Forget Aging Gracefully. I'm Aging Out Loud.

(Monica Frazier Anderson DDS, DBA, FICD) - How A K-pop Movie Reminded Me That Confidence Should Never Retire

By Monica Frazier Anderson DDS, DBA, FICD

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 12, 2026

I love my granddaughter, but if she replays that song one more time, she is going to hear exactly what it sounds like when grandma turns into a demon. I’m not proud of it, but that was my thought when my beautiful 10-year-old granddaughter picked up the remote and smiled in my direction. She knows that one-dimple smile is Boomer kryptonite. I sighed, forced my lips to smile, and said yes to her unspoken request.

I was headed toward the kitchen with our empty popcorn bowl when she asked, “Will you watch with me, Memoe?” I almost reminded her I’d viewed K-Pop Demon Hunters twice already that day and at least a dozen times in the past year. But then I realized: I’d never actually paid attention. I’m often advising others to “be present,” to practice intention and mindful listening. Yet, I couldn’t recall anything beyond those six now-famous words “This is What It Sounds Like.”

I set the bowl on the counter, plopped down next to her, and stared at the screen, willing myself to care as much as she. Rumi, the lead character, was only 3 lines into the lyrics when my mouth fell open. She wasn’t singing to the demon hunters. She was singing to me. “The worst of what I came from, patterns I’m ashamed of…” In that moment, she transported me from my cozy den to a painful place I rarely let my mind linger.

In 2012, surgeons removed a large cancerous tumor from my abdomen. The scar extends ten inches from my sternum to below my navel. Initially, I thought of it as a badge of honor commemorating my survival. I overshared my painful journey and displayed my quilted torso to anyone who asked. Years passed, and something shifted. Slowly, unconsciously, I body-shamed myself into thinking my triumphant scar was a flaw, another imperfection I needed to conceal. I stopped celebrating my healing and became ashamed of the man-made evidence of it.

Rumi continued, “We listen to the demons...we let them get between us.” Sometimes the worst demons are in our heads. Think of the hours we waste fighting not monsters with otherworldly powers, but our negative self-talk that incessantly whispers:

· I’m too old.

· I’m too big.

· I can’t do it.

· I don’t deserve it.

· I'm not pretty enough.

· I can’t wear a bikini.

That last one? Totally me. All the magazines, fashion blogs, and filtered reels on social media pummel us with images of blemish-free, perfect people. They don’t have bad breath or bad hair days, let alone an unesthetic mark on their drum-tight abs. Who says overexposure to filtered reality only impacts young people? Even women with decades of accomplishments can be virtually waterboarded into believing those images reflect mandatory beauty standards we cannot reach with a ladder and 6-inch stilettos.

“The truth now?” I didn’t stop wearing sheer blouses, crop tops, and bikinis because I’m old. I stopped because, like Rumi, I was hiding my scars—my truth.

Ironically, I am always impressed when I see a woman with a V-neck blouse exposing the telltale scar of open-heart surgery. I don’t think, “Geez, cover that up. No one wants to see that.” I think, Wow, I love her confidence.

Or, as the Demon Hunters sing, “There’s so much unexpected beauty in broken glass.”

It’s true this long, deep scar will always be part of me, reflecting victory over the hardest battle of my life. And no, I’m not a shero, but I AM a survivor. Survivor means you have lived through something that caused others to die. Whether it’s war, an automobile accident, childbirth, or surgery, we’re still here!! The scars and crow’s feet are reminders of our resilience, not our weakness.

I’m no longer listening to the lies I told myself. There is nothing wrong with my body. My scars are my map. My receipts. The history of a life I fought hard to keep.

So heaven help me, I’m wearing my bikini. If someone sees the truth beneath my sunscreen…good. I do not care.

Sitting next to my granddaughter watching an animated half-demon sing about shame, survival, and self-acceptance, I felt my heart beat a new rhythm. One my cardiologist would approve of!

I hugged myself tight, smiled, and thought, THIS is what mental liberation sounds like!

About the author

Monica Frazier Anderson DDS, DBA, FICD

Dr. Monica “mOe” Anderson is a TEDx speaker, award-winning podcast host, multi-published author, and licensed healthcare professional. Through spoken and written word, she explores personal growth, health equity, and the complexities of modern life. She is a mother of two sons and the proud grandmother of four. She resides in Grand Prairie, Texas.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

What my son's baseball season taught me about leadership

(Sue Sweenie) - By Sue Sweenie

Edited by Jenn Moon, Editor at Featured News · Oct 14, 2026

As a mom of an athlete, I have lost track of how many sports my kid plays. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey—the calendar fills up quickly. Between all his practices, games, and the emotional energy that comes with watching him compete, I sometimes wonder what my son will carry with him after the season ends.

A recent baseball season gave me an answer.

My then-11-year-old struggled with his confidence. He had an unusually hard time at the plate and on the pitching mound. Baseball meant everything to him. He was an amazing pitcher, but sometimes just struggled.

As a mom, I lost sleep over it. I worried about what the struggles were doing to his confidence and thought maybe it was time to move from baseball.

But he kept showing up.

He cheered for his teammates. He shared his Big League bubble gum—lots of it! He played with his heart, even when his performance did not reflect how much he cared. He had one particular coach who saw something special in him: He saw him as a mentor to the others. He recognized his ability and perseverance and allowed him to be a role model.

Contribution takes many forms

In sports, it is easy to focus on the players who have the best stats. At work, we often do the same with the person who wins the new account, delivers the best presentation, or gets the highest sales.

I believe a great team also depends on people who keep others motivated, take their role to heart, and remain invested when things get tough. My son backed his team and showed up even when he didn't want to.

That is a useful lesson for managers. Results matter, and so does recognizing the behaviors that help other people perform. Who follows through? Who shares their knowledge? Who helps a colleague after a big setback?

