“Money Made Simple: The Beginning!”

Hi There! Sometimes I forget that many of you reading this might be brand new here, so let me pause and reintroduce myself properly. My name is Rhoda. I was born and raised in Grenada, the Isle of Spice. If you catch me on a good day, I am probably humming a soca tune while working or prepping my meals. I am also a powerlifter, been at it for ten years now, which means I spend a good part of my mornings under a barbell sweating.

Before the Rhoda Report, I worked as an Engineering Consultant for more than a decade. My days were filled with managing projects worth millions, writing reports, meeting clients, creating systems, and keeping teams of people on track. On paper it looked stable, but my heart was searching for something else.

Two years ago I sat down and decided to create this newsletter. Every single week since then, without missing one, I have written the Rhoda Report, all free. My reason is simple. I love taking the complicated aspects of the stock and crypto markets and making it plain enough for everyday people to understand. I do this because I have seen how easy it is for folks to get scammed, overwhelmed, or left behind in financial conversations. I never wanted that for myself, and I do not want it for you either.

Over the next few weeks I want to share my own journey with money and investing. I plan on giving it to you straight, no chaser. I will share the good, the mistakes, the red balances in my bank accounts, and the lessons I had to learn the hard way. I think you will see yourself somewhere in my story, and I hope you will find the courage to take your next step.

Let me give you a taste of where we are heading.

I will take you back to Grenada first, to the kitchen table where money conversations shaped my young mind. I will tell you what I heard growing up and how those words still echo in me today. Then I will share my first years in the US, trying to figure out credit scores, sending money home, and missing out on opportunities I did not understand at the time. You will also hear about the years when I looked successful on the outside but was quietly drowning in debt after a long, bitter divorce. Finally, I will show you how I prepared myself to walk away from my engineering career to build a life rooted in peace, family, and financial freedom.

This month of stories is about you. Many of you have written to me saying you feel stuck. Some of you are newly divorced, trying to make a fresh start on a tight budget. Others are staring at retirement statements that make your heart sink because you feel too far behind. Some of you are sitting in jobs that drain you, dreaming about something more, but too afraid of how to make it happen. Many of you want to invest in stocks or crypto, but get paralyzed by the jargon and the how-tos.

I have been in those places. Hear me when I say, there is always a way forward, even if it feels like you are standing in quicksand. Start where you are! Start with the “Money Mindset” Exercise in the Strategies and Tools Section below.

Until then, thank you for being here. I do not take your time or attention or click for granted.

Alright, let’s dig in!

U.S. equities ended last week mixed, with major indexes closing slightly lower after last Friday’s declines. Even so, the S&P 500 held on to its streak of four consecutive monthly gains. International markets were weighed down by political uncertainty in France and tariff tensions in India.

In fixed income, core bonds posted modest gains. Treasury auctions showed investors still have confidence in the Federal Reserve despite chatter about the central bank’s independence. Meanwhile, upward revisions to Q2 GDP suggested stronger growth than first thought, but slowing job gains and weaker consumer confidence pointed to an economy that may be flattening out. That mix has only reinforced calls for interest rate cuts in September (and later).

Stocks slipped heading into the Labour Day weekend after the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge for July came in slightly hotter. Still, the S&P 500 and Dow managed to secure their fourth straight month of gains. One company that stole the spotlight was Petco, which jumped sharply after raising its full-year earnings outlook.

U.S. Markets Recap (August 24 - August 30, 2025)

Equities:

The major U.S. indexes ended last week mostly lower due to Friday’s selling, though the S&P 500 extended its winning monthly streak. The Russell 2000 small cap index held steady, slightly outperforming its large cap peers in quiet pre-holiday trading, hitting +0.12%.

The two big events were NVIDIA’s earnings and the Fed’s July inflation data. NVIDIA beat earnings and revenue estimates but disappointed on data center sales and lack of China demand. Shares fell after the results, marking two straight declines. Last Friday’s inflation report matched expectations, showing a modest pickup in core PCE, which had little effect on September rate cut expectations.

Technology grabbed the headlines, but it was energy stocks that outperformed thanks to stronger oil and gas prices. Financials also gained on banking strength, while defensive sectors like healthcare, staples, and utilities lagged.

Fixed Income:

Core bond sectors, measured by the Bloomberg Aggregate Index, finished a tad bit higher. Investment grade corporates and mortgage-backed securities led the way. The Treasury curve steepened as the two-year yield dropped eight basis points while the thirty-year yield rose three.

Treasury auctions tested demand amid concerns about Fed independence. The $200B in supply across maturities saw strong demand for two-year notes, reflecting expectations for lower front-end yields if rate cuts arrive soon. Seven-year bonds saw weaker demand overall but stronger interest from indirect bidders, including households, hedge funds, and overseas investors. This showed that despite political noise, long-term confidence in the Fed remains intact.

