Happy Thursday 🇺🇸,
Tesla employs 134,000+ people, and 44% of Americans view Elon Musk negatively. Richard Branson lives tax-free on a private island and gets a pass. Today's episode asks why.
New episode first, then 5 stories you may have missed. About five minutes, start to finish.
NEW EPISODE · OUT NOW
COMMON SENSE · EPISODE 23 · 12 MIN
Does Being Successful Make You a Villain in America?
Elon Musk builds rockets, cars and satellite internet, and he's one of the least-liked people in America. Richard Branson somehow gets a pass. Cole and Savannah argue both sides: why we love Main Street but distrust big business, the billionaire tax fight, and whether getting rich makes you the bad guy.
COMMON SENSE - RED STATE FINANCE
Does Being Successful Make You a Villain in America?
Also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart and every other podcast app.
Search "Common Sense Red State Finance."
PLUS: 5 STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
01 · WASHINGTON
An $8 Billion Diesel Check, Right on Schedule
Two weeks before the midterms, the President announced an $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief Program to help farmers cover diesel, which hit an all-time high last month. USDA will send one-time payments using a formula based on acreage and costs. Election-season checks are a bipartisan tradition. The diesel bill isn't.
TRANSLATION: Diesel moves everything you buy. At $6.32 a gallon, you'll keep seeing it at the grocery store, relief check or not.
02 · YOUR WALLET
Walmart Wants to Be Your $120 Membership
Walmart is rolling out a Walmart+ and Sam's Club Plus bundle for $120 a year, nearly $100 less than buying both. Annual only, no free trial. The CEO says some customers are "showing some signs of pressure," mostly from energy costs. Amazon Prime runs $139.
TRANSLATION: A bundle only saves money if you'd use both anyway. Add up last year's delivery fees and gas discounts before you sign up.
03 · MAIN STREET
GM Beat Estimates. The Stock Fell 7% Anyway.
GM topped Wall Street's estimates and approved a new $20 billion stock buyback, then fell nearly 7% Tuesday on a softer outlook. Vehicle prices are flat while costs keep climbing, and GM says it will decide next year whether to raise prices more than normal.
TRANSLATION: Shopping for a car or truck? Today's sticker may be the friendly version. Waiting doesn't guarantee a better deal.
04 · MARKETS
Netflix Grew 12%. Your Price Hike Helped.
Netflix beat profit estimates on $12.87 billion in quarterly revenue, up almost 12%, helped by March's price hike. Shares still fell about 6% after hours on a softer full-year forecast. Last week it announced roughly 1,000 layoffs, about 6% of staff.
TRANSLATION: Streaming bills only go one direction. Rotate services month to month instead of paying for five at once.
05 · LIGHTER SIDE
Halloween: $13.5 Billion of Spooky
Americans expect to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween, topping last year's record, about $115 a person (NRF). 79% expect higher prices on Halloween items because of tariffs, and candy and gum prices are up 8.1% in a year (BLS). The scariest thing on your porch is the receipt.
TRANSLATION: Skip the one-night costume. Reusable decor and costumes are where the savings are, and 34% of shoppers plan to do just that.
Want the full version? The Common Sense Club is $4/mo or $36/yr: no ads, every Vault guide, members-only episodes, plus the full Sunday issue.
See you Sunday.
The Red State Finance team