Confidence needs room to grow

Although my son was known for his pitching skill, he wasn't always the best hitter. My very first instinct was to protect him from feeling discouraged with his hitting. I had to take a step back, let things play out, and trust the process.

Leaders face a similar responsibility when an employee struggles. A missed target, in my opinion, should lead to a conversation about what happened and how the employee needs better support next time to reach that goal.

Giving someone room to grow takes patience, which can be hard to give. It also requires paying attention to progress that may come before a visible result.

Leadership is practiced every day

Team sports like baseball can give kids repeated opportunities to practice accountability. They have teammates depending on them, coaching feedback, and quick decisions to make at the plate. They can learn when to ask questions, when to listen, and when someone else is better positioned to lead.

Playing a sport does not automatically make someone a strong leader. For my son, that particular season offered practice in staying committed, accepting help, and finding his place on a team during a difficult stretch. There were days he just wanted to sit out, but his teammates made it fun and cheered him on.

When I think about that season, I think about a great boy who struggled and kept caring. He kept showing up for people who mattered to him. That is something I hope he carries into every team he joins.

About the author

Sue Sweenie

Sue Sweenie is a marketing, PR, communications, and personal branding professional with 20+ years of experience helping organizations and individuals build strong brands, tell compelling stories, and connect with the audiences that matter most. She is the author of "Branding You."

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

After a Houston Crash, I’ve Seen the Next Danger Come Through Your Phone

(Adam Miller) - I’ve represented Texans targeted by illegal lawyer solicitation. Here’s what I’ve learned about how it happens, the warning signs, and what I believe every accident victim should know.

By Adam Miller

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 5, 2026

A car accident is confusing enough. You may be hurt, your car may be totaled, and you’re trying to figure out what happens next. How are you going to get to the doctor or work?

Then your phone rings. Or maybe it's a text message, sometimes an email.

The person on the other end knows your name. They know you were in an accident and they want to “help” you. Sometimes they even know details about your accident that make you wonder how they got your information in the first place.

I’ve represented dozens of Texans who have received these calls, and that’s usually one of the first questions they ask me: How did they know?

That’s a great question. And honestly, sometimes I want to know the answer just as much as they do. Somebody knew about this wreck before the person had even started looking for a lawyer. How?

In Texas, certain types of illegal solicitation fall under what’s called barratry. Most people know the practice by another name: ambulance chasing. However, most people don’t know that its illegal and that you can sue these bad actors and get paid.

I’m a personal injury lawyer in Houston. Of course I advertise, everyone does. People see my commercials, social media posts, media coverage, and website. If someone sees one of those and decides to call me, that person made the choice to reach out. They were not illegally solicited.

That is very different from someone getting information about an accident victim, contacting that person directly and trying to steer them toward a particular lawyer or medical provider. They might even do this on a website which I have seen recently. Get your accident report here and you end up signing an electronic attorney contract without knowing it.

One Client Got Six Calls

One barratry case I handled still stands out to me.

After an accident, my client didn't get one solicitation. He got six.

Fortunately, he kept the evidence. He recorded the calls. He took screenshots. He saved the contracts that were sent to him. That turned out to be extremely important.

At the time, the applicable statutory penalty was $10,000 per violation. We ultimately collected $60,000 for him based on those six solicitations.

But there was another part of that case that I think says a lot about how this business can work.

When I got the police report, I discovered that my client had caused the accident.

In other words, the people soliciting him apparently hadn't even done enough homework to realize he didn't have the personal injury case they thought they were chasing.

His barratry claims were a separate issue, and the evidence he had saved allowed us to pursue them. He caused the accident and he STILL got paid. Most people don’t know this law and I am trying to spread the news.

That's why I tell people not to simply delete an unwanted text or hang up and forget about a suspicious call. Keep it. You may need it later.

The Call May Not Sound Suspicious at First

People imagine an ambulance chaser as someone who walks into a hospital room and hands an injured person a lawyer's business card like on a TV show or movie.

It isn't always that obvious.

The person contacting you may sound helpful. They may use an official-sounding business name. They might talk about getting your vehicle repaired or helping you find medical treatment. They might offer to help you get a rental car or cash loans for your expenses while you wait for your case to settle.

Eventually, the conversation may turn to whether you already have an attorney.

I recently talked about this issue on KPRC 2's Houston Life, and one of the things I tried to get across is that people should trust their instincts enough to ask questions.

If you didn't contact this person, ask who they are.

Who do you work for?

How did you get my phone number?

How did you know I was in an accident?

Why are you recommending this particular lawyer?

A legitimate professional shouldn't have a problem explaining who they are and why they're contacting you. If they aren't doing anything wrong they will have no issues answering all of these questions without hesitation.

There Are Warning Signs I Tell Everyone to Pay Attention To:

Timing. The timing is a big one for me.

If you were in an accident a few hours ago and somebody you don't know is already contacting you about lawyers or medical treatment, I would want to know how that happened.

I would also be very cautious about anyone pressuring you to sign something right away.  Insurance companies use this tactic too.

After a serious wreck, people are usually feeling overwhelmed. They're thinking about pain, transportation, work and their family. Most people have plans coming up and are worried about cancelling or rescheduling.  Also, they may be dealing with an insurance adjuster for the first time in their lives.

That is not the time someone should be creating more pressure.

Promises about how much money you're going to receive are another red flag. No lawyer can responsibly know what a case is worth from a quick phone call right after a crash. There are too many things we don't know yet.

What happened? Who was at fault? What does the evidence show? How badly was the person injured? What insurance coverage is available?

Those questions take time to research before you can answer with any certainty.

And, even worse, if somebody offers money, gifts or something else of value to get you to sign with a particular lawyer, this is a big red flag. Paying for cases is also super illegal in Texas but firms are doing it every single day.

Texas Law Takes This Seriously

A lot of people are surprised when I tell them that barratry isn't just against the rules for lawyers. It's actually against Texas law, and there can be real consequences for the people involved.

There are a few different laws that come into play. Texas Penal Code §38.12 deals with barratry and solicitation of professional employment. Lawyers also have to follow Rule 7.03 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, which puts limits on how we can directly solicit potential clients.

What surprises a lot of clients is that Texas actually gives them a way to go after the people doing this. Texas Government Code §82.0651 is the law we use in these cases.

And the even law changed recently to help crack down on this practice. The Legislature increased the penalty in 2025. If somebody illegally solicits you and you don't sign the contract, the penalty can now be $50,000. You may also be able to recover damages and attorney's fees.

Signed the contract already? Tell me anyway. That's a different situation, but it doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck with the lawyer who solicited you.

I also don't want people seeing “$50,000” and thinking, I got a weird text yesterday. Where's my check? That's not how this works.

When someone calls me about barratry, I usually end up asking a million questions. Show me the text. What number did it come from? Did you call them first? What did they promise you? Did they send you a link? Did you click it? Did you sign anything?

Sometimes the person doesn't remember much about the call, and that's understandable. They had just been in a wreck. Barratry wasn't exactly the first thing on their mind.

That's why I keep coming back to the same advice: don't delete anything. You don't need to know what law was broken or even whether a law was broken. Save it and let somebody who knows this area take a look.

I had Another Case That Went All the Way to a Jury

The client I talked about earlier who got the six calls is just one example. I had another barratry case that went all the way to a jury, and that client was awarded $350,000. That's the biggest barratry verdict I've had so far.

Unfortunately, that wasn't some one-off case either. I have dozens of barratry cases going on in different parts of Texas right now. People are willing to risk these strict fines, penalties and loss of license to get these cases instead of building a great reputation or advertising.

And I hear the same thing all the time: “I deleted the text because I thought it was spam.” I get it. I delete junk from my phone too.

But if the person knows you were just in a wreck, stop before you hit delete. Take a screenshot. If they leave a voicemail, keep it. If they send you some strange link or a contract you never asked for, definitely keep that.

I've had people come to me months later trying to remember exactly what somebody said to them. That's a lot harder than handing me the phone and saying, “Here. This is what they sent me.”

It’s Your Decision Who Represents You

I've represented injured people in Houston for many years, and choosing a lawyer is a personal decision. When you hire a lawyer, that person is going to be in your life for a while. They will know a lot of personal information about you, your injuries, your medical history as well as your income and work situation. You should be the one choosing your lawyer. Not some stranger who got your phone number after a wreck.

So take your time and really decide who you want to work with. Maybe you hire the first lawyer you talk to. Maybe you talk to three. Maybe your brother or your neighbor had a lawyer they loved and you call that person. That's up to you.

I don't care how you find your lawyer. Ask your friends. Read reviews. Drive past a billboard. Google ten different firms if you want. What I care about is that YOU made the decision to call them, not the other way around.

What shouldn't happen is somebody you never contacted getting your information after a wreck and making you feel like the decision has already been made for you. Don't be a victim twice.

Remember it's always worth asking some questions. Start with the obvious one: How did you get my number?

-----

Legal Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and may change over time. Readers should not rely on the information in this article as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney regarding their individual circumstances. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Featured News or its affiliates.

About the author

Adam Miller

Adam Miller, known as The Texas Bulldog, is a Houston personal injury attorney and founder of The Miller Law Firm. Licensed in Texas since 1990, he has tried more than 100 jury trials and represents accident victims, including people targeted by illegal solicitation after a crash.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

Homeschooling And The Classroom Don't Have To Be Rivals

(Dr. Mimi Smith) - The question isn't which educational setting is better. It's which one a child needs right now.

By Dr. Mimi Smith

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 7, 2026

Homeschool Versus Brick-and-Mortar Does Not Have to Be a Debate

I’m sure you’ve heard the unspoken debate about homeschool versus brick-and-mortar school once or twice in your lifetime. If the discussion isn’t coming from parents, it’s being whispered among teachers and counselors in schools.

And you know what? I understand this debate firsthand.

At first, I wondered why we concern ourselves so much with which type of school a child attends. Isn’t the point simply to make sure children are receiving the education they need to become successful adults? I mean, wouldn’t that be the ultimate mission?

Two years ago, I tutored a third grader who was bright, curious, and needed a little extra guidance with reading comprehension. From what I could tell, he was doing pretty well.

We all thought he would move on to the next grade.

Then came the reading assessments. You know, the infamous Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, that every student dreads.

Well, maybe not every student.

This young kid ended up just a few points shy of meeting the requirement to move on to the next grade level.

I was shocked. Missing it by only a few points was difficult to swallow, even for his parents.

His parents ultimately decided to homeschool him.

Here is where things became interesting.

I noticed when the parents transitioned him to homeschool, they had more freedom in the way they helped him learn.

Throughout his fourth-grade year, his parents kept me updated.

He was doing amazingly well.

By the end of the school year, he had all A’s.

No, literally. All A’s.

They sent me a copy of the transcript, and I was so proud of him.

In that moment, I started wondering whether homeschool was simply better for him than brick-and-mortar school. I had officially started the entire debate in my own head.

If I had made my decision based only on that transcript, I probably would have concluded that homeschool was the way to go.

But then his parents put a funny twist in my thinking.

They sent him back to brick-and-mortar school for fifth grade.

And guess what?

Their reasoning made perfect sense.

Homeschooling had helped him improve academically, but it had also given his parents the opportunity to notice things about the way he learned.

Yes.

The way he learned.

They noticed that during tests, he would work far too quickly and get answers wrong, but they knew he understood the question.

His parents asked him why he wouldn’t simply slow down when he already knew the material.

His answer had nothing to do with academics.

He told them the other children at school were much faster test takers. He felt like he had to finish before them or they might think he wasn’t smart enough.

That’s exhibit A.

Stay with me.

His parents realized that working in smaller groups, or around other children who also took more time during tests, might work better for him.

And guess what?

His brick-and-mortar school was willing to accommodate him.

There were more of these little gems that ultimately helped his parents decide he could return to the classroom, but that one stayed with me.

It changed my thinking about whether homeschool might have been the better option.

More importantly, it made me realize that choosing a side may not benefit the child at all.

In some cases, choosing a side could actually prevent us from recognizing what the child needs.

You see, while the child was being homeschooled, the family was able to observe behavior that they were previously unaware of.

Not bad behavior, but learning behavior.

The child had some strengths they were able to use while being homeschooled, and for any weaknesses, they adjusted around them so that he could continue to progress.

By the end of the school year, they took all of their assessments and shared it with his classroom teacher when he transitioned back. His school was happy to support him!

Whether his parents realized it at the time or not, homeschool became a bridge back into brick-and-mortar school.

One need in a child’s life changed the plan.

Then the plan changed again.

There were no sides to choose for this family because the side they chose was the child’s.

A child does not have to be permanently homeschooled or permanently educated in a brick-and-mortar school. Their educational environment can change depending on what they need during a particular season of their life.

Homeschool and the traditional classroom can work together.

They do not have to be rivals.About the author

Dr. Mimi Smith

Dr. Mimi Smith is the Founder, CEO and Publisher of Books for Little Hearts™, a children’s publishing brand and youth authorship development platform centered on creating opportunities for young authors to write books for children. She also founded its fully funded Young Author Publishing Program, which provides selected young writers with professional publishing support at no cost to their families.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

Mortgage rates reach 7.49% as housing experts share expected market changes

(Featured) - Bloomberg reported that U.S. mortgage rates reached 7.49%, the highest level since 2023. Housing and mortgage experts explain changes they expect the rate environment to bring over the next 6–12 months.

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Roundup by Featured · Oct 9, 2026

Bloomberg reported that U.S. mortgage rates reached 7.49%, their highest level since 2023.

We asked housing-market and mortgage professionals to identify changes they expect this rate environment to bring for buyers, sellers or lenders over the next 6–12 months.

Roundups

Russell VolkREALTOR®, Elite Realty Group · Huntingdon Valley, PA

What I’m seeing is that higher mortgage rates are creating two very different housing markets. Many of the 55+/Active Adult and downsizing buyers I work with are coming from homes that have been either fully paid off or they have substantial equity and some are able to buy with cash or a large down payment. Those buyers are much less affected by an increase in mortgage rates than buyers who are putting 20% or less down payment.

Over the next 6 to 12 months, I expect that difference to become more noticeable. Homes that appeal to downsizers with lots of equity and cash buyers can still see strong demand, while homes that depend primarily on financed buyers may require more aggressive pricing or seller concessions.

I also expect builder incentives and rate buydowns, and I already see that, to become increasingly important because many financed buyers care more about the monthly payment than a relatively small reduction in the purchase price.

Doug Perrystrategic financing advisor, Real Estate Bees · Bethesda, MD

Rates are going up to slow down inflation, which has been running hot for years, eroding purchasing power for consumers through higher prices on just about everything. Consumer budgets are exhausted, and under stress. Higher rates drive up borrowing costs in just about every lending segment and higher savings rates encourage consumers to save money instead of spending it. The slowdown in demand will drive down inflation but it will take 6-12 months.

As prospective homebuyers pull back during this higher rate cycle, I don't think we will see a noticeable decrease in home prices, but we will see a big shift in negotiating power favoring home buyers.

Prospective home buyers shouldn't back out of the market just because rates are up and home prices aren't dropping. Historically, some of the most profitable moves in real estate have been against the trend, and this is one of those times home buyers have that exact opportunity.

Dale GremillionSenior Loan Officer and Producing Branch Manager, Capital Home Mortgage Arizona

Rates being at 7.49% will allow buyers to sit on the fence and shop around with us for the best option whether it be conventional FHA VA or Jumbo.

As we start to see more inventory available on the market home will sit longer and allow sellers to give more towards closing cost. Using programs such as Home Plus AZ or Home in Five Advantage can help your buyers get closed on their next home faster.

Another thing we have noticed is the increase of using one time close loans. These loans will allow your buyers to get locked into one rate when they start building their home and only draw on what they use during the building process.

Something that I have noticed that was unexpected was more buyers wanting to use 1099 loans on there primary residence. With these loans you only need to put down 10-20% and do not need to provide tax returns but can use bank statement's or P&Ls.

Tripp ButlerOwner, Southbridge Greater Savannah Realty · Savannah, GA

The housing market has definitely slowed in our area because of interest rates, inflation (which is driving gas and food prices up), and the uncertainty around the war in Iran. Buyers have the upper hand right now and can negotiate much more on price, ask for closing costs, and many are getting an Old Republic Home Warranty included in their contract. It has taken a little more explaining for sellers to understand this because they are still expecting to get what their neighbors sold their house for a few months back, when interest rates were more than half a point lower than they are today.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words. AI Can Read Them All

(Maurice Sikkink) - You are keeping your photos off social media, that's great. But what can the platforms storing years of our memories learn from them?

By Maurice Sikkink

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 12, 2026

When I got married last year, I didn't want the wedding all over the internet. Apart from my LinkedIn, I'm pretty much invisible online, so it would have felt odd to have one of the most personal days of my life show up on other people's Instagram and Facebook feeds.

With my kids, I feel even more strongly about it. I know that once someone publishes a photo of them online, I have no control where it ends up, who's looking at it and with what intention, or what some future piece of software might do with it.

That's my own point of view, but it also matched with something we'd been noticing.

Working on a photo-sharing service, I’ve noticed that people are a lot more careful with their photos now than they used to be. I don’t have exact numbers for it, but you can tell from the questions they ask before they sign up. How easy is it to share photos with others? How much can I store? And then, more often: where are the photos stored? That one comes up especially from people in Europe. Who can access them, do you scan them, do you use them for AI? People really do dig through our FAQ and terms to find out the answers. To me, that says privacy has moved out of the small print and into the main reasons people choose a product.

My own family photos got me thinking about this from another angle too. Most of the conversation is about whether photos are published on Insta. Although I do know some successful influencers who don't mind and show their entire family online.

But at my children's school, for instance, there's a lot of attention around posting pictures of other people's kids, and at weddings couples now regularly ask guests not to put everything online. Or even just put the phones down. I've been at weddings from which I have no photos at all, only bride and groom had a photographer and didn't show the photos to anyone except one printed album at their house. Fair enough, but keeping photos off Instagram doesn't mean you stop keeping them somewhere and they just become some kind of secret.

You still want the grandparents to see the kids. Me, personally, I still wanted our wedding guests to send us their pictures. They have to live somewhere.

So the question I keep coming back to is: whether the place you store them is looking at them. Not who can see your photos, but whether the service holding them is analyzing their content. Ten or fifteen years of photos says a huge amount about a person: your kids growing up, your partner, your house, your holidays, your friends, where you spend your weekends, and probably a pile of weird screenshots and photographed documents and just awkward poses and places as well. With current AI, a library like that is something software can actually read and make sense of.

And this isn't just a theoretical thing. Google Photos explains that it uses algorithms to detect faces and group photos of the same person when its Face Groups feature is on. Apple Photos also recognizes people, places and scenes, although Apple says this analysis happens on your own device.

That doesn't necessarily mean these companies are doing anything wrong. And analyzing photos is also not the same as using them to train AI models. Google says it doesn't use people's personal Google Photos data to train generative AI models outside Google Photos. But I think it's important to understand the difference, especially when we're talking about years of private family pictures.

So what can you actually do about it? I would start with the privacy policy of whichever service holds your photos. Look for things like facial recognition, AI, machine learning and model training. Does the service analyze your photos? Does it happen on your own device or on their servers? Can you turn it off? And are your photos used for anything beyond storing and sharing them?

If you can't find the answers, ask the company directly. From my experience, people are already doing that a lot more often.

Funnily enough, I never really thought about these questions being so important when choosing where to keep photos. It was the questions from customers that made me think about it more seriously.

And perhaps that's the bigger point. We are becoming more careful about who gets to see our photos, but we should probably be just as careful about what happens to them where we store them.

Disclaimer: The author is the founder of Yogile, a photo-sharing service that competes with some of the products mentioned.

About the author

Maurice Sikkink

Maurice Sikkink is the Founder of Yogile, a private photo storage and sharing platform. With over 15 years of experience in photo-sharing technology, he has seen firsthand how people's attitudes toward privacy have changed. He is particularly interested in how AI is reshaping the way we store, share and protect our personal memories.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

How I decide if a credit card sign-up bonus is worth chasing

(Mary Massoumi) - Before I apply, I check whether my normal spending covers the requirement, what the points are really worth, and what year two costs.

By Mary Massoumi

Edited by Jenn Moon, Editor at Featured News · Oct 14, 2026

Credit-card marketing is a billion-dollar business. Capital One alone reported $5.0 billion in credit-card marketing expenses in 2025. With my marketing hat on, I know how tempting a strong offer can look. Before applying, I check what it takes to earn the bonus and whether the card fits my spending.

Is the card worth it?

If there’s a sign-up bonus, determine if it makes sense based on your existing spending. For example, if you’ll typically spend $3,500 in the first three months and there’s a sign-up bonus with a spend of $4,000 requirement in the first three months, it probably won’t be worth spending an additional $500 just for the bonus. There are, of course, some exceptions to this, but I generally avoid messing with my budget for credit cards.

If there isn’t a sign-up bonus, or if you can compare the sign-up bonus to something else), try to figure out the break-even point for the annual fee. Let’s say Card A has 75,000 points as a sign-up bonus, and Card B is what you could sign up for elsewhere (or what the historical sign-up bonus has been). Assuming Card B has no annual fee (and if there is an annual fee, work that back into this example), Card A’s $795 annual fee immediately puts you at a $495 disadvantage (at 1.2¢ per point, I usually peg 75,000 points to be worth $900). To break even on the annual fee, you’d have to get $495 worth out of the card benefits. If there’s a $300 annual statement credit for eligible travel purchases (like the Chase Sapphire Reserve has), that narrows it down to $195. From there, it’s a matter of determining how much value you’ll get out of things like the DoorDash statement credit, TSA Pre/Global Entry fee reimbursement, Priority Pass (PP), etc.

PP deserves its own little PSA: PP lounge access is not guaranteed. You do have to activate it on your Chase Sapphire Reserve, and lounges can get packed and turn away visitors. However, if you do get in, you’re allowed two guests each (for you as the primary cardholder and each of your $195-a-pop authorized users!) for free, with each additional guest costing $27 per person per visit.