Commodities:

The broad commodities complex gained 1%. Natural gas rebounded sharply with a 10% relief rally. Oil added 0.5% and held support above its August lows. Gains were limited by rising stockpiles and slowing global demand. Precious metals had a strong week, with gold and silver both rising more than 2%. Gold is now testing resistance near $3,560, while silver broke out of a multi-week range.

Currencies:

The U.S. dollar index was nearly unchanged last week, closing up just 0.1%. The flat week gave commodities room to rise.

• EURUSD -0.26%

• GBPUSD -0.16%

• USDJPY +0.07%

The dollar remained near a key support level around 96.0, which traders are closely watching.

U.S. Economic Recap (August 24 - August 30, 2025)

GDP Revisions: Q2 GDP was revised higher to 3.3% annualized, up from 3.0%. The biggest driver was business investment, particularly software and intellectual property, which grew at the fastest pace in four years. Consumer spending on nondurables also came in stronger.

The rebound followed a weak first quarter when firms front-loaded imports ahead of tariff hikes. Corporate profits also rose 1.7% after steep declines earlier this year, with margins still above pre-pandemic norms. However, the pace of growth is not likely to last. Slowing job growth suggests Q3 will be flat, adding pressure on the Fed to consider cuts.

Consumer Confidence: The Conference Board’s August report showed confidence slipping. More consumers now say jobs are “hard to get” than at any point since March 2021. Expectations for income growth are softening, and more households expect inflation to rise. Together, these factors point to weaker spending ahead.

Inflation Trends: Core PCE rose 0.3% in July, bringing the annual rate to 2.9%, the highest since February. Services costs led the increase, particularly financial services fees, while goods prices fell. Wages rose 0.6%, disposable income edged up 0.2%, and the savings rate held steady.

Looking ahead, economists expect growth to slow to about 1.1% in the second half of the year, with inflation lingering above the Fed’s 2% target well into 2026.

Global Markets Recap (August 17 - August 23, 2025)

Europe: Euro-area inflation was broadly stable around the ECB’s 2% target. France saw inflation ease to 0.8%, while Spain and Italy came in below forecasts. Germany was the outlier with a rise to 2.1%, driven by food prices.

French politics dominated global headlines. Prime Minister François Bayrou called a confidence vote for September 8 to push through a controversial austerity budget. Opposition parties across the spectrum are signaling plans to oust him, with odds of his removal at 70% according to Eurasia Group. President Emmanuel Macron backs Bayrou but faces limited options if the government falls, adding to uncertainty in European markets.

Asia: India came under pressure as Prime Minister Modi prepares for a summit with China and Russia after imposing a 50% tariff on Russian oil purchases.

In Japan, Tokyo’s August inflation slowed to 2.5% from 2.9% but remained well above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target. The “core-core” inflation, excluding energy, held firm at 3%, as businesses continued to pass on higher costs.

Crypto Recap (August 24 - August 30, 2025)

Last week, the crypto market struggled, with sentiment flipping from greed to fear quickly. Bitcoin fell 7.3% on the week and remained capped below $113,000. Ethereum dropped 4% to $4,267, pulling back from the $4,958 level.

Despite the weak price action, institutional flows told a different story. Spot Bitcoin ETFs brought in $441M, while Ethereum ETFs attracted $1.1B. In fact, on August 28, Ethereum products posted a record $307M in one day, outpacing Bitcoin funds. This signaled growing institutional interest in Ethereum’s utility in stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenization.

Solana also showed strength, pushing toward $216, but have since fallen.

Last Week’s Top Gainers: CRO, PYTH, M, IP, PUMP

Here are other key highlights from last week:

• Google advanced its Layer-1 blockchain.

• Web3 funding hit $9.6B in Q2 despite fewer deals.

• Avalanche (AVAX) led blockchain transaction growth.

• Animoca joined Antler to bring Japanese anime, manga IP on-chain.

• USDT0 and XAUt0 stablecoins launched on Polygon network.

This first week of September will be busy!

Key U.S. Economic Releases this week (Sept 1-5):

• Monday: Labour Day Holiday

• Tuesday: ISM Manufacturing PMI

• Wednesday: JOLTS Job Openings

• Thursday: ADP Payrolls, Jobless Claims, ISM Services PMI

• Friday: Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, Average Hourly Earnings

Fed Watch

• Wednesday: FOMC Member Musalem at 9:00 AM

• Wednesday: FOMC Member Kashkari at 1:30 PM

• Thursday: FOMC Member Williams at 12:05 PM

• Thursday: FOMC Member Goolsbee at 7:00 PM

Earnings: 

Key reports include Dollar Tree (DLTR), Salesforce (CRM), Copart (CPRT), and Broadcom (AVGO).

Medium-to-High Impact Global Economic Events This Week:

Week 8/24/25 - 8/30/25 Recap

Special Tools & Strategies - Money Mindset Exercise

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.