but the next day’s September jobs report could have some tricks or treats in store for investors. The data in that document is likely to influence Federal Reserve policy when central bankers convene for their next meeting. Additional economic information dropping this week includes inflation numbers, quarterly GDP, and the housing and manufacturing industries. A number of major corporations, particularly in the tech and pharma sectors, will also be releasing their latest earnings reports.

Rays of hope: Though clearly not the biggest priority in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, there has been some uncertainty surrounding Tropicana Field — the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The stadium sustained major damage and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects to have a working plan for next season in place by Christmas. There had already been talk of a new ballpark for the team, but it remains to be seen whether the storm damage would warrant such an investment. In the meantime, the Rays can use a minor-league stadium.

Privacy for less: With government crackdowns around the world and online trackers following our every move, “virtual private networks” — or VPNs — have become increasingly popular in recent years. But the cost of installing and maintaining such service can sometimes be prohibitive. Recent reports, however, highlight a significant price cut from a VPN known as Private Internet Access. The new promotion offers unlimited protection across multiple devices for $2.19 per month or $54.94 for a year, which is a savings of 82% off the original price.

Bonding experience: There’s just over a week left until Election Day, and Wall Street is really starting to brace for the impact of either outcome. But while some of the volatility in the stock market is tied to presidential election polling, bond investors say there are a number of other factors at play that make it a potentially treacherous period for the economy. As the 10-year Treasury bond jettisoned to a recent high of 4.25%, investors known as “bond vigilantes” have amplified concerns that runaway federal deficits and rate cuts could combine to reignite inflation.

Time of mourning: A standout soccer player from High Point University received the opportunity of a lifetime when he joined the Philadelphia Union last year. Tragically, the 25-year-old never got an opportunity to play for the Major League Soccer franchise. The team confirmed on Saturday that goalkeeper Holden Trent died just a day after his coach said he had been admitted to a hospital ICU. He started five games with the MLS Next Pro League’s Philadelphia Union II last season. That team faced Crown Legacy FC in a game on Saturday afternoon.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of the articles about Costco’s foray into gold sales, a move that prompted members to scoop up the shiny metal almost as fast as it arrived. But the truth is that gold continues to be in demand no matter who’s selling it — despite the fact that its price has been breaking all-time highs left and right lately.

Exploring the causes

So what’s behind this rush to collect gold? Monetary and geopolitical experts say it comes down to a few major factors.

• Central banks: A growing number of nations are shifting away from their reliance on the U.S. dollar as a reserve currency, and central bankers have been stockpiling gold as a foundation for their goal.
• World affairs: With much of the globe in a precarious state, investors see precious metals as a safe haven for their money regardless of the tensions impacting regions including Ukraine and the Middle East.
• Interest rates: As historically high rates are expected to begin trending downward soon, gold prices are poised to benefit, making it an even more attractive investment.
• Political impact: Voters are already casting their ballots for the next U.S. president. Regardless of whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win, analysts say increased deficits are likely and would only boost gold’s value further.

Predicting the future

Over time, gold has always increased in value. This year alone, it has added about 33% to its value to reach a recent high of $2,772 per ounce.

But with so much uncertainty in the world, it might be hard to determine if investing in gold is the right move for your financial future.

As Bank of America advised last month: “Gold looks to be the last ‘safe haven’ asset standing, incentivising traders including central banks to increase exposure.”

There’s no doubt that billionaire Elon Musk has had an outsize impact on the U.S. and the world since establishing himself as an unconventional entrepreneur. Whether that influence has been positive or negative, of course, is a matter that is still up for debate.

But this week, new details have surfaced about the circumstances of his early career … specifically whether he worked in the U.S. illegally after dropping out of Stanford University.

A brief recap

Musk was born in South Africa and obtained Canadian citizenship when he was 18. After acquiring a student visa allowing him to attend college in the U.S., he was accepted to but never enrolled in Stanford, opting instead to launch his first company, Zip2.

Former Justice Department immigration attorney Leon Fresco said this put Musk in a perilous predicament.

“If you do anything that helps to facilitate revenue creation, such as design code or try to make sales in furtherance of revenue creation, then you’re in trouble,” he said.

That caused significant trepidation among potential investors. One wouldn’t contribute to the project until a clause was added to relevant legal documents guaranteeing that both Musk and his brother, Kimbal, would confirm that they were in the country legally.

Making it work

Although Musk’s initial entrepreneurial efforts in the U.S. were shrouded in controversy, it didn’t prevent him from achieving meteoric success since then. He ended up selling Zip2 to Compaq in 1999, making a cool $22 million off of the deal.

From there, he became the CEO of PayPal and eventually became the face of companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter (which he renamed X).

But throughout it all, his immigrant status — an issue he referred to in 2013 as “a gray area” — has been hanging over his head.

As testing and treatment improve, more individuals are being diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, at all ages. Such a diagnosis can pave the way for therapy and/or medication that can help alleviate some of the associated issues, but experts say there are some characteristics of the disorder that can become problematic on multiple levels if not properly managed.

Protecting your reputation

One of the primary traits of ADHD is a tendency to procrastinate. In some cases, like when you put off one task to take care of a more important one, procrastination isn’t a bad thing. But when it becomes consistent, the consequences can play out in a variety of ways, including:

• Late fees and penalties for unpaid bills
• Serious consequences for neglected tax, immigration, or other matters
• Becoming known as unreliable after missing deadlines

All of these can affect a person’s reputation — even though in this case procrastination isn’t a sign of laziness, but rather a symptom of the disorder.

Addressing procrastination in all its forms can be a constant battle for folks with ADHD, but there are some steps that have been shown to prevent unnecessary reputational harm.

Strategies for success

While those who simply lack motivation or skills can learn to eschew procrastination by implementing a few productivity tips, the same cannot be said for ADHD-related procrastination.

Instead, living with this disorder often requires starting out with being honest about the fact that organization won’t come easy. This includes admitting it to yourself as well as informing colleagues, friends, and others in your life who might otherwise misinterpret the behavior as unreliability.

Making a conscious effort to take care of the most important tasks first can be a crucial, if sometimes difficult, way for people with ADHD to avoid potentially costly consequences.