As another example, I saw an in-flight ad recently on an American Airlines flight for the Citi/AAdvantage Executive card with an offer of a free Admirals Club membership and first checked bag (for you and up to eight people traveling on the same domestic AA itinerary) when you become a new cardmember and use the card for eligible purchases within three months of account opening. If you can access that offer, it could definitely be worth it compared to the current offer, but it would also have a $695 annual fee. You’d have to determine how often you’d use the Admirals Club (note: you can either bring immediate family, defined as your spouse/domestic partner and children under the age of 18, or two guests each time, with adult children counting as guests) or first checked bag benefits and whether those would offset the annual fee. AA Admirals Club guest(s)/family must be traveling to or from the same city on the same day on an eligible (American or oneworld) flight and must enter with the Admirals Club member, who must show a valid physical AA Admirals Club Card and boarding pass for an eligible same day flight.

I also have the now-closed to new applicants Citi Prestige, which costs $495 a year to maintain, but does come with perks like the $250 annual statement credit for eligible travel purchases and fourth night free (when booking hotels through Citi Travel, up to two times per calendar year). With the annual statement credit, that narrows it down to $245 in benefits/value needed. The fourth night free can save you a decent chunk of change, but be sure to research the best price (the fourth night perk doesn’t always make Citi the cheapest).

Keep track of cards

Keep track of credit cards, either with an Excel sheet like I use or with your credit union/bank if it tracks them for you, including when you opened them and when any applicable bonus offer(s) expire, current balance, when the fee renews, etc. Set an alert a month in advance of renewal so you can decide what you want to do.

Decide before renewal date

I typically wait until somewhere around the one-year anniversary of a card and reassess. There are basically three options: keep as-is, call and ask if it can be downgraded to a no/lower-fee card, or cancel. In any case, it’s a good idea to double-check the terms of the bonus to ensure you’ve met them and figure out how long you have after the annual fee posts before it will be reversed if you downgrade/cancel the card.

When calling, if you tell them you’d like to cancel, sometimes they’ll offer to waive/rebate the annual fee to keep the account open (no promises, though, and always ask about any strings attached to these offers, like spend requirements or whether you have to keep the account open for x months). Cancelling a card can adversely affect your credit score(s), so a downgrade may be best in some situations. If cancelling, make sure you use/save any points/miles, update any automatic payments, and pay off/transfer the balance before closing the account.

Bottom line

Always pay attention to credit card offers and read the fine print before applying. Double-check bonus terms and expiration dates, perks and annual fees before renewal. Sign-up bonuses typically can only be earned once and some companies won’t honor sign-up bonuses if you’ve had the card in the past. Set up payment alerts and calendar reminders so you don’t miss anything and remember to pay your statement balance in full to avoid interest charges.

Disclosure: As of October 2026, Rewardopedia has no affiliate or referral arrangements with Chase, Citi, or American Airlines. We are pursuing affiliate partnerships.

About the author

Mary Massoumi

Mary Massoumi is the CEO at Rewardopedia. She draws on her own experience managing credit cards and travel rewards to explain how she weighs sign-up bonuses, annual fees, and card perks. Her approach starts with everyday spending, reading the fine print, and checking whether benefits justify the cost.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

What nine paid VPNs actually cost at checkout and renewal

(Andre Granito) - We paid for and tested nine VPNs. The advertised monthly price rarely matched the bill.

By Andre Granito

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 7, 2026

This year we paid for and tested nine VPNs (virtual private networks). From every angle. Today I am explaining my VPN research, focusing on the pricing aspects.

While starting our research, I was already surprised. One of the biggest VPN brands was offering a two-year plan at $3.49/month. However, on the checkout page, the total due jumped "a little bit": $94.23, paid upfront, because the deal actually covers 27 months (24 + 3 bonus months).

Monthly prices are one unit, not the full charge. The ads were offering $2.00-$4.99/month. But the real charge was from $56.94 to $119.76. Looking at the real monthly plan, without long-term commitment, the price is around $9 to $16.45.

And this doesn't happen only with this specific provider, or only in the VPN niche.

Personally, and professionally, it is common for me to have problems while registering or renewing domains with popular domain registrars. They offer amazing deals on yearly plans. This way you are locked in with the company, because transferring domain names is not something website owners usually do, I don't really need to explain why. However when the renewal charge comes, you are always surprised.

The cliff of renewal

Median renewal increase of more than 85%. Four out of nine more than doubled, and the biggest jump was +232%.

On the other hand, this is not a general rule: one went up only 8%, and two didn't change at all.

Now, this is the point I want you to understand. Paying for at least five years of coverage cost $158 with the cheapest option and $511 with the most expensive.

This assumes renewal prices stay the same. Taxes and future promos aren't included.

In fact, bonus months and odd timeframes make comparison very difficult. One provider is a good example: $72 buys 36 months (12 paid + 24 free), so $2/month. But the renewal is $72 for only 12 months, which means $6/month.

My tip for you is: compare the effective monthly cost in the whole term.

I found very irritating the fact that many companies find themselves with the right to mislead and deceive their customers. Capitalism expects the seller and the buyer to complete a "transaction" when one offers something the other finds valuable at the price offered. If you need to deceive your customers to keep your company running, something is deeply wrong, and probably it is time to rethink it, move to a different niche, or simply shut it down.

Informed consumers are capable of driving this type of company out of the market.

A "free trial" isn't always free

Beyond the hidden catches in the pricing of these services, you need to keep an eye on other things.

During our research, we realized that most of them offer some kind of free trial, but almost all of those ask for a credit card and convert it into a subscription.

Only one of the nine offered a free trial with no credit card in the desktop app. Paid trials cost between $0.99 and $2.

Refunds work, but read the terms.

All nine VPN services we tested refunded 100% of our money. Six on the same day, two the next day and the slowest after 7 days.

While researching one company, we had a few problems getting the refund. In fact, a support agent made our work very difficult from the first question we sent them. After some days of testing, we asked for a refund, and he would not approve it, even though our request was 100% within their terms, accusing us of "using services without paying for it" while testing and asking for refunds.

