Gold Price $4,329.80
Oil Price $57.44 per barrel WTI

Planning your estate might not sound like the most exciting thing on your to-do list, but trust us, it’s worth it. And with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning, preparing isn’t as daunting as it may seem.

Inside, you’ll find {straightforward advice} on tackling key documents to clearly spell out your wishes.

Plus, there’s help for having those all-important family conversations about your financial legacy to make sure everyone’s on the same page (and avoid negative future surprises).

Why leave things to chance when you can take control? Explore ways to start, review or refine your estate plan today with The Investor’s Guide to Estate Planning.

Download your free guide now!

And It’s FREE to listen to daily, available to listen on iHeart Radio Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify, and of course Youtube.
You can also listen to Daily Sip with Marcel every day on Spotify HERE

Read our guest Writer E. Gordon Mooneyhan’s take on
Brewing Words: The Cultural Symbiosis of Coffee Shops and Bookstores.

Why do coffee shops and bookstores pair perfectly? Explore the rich cultural history and cozy ambience of this legendary duo.
READ MORE

It was a week of holding breath and holding court on Wall Street. Investors started the week anxious, pushing stocks lower as they waited for the Federal Reserve to make its move on interest rates. The consensus? A likely quarter-point cut, as inflation reports finally seem tame enough to justify easing the pressure. But while the Fed played it cool, the corporate world went hot. The media landscape is shaking under our feet with Paramount launching a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery—right after Netflix had already made moves to acquire the studio. To top it off, IBM made a massive play of its own, snapping up data-infrastructure firm Confluent for $11 billion. It seems the economy is currently running on two speeds: cautious waiting from the regulators, and aggressive expansion from the tech and media giants.

Global diplomacy felt particularly fragile this week. In the Pacific, tensions flared as Beijing’s Foreign Ministry exchanged sharp words with Japan, criticizing recent remarks by Japanese leadership and urging an end to "harassment" of military exercises. Meanwhile, the Middle East marked a somber anniversary: one year after significant political changes in Syria, Christian communities are reportedly still facing deep insecurity and fragility, despite the end of systematic persecution. Closer to home, the U.S. Army Pacific hosted a major conference in Hawaii to tighten interoperability with allies, a clear signal that the U.S. is looking to shore up its "Peace Through Strength" agenda in the Indo-Pacific. From the halls of diplomacy to the ground in conflict zones, the theme this week was clear: old alliances are being tested, and new boundaries are being drawn.

The Trump Administration made a massive domestic splash this week by announcing $12 billion in "Farmer Bridge Payments." Aimed at shielding American agriculture from market disruptions and unfair trade practices, the program is a financial lifeline for row crop producers facing a tough year. But while rural America got a boost, the tech world faced a backlash. A coalition of over 200 environmental groups launched a campaign demanding a halt to new data centers, citing the massive energy drain caused by the booming AI industry. It’s a classic clash of 2025: the traditional need to feed the country versus the futuristic (and power-hungry) need to feed the algorithms. Washington is also buzzing with the passage of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, packed with pay raises for troops and cuts to "woke" programs, signaling a hard pivot in military priorities.

The road to the Heisman Trophy is officially paved. The finalists were announced this week, with Notre Dame’s running back Jeremiyah Love and quarterbacks from Indiana, Vanderbilt, and Ohio State punching their tickets to New York. But the celebration was marred by controversy. Notre Dame found themselves dropped from the College Football Playoff field despite not playing last week—a decision that has sparked fierce debate about the committee's consistency and the value of conference championships. Over in the NFL, the Houston Texans made a statement by taking down the defending champion Chiefs, sealed by a clutch interception from Azeez Al-Shaair. Whether it's the boardroom politics of college rankings or the gridiron grit of the pros, this week proved that nothing in sports is guaranteed until the final whistle blows.

Hollywood had a busy week of glitz, glam, and gossip. The Golden Globe nominations were revealed, setting the stage for the upcoming awards season with a mix of expected heavy hitters and a few snubs that have Twitter talking. In happier personal news, star Hailee Steinfeld announced she is expecting her first child with Josh Allen, sending fans into a frenzy. But it wouldn't be entertainment news without a little drama—late-night host Stephen Colbert quipped about the cancellation of The Late Show amidst the messy Paramount/Warner Bros. merger talks, proving that even the biggest stars aren't immune to corporate buyouts. Between the Kennedy Center Honors and Sydney Sweeney opening up candidly about beauty standards, it was a week where the stars felt both larger than life and surprisingly human.

Why can’t the perfect bow wait?

If your house is anything like mine, the living room currently looks like an explosion waiting to happen.

Yesterday afternoon, I saw a mountain of "The Great Wrap." There were three different rolls of paper unfurled, tape stretched out for miles, and a growing sense of panic that time was not slowing down enough. The agonizing sense of choosing a specific ribbon for a gift that will likely be torn open in three seconds flat was more painful than lying on the floor cross-legged for hours.

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the clutter and the pressure to make everything look "magazine-ready." Maybe when that happens, it’s time to retreat to the kitchen for a coffee break. You may need to refuel or some time to gain clarity.

Do you find your mind racing through your mental checklist? Did I get the tags? Is that box too big? In your distraction, you lost track of how much you pour. You didn’t stop the craft in time. The water rose too high in the filter, threatening to breach the rim.

You have to stop everything. You stand there, coffee craft in hand, watching it drip, drop by drop, waiting for the level to fall so you can finish.

Glancing back at your chaotic living room, at the piles of paper and the pressure of a “perfect presentation”. It is time for that cup. You leave the scissors on the floor, the tape unspooled, the half-wrapped gifts exactly where they are, lean back against the kitchen cabinets, and take that one satisfying sip.

“I’m hiding from my wrapping paper,” you admit to yourself.

Laughing in your head, “The paper always ends up in the bin,” then taking another sip. “But the coffee? The coffee stays with you.”

You move to your favorite couch and sit. You don’t talk about what still needs to be done. Instead, take the time to watch the sunset turn the sky purple outside the window, and breathe, sip, and enjoy your moment of joy as you look at the beautiful tree, and all its wrappings.

The same is true for this week. We get so caught up in the wrapping of our lives, the decorations, the outfits, the perfect hosting, that we forget to enjoy the gift. The gift isn't the object inside the glossy paper! My friends, the gift is the time we have to sit with the people we love.

When you feel the pressure to make things look perfect, stop. Leave one task "unwrapped" and use that time to take a sip of your favorite brew and sit in silence. The presentation is temporary, but the feeling is permanent.

Thank you,
Marcel

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