After disagreements and a heated argument, he instantly deleted our account; this automatically logged me out of the site, preventing me from contacting support again. I was stunned. Later that same day, I received the money back in my bank account.

One last tip about refunds: Purchases done through App Store or Google Play Store always follow the store rules, not the VPN provider's.

When you're the product

About half of the nine VPN providers we tested had a verifiable no-logs policy, the same percentage applies when we search for independent audits.

With one of them, a Domain Name System (DNS) leak test showed our real internet provider's DNS while the VPN was connected.

And here we get to the most important point of this article. When we talk about subscribing to a VPN provider - this can also relate to other niches - we have two possibilities:

1- You are indeed hiring a VPN service that will make your internet navigation safer and more private. Your data and path are actually protected. You are able to access streaming content from other countries, that are blocked in your region.

2- You are buying, paying for a service that is selling your data.

The latter - where you are the product - normally happens when we try to go for the cheapest option.

There are a few free plans I'd trust. With most free VPNs, ask how they make money. Often, the answer is your data.

In this case, there seems to be no difference between the VPN company and your internet service provider; you are simply swapping one company that sees your traffic for another. A VPN company selling your data might be even more dangerous than your internet service provider.

Conclusion: what to keep an eye on before paying

Without further ado, here are 5 simple things that apply to any subscription:

1- The amount charged today;

2- The actual term, including bonus months;

3- The renewal price and term;

4- Who processes the refund (provider or store);

5- Whether the trial requires a credit card.

If you are experienced and have purchased various online services, you have likely encountered some of these issues before and know the steps to take before committing, especially regarding annual or long-term plans.

However, the tips in this article can still be helpful, even to the most experienced internet users.

Often, pricing and renewal rates are the catch.

At other times, unusual terms and bonuses are introduced to confuse you.

And in some cases, depending on the niche, you might end up signing up for something that does you more harm than good.

The only way to avoid unpleasant surprises is to pay close attention to the five points mentioned above, plus the terms of service. Yes, it is tedious, but necessary.

How we tested

Between May and July 2026, we paid for a plan from each of nine VPN providers (CyberGhost, NordVPN, Private Internet Access, PrivateVPN, Proton VPN, PureVPN, Surfshark, Turbo VPN and VPN.ac), tested them hands-on (baseline speed tests from Latin America), and then requested refunds. All were one-month plans: CyberGhost VPN (1 month plan), NordVPN (Complete Plan, monthly), Private Internet Access (1 month plan), PrivateVPN (1 month plan), Proton VPN (VPN Plus, monthly), PureVPN (Max, monthly), Surfshark (One+, monthly), Turbo VPN (Platinum, monthly), VPN.ac (1 month plan).

The long-term prices in this article come from each provider's U.S. checkout, in U.S. dollars, rechecked on August 14, 2026. These prices are for each provider's cheapest plan, not the higher tiers we bought for testing. All prices are before tax, because tax depends on where you buy. Renewal figures are the renewal prices shown at checkout or in each provider's terms; we did not wait years to watch them charge.

Disclosure: I'm the founder of Reviews Ally, which earns affiliate commissions from the nine VPN providers tested here. We paid for every subscription ourselves, and no provider reviewed or approved this article.

About the author

Andre Granito

Andre Granito is a software engineer, founder & lead reviewer at Reviews Ally, an independent site that buys and tests software with its own money. He paid for, tested and requested refunds from nine VPN providers, and published the pricing and refund data. He also tests other types of software.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

Coast FIRE vs classic FIRE: which question are you really asking?

(Mehdi Zare CFA) - Classic FIRE aims to stop work as early as possible. Coast FIRE aims to stop heavy saving early and let compounding finish the job.

By Mehdi Zare CFA

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 8, 2026

Classic FIRE, which is what the term FIRE originally referred to (financial independence, retire early) requires you save a high % of your income (40-50% is commonly cited), for long enough, so that your investment portfolio will be enough to cover your expenses for the rest of your life.

Coast FIRE refers to the point when you have saved enough aggressively that your investments should grow into a sufficient nest egg by the time you plan on traditional retirement. You’d continue working (and covering your expenses with income), but you would no longer have to save aggressively.

Which should you go for? Well, they’re optimizing for different things. With classic FIRE you can stop working completely sooner, with coast FIRE you get out of saving mode sooner. I think that Coast FIRE doesn’t get enough credit.

Which FIRE Approach Is Right for You?

There are some questions you need to ask yourself though

Can you bear saving X% for another Y years? Obviously with coast FIRE you’re getting out of that situation sooner, which is why it can be attractive. Saving 40-50% is no easy feat and may require both a higher income and lower expenses (or a varying degree of each). Maintaining that for over a decade could be rough. If the idea makes you queasy your FIRE number better be pretty attainable!

What will you be giving up? This is mostly applicable to Classic FIRE, since Coast FIRE by definition requires that you continue working. If you’re trying to fully retire at 40 what happens when the market tanks that year? Would you consider part time work? How much income would you need?

When can you get health insurance? This one goes for either situation and is a common mistake I see people make when planning for early retirement. Health insurance can be expensive if you leave too soon, which could sour either situation.

Can you coast on part time income? This one applies to either situation, but is another common mistake I see people make when they think they’ll be coasting, but find that a part time job without employer-provided insurance means that their income doesn’t even cover rent.

How will this help? What’s your goal here? Classic FIRE means you’ll be able to not have to work. Coast FIRE means that you’ll be able to reduce stress, take a lower paying job you enjoy more, work part time, etc. If the idea of having the option to say no to a bad boss or say yes to a great opportunity excites you, then Coast FIRE may fit you better than full FIRE.

Crunch the Numbers

Next you’re going to want to crunch some numbers

How much do you spend in a year (in today’s dollars)? (yes this means you need to do this part first)

Classic FIRE: use this to figure out your FIRE number. This step often times involves using a withdrawal rate (WR), which is really a rule of thumb and shortcut (not a guarantee!)

Coast FIRE: figure out your target age to retire traditionally and figure out how much you would need at that age. Work backwards from there using a reasonable return on investments to determine what you need today.

Watch Out for These Common Mistakes

The formulas are pretty straightforward. It’s the inputs where people go astray. I’ve seen some common problems people run into.

I’m coasting but still need to save a ton...forever? Chances are you’re not coasting.

I can coast on practically nothing! You’re underestimating how much you need. See the part-time income question above.

I’ll retire at ___. Fill in the blank. This one could be that you picked a number without figuring out what you actually needed. Or, this could be the opposite problem that you picked a number you saw online, didn’t dig deeper and may find you need more.

The inputs are very situation and timing specific. Have a kid and your timeline may slip a few years. Move to an expensive (or inexpensive) city and your timeline will shift. Improve your health insurance situation or find a job you love and your timeline may change too. Update your numbers often.

About the author

Mehdi Zare CFA

Mehdi Zare, CFA, is the founder of Bina Capital, a free financial education site built around side-by-side comparisons. He writes about FIRE paths, retirement accounts, tax basics, and turning a paycheck into a long-term plan, with an education-first approach and no product pitches.

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.

The 401(k) Match You Earned but Never Collected

(Mehdi Zare CFA) - Matching contributions are compensation, so don’t leave any on the table

By Mehdi Zare CFA

Edited by Adrian James, Editor at Featured News · Oct 12, 2026

Contributing to your 401(k) plan and maximizing any matching employer contribution is one of the most impactful financial decisions you can make to help ensure a successful financial retirement.

Matching employer contributions are compensation

It’s important to treat any employer match like what it really is: a component of your compensation. Vanguard’s How America Saves 2026 publication reports the average employer match as promised was 4.7% of pay and the median employer match was 4.0%. These statistics are calculated across all plans that are recorded by Vanguard analyzed in their study.

It’s important to know your plan’s matching contribution formula to be able to maximize that employer’s matching contribution. For example, assume your employee contribution is 3% of compensation. One plan promises a 50% match of the first 6% employee contribution, and the other promises a 100% match of the first 3% employee contribution. With a 3% employee contribution, you’ll receive a 1.5% matching contribution from the former plan and a 3.0% matching contribution from the latter plan.

The next detail to check is whether your match is calculated each paycheck or across the year.

Contributing to maximize the matching contribution

For 2026, the IRS allows $24,500 of compensation deferral into a 401(k) plan by the employee. Employees can defer more with catch-up contributions if eligible; $8,000 more for those that will be 50 years old or older this year, or $11,250 for those turning 60-63 this year. Compensation your employer contributes to match your employee contributions does not count towards this IRS defined employee elective-deferral limit.

Say you earn $150,000, receive 26 equal biweekly paychecks, and contribute 25% starting with your first paycheck. Assuming no catch-up contributions, bonuses, or other deferrals, you would reach $24,500 on paycheck 17. Your contribution on that check would be reduced to the remaining available amount, and regular elective deferrals would stop for the final nine paychecks.

Assuming your employer matches 100% of the first 5% of pay, the full annual match would be $7,500. But if matching is calculated separately each paycheck and the plan provides no annual adjustment, those nine paychecks without contributions would cost you approximately $2,596 in missed matching contributions, or leaving money on the table.

That is why it pays to ask about a true-up: an adjustment that reconciles the match already paid with what you qualify for under the plan’s annual formula. Some employers provide one; others do not. Ask when it is paid and what eligibility requirements apply, including whether leaving the company affects it. A true-up may arrive after the year ends.

What does all of this mean?

Read your plan’s summary description or speak to your Human Resources contact to fully understand your company’s matching formula; Whether it’s on each paycheck or the year as a whole, and if there’s a true-up and the rules around the true-up.

If your company’s formula calculates matches on each paycheck and doesn’t true-up, contributing evenly across paychecks will help you not leave matching compensation on the table. This can be accomplished by contributing an amount evenly through the year.

Increasing your deferral percentage during the year may not mean you’ll hit the IRS contribution limit sooner. Starting at a lower rate and raising it later generally means reaching the cap later than if you had used the higher rate all year.

I know first-hand about not capturing an employer match, when I changed jobs midyear, I had already hit my contribution limit so couldn’t defer compensation into my new employer’s plan to receive their matching contribution!

Things to look out for

Vesting. While employee contributions are vested, employer matching contributions could be vested immediately, fully vested after three years, or even vested over a six-year graded schedule per IRS vesting guidelines. Learn more about your plan’s vesting schedule.

Check that your deferral rate didn’t reset. This can happen after taking a leave of absence, changing employers, or if your benefits platform was updated. I’ve experienced this reset before!

The opportunity is meaningful. In its separate 2024 paper, Are employers optimizing their 401(k) match?, Vanguard found that 24% of employees in its study sample contributed below the threshold for the full match, while another 22% did not participate. Those findings appear in Figure 8, page 11, and reflect observations from 2013–2022.

Your employer’s match is part of your compensation. Knowing the formula is the first step; checking that your contributions actually earn it is what puts the money in your account.

About the author

Mehdi Zare CFA

Mehdi Zare, CFA, is the founder of Bina Capital, a free financial education site built around side-by-side comparisons. He writes about FIRE paths, retirement accounts, tax basics, and turning a paycheck into a long-term plan, with an education-first approach and no product pitches. https://www.bina.capital

This story was produced by Featured and republished with permission. Experts featured here are members of Connectively, Featured's expert